The next day.
“Ugh!”
Nawaki’s face was deathly pale as he knelt on the ground, vomiting violently.
Tsunade patted his back with a mix of annoyance and concern.
“Still trying to act tough?
You’re throwing up like this after killing just one bandit.”
“I—”
Before Nawaki could finish his sentence, he started vomiting again.
Tsunade sighed inwardly, shaking her head slightly.
A pang of regret washed over her.
Perhaps she should have started training Nawaki much earlier.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late now.
Otherwise, if he were to enter the battlefield in this state, she couldn’t bear to imagine the consequences.
Kushina’s attention was entirely focused on Ryun as she pleaded, “I want to go with you too.”
“No need.
Just trust those two.
It’s just a group of bandits, after all.”
Every Hidden Village receives a large number of low-level missions to clear out bandits each year.
They’re dealt with batch after batch, but before long, new bandits always emerge.
Typically, newly graduated Genin teams are assigned to handle these tasks.
“Look, they’re almost done over there.”
As she spoke, Tsunade gestured for Kushina to look toward the direction of the bandit stronghold.
Inside the stronghold.
Gekko Ryun’s eyes were cold and sharp as a short blade carved arcs of blood through the chaotic ranks of bandits.
After witnessing that horrifying scene firsthand, he showed not a shred of mercy.
He and Minato had split up to surround the stronghold from two directions, and within just a few minutes, they had already fought their way to the center.
The ground beneath their feet was littered with shattered corpses and debris.
The soil, soaked in blood, had turned a dark crimson.
Ryun and Minato met up, exchanged a glance, and Ryun gave a slight smirk.
Minato forced a faint smile, feeling a twinge of unease.
The person before him was practically drenched in blood, and his smile seemed almost ferocious.
Ryun casually flicked his blade, sending droplets of blood scattering.
He turned his gaze toward a particular spot, where a motionless figure lay buried under debris.
“Come out.
Still thinking of running?”
Silence fell over the stronghold.
He kicked a small stone, and with the force behind it, it struck the figure squarely on the forehead.
A visible lump swelled instantly.
“Argh!
Damn it, who are you people?!”
Realizing he’d been discovered, the man dared not play dead any longer and scrambled to his feet.
The two youths before him wore no Ninja Forehead Protectors, but their movements were swift and ruthless—clearly prodigies from some Hidden Village.
His heart raced.
Geniuses like these usually had a sensei watching over them from the shadows.
Even if he could kill these two, could he escape the pursuit of whoever was lurking behind the scenes?
Ryun glanced at Minato and gestured with his chin.
“Your turn or mine?”
“You take it.”
Minato took a step back.
“Alright.”
Ryun had no objections.
He was still savoring the adrenaline-fueled state he’d experienced during the fight.
He had to admit, the enhancement from [Minato Namikaze’s Kunai] had been crucial.
Previously, his speed wasn’t an advantage, and his reflexes were within the normal range.
Taking on twenty or thirty bandits at once, while still winnable, would have been relatively challenging.
But now, with boosts to his strength, speed, and reflexes, the entire process felt effortless and fluid.
He could even appreciate a sense of artistry in the ease of it all.
To that, he could only say: It was easier than fighting Hayato.
“Damn brats, do you think you’ve got me cornered?”
The man roared, pulling a kunai from his leg.
“A rogue ninja?”
“That’s right, brats.
I’ve never killed a Hidden Village genius before—you’re forcing my hand!”
Gekko Ryun shook his head.
How laughably naive.
“Enough talk.
Let me send you on your way.”
Before the words faded, his figure vanished abruptly.
Only the glint of a cold blade flashed ghostlike before the man.
In the next instant, a spray of blood shot skyward.
The man’s eyes filled with confusion and terror.
How could he be this fast?
Was he, a Genin, really unable to withstand even a single move?
His body crumpled limply to the ground, consciousness plunging into darkness.
Minato’s pupils contracted.
He could also instantly kill an ordinary rogue ninja.
