Chapter 65 – Praise and the Truth of the World
To ordinary people, a ninja was nothing short of a being from another dimension. Whether it was sheer physical ability or the mastery of countless jutsu, a ninja's killing power rendered common folk no different from livestock awaiting slaughter.
At that moment, Taichi and Saori were like tigers among sheep. Every swing, every step, was followed by screams and bodies falling to the ground.
And Taichi—ever the skilled swordsman—rarely needed a second strike. His blade flashed once, and his foes fell, their wounds clean and final: throats slit, hearts pierced.
Cruel? Perhaps. But compared to how these villagers had tortured and butchered traveling merchants, what he was doing could almost be called merciful.
The massacre stretched on for over two hours. By the time it neared its end, Yōhei—having recovered from his earlier chakra depletion—rejoined the hunt. Even though their enemies were weak, there were more than a hundred of them. The hardest part wasn't killing, but rooting out those who'd fled and hidden in the dark.
When the three finally regrouped, none of them spoke. Their faces said it all—the weight of what they'd done pressed heavily on their hearts.
After all, Taichi, Yōhei, and Saori were still only fresh graduates of the Academy. This was their first true blood mission—their first time killing indiscriminately. Their minds and spirits were still adjusting to the reality of what being a shinobi truly meant.
But they weren't ordinary children. After some quiet reflection, each of them began to steady themselves, hardening where they needed to.
From the shadows of the night, a figure slowly emerged—Captain Yamaguchi.
"Captain, you're finally here!" Yōhei perked up instantly, trying to sound proud. "You should've seen me earlier! I used Great Fire Annihilation—wiped out a whole wave of them! It was awesome!"
Yamaguchi gave him a look that was equal parts amusement and exasperation. "Oh? You mean that moment when you blasted a fireball, burned yourself out, and then collapsed in the dirt like a dead fish?"
Yōhei froze.
"The worst part of this mission," the captain continued, "was that jutsu. You frightened the rest of the enemies, scattered them, and made the pursuit harder. And then you rendered yourself completely helpless. If they'd been stronger, you'd have died right there."
Yōhei's face turned crimson. He hadn't expected his little boast to earn such a sharp rebuke—apparently, the captain had been watching the whole time.
"S-sorry, Captain! I swear it won't happen again!"
"Don't apologize to me," Yamaguchi said firmly. "Apologize to your teammates. This time you were lucky. Next time, your recklessness could get them killed."
Chastened, Yōhei bowed deeply to Taichi and Saori. "I'm sorry. I dragged you both into danger."
"It's fine," Taichi replied, his tone calm but stern. "Just learn from it. That kind of risk could've cost us all."
Saori nodded softly in agreement.
"Enough," Yamaguchi said, his expression softening. "Mistakes aside, your overall performance was excellent."
He looked at the three of them, his tone turning approving. "From scouting and intelligence gathering to infiltration, assassination, and the final assault—you handled every stage with precision. For fresh graduates, that's no small feat."
He paused, then continued, "This wasn't just a mission—it was a test. Every new squad receives one, and your performance will be noted in my report. You've done exceptionally well."
At that, Taichi and Saori exchanged relieved smiles. A successful evaluation on a test mission like this would be invaluable for their future advancement.
Only Yōhei looked subdued, still haunted by his mistake.
Noticing his mood, Taichi stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "Don't let it weigh on you. This won't be our last mission. Just do better next time."
"Yeah, Yōhei," Saori added gently. "We believe in you."
Yamaguchi nodded in approval. "Good. Now, the mission is complete. We'll rest for the night, then head to Hiryū Castle in the morning to report and request cleanup crews to handle the aftermath."
The four of them left behind the smoldering ruin that had once been a village.
At the riverside nearby, they made camp. The crackle of their small campfire contrasted sharply with the distant roar of flames still devouring the remains of the bandit village.
Taichi sat awake, watching both—the warmth of their fire and the destruction beyond it.
The contrast was jarring.
The shinobi world, he realized, was divided to its very core:
The rich and the poor, the commoners and the nobles, the helpless and the powerful.
A world where men capable of reshaping mountains and rivers—men who wielded power like gods—spent their lives killing one another over orders, pride, or politics. What a waste.
