Early morning at Training Field 4.
Team 4 had fully assembled, waiting for their Jonin instructor Orochimaru to assign their mission.
Kurenai said excitedly, "Ren-kun, I wonder what kind of mission we'll get today?"
Yugao stood nearby, her sword in hand.
"I heard most of the seniors who graduated before us got simple first missions, like catching cats, walking dogs, or fetching water."
Kurenai pouted.
"Ugh, stuff like that doesn't even require ninja."
Ren smiled helplessly.
"Alright, Kurenai, don't worry. Our sensei is Orochimaru. He's not going to take on trivial missions."
"You're absolutely right, Ren-kun. You are my subordinates, after all."
Without anyone noticing, Orochimaru had already appeared before them.
"Good. Not one of you is late. Remember this. Punctuality is critical for a ninja."
"I've already accepted your first mission. It's a C-rank: eliminate a group of bandits."
"A C-rank mission?"
"That's right. Your task is to wipe out the bandits on Mount Mohican near Moxixi Village, on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Fields."
"These bandits have occupied Mount Mohican for a long time. They frequently attack nearby villages and passing merchant caravans."
"Moxixi Village requested help from Konoha to eliminate them."
"Unless absolutely necessary, I will not interfere. If I do, it means you've failed the mission."
"Ren will act as team leader for this mission. You have thirty minutes to prepare. Meet at the village gate."
With that, Orochimaru vanished.
...
In the world of shinobi, bandits were everywhere, using mountains and rivers as natural defenses while plundering and slaughtering at will. They treated villagers like livestock. The bandits on Mount Mohican were just one example.
This mission would mark Ren's first real battle since arriving in this world.
After gathering at the village gate, Orochimaru led them swiftly toward Mount Mohican.
By the time they reached the mountain, night had fallen.
"Your mission is to wipe out every last bandit in their stronghold. Ren, you may begin. Here's a signal flare. Return here in two hours. If you fire the flare from inside the bandit camp, you've failed."
"Begin."
Orochimaru disappeared again, hiding somewhere in the forest.
The night was pitch black. Clouds blocked the moon, and a cold wind rustled the branches, making them creak like owls in the dark.
[Ding-dong... Congratulations to the host for triggering mission: First Blood.]
First Blood: As a ninja, battle and killing are inevitable. Eliminate all the bandits.
Reward: 1 God-Tier Lottery Point
After Orochimaru left, Ren gathered his teammates.
"As team leader, I'll lay out the plan. According to the intel, there are about forty armed bandits — all grown men — and a few poor women they've abducted. There are only three of us. We'll have to rely on strategy, not brute force."
"There are three sentries at the front gate. We'll take them out first, then use the Transformation Jutsu to impersonate them and infiltrate the camp for an assassination strike."
"If the camp erupts into chaos, it means we've been discovered. In that case, regroup at the sentry post and stop the bandits from escaping down the mountain."
"Any questions? If not, we move."
Kurenai hesitated, then asked softly, "Do we really have to kill all the women, children, and elderly in the camp?"
Ren sighed.
"Of course not. We're here to eliminate the bandits. The captives... if we can, we'll rescue them."
Kurenai bit her lip but said nothing more.
"Any other questions?"
"No."
"Then let's begin."
Ren silently moved behind one of the sentries. One hand covered the man's mouth. The kunai in his other hand drew a clean line across the man's throat.
A glance showed Kurenai and Yugao had done the same. Exchanging looks, the three transformed into the sentries and infiltrated the camp.
For ninja, dealing with ordinary people was simple.
What Ren worried about was the mental toll on Kurenai and Yugao.
They split up, the assassinations began.
Blood flowed as Ren's blade cut down another bandit.
"Eight... nine... ten..."
Lives reduced to cold numbers.
Without pause, Ren moved to the next hut, Hyorinmaru in hand, continuing the task.
Strangely, his first kill brought none of the nausea or hesitation so often described in novels.
After all, this was the ninja world. The Third Shinobi World War was on the horizon.
Orochimaru probably intended this mission to toughen them up early.
"To die without pain might even be a mercy for these scum."
"Enemy attack!"
A scream rang out from deeper in the camp.
Torches flared to life across the stronghold.
"So, we've been discovered after all."
Ren dispatched another bandit and raced back toward the sentry post.
"I'm sorry. It was my fault. I got careless and let one of them spot me."
Kurenai looked devastated.
"It's fine. We've already taken out most of them. The rest are no threat."
"The main thing is to finish the mission."
Ren charged back in.
By now, the bandits had gathered. Ren sliced through one throat, backflipped to dodge a wild swing, then appeared behind another foe and struck him down.
"Die!"
A savage brute lunged, stabbing at Ren's side while he was engaged.
But the blade pierced nothing.
Where it should have met flesh, there was only a burst of dazzling light.
Natural type.
Elementalization.
"No... no way..."
"There's no such thing as no way. When you slaughter the innocent, this is what awaits you."
Ren turned, his voice cold.
He pointed. A beam of golden light flashed.
A hole appeared in the bandit's forehead, and he crumpled to the ground.
Corpses lay everywhere, the stench of blood heavy in the air.
A flash of lightning split the sky, followed by a downpour.
Half an hour later, Ren and his team regrouped. The bandits were all dead, most by Ren's hand.
The rain mingled with the blood, forming streams that soaked into the earth.
Only a few terrified captive women remained, huddling in a hut and weeping.
[Ding-dong... Congratulations to the host for completing the First Blood mission. Reward: 1 God-Tier Lottery Point]
[ 250 - 1 Extra Chapter ]