Such gray areas were fertile ground for bandits and mounted thieves. Over time, a local gang was bound to start preying on the populace. Most of the people living in these gray zones were civilians who couldn't survive in either the Land of Wind or the Land of Grass, with the occasional rogue ninja or disgraced samurai passing through. The environment was so harsh and survival so difficult that any disturbance would inevitably rob the struggling commoners of their livelihood. They would either become refugees and leave, or turn to banditry, preying on merchants from both nations to survive.
"Our mission is to eliminate the bandit group plaguing this area. But what do you think about the intricate ties between this town and the bandits? Should we lure the snake out of its hole, find the gang, and wipe them out? Or should we follow the vine to get the melon and take down the masterminds behind it all?"
After a moment of thought, Daigan asked, "Captain, is this part of the test?"
"You could see it that way." Otokaze nodded. "How far we take this is really up to us. Few people in this town are innocent. Even the money that feeds the wailing infants was likely stolen by their elders. When they grow up, they'll have nowhere to go and will likely become the next generation of bandits."
***
Being born in Sunagakure, though difficult, at least offered a chance to strive and hope to change one's destiny. But in some places, simply staying alive, free from the threats of hunger and death, was a luxury.
Daigan, with his mature mindset, was fine, but this was the first time Chi and Yome had ever heard of such things happening in the Land of Wind.
"Find the bandit group, eliminate them, complete the mission, and leave. This isn't Sunagakure; we can't afford to create extra complications." A ninja was not an official of the Land of Wind; there was no need to do anything beyond the scope of the mission.
"Oh? Daigan, I didn't know you had such a kind heart. You don't want to kill the innocent?" Otokaze waited with interest for Daigan's explanation.
"This is my fourth year as a genin. This isn't the first time I've been on a mission to wipe out bandits. And during bodyguard missions, several highway robbers have already died by my hand… Kind-hearted?" Daigan gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Go ask Yome and Chi how many kids our age I haven't bullied."
The somewhat naive Yome asked, "Then why do you want to let the bad guys here go? If it weren't for them providing cover, the bandits wouldn't have gotten so out of hand, and we wouldn't have come after them."
"Our mission objective is to eliminate the bandit group. Their associates have nothing to do with us," Daigan answered calmly. "Yome, you're not a rookie anymore. Stop bringing your personal feelings into missions. Setting aside whether we could even kill them all, are you suggesting we slaughter this entire town?"
To be blunt, Team Otokaze's allegiance was to Sunagakure. Their interests didn't even fully align with the Land of Wind, let alone with a group of potential bandit collaborators who had nothing to do with them. If not for the mission request, they wouldn't even bother with the bandits.
Slaughter? Yome was terrified. Eliminating notorious bandits was one thing, but indiscriminately killing townspeople whose crimes weren't obvious was something even the ill-tempered ninja of Suna rarely did.
Chi patted Yome's shoulder and said gently, "We really only have one choice. Knowing when to stop is for the best."
"Brilliant!" Otokaze clapped his hands in approval. "Though you reached a passable conclusion for other reasons, it's not bad."
"Are there other reasons we don't know about?"
Daigan looked out the window. The occasional passersby seemed sullen; the town was clearly lacking in vitality. "We're just ninja here to complete a mission. We don't have the authority to sentence anyone to death. To kill someone because they *might* become a bandit and do bad things is simply too arrogant."
"That's a more accurate explanation." Otokaze glanced at a few suspicious-looking vagrants outside, one of whom was subtly watching them, as if he had noticed something. "Outside of war and missions against enemies, it's best not to use a ninja's power to harm ordinary people. If you rely too much on force, you get used to it and become unable to adapt to normal life. We ninja are human, too, not monsters who use ninjutsu."
"Then why is Temari's brother, Gaara…" Chi, looking puzzled, seemed to realize something and swallowed the rest of her sentence.
Otokaze waved his hand, his expression filled with disgust as if he hated the taboo name. "That *thing* is not a ninja. It's a weapon. A tool."
Just then, a few men who looked like scouts exchanged glances, shot a look in their direction, and turned to leave.
"Looks like the plan to flush them out worked. Let's follow."
The terrain on the border of the Land of Wind and the Land of Grass was incredibly complex. Continuous mountain ranges and dangerous primeval forests formed a barrier between the Land of Wind, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Fire. At the junction of the three nations lay a famous landmark and a vital strategic point called Kikyo Mountain, where countless ninja from Sunagakure and Konoha had been buried.
They were still some distance from Kikyo Mountain, closer to the heartland of the Land of Grass, where there were countless places to hide. The bandit scouts showed some awareness of counter-tracking, splitting up midway and only regrouping when they were close to their destination. But these little tricks were useless against ninja from Sunagakure. How could a few bandits possibly escape Yome's eyes, which could scan an area of dozens of miles?
"Their base is up ahead…" Yome stared, her pupils dilated, seemingly not looking at what was in front of her but focusing on some distant point. "There's a cave dug by a brown bear. It's been modified into a fortress-like maze with a lot of traps."
"Is it underground?"
"Yes," Yome confirmed. "I didn't spot any bandits who look like ninja."
"Then they're truly unfortunate." Daigan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the new team's first mission would be a success.
Otokaze stood watch from a short distance away. Under Yome's guidance, Chi used the pollen of a hallucinogenic cactus as a medium, sending her genjutsu into the bandits' lair on a light breeze. A short while later, Yome observed that the nearly one hundred bandits collapsed mid-meal, still drinking and eating.
"Dealing with amateurs is so easy," Daigan sighed. If there had been even a single genin among them who could detect the chakra fluctuations, Chi's genjutsu would never have worked so smoothly.
There were many strong, able-bodied men in the underground lair. In a direct confrontation, even if a hundred men stood still and let three genin kill them, it would be exhausting. But now, with the power of ninjutsu, they were wiped out with ease.
To be safe, Daigan cautiously infiltrated the base alone. After retrieving proof of mission completion—the head of the wanted bandit leader—he withdrew. "Besides some food and wine, I didn't find anything of value."
A pity. They were a poor bunch of bandits.
"Bury them on the spot. Erase all traces," Otokaze ordered.
"Understood." Daigan stepped forward and placed his hands on the ground, channeling chakra into the sand beneath his feet. "Earth Release: Sand Dance!"