Careful and meticulous investigation.
This was originally a basic quality that every ninja trained in Konoha must possess.
Coupled with the special nature of ninja operations.
And the fact that the opponents were nothing more than ordinary people with no chakra control or combat training.
Naruto and Sasuke acted separately. It took them less than half an hour to completely survey all the terrain surrounding the target area. When the two regrouped at the designated point, whether it was Naruto or Sasuke, they could both clearly sense the complicated emotions reflected in each other's eyes. There was a trace of hesitation, restraint, and determination mixed together. It was as if both of them had already made a decision long ago, yet when the moment truly arrived, there was still an indescribable feeling constantly impacting their hearts.
Suddenly, that shuddering sensation felt like something striking directly at the soul.
"This is a mission."
"This is an order that must be carried out."
"My choice… is not wrong."
Even Naruto had to continuously repeat these words deep in his heart at this moment. Yet the faint scarlet hue that occasionally flickered in his pupils still revealed the violent fluctuations in his emotions. His breathing remained steady, but his heart was far from calm.
The same was true for Sasuke, who stood silently beside Naruto.
Under his seemingly calm and indifferent expression, his teeth were clenched tightly against his lower lip. The excessive force caused a faint trace of blood to seep through the skin. At this moment, Sasuke's mind felt strangely numb, as if he were drifting in a haze. If there was anything abnormal about him, it was that the coldness and solemnity on his face were growing heavier and heavier.
"Has the location been confirmed, Sasuke?"
Naruto's voice was low, controlled, and devoid of hesitation.
"Yes."
Sasuke replied shortly.
"In that case, follow the original plan," Naruto continued. "I'll block all the escape routes from the rear. You take the front. We'll start by eliminating the night patrol."
Naruto turned his head slightly, his gaze fixed firmly on Uchiha Sasuke. At this moment, his eyes carried an unusual coldness, and his words were incomparably resolute.
"Clear out all targets."
"Leave none."
The calm tone carried a chilling, awe-inspiring intent.
"Understood."
Sasuke nodded lightly and responded.
Standing face to face, both of them were barely maintaining their rationality and composure. Beneath that thin layer of calm, countless thoughts churned violently.
A strange glimmer flashed deep within Naruto's eyes.
He wanted to say something.
But in the end, he chose silence.
After confirming their routes and objectives one final time, Naruto disappeared into the shadows, quietly moving toward the rear entrance of the bandits' hideout while the last traces of twilight still lingered.
This was the final peaceful moment for the so-called "quiet mountain village" before him.
"I'm sorry," Naruto murmured silently. "I know some people shouldn't have to die. But I don't have another choice. This isn't your fault… if anything, your greatest sin was simply being born into this world."
Night gradually descended.
As Naruto watched the lights inside the cottages extinguish one by one, he slowly wiped his kunai against his palm. Under the pale moonlight, the sharp blade emitted a cold gleam. The icy sensation of the metal seeped into his hand. A terrifying chill surfaced in Naruto's eyes, and a cold, ruthless expression appeared on his face as he whispered those words under his breath.
Two hours passed swiftly.
When the time set by Kakashi finally arrived, the bandits' hideout had sunk into near-total silence.
Hiding near the rear entrance, Naruto slightly raised his head and glanced at the crescent moon above. Dark clouds drifted lazily across the sky, blocking most of the moonlight, plunging the area into deeper shadows.
Naruto took a slow, deep breath and stared straight ahead at the wooden structures. A faint but unmistakable killing intent spread from his body.
"It's time."
A single, quiet sentence.
In the next instant.
Naruto lightly tapped the ground with his foot. His figure leapt forward and merged seamlessly with the darkness, silently approaching the bandits' nest ahead.
Almost at the same moment Naruto moved—
At the front entrance of the hideout.
Sasuke, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Flickering firelight reflected in his pupils. A few scattered patrols passed by, chatting casually, completely unaware of the danger looming over them.
Sasuke's originally dark pupils were now dyed with a deep scarlet color. Within that crimson glow, a faint outline of tomoe could be seen rotating slowly.
"Puff!"
"Ugh—!?"
Moving through the darkness.
Identifying vital points.
Pursuing the most direct path to death.
This was the essence of a ninja.
Especially in assassination.
Even Naruto and Sasuke, who had only just graduated from the Ninja Academy, were fully capable of silently killing ordinary people.
They began with the night patrols.
"Puff!"
"Huh—!?"
One clean kill after another.
Not a single guard was given the chance to cry out or send a warning.
"Don't blame me…"
"Puff!"
Each strike was precise and lethal, aimed squarely at vital areas.
"W–wha…!?"
Often, in that fleeting instant, the only thing the victims felt was a sharp, piercing pain before their consciousness was completely swallowed by darkness.
From initial trembling to gradual numbness and mechanical execution, both Naruto and Sasuke adapted disturbingly fast.
When Naruto's kunai pierced through the chest of a middle-aged bandit once again, hot blood splashed across his face. The metallic stench filled the air, giving Naruto an even more frightening and blood-soaked aura at that moment.
The front entrance, the rear entrance, and the surrounding patrol routes—
A total of twenty bandits assigned to night watch duty were silently eliminated by Naruto and Sasuke in an extremely short amount of time.
No warnings.
No screams.
Not even a trace of resistance.
Even though Konoha appeared to educate its future generations in a comparatively gentle manner.
When it came to fundamental ninja qualities and skills, there was absolutely no negligence.
Everything a ninja needed to understand.
The Ninja Academy of Konoha would teach without exception.
The difference was merely in approach, not in substance.
The Ninja Academy was, at its core, a training ground for killers.
If a ninja couldn't even assassinate an enemy—
Could they still be called a ninja?
Thus, in terms of assassination techniques, both Naruto and Sasuke possessed solid theoretical foundations.
Especially when facing ordinary people.
This level of difficulty was almost nonexistent.
If ordinary people could resist trained ninjas?
That would be truly unimaginable.
Once all the patrol guards were cleared, only those inside remained.
The two regrouped once more.
"All clear?"
The thick smell of blood clung to both of them.
"Yes."
Under the dim firelight, Naruto and Sasuke could see each other's faces clearly—expressions that appeared almost grotesque under the shadows.
"Then what's left…"
Naruto slowly shifted his gaze.
Toward the rows of wooden houses ahead.
A bloodthirsty gleam flickered deep within his eyes.
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