…
The journey to Hoshino Village was supposed to take two days, however Kaito-sensei had to reduce his speed and take breaks at intervals due to the stamina of Hideki and Sora.
Murakami barely looked to be out of breath whenever they stopped to recover and would just sit in meditation until they were ready to move again.
At night, he would construct an Earth style tenth to provide shelter while they rotated to keep watch.
Throughout the journey, other than Kaito-sensei, Murakami was the next person who remained on high alert.
And that was due to training his sensory ability.
His perception was stretched, mapping the environment as they went and the further they traveled from Konoha, the more he noticed several unnatural sights.
From traces of disturbed wildlife, lingering human chakra imprints, and unnatural silences in areas that should have been teeming with life.
By the time they reached the outskirts of Hoshino Village, the sun was beginning to set on the fourth day, casting long shadows over the landscape.
The village itself was small, with wooden houses clustered together for protection.
Fields stretched beyond the perimeter, though many appeared abandoned, likely due to the recent bandit attacks.
Kaito-sensei gestured for them to stop just outside the village's main entrance. "Murakami, what do you sense?"
Kaito had long recognized Murakami's talent as a sensory ninja, and was impressed by how far the young shinobi had advanced.
What was once a modest 50-meter range had now expanded to an astonishing 200 meters.
(A/N: Forgive me for this but I've forgotten the last range Murakami is capable of sensing, so I'll use this considering he's still a genin.)
Murakami no longer relied solely on his innate spiritual perception. Over the past three days, he had refined his sensory technique, using wind and earth itself to extend his awareness.
By attuning his senses to the vibrations in the earth and the shifting currents in the air, he could detect even the slightest disturbances.
A footstep on soft soil, the faintest ripple in the wind, everything painted a detailed picture in his mind.
Closing his eyes briefly, Murakami expanded his awareness, feeling the chakra signatures in the area. The villagers' energy flickered weakly.
He could pick up on their current condition… tired, anxious, and malnourished in some cases. But beyond them, further into the forest that bordered the village, he detected something different.
"There are at least seven signatures about half a kilometer to the northeast," he reported, keeping his voice low.
"They are scattered, but concentrated in one general area. Their chakra feels rough and unrefined, likely civilians turned bandits. No trained shinobi among them, but they're armed and alert."
Kaito nodded approvingly. "Good. That confirms the reports. The bandits are nearby."
"Hn." Murakami grunted. "The mission detail states that they number in the double digits. This could be look outs sent to ensure no one from the village runs away."
Sora frowned and adjusted his glasses. "So what's our approach? Do we set a trap or take them out before they can retaliate?"
"We need more information first," Kaito replied. "Murakami, can you get closer without being detected?"
Murakami nodded. "I can suppress my chakra and move ahead. I'll return once I have a clearer picture of their numbers and positioning."
"Be careful," Hideki said, though his tone lacked its usual bravado. He knew this wasn't training anymore.
Without another word, Murakami vanished into the trees, his footsteps silent as he moved like a shadow through the foliage.
Masking his presence, Murakami followed the signatures he had sensed earlier until the bandits' makeshift camp came into view.
Looking at the sight in front of him, his eyes couldn't help but widen in disbelief. For bandits marked for C-rank elimination, they were quite… poor.
A crude arrangement of tents and supplies sat in a small clearing, illuminated by a central fire.
The bandits consisted of a ragtag group of rough-looking men, lounging around.
Murakami crouched in the treetops, analyzing their movements.
Seven men, just as he had sensed. Four sat near the fire, talking in hushed voices.
Two others patrolled lazily, their stances lacking any real discipline. The last one, likely their leader, sat apart, scanning the area every so often.
He was bulkier than the others, his armor pieced together from scavenged metal. A large axe rested beside him.
Murakami narrowed his eyes. They were well-armed but undisciplined.
'This can't be all of them.' he concluded.
Bandits relied on numbers, intimidation and brute force rather than skill. That was their strength…and also their weakness.
Slipping away as quietly as he came, Murakami made his way back to his team. As he reached them, he gave his report.
"Seven bandits, no chakra training. Their leader is bigger than the others and better armed, but they're untrained. They're careless, but they keep watch. We can take them, but I'm afraid this is only a part of them."
Kaito smirked at Murakami's concise report and nodded. "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Murakami looked at him for a brief moment, then shrugged. "You're the team leader, sensei."
"Hahaha." Kaito laughed out loud. "Good kid."
"Now, for your first mission, you three are to capture those 7 bandits."
"Huh?"
"Capture?"
"Yes. The mission detail says that there are more bandits. Since we don't know their whereabouts, we can only use these seven to get to them."
"That's not…sensei, that's not the point," Sora said, voice a little sharper than before. "We're Genin. This is our first real mission. Capturing seven armed bandits alive is already difficult, and you're talking like it's just… assignable."
Hideki nodded fast beside them. "Yeah! This isn't training anymore. If we mess up, someone actually gets hurt."
Kaito didn't react to the panic in their voices, he just let it sit there, then.calmly, he said. "You're right."
That stopped both of them for a second, then he continued, "This isn't training anymore." His gaze shifted to Murakami. "What do you think?"
Hideki frowned. "Sensei, why are you asking him again? He already said they might be more than seven—"
"Quiet," Kaito said.
The forest noise filled the gap again.
Sora looked at Murakami now too, less confident than before. Not expecting an answer that would help, more like waiting for confirmation that this was as bad as it felt.
Murakami spoke. "It can be done," he said and Sora could almost feel his heart sink into his stomach.
Hideki blinked. "That's it?"
Murakami didn't look at him but nodded.
Sora exhaled sharply. "That's not an answer."
Murakami added after a brief pause. "But not directly."
Kaito studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Good," he said.
He turned slightly toward the forest line.
"Then we don't go straight in. We make them move."
No one argued this time, not because they agreed, but because the way he said it didn't leave space for argument.
Kaito stepped forward into the trees.
"Get moving, I'll keep an eye on you all. Don't get hurt." Saying that, his
figure disappeared, leaving the three to themselves.
"What now?" Sora asked, looking at Murakami.
"Now…we go capture the bandits."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
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