Obito stepped forward and said, "I promise!"
Kushina snorted, "That's more like it. Just don't let things turn out like the future you spoke of, where Kakashi ends up all alone. Otherwise, he won't even have enough money to buy flowers."
Kakashi was sweating profusely. But thinking about the future Obito described, having to visit his father, Minato-sensei, Kushina-sensei, Rin, and even Obito in turn, he really would need to buy a lot of flowers…
At this moment, Minato saw that everyone was getting along and stepped forward with a smile, "Squad Seven, assemble here."
In an instant, Obito, Kakashi, and Rin gathered by Minato's side.
Minato spoke seriously, "Since we've already lost some time, I'll use the Flying Thunder God Technique to help us cover some distance. However, this is not a standard practice, so don't expect it again."
The three nodded. After securing their backpacks, Minato placed a hand on each of them. In the next second, their figures disappeared from where they stood…
———
Suikan Village, a small settlement nestled between mountains and rivers.
Minato's team gradually appeared.
After finding the client, the village chief, and learning the details, the group gained a clear understanding of the situation.
A group of bandits had taken over the deep mountains, frequently raiding nearby villages, killing and plundering without restraint. The surrounding villages had all suffered greatly, especially Suikan Village, which had been ransacked repeatedly. The villagers were at their wits' end, so they banded together and entrusted their village chief to request a mission from Konoha.
This was nothing more than a simple bandit extermination mission, with no involvement of shinobi.
Feeling reassured, Minato gave his orders.
"Obito, Kakashi, Rin, follow the leads provided by the villagers, locate the bandits' hideout, and eliminate them all. Do not let a single one escape."
The three responded seriously, "Understood."
Then, in a flash, the four of them left to search for the bandits' hideout…
It wasn't long before they discovered a small encampment built by the bandits deep in the mountains.
Seeing that they had found the target, Minato remained where he was and told the three, "Now, let's see how you perform. Unless it's an emergency, I won't interfere."
The three nodded, closing their eyes to sense their surroundings.
Although none of them were sensory-type ninja, a group of ordinary bandits had little ability to conceal their presence, making it easy to locate them.
Soon, Obito opened his eyes, "There are some bandits patrolling around the encampment, but most of them are inside…"
After a brief hesitation, Obito turned to Rin, "Rin, most of the people inside the camp are the elderly, the sick, and children. You and Kakashi will handle them. As for the bandits patrolling outside, I'll take care of them."
Rin was stunned and a little dissatisfied, "Obito, I'm not so weak that I can't even deal with a bunch of bandits. Don't assign me the easy part."
Obito smiled, "No, it's not because the patrolling bandits are hard to handle that I'm keeping you from fighting them. It's because, among us, you're the only one who hasn't experienced true slaughter. You need to go through it at least once."
Rin was still unconvinced, "The Academy had pressure training. I've executed criminals on death row. I've seen blood before. Don't treat me like a child."
Obito spoke seriously, "Rin, ordinary killing and slaughter are not the same. As a competent ninja, you can strike down an enemy without hesitation, I don't deny that. But…"
His tone changed, "Just now, I mentioned that many in the camp are the elderly and children. Their hands may not be stained with much sin. Can you still bring yourself to kill them?"
Rin was stunned. It was only now that she realized the severity of the problem.
"Are we supposed to kill them all? Even the elderly and children? But… aren't they innocent?"
Obito replied, "They may be innocent. Even among the bandits, how many turned to crime simply because they had no other way to survive? Perhaps they committed atrocities just to feed their wives and children."
"But, since they've enjoyed the spoils of plunder, they must pay the price. Besides…", Obito glanced at Kakashi, signaling him to explain.
Kakashi had carried out similar missions more than once. Understanding Obito's point, he calmly said, "What Obito means is that the mission states we must clear out the bandits completely, leaving no future threats. As shinobi, we must strictly follow orders."
Rin frowned, "But if we eliminate only the adult bandits and leave the defenseless elderly and children, wouldn't that still resolve the threat?"
Obito shook his head, "The elderly can raise new children. The children will grow up. Killing the adult bandits means we've slaughtered their families, creating hatred."
"Years later, what will those children do when they grow up? Out of vengeance, they might take up their fathers' blades and, even more cruelly, believing themselves to be righteous, turn against the innocent villagers. Hatred will be passed down, endlessly."
Rin understood. She wasn't stupid, she just didn't want to accept it.
At this moment, she finally felt the cruelty of the world Obito had spoken of.
But then, Obito glanced at Minato and suddenly shifted the topic, "Rin, this is what Konoha teaches us. It's not wrong, but actually, as ninja, there's an even more fundamental reason."
Rin was taken aback, 'What now? Is Obito about to say something crazy again?'
Obito continued explaining, "A ninja's primary job is to take money and eliminate problems. We don't ask about right or wrong. We've accepted payment from the villagers, so no matter what, we have to solve their problem. Otherwise, we break our principles and damage the village's reputation."
"One day, things might be reversed. If these bandits were to go to Konoha and request a mission, and Konoha actually accepted, then we'd have to fulfill their request. At that point, we might really have to slaughter innocent villagers."
"This… is the true nature of the ninja world."
Rin's eyes flickered wildly, signaling Obito to stop talking.
'Not again—Obito is spouting those harsh truths again!'
'Even if he is right, Minato-sensei is still standing right there!'
Sure enough, Namikaze Minato frowned, "Obito, Konoha would never accept a mission from those bandits. Every mission undergoes strict review to ensure we stand on the side of justice."
Obito smiled at Minato, "Minato-sensei, are you sure? What if we change the mission? What if it's an assignment to sabotage Sunagakure or Kumogakure?"
"What if Konoha orders us to slaughter civilians to spread fear? Are you certain the village would never issue such commands? And if they have, can such a mission truly be called justice?"
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