Being born in Sunagakure Village presents challenges, but at least there's still a chance to work hard and change one's destiny. In some places, merely living away from the threats of hunger and death is already a luxury. Daimaru, with his mature perspective, is better prepared for this harsh reality. It's the first time Sen has heard such things happen in the Kingdom of Wind.
"Find the thieves, eliminate them, and leave once the task is complete. This is not Sunagakure; we can't afford to get involved in extraneous matters!" Daimaru stated firmly. Ninjas are not officials of the Kingdom of Wind; their duty is to complete the mission.
"Oh? Daimaru, I didn't expect you to have a kind heart! Don't you want to kill innocent people indiscriminately?" Otokaze watched Daimaru closely, intrigued.
"This is my fourth year as a genin. This isn't my first mission involving gang elimination. In previous tasks, several robbers who blocked our path have met their end at my hands," Daimaru explained, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "Good intentions? Hardly. Ask Yome and Sen how 'kind' I was as a kid."
Yome, ever curious, asked, "Then why not let the bad guys here go? Without their backer's support, the thieves wouldn't have caused such trouble, and we wouldn't have come to their doorstep…"
"Our mission is to eliminate the thieves. The stakeholders of their operation are irrelevant to us," Daimaru replied calmly. "Yome, you're no longer a novice. Don't mix your personal feelings with the mission. Even if we could wipe them all out, do you want to slaughter the entire town?"
To put it bluntly, the Sound Wind Team's position in Sunagakure and the interests of the Kingdom of Wind aren't always aligned, especially concerning potential collaborators who have nothing to do with their mission. Massacre? Yome was taken aback. It was one thing to eliminate thieves, but it was another to indiscriminately kill townspeople with no obvious misdeeds. Even the most hot-tempered Sand Ninja rarely resorted to such brutality.
Sen gently patted Yome's shoulder, saying, "We really only have one choice. A measured approach is best."
"Excellent!" Otokaze clapped his hands in approval. "That's a reasonable conclusion."
"Is there something else we're missing?" Daimaru turned his gaze out the window, noticing the dull expressions of passersby. This town was evidently lacking in vitality.
"We're just ninjas completing our task; we're not qualified to sentence anyone to death. It's arrogance to kill based on the potential for future wrongdoing," Nekaze stated firmly.
"That explanation makes sense," Yome said, casting a wary glance outside at a few suspicious-looking homeless individuals.
Otokaze waved his hand, seemingly frustrated by the subject. "That's not a topic we should entertain. It's important not to misuse our power against ordinary people. Relying too much on force makes it hard to adapt to everyday life. We ninjas are human beings, not monsters wielding ninjutsu."
"Then why is Gaara, Temari's brother…" Sen began, only to pause at Nekaze's sharp look.
Otokaze cut her off, clearly irritated. "That creature is not a ninja; it's merely a weapon, a tool!"
At that moment, several individuals who appeared to be sentinels exchanged glances, then turned and left.
"The plan to lure them out seems to have worked. Let's follow…"
The terrain along the border between the Kingdom of Wind and the Kingdom of Grass was treacherous. The rugged mountains and dense forests formed a natural barrier. At the intersection of the three countries lay Kikyo Castle, a site of countless battles where ninjas from both Sunagakure and Konoha had met their demise.
While they were still some distance from Kikyo Castle, they were moving closer to the heart of the Grass Country. Several spies from the thieves' group were skilled enough to notice their pursuers, so they split up midway, regrouping as they neared their destination. However, these small tricks were no match for the ninjas of Sunagakure. With Yome's keen perception, they wouldn't escape detection within a wide radius.
"Their stronghold is just ahead…" Yome murmured, her pupils dilating, seemingly focused on something far beyond their immediate surroundings. "There's a cave dug by a brown bear. After modifications, it became a maze-like fortress filled with traps…"
"Is it underground?" Daimaru asked, his interest piqued.
"Yes!" Yome confirmed. "No thieves suspected of being ninjas were spotted!"
"Well, that's fortunate for us," Daimaru replied, a sense of relief washing over him. It seemed their first mission together would be a success.
The Sound Wind Team moved into formation. Under Yome's cover, Sen employed Cactus Genjutsu to weave an illusion that infiltrated the thieves' lair. Moments later, Yome confirmed that the thieves, fewer than a hundred in number, were slumped over and incapacitated by the illusion.
"Dealing with amateurs is almost too easy!" Daimaru scoffed, though he knew that if even a single ninja had been among them, they would have sensed the chakra fluctuations and countered.
Cautioning against overconfidence, Daimaru decided to sneak inside alone, seeking proof of their mission completion—the head of the thieves' leader, who had a bounty on him. He soon found the target and retreated without incident.
"Other than a few grains and some wine, there wasn't much of value," Daimaru reported. It was disappointing; they were a remarkably poor band of thieves.
"Bury them here and erase all traces," Nekaze ordered.
"Understood!" Daimaru stepped forward, channelling chakra into the sand beneath him. "Earth Release: Sand Dance!"
The sand shifted and collapsed, destroying traps and burying the thieves. Even if they didn't perish immediately, they would suffocate shortly. The quicksand spread, altering the nearby terrain and erasing any signs that a substantial group had once occupied the area. While Daimaru's Earth Release techniques weren't as powerful as Gaara's renowned abilities, they were sufficient for the task at hand, especially against a group caught off guard by illusions.
For Sen, Yome, and Daimaru, this mission was a notable experience. Although they had yet to encounter B-level or A-level missions, the challenges they faced in eliminating the bandits were a crucial step in their development as ninjas.