"A ninja's enemy is never an ordinary bandit pretending to be a mountain thug, nor a common robber, nor even a samurai.A ninja's enemy… can only ever be another ninja."
For the first few days, the caravan's journey passed peacefully.
Too peacefully.
That calm finally ended when a towering, majestic mountain rose before them.
There was an old saying: Where mountains rise high, there will always be paths for travelers; where waters run deep, ferrymen will surely appear.But the saying could also be twisted—High mountains breed monsters, and steep ridges give birth to spirits.
In the world of Naruto, such towering mountains and treacherous terrain were almost always accompanied by bandits and mountain thieves.
Under normal circumstances, if a team consisted of two genin, one would stay behind with the caravan while the other went ahead to scout. Even then, they would never stray too far from each other, to avoid being unable to provide support if something went wrong.
This time, however, the team included Inuzuka Tsubaki. As a member of the Inuzuka clan—a family famed for their ninja hounds—reconnaissance was practically second nature to her.
"Let's go, Akamaru," Tsubaki said, crouching slightly as she placed a hand on her partner's head. "Let's see if there are any enemies hiding nearby."
It didn't take long before she returned.
Akamaru had picked up the scent of many people—clustered along the only path leading up the mountain.
Generally speaking, those who became bandits or robbers were either villagers driven to desperation or idle drifters with nothing better to do. If ninja encountered such people and they hadn't attacked a caravan, they usually wouldn't kill them outright.
First, some bandits still farmed their own land and only rarely resorted to robbery. Second, it was difficult to determine whether wandering ninja might be mixed in among them. Because of this, a two-genin team would normally ignore such hidden groups unless they took the initiative to attack. Many bandits, upon seeing the Leaf Village emblem, wouldn't dare make a move at all.
As Inuzuka Tsubaki explained the key points of a C-rank escort mission to Uchiha Ran, her eyes flicked briefly toward the carriage.
Noticing her gaze, Ran followed it—and immediately realized something was off.
Kurenai Yuhi and Dōmu Mano were gone from the carriage.
"Tsubaki, let me ask you something," Ran said calmly.
"Huh? What is it, Ran?"
"Do ninja… like to use bait tactics?"
"…What? What's a bait tactic?"
"Never mind." Ran shrugged lightly. "Let's just get ready to fight. There's a law that says anything that can happen eventually will. Tsubaki—have you planned an escape route? Just in case the bandits attack and there's a jōnin among them."
"Ran, what are you even talking about? You're all over the place."
"Sorry—sumimasen." Ran smiled. "First real mission, might even see combat. I guess I'm a little nervous."
Tsubaki glanced at him, lips twitching.
Who are you fooling?He looked completely relaxed—there wasn't the slightest trace of tension on his face.
Meanwhile, somewhere on the mountain…
"Boss… are we really going to make a move?" a man whispered. "There are two Leaf ninja down there. They look young—probably just genin."
"Idiot," the man called Caotang snapped quietly. "Lower your voice. Of course we're attacking. We just took over this bandit den and became their leaders—now's the perfect time to establish authority. And two Leaf genin showing up right now? Perfect timing. With my strength as a chūnin, it'll be easy."
"Yes, Boss Caomu! What's the plan?"
"Does that even need discussion?" Caotang sneered. "Send the bandits charging down to rob them and stall the little girl. I'll take care of the boy myself. Quick and simple."
"Understood, Boss! I'll go right away!"
The man took a step back to leave—
"Wait, idiot." Caotang waved him back. "Tell logistics to heat up a pot of wine. It's already spring, and the Land of Fire is still this cold."
"Boss, is that necessary? If we heat it now, it'll cool down later—"
"Hmph. Two measly genin." Caotang laughed. "Relax. I'll finish them while the wine's still warm."
He waved him off impatiently.
Tch… Caotang thought to himself. My second-in-command is such a moron. Becoming a rogue ninja so easily back then was really short-sighted…
"They're coming after all," Tsubaki said as Akamaru's nose twitched rapidly. "Greed really does blind people."
"Is that so?" Ran replied softly, already shifting into a combat-ready stance. "Then we fight."
Whoosh—whoosh!
Several shuriken came flying toward them.
At the same time, bandits charged down the mountain and clashed with the caravan's hired guards.
The numbers on both sides were roughly equal—now everything depended on the outcome of the ninja battle.
As the shuriken flew in, Caotang faced off against Uchiha Ran, while Tsubaki engaged Caotang's second-in-command.
"Heh, this is totally in our favor," Ōmaeda muttered to himself.
Having noticed that Kurenai Yuhi and Dōmu Mano were no longer present, he immediately understood—this was clearly the jōnin letting their subordinates gain some real combat experience.
So he hid inside the carriage, watching with glee.
Ninja battles are rare sights, after all.
"Well, kid," Caotang sneered at Ran, "you're really unlucky. Haven't been on many missions, have you? And you run into me, Lord Caotang. Why don't you just leave? Since you're a Leaf ninja, I'll be generous and not make things difficult for you."
What Caotang didn't know...was that he had already stepped onto the path of death.
Showing off in front of an Uchiha?
Everyone knew the Uchiha clan's show-off techniques were maxed out—refined and proven by history itself.
"Lord Caotang," Ran replied politely, "how considerate of you. But precisely because we are Leaf ninja, we will never abandon our duty to protect our employer."
As he spoke, Ran drew the sword from his waist.
"Hmph. A pitiful brat who throws away his own escape route," Caotang laughed coldly. "Then I'll personally send you on your way."
He tossed the umbrella in his hand into the air.
"Ninja Art—Rainfall Senbon!"
The umbrella shot upward. Though there was no wind, it snapped open with a sharp whoosh.
As Caotang formed hand seals, the umbrella began spinning like a windmill.
In an instant, countless senbon needles poured down like rain, streaking toward Ran.
Rainfall Senbon—a signature technique of the Land of Rain, much like the Great Fireball Technique was to the Uchiha clan.
Facing the storm of blades, Ran lightly tossed his sword upward and rapidly formed hand seals.
Snake—Goat—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger!
"Fire Release—Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Ran covered his mouth with his left hand, while his right caught the falling blade.
Though he was only displaying genin-level power, Uchiha-style flair didn't depend on rank.
A massive fireball erupted forward.
The Great Fireball Technique boasted wide range, devastating heat, and focused destructive power.
In the blink of an eye, the roaring flames incinerated the rain of senbon completely. The umbrella flew back into Caotang's hand.
"Bloom forth—Life Is But a Dream!"
For a split second, Caotang felt as though he had already killed Uchiha Ran—now he was drinking still-warm wine with his brothers.
This is—genjutsu?!But how did he activate it—?!
Realizing the truth, Caotang frantically disrupted the chakra within his body.
The instant the illusion shattered, all he saw was a blade rapidly filling his vision.
Pshhk.
His field of view suddenly shifted.
He saw his own body… collapsing.
"So… this is how it ends," Caotang thought dimly."I wonder… is that cup of wine still warm… or already cold…?"