At the foot of the mountain, Taiichi and his team were perched high in a massive tree. The dense foliage provided perfect cover, completely shielding them from view. About a hundred yards away, a small, winding trail snaked its way up the slope.
The mountain wasn't particularly imposing—its highest peak barely scraped six hundred meters, and the whole area only spanned a couple of miles. But what it lacked in height, it made up for in density. True to the Land of Fire, it was thickly forested.
Trees blanketed the entire mountain. Looking up from the base, you couldn't see a single sign of human habitation.
Before settling into their observation point, the trio had circled the entire perimeter. Aside from the small trail in front of them, there was no other route wide enough to move large groups of people or supplies.
After a quick huddle, they agreed on a plan: they would move up the trail together, slowly and methodically, scanning for any clues.
Plan set. The three of them kept low, concealing their movements as they advanced in a split formation.
Taiichi took point on the left side of the path. As he moved, he analyzed the ground. This trail hasn't seen foot traffic in at least ten days. The underbrush on his side was completely undisturbed. Doubt started to creep in. Are we