Mikoto and Kuro quickly approached him. The girl stared intently at the defeated nukenin and once again activated her Sharingan.
"He's still alive," the Uchiha stated, and without turning around, held out a kunai to Nawaki. "Finish it."
Hearing this, the Senju froze. He didn't even take the weapon, only stared at it as if it were something alien, incomprehensible.
"But… haven't we already won?" he asked in a trembling voice.
Mikoto didn't answer, merely continued holding out the kunai.
Nawaki slowly shifted his gaze to Kuro, hoping to hear something different from him—anything that would free him from this task. But the sight that met his eyes instantly killed any remaining hope: behind Nara lay two blood-soaked bodies. And Kuro himself simply stood there in silence, paying them no attention. His face was cold, and that was enough for Nawaki to understand everything.
The Senju lowered his head. There was no room for hesitation now—he had been prepared for this. He stepped forward and took the kunai.
"I… understand."
A sharp, precise strike—and it was over. Bando was no longer breathing.
Nawaki stood there for a long time, unmoving, staring at the dead body. Then he slowly wiped the kunai on the torn edge of his sleeve and handed it back to Mikoto.
"First kill," he muttered. "I never thought it would be so… hard."
Kuro stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Welcome to reality."
At that moment, Orochimaru appeared from the forest—silent, like a shadow. His vest was smeared with blood, but his face remained, as always, calm and faintly satisfied.
The Sannin surveyed the clearing, glanced over the bodies, then over his students, checking for injuries, and gave a slight nod.
"You did well. All three of you. Congratulations…"
"Wait," Nawaki interrupted quickly. "Sensei, where were you all this time?"
The Senju wasn't shouting or accusing Orochimaru, but there were too many questions in his voice. And this time, he wasn't the only one.
"You said you'd go check everything," Mikoto added, narrowing her eyes. "But somehow those nukenin managed to get past you—and you showed up so conveniently, right after we dealt with them."
Kuro remained silent, simply watching the calm Sannin. He himself had replayed the same thoughts in his head more than once. Orochimaru slowly stepped closer, first glancing at the nukenin bodies, then at his students.
"And what is it you want to hear?" he asked with a light, almost mocking tone. "That I was hiding and watching you?"
He spread his hands.
"Perhaps I was. Or perhaps not. What difference does it make now?"
The Uchiha pressed her lips together, Nawaki lowered his head, and Nara, oddly enough, merely gave a faint smirk.
"So that was… an exam?" he asked.
"This is the life of a shinobi," Orochimaru replied calmly. "They won't teach you this at the Academy. The sooner you face cruel reality, the better your chances of not dying foolishly one day."
He walked past them, adding briefly:
"We're returning to the caravan. The journey continues."
When they reached the wagons, the team offered no explanations. Their faces and bloodstained clothes spoke louder than any words. Toshida Yukai, realizing the danger had passed, didn't ask unnecessary questions. He himself looked pale—the fear still hadn't left the merchant.
The mission continued.
The road stretched onward through the hills and forests of the Land of Grass. For the rest of the day, everyone walked in silence. Even the usually talkative Nawaki didn't utter a word. They were accompanied only by the evening sun burning out on the horizon and the steady creaking of wheels.
At night, by the campfire when the caravan stopped to rest, Kuro sat by the flames, watching the dancing tongues of fire. Nearby, Mikoto and Nawaki spoke quietly, but he wasn't listening.
It was as if he were staring into emptiness. As if on cue, an internal message surfaced in his mind:
25%… I've unlocked half of the shadows. I wonder what will happen when everything opens? I'll gain access to Sukuna's other powers, but if Mahoraga unlocks at 50%, how am I supposed to tame it without either domain expansion or divine flame? Whatever—I'll think about it later. I'll need to subjugate my new shikigami back in Konoha.
He ran his fingers through the dirt, watching as the shadow gently stretched out from his palm, like a living creature.
Everyone already knows I use shadow techniques. The dogs, the toad, the rabbits… But no one knows just how dangerous it really is. And that's good.
He leaned back, placing his hands under his head, and looked up at the star-filled sky. Nearby, Nawaki spoke up loudly, apparently thinking that Nara was still troubled by the day's killings.