But…
the speed displayed here was already no worse than his own.
In just one day—how could such immense progress be possible?
It defied reason.
Gekko Ryun flicked his wrist, shaking the blood droplets from his blade.
The short sword slid into its sheath with a metallic clang.
He scanned the surroundings; aside from Minato and himself, no living bandits remained.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh?
Oh, right.” Minato snapped back to attention, suppressing his bewilderment as he hurried to follow Ryun’s retreating figure.
At that moment.
Tsunade landed silently outside the bandit stronghold, holding Kushina in one hand and a pale-faced Nawaki in the other.
Her gaze toward Ryun and Minato held appreciation.
“Not bad.
Faster than I expected.”
She had observed their performance throughout.
Especially Ryun, who was nearly drenched in blood—his efficiency in killing surpassed even Minato’s, and the aura of slaughter about him left her somewhat astonished.
Truthfully, it exceeded her expectations.
Solid skill, remarkable temperament, calm and decisive in action.
His observation was thorough enough, too.
He hadn’t missed that rogue ninja who, seeing the situation turn dire, had tried to play dead and slip away unnoticed.
For a talent like this, staying in the Ninja Academy was indeed a bit of a waste.
Unlike Nawaki…
Tsunade felt a headache coming on.
Feeling uneasy after a first kill was understandable, but she had rarely seen anyone vomit this badly.
Kushina zipped over with a whoosh.
Looking at Ryun, soaked through with blood, her eyes were full of worry and relief.
Carefully, she used her sleeve to wipe the bloodstains from Ryun’s face.
“Tsunade-nee wouldn’t let me join in.
Otherwise, I could’ve blasted them with the Great Fireball Technique.”
Listening to the girl’s muttering, Ryun’s eyelid twitched.
Thank goodness Tsunade hadn’t allowed Kushina to participate.
He couldn’t give Kushina a chance to use the Great Fireball.
Originally, there had been several women captured by the bandits in the stronghold.
He and Minato had moved fast enough; before the bandits could react, they had broken their will and rescued the hostages.
Otherwise, if Kushina had unleashed a Great Fireball over ten meters in diameter…
It would have been indiscriminate.
You couldn’t just eliminate the hostages first to prevent the bandits from using them as leverage, could you?
Nawaki lifted his head, saw the scene of scattered limbs throughout the stronghold, turned pale again, and nearly vomited once more.
Fortunately, his stomach was empty, allowing him to barely hold it back.
He looked at Minato, lost in thought, and at Ryun, who still wore a faint smile on his face.
He felt his cheeks burn with shame.
Even though he was several years older, his performance on this first mission was utterly embarrassing.
“Alright, this mission is over.”
Tsunade clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Kushina, you witnessed the entire process.
You’ll be writing the mission report this time.
Any issues?”
Kushina replied loudly, “No issues!”
Tsunade nodded, then looked toward the seven or eight women waiting outside the village—thinly clad, their faces pale and sallow—and sighed.
“You can all go back now.”
Several of them wept uncontrollably as they expressed their gratitude.
Some no longer had homes and could only huddle together for warmth.
Gekko Ryun and the others also wore complicated expressions.
After the women supported each other and left, Tsunade said softly, “We’ll follow behind them.
Once we confirm they’ve arrived safely, we’ll return to Konoha.”
“Yes!”
…
By the time they returned to the village, it was already night.
Konoha’s commercial street was still bustling.
Minato lived nearby and was the first to leave.
When they reached a crossroads, Tsunade stretched lazily, her clothes pulling tight.
Ryun couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous for her.
She glanced over and said casually, “You performed well on the mission.
It’s a bit late today, so remember to come over for dinner tomorrow evening.”
“Alright.”
Ryun nodded.
Finally, the day had come.
Nearly half a month ago, when Kushina mentioned this to him, he had already felt a sense of anticipation.
After all, it was Mito Uzumaki—currently the strongest in Konoha!
She must have plenty of equipment and materials, right?