Night.
The bandit camp, which had experienced revelry, had now quieted down.
In a dense forest outside the camp, Tenzo stood on a treetop, watching the figure rapidly moving away.
He looked down at Kakashi, who was resting on a branch, and asked, "Senpai, do we really not need him to rest for a bit?"
Kakashi, who was drinking water, put down his water bottle and said indifferently, "Don't worry about it. He didn't object at all during the entire process."
After saying this, Kakashi was silent for a long time before speaking again, "Notify everyone in Squad Six to tighten the encirclement and report any unusual movements immediately."
Hearing this, Tenzo knew that Kakashi was just being stubborn, and after a quick acknowledgment, he jumped from the treetop.
The watchtower of the bandit camp.
A scrawny bandit was lying below, seemingly drunk. Feeling a bit cold, he reached out to grope around. After a long time of not finding his blanket, he groggily opened his eyes.
He vaguely saw a figure appear beside him and was about to speak, asking him to help get the blanket.
Whoosh—!
A kunai cleanly slit the bandit's throat, and a wisp of blood floated under the moonlight, looking particularly enchanting.
The scrawny bandit's eyes were wide as he clutched his neck, his face filled with disbelief.
Shinji stepped across the blood-stained ground and successfully entered the bandit camp, rushing towards its interior.
Just as he reached a corner, he heard two voices talking.
"Yuji, let's leave now. Otherwise, when the boss wakes up tomorrow, he'll definitely come after me."
The old man from the banquet not long ago now spoke with a sinister expression to the young man, Yuji, in front of him.
Yuji had been taken in by him many years ago and was considered his man in the camp.
Hearing the strategist say this, Yuji looked conflicted. The bandit camp's influence extended for dozens of miles around, so even if they ran, where could they go?
Yuji was about to persuade the strategist to apologize to the boss tomorrow, thinking maybe they wouldn't have to run.
The moment he looked up, his pupils contracted sharply.
A fox mask stood behind the strategist. A kunai slit the strategist's throat, and blood splattered on Yuji's face.
The strategist's body gradually fell, his eyes filled with confusion. He seemed not to understand how someone could be behind him at this time.
As Yuji was about to shout "Enemy attack!", Shinji had already reached for his neck.
Before Yuji could make a sound, Shinji twisted his neck. Yuji's head instantly slumped lifelessly onto Shinji's shoulder.
Slowly lowering the body, Shinji continued to stealthily make his way deeper into the bandit camp.
— — —
"Neko, what's the situation now?"
Kakashi, who had rested for a long time, saw that no information had been transmitted, so he opened the communication tool and asked.
A female voice sounded from the communication tool. "Captain, it's unclear for now, but the entire bandit camp is overly quiet right now."
"However, hmm?"
"Captain, Kyoka has appeared."
Yugao was about to tell Kakashi that no movement was a good thing when she saw a figure emerge from the bandit camp. After careful confirmation, she quickly reported.
Hearing this, Kakashi immediately got up and sped towards the bandit camp.
"Squad Six, rendezvous."
At his command, the Anbu members stationed at various locations appeared and headed towards Kakashi.
Under the moonlight, Shinji, wearing a fox mask, walked out with steady steps.
He dragged a man whose arms and legs were in a grotesque position with his right hand. The man's face was filled with terror, and the scar on his right eye was particularly obvious. He was the leader of this bandit camp. His mouth was stuffed with cloth, preventing him from making any sound.
Suddenly, several figures appeared in front of Shinji. It was Kakashi and the Anbu members of Squad Six, who had rushed over.
Shinji raised his hand and easily threw the bandit leader in front of Kakashi.
He pointed at the leader, who was squirming like a maggot, and said, "Captain, this fellow was too disobedient, so I had no choice but to break his arms and legs."
Kakashi nodded, then turned to an Anbu beside him and said, "He's yours."
Hearing this, Shinji subconsciously looked at that Anbu.
The Anbu's dark gray hair fluttered in the breeze, and through the mask's pupils, Shinji saw a captivating red.
Hmm?
Shinji paused, then looked at the mask worn by this Anbu.
Only then did he realize, wasn't this Itachi?
Itachi, noticing Shinji's gaze, merely glanced at him before using genjutsu on the bandit leader. The leader, who had been squirming like a maggot, stopped moving in a strange posture.
For a moment, the entire scene fell silent.
Seeing that Itachi had begun, Kakashi waved to Shinji, signaling him to come over. Shinji nodded and followed Kakashi.
Kakashi asked in a very cold tone, "Are all the people inside the bandit camp dealt with?"
Shinji paused, then nodded and said, "There was originally a woman who had been abducted, but when I tried to bring her out with me, she committed suicide."
"However, Captain..."
Remembering the scene he had seen in the cellar where the bandit camp stored things, Shinji paused.
Seeing that Shinji still had something to say, Kakashi asked, "Hmm? What is it?"
"In this group's cellar, I found that their supplies didn't seem to be plundered. It looked like they were transported in whole batches, and the way they were organized was very much like a ninja. Also, I found some things belonging to our village inside."
Shinji organized his words, making his point without elaborating further. He had searched the entire camp, and there was hardly anyone who could use Chakra, yet the supplies showed signs of being organized only by ninja.
Moreover, there were also Konoha supplies. This just made things a lot more complicated.
Could this bandit camp really have such extraordinary connections?
"Tenzo, go and confirm it."
Hearing this, Kakashi ordered Tenzo, who was standing nearby.
Kakashi and Shinji had not deliberately lowered their voices when they were talking.
Everyone present was sharp-eared and keen-eyed, so they naturally heard everything clearly.
"Yes, Captain."
Tenzo nodded, then took an Anbu and went straight inside.
"Ergh—!"
The bandit leader, lying on the ground, suddenly let out a wail. Unfortunately, with his mouth still stuffed with rags, he could only let out a muffled groan before his eyes rolled back.
Dead?
Shinji looked at the motionless leader, then at Itachi, who had already stood up.
That's right, how could an ordinary person possibly survive after being controlled by the Sharingan?
"Captain, all the information has been thoroughly investigated."
Itachi said to Kakashi, then immediately crouched down, took out a scroll, and began to write.
Tenzo, who had just gone in, returned shortly, holding a scroll which he handed to Kakashi. "Captain, it's confirmed. There are indeed some supplies inside that only ninja villages possess."