Night had completely fallen. Deep within the mountain forest, outside a hidden hollow concealed between the hills, four figures stood silently within the shadows.
At that moment, Yamato lowered his voice and began giving instructions.
"This reconnaissance mission will mainly rely on the three of you, while I provide support and evaluation from the rear."
His gaze swept across each of his students one by one.
"Ken, you'll handle forward scouting and track any signs of movement. Yūmi, focus on observing the surroundings and watch carefully for traps or hidden sentries. Shin, you'll remain in the center and provide support at any time if something goes wrong."
He paused briefly before continuing in a more serious tone.
"Remember, the purpose of this mission is to determine the enemy's numbers, defenses, and movement patterns."
After speaking, Yamato looked at the three young Genin once more and warned them carefully:
"Even if the target this time is only a group of bandits, you must treat this place as if it were a real enemy Ninja stronghold. This… is also part of your training."
"Understood!" The three answered immediately, taking Yamato's warning seriously.
"Good." Yamato gave an approving nod after seeing how quickly they adjusted their mindsets.
"Move out."
The moment his voice fell, the three figures shot forward like arrows released from a bow, silently disappearing into the darkness as they carefully approached the bandit hideout below.
—
Perhaps because the people occupying the hollow were merely ordinary bandits, the infiltration proceeded far more smoothly than expected.
Ken displayed surprisingly sharp tracking skills, quickly discovering several trails that were clearly used often by the bandits.
Yūmi moved cautiously, discovering two crude alarm traps hidden near the outer perimeter and carefully avoiding both of them.
Once they finally reached the edge of the hollow and looked down under the dim moonlight and scattered firelight below, both Ken and Yūmi frowned instinctively.
The bandit camp they had imagined to be heavily guarded and crowded with enemies looked strangely deserted.
Inside the crude wooden enclosure, only five ragged-looking bandits sat around a small campfire, drinking alcohol and cursing loudly without the slightest sense of vigilance.
Several run-down thatched huts nearby were completely dark and showed no signs of anyone inside.
"What's going on?" Ken whispered in confusion. "There are only five of them?"
Yūmi also frowned deeply. "Where did the others go? Are they out somewhere?"
Shin quickly swept his gaze across the entire camp once again, carefully confirming the surroundings.
The huts were empty. The storage piles were empty. Even the shadows around the camp showed no hidden movement.
At that moment, Ken and Yūmi both turned toward Shin instinctively.
With Yamato staying behind and the situation changing unexpectedly, Shin—the calmest and strongest among them—naturally became the team's backbone.
Shin made his decision immediately.
"The situation changed, but this is still a good opportunity," he said quietly. "Stick to the original plan. End this quickly, subdue them, and take them alive."
His calm and decisive words instantly erased the hesitation in Ken and Yūmi's hearts.
The moment the order was given, Team One moved.
—
Beside the campfire, the five bandits were still gathered together, drinking.
One scar-faced man took a long swig from a bottle of cheap liquor before cursing loudly. "The boss and the others are out there eating good food and enjoying themselves while we're stuck guarding this damn place!"
Beside him, a skinny monkey-faced man laughed drunkenly. "Relax. Once the boss gets back, we'll get our share too—"
Before he could finish speaking, something suddenly shifted at the edge of his vision.
"Hm?" The man instinctively narrowed his eyes toward the darkness beyond the firelight.
But before he could react, the shadows suddenly burst forward. Three dark figures rushed out like ghosts, moving with terrifying speed.
"Wha—" The monkey-faced bandit barely managed to utter a single sound before intense pain exploded from his abdomen.
Ken's heavy front kick slammed directly into his stomach.
The bandit's body flew backward like a broken sack before crashing violently into the wooden fence behind him with a dull bang. He collapsed onto the ground, vomiting and convulsing helplessly.
Almost at the same moment, the scar-faced man opened his mouth to shout.
A sharp chop struck the side of his neck before any sound could escape.
His eyes widened violently before his body collapsed onto the ground without even managing a scream.
At the same time, Yūmi's kunai flashed repeatedly through the firelight.
Her attacks were straightforward and accurate, instantly slashing across the wrists and ankles of two other bandits just as they reached for their weapons.
The sudden pain forced both men to scream as their weapons fell from their hands, their bodies immediately losing balance.
The final bandit froze completely in fear.
Before he could even turn around to run, Shin stepped forward and drove a straight punch directly into the man's face.
A crack echoed clearly through the camp as the bandit's nose shattered instantly.
The man's body flew backward before collapsing unconscious onto the dirt.
The battle ended almost the moment it began.
The campfire continued to crackle softly, illuminating the five defeated bandits scattered across the ground and the three young Ninja who had appeared from the darkness like hunters.
Team One's assault was complete.