White Fang glanced at Anya and realized he had recognized him. He said in a calm tone, "I'm out here on a mission. Since you want to be my student, then this mission will be your trial—your initiation test. How about that?"
Huh, looks like he's actually considering it! Without hesitation, Anya replied, "Sure."
White Fang continued seriously, "Being my student means being prepared for death at any moment. I won't assign you tasks like catching cats, walking dogs, or weeding gardens."
Anya listened with a start. He understood the implied warning behind White Fang's words and felt a bit of hesitation creeping in. But seeing the look of growing disappointment in White Fang's eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, "Dying anytime is nothing compared to the fear of staying weak."
White Fang gave a slight nod, a glint of appreciation flashing in his eyes. Then he pointed downward toward the cliff below and said, "My mission this time is to eliminate a group of bandits hiding down there. Intelligence shows they number thirty-one, and there may be ninja among them. Now go kill all of them—don't let a single one escape. I'll wait right here until dawn. If by dawn you haven't returned, or if you failed the mission, then it just means our paths were never meant to cross."
Anya stared at White Fang in shock. The first task given to him was… killing people? For a ninja, taking lives was naturally common, but he was still just a child! Worse yet, he had rushed out without even bringing a single kunai—how was he supposed to fight with just his fists?
Anya spread his hands in helpless dismay, shooting White Fang a pleading look.
Calmly, White Fang stated, "Ninjas are forged in bloodshed. A ninja who doesn't know how to kill isn't worthy of the name. I was only seven when I killed someone for the first time—I threw up for five straight minutes after. From that day on, I fully grasped the true nature of a ninja. If you aren't willing to understand this reality, you will never master [Swordsmanship]."
"Uhh, I get the point. But could you at least give me a weapon?"
Looking at Anya's empty hands, White Fang suddenly understood—the boy had been gesturing for a weapon all along. Indeed, expecting a child to complete such a task unarmed was unreasonable.
White Fang then made a surprising move—he directly handed over the tanto he was holding.
"This isn't the famous weapon known as the White Fang Blade?" Anya exclaimed in surprise, hesitating to accept it. "You're just handing it over so easily?"
White Fang said coolly, "Take it. The strength of a weapon lies not in itself, but in its wielder. Even the greatest blade is useless in weak hands, while even scrap iron becomes divine in the hands of a master."
"Hahahaha!" Excitement surged through Anya as he shouted joyfully, "Teacher, what you said makes perfect sense! Wait for my triumphant return!"
By calling him "teacher" ahead of time, Anya immediately leaped off the cliff.
White Fang was startled and hurriedly looked downward, only to see Anya sprinting effortlessly down the cliff face as if walking on flat ground.
So the kid had chakra infused into his feet. His control and application of chakra were already quite skilled—an impressive feat indeed. For the first time, White Fang felt real anticipation about taking on a student. Sitting cross-legged, he began to wait patiently.
Anya landed at the base of the cliff, positioning herself directly behind the bandits. Unsurprisingly, they never imagined someone would attack from this direction, so there wasn't even a single guard on watch.
Evening had already arrived, and they had just finished dinner. The air was thick with the strong scent of alcohol. Anya held her blade, smirking slightly as she muttered, "This mission seems easier than I thought. Still, I can't afford to be careless. Even against a rabbit, the lion fights with full strength—can't let myself trip over something small."
Her sword slid out from its sheath. Like a ghost, Anya stealthily crept forward. As expected, several men lay sprawled drunkenly across an open area. Without hesitation, she struck swiftly, slicing their throats so quickly they felt no pain before death.
Taking lives stirred no emotion in her at all. After eliminating that group, she purposefully targeted places with fewer people. Before she realized it, twenty individuals had already lost their lives at her hands.
Now only the leader's location remained.
The remaining targets were not worth sneaking around for. Calmly, Anya walked forward openly.
At this point, two guards saw a child walking straight toward them and roughly barked, "Where did you come from, brat? Scram before we make soup out of you, hahaha!"
Anya stared at them coldly without uttering a word, continuing forward.
They suddenly sensed something was off. This was the heavily guarded core territory where their leader stayed—who could possibly allow a child to walk safely here unchallenged?
Realizing their mistake too late, panic surged through them as they shouted, "Don't look back! Run for your lives!"
Anya ignored them completely, advancing steadily with her short blade hanging low.
Their eyes flared with danger as they both drew their long blades and slashed down at her in unison.
A faint look of disdain flickered across Anya's face. With a quick twist of her dagger, she skillfully knocked their swords aside. Her hands moved like shadows—striking rapidly twice in succession, burying the blade into their hearts. Just before darkness swallowed them forever, one last thought echoed in silence: Too fast… too lethal…
No sooner had she dealt with these two than nine figures burst out of the house ahead, scattering in four different directions to flee. One shouted while running, "Don't look back! Run for your lives! That kid's a monster!"
"Think you can escape?" Holding hand seals, Anya coldly intoned, [Bringer-of-Darkness Technique].
Instantly, all nine fleeing figures plunged into complete darkness. Directionless and blind, boundless fear gripped their hearts—so intensely that one man literally died from fright.
Of course, the other eight stood no chance either; death came swiftly. Anya wasted no time ending them all. Then she searched the building until she found a wooden chest, preparing to place each head inside as proof of her kills.
Suddenly, raging flames engulfed the bandit camp. Out of the fire strode the Legend of the White Fang, saying, "I've seen enough. You've passed. From today onward, you will be my student under the Legend of the White Fang."
Overcome with joy, Anya stepped forward happily, calling out, "Teacher!"
Then respectfully, she returned the short dagger to him.
White Fang made no effort to hide his approval of Anya. After receiving the tanto, he said, "I'll be home all day tomorrow. Come straight here after the initiation ceremony; I'll be waiting for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, White Fang vanished from the spot.
Anya clenched her fist hard, realizing she had successfully become his disciple. Although the outcome differed from her original intent, it was worth learning that swordsmanship. As for the potential troubles in the future,
she smiled with quiet confidence. The village probably wouldn't have time to spare on a child, not with war looming.
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