"You know…" he leaned a bit closer to the fire to warm himself, "I've been thinking about today. We killed real people. But they were nukenin, right? Criminals, traitors to their villages. They weren't innocent. We did the right thing."
He turned around, waiting for support.
"If you want sympathy, you won't get it," Mikoto replied, staring into the fire. "But you're not wrong. We did what we had to do."
"Oh, you don't have to be so harsh! Kuro, what do you think? Aren't you worried?" the Senju asked, a little agitated.
Nara shrugged.
"Not about them. They got what they deserved. It's just the fact itself—taking someone's life, feeling a person's gaze fade. It's strange. I've never experienced that before."
"Yes," Mikoto quietly agreed. "It's a very strange feeling. Even if you're prepared for it."
Kuro turned his gaze to her. Nawaki also tensed.
"For me, it wasn't the first time," she said calmly.
"What?" both boys said at once.
"It happened before my final year at the Academy," the kunoichi began her story. "One man—who I thought at the time was a spy from another village—snuck into Konoha. He tried to kidnap me, the heir of the Uchiha clan. I didn't understand what was happening back then; everything happened too fast—fight, rage, fear. I just acted on instinct."
She paused for a moment, then continued:
"In the end, I killed him. At the time, it all felt unreal. Like I was dreaming—how could a spy even get into our village, and why was he so weak? But then my father told me it had been a test. He took a hardened criminal and forced him to attack me. The man was under genjutsu the entire time."
"What?" Nawaki breathed, shocked.
Kuro frowned.
"So he wanted you to kill him? For the sake of awakening the Sharingan?"
"Exactly," she nodded. "I wouldn't say it's common practice in the Uchiha clan. But strong emotions and trauma really do help."
Silence settled for a while. Nawaki fiddled with the strap on his sleeve, unsure what to say.
"I…" he finally spoke. "I've seen death before too. Even though my sister is a brilliant medic, sometimes even she can't save a patient. I often visited the hospital to support her, though I never understood why Tsunade got so upset—it wasn't her fault, those people couldn't be saved. But today… I think I understand."
He looked at his palm, clenching it into a fist.
"Everyone experiences it for the first time eventually," Kuro replied. "For some, it's in war. For others, in a hospital. For me, today. What matters is that we went through it together—as a team."
"Then we really are true shinobi now," Nawaki said with a smile.
Mikoto only shook her head, but for the first time all day, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. Then she quietly laughed.
"I never thought you'd say something smart."
"Huh!? I always say brilliant things!" the Senju shouted back energetically, and then they all laughed—real, genuine laughter after a long, heavy day. In that moment, they were just children again.
The next day, under a gray sky, the caravan finally crossed the border into the Land of Earth. The scenery changed dramatically—greenery gradually gave way to rocky paths, dry grass, and cliffs. The road became steeper, the air cooler, and the clouds seemed to hang lower, looming over the travelers.
Orochimaru's team reached a small fortified village along the trade route. That was Toshida Yukai's destination.
"There it is…" the merchant exhaled in relief when he saw the gates around the bend. "We're here. Thank you, all three of you—and you as well, Orochimaru-san. Without you, I'd already be dead."
Yukai bowed deeply, and for the first time, there was no boastful cheer or polish in his voice—only sincere gratitude.
"Well then, let's officially conclude the mission," Orochimaru replied shortly.
Yukai nodded without asking unnecessary questions, bowed once more, and disappeared through the gates.
The team didn't linger and turned back—south, toward Konoha. The return journey was peaceful. No traps, no new enemies. Near the end of the road, Orochimaru broke the silence.
"By the way," he said casually, looking ahead, "in the report, I'll note that the enemies included a jōnin and a tokubetsu jōnin."
"And what does that mean?" Nawaki asked.
"It means," Orochimaru smirked slightly, "that the mission will be upgraded to A-rank. The reward will increase."
"W-We'll get more money?" the Senju perked up instantly, his eyes lighting up. "How much? How much? I'll buy a new jacket! And sweets! Lots of sweets!"
"Money isn't the most important thing," Mikoto remarked, rolling her eyes.
"Exactly," Orochimaru agreed. "This mission gave you far more than money. You felt real blood for the first time—and all of you survived. A rather rare luxury."