But Taichi was still too weak to change anything.
For now, he could only grow stronger.
Perhaps, he thought as his gaze lingered on the burning village, when I reach the level of someone like Senju Hashirama… then maybe, just maybe, I'll have the strength to change this world.
The next morning, before dawn had even broken, Team 8 had already packed up camp and was on the road toward Hiryū City.
As a border hub between two nations, Hiryū was bustling and prosperous, serving as the central artery of trade and diplomacy between the Lands of Fire and Grass.
Upon arrival, the team went straight to the city lord's mansion to deliver their mission report.
The city lord had been deeply troubled by the bandit raids—their attacks had severely disrupted merchant traffic and trade routes. But now, seeing the Konoha shinobi return so quickly, mission completed, his long-held worries finally eased.
He hadn't expected the problem to be resolved this fast. It was like watching a bleeding wound heal overnight—and with it, his financial losses greatly reduced.
Reading through the report, his eyes widened in understanding. The "bandits" were actually disguised villagers all along.
No wonder the previous two military campaigns had failed—each time the troops came, the bandits had simply "returned to being villagers."
With the truth laid bare, the city lord was both shocked and impressed.
Grateful, he extended a warm invitation for Team 8 to attend a luncheon at his estate to express his thanks.
Captain Yamaguchi accepted without hesitation.
---
At the banquet, the city lord couldn't hide his admiration.
"Jōnin Yamaguchi, Konoha truly lives up to its reputation as the greatest shinobi village. From the moment I submitted the commission to its completion—excluding travel time—it took you barely a single day. Remarkable!"
He raised his cup. "I'll personally recommend to the Daimyō that all future missions of this nature be entrusted to Konoha first."
Captain Yamaguchi smiled—calm, practiced, and deeply satisfied. This was exactly what he'd hoped for, and precisely why he had stayed to attend the luncheon.
"City Lord, you flatter us," he replied politely. "Hiryū's prosperity is entirely due to your capable governance. When I report back to the Hokage, I'll make sure to include your contributions as well."
He added, smoothly, "After all, Konoha is the shinobi village of the Land of Fire. When the Daimyō issues a mission, we naturally give it our full attention—dispatching our most capable teams to ensure his and your requests are fulfilled flawlessly."
As an experienced jōnin, Yamaguchi handled this social dance effortlessly.
And so the luncheon continued with flowing wine, polite laughter, and mutual flattery—both sides walking away with exactly what they wanted.
---
On the road back to Konoha, Yamaguchi took the opportunity to impart a different kind of lesson to his team.
"Remember," he said, his tone calm but deliberate, "shinobi live off missions. And most missions come from nobles—the Daimyō, lords, and city officials like the one we just met. Building a good relationship with them is essential."
"If you perform well, they'll keep requesting missions through the village. That benefits everyone—us, the village, and them."
He glanced back at the three younger ninja. "But completing missions efficiently isn't enough. A jōnin must also know how to negotiate—to manage relationships, and to turn one successful mission into future opportunities. That's part of your real training."
Gesturing back toward Hiryū, he continued, "This bandit issue reached the Daimyō's ears. By writing a favorable report for the city lord, we're giving him leverage to recommend Konoha for more work. That's what we call a mutual benefit."
Taichi, Yōhei, and Saori listened closely. These were the kinds of lessons ordinary genin rarely got to hear.
Yamaguchi was sharing them because he saw potential in the three—each of them had shown the beginnings of self-reliance, the spark of true shinobi maturity.
Still, as they listened, they couldn't help but exchange glances. None of them had expected their normally serious, upright captain to be so... politically shrewd.
At the banquet, they'd thought it was just polite conversation. But now they realized every word, every toast, every smile had been carefully chosen.
Konoha's jōnin truly were something else.
---
As the team continued down the long road home, Taichi looked toward the horizon where Konoha's great gates stood faintly in the distance, and a quiet thought settled in his heart.
This world is real.
You can't think you understand everything just because you know the story.
The world is far more intricate, far more alive, than the script you remember.
And this—this unrecorded moment of cunning diplomacy—was proof of it.
The sun rose higher, and in the distance, the great gates of Konoha shimmered in the morning light, welcoming them home.