The next day, at the crack of dawn, Team Seven had already assembled at the gate.
Due to the upgrade in their mission, they set off for YoruNegai Town after some simple packing.
Along the way, the entire team was dead silent.
Kakashi and Sasuke were both men of few words, while Sakura was nervous, this being her first mission outside the village.
Naruto, though wearing a smile, also seemed to be pondering something.
This was the first time in his life he had ever left Konoha.
The air outside Konoha was fresh and free. Small animals could often be seen darting through the thickets.
Naruto felt as if a sharp sword that had been hanging over his heart had vanished, and an unprecedented sense of relaxation washed over him.
So, this is the taste of freedom.
During their journey, Kakashi was the first to break the silence: "This is your first mission outside the village. I will not intervene. You need to first gather intelligence on the bandit group, then formulate a plan, and finally, complete the mission."
"What are your thoughts on this mission?"
"Timing," Naruto spoke up.
"Mm, for example?" Kakashi's interest was piqued.
"At our current pace, we should reach the destination before nightfall and can begin intelligence gathering. Night is the optimal time for execution, using the cover of darkness and distributing everyone's responsibilities reasonably. The bandit group's strength might be negligible, but the timing of the cleanup throughout the process is crucial. If we alert the enemy prematurely, it could cause unnecessary trouble."
"Correct. Naruto is absolutely right," Kakashi said, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
"This is also the biggest challenge you will face on this mission. This will be your first... kill."
As his words fell, the atmosphere of the entire team grew heavier.
Sasuke's eyes flickered, lost in thought.
Sakura's face was a mask of revulsion.
After all, they were only twelve years old.
Only Naruto's expression remained gentle, his eyes calm and undisturbed.
Facing his impending first kill, his mood was unexpectedly tranquil.
And so, after half a day's travel, they successfully reached the outskirts of YoruNegai Town.
A little further ahead, and they would encounter hidden sentinels.
Managing their stamina during the journey had posed a small problem for Team Seven.
Due to Sakura's lack of stamina, they had been delayed a bit along the way.
"Well then, begin your mission execution." Kakashi created three clones, each to follow one of the team members.
"The three of us will scout for intelligence from three different directions. First, we'll use YoruNegai Town as a central point..." Naruto immediately got into a focused state, adjusted his glasses, and began to formulate the intelligence gathering plan.
After finalizing the plan, the three of them disappeared into the forest.
Naruto moved swiftly through the forest and soon stood on higher ground, observing the entire town from which smoke was curling. He concentrated Reiatsu in his eyes, which helped him see the situation within the town more clearly.
This was a small town that could accommodate fewer than a hundred people. Its economy was rather depressed, with villagers relying on agriculture for self-sufficiency.
But now, all he could see were rough-looking, fierce-faced individuals. Naruto noticed that there was no one working in the farmlands; the farmers had probably all been rounded up, or perhaps... killed.
During his observation, Naruto even saw several men dragging a completely naked woman out of a house. The woman being dragged looked utterly hopeless, like an empty shell.
If this group of bandits hadn't appeared, the town's residents would surely have been living peaceful, contented lives.
No malice, no prejudice, just day after day of labor and mutual help among neighbors.
In the ninja world, this was a rare and precious thing.
But all of it had been destroyed.
Naruto's gaze darkened. For some reason, a boiling killing intent brewed in his heart.
This was an intensity he had never felt, not even when influenced by the Nine-Tails' chakra. After committing the town's layout and the distribution of hidden sentinels to memory, Naruto temporarily withdrew.
Nightfall.
Soon, the trio regrouped, sharing the intelligence each had gathered.
Compared to Naruto, the information Sasuke and Sakura had obtained was quite fragmented.
Naruto, still acting as the strategist, spread out a simple map of the town.
"Based on the earlier intelligence gathering, the bandit group has about twenty members. The leader and vice-leader have some rudimentary chakra flow, but they haven't even reached Genin level. They probably can't even use the Three Academy Jutsu smoothly."
"So, they pose no threat to you." At this point, Naruto looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke, I'll leave this vice-leader to you. Any problem?"
"None. Just a small fry," Sasuke said coldly, but Naruto saw nervousness in his cool eyes.
He chuckled lightly, "If you're scared, you can leave him to me."
Hearing this, Sasuke's face instantly flushed red, and he retorted, "Scared? I'm not scared! Leave him to me!!"
Provoked by Naruto, Sasuke found the nervousness in his heart easing considerably.
"Since that's settled." Naruto pointed to several locations on the simple map. "This area is mine. The leader is for Sasuke. Sakura, you'll be responsible for this area here."
"Remember one thing." Naruto's gentle expression vanished, his face turning serious, his tone low. "Be ruthless. Don't hesitate." He took out a kunai from his ninja tool pouch.
"If there are no problems, let's begin."
As his words fell, Naruto saw Sasuke disappear from sight.
He chuckled inwardly.
That guy Sasuke really has a strong desire to win.
He then saw Sakura still standing in place, looking somewhat dazed.
The young girl's hands nervously gripped her kunai, her fingers even turning a little white.
Seeing this, Naruto also understood. Daily life at the Ninja Academy was full of laughter and fun, but accepting a mission that required drawing blood, even killing, was a rather large leap for Sakura.
He walked over to Sakura's side and said softly, "You're very scared, aren't you?"
"Mm," Sakura's shoulders trembled, and she let out a muffled "Mm." "I... I don't dare."
"This is something every ninja must go through." Naruto gently stroked Sakura's pink hair. "The real world is different from what we learn in textbooks. From the day we became Genin, we already stepped into this world."
"Sakura, your grades were always among the top in class, but do you know why your practical combat scores were always suppressed by Sasuke?"
"Because he has his clan's ninjutsu?" Sakura raised her head, looking confused.
"No. It's because he saw the cruelty of being a ninja ahead of time, and that's why he has the resolve to become stronger."
"Carrying the honor of his clan, breaking through limits in life-and-death situations—for him, being a ninja isn't a child's game. People can die."
Naruto took the kunai from Sakura's hand and said softly, "Originally, we might have needed to do a few more months of missions before entering this cruel stage. I'm really sorry, Sakura, for arbitrarily bringing you into such a harsh world. Until you've made up your mind, let me bear all of this."
"After all, I'm already used to the real world."
Naruto's tone was gentle, his expression tender.
"I..." Thinking of her hands being stained with blood, Sakura's body trembled, and two lines of tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I was really too naive."
"But, I... I still want to try! I don't want to drag everyone down!" Sakura wiped her tears and took the kunai back from Naruto's hand.
"Is that so? Sakura, you're just as I thought—very strong." Naruto smiled and ruffled Sakura's head.
"Then, let the operation begin."
Kakashi quietly watched this scene, sighing inwardly: "Already used to the real world. Indeed, the past must have been even crueler than killing for Naruto."
"Only those who have felt pain can understand how to cherish."
"It is precisely because of such experiences that Naruto can become such a dazzling light."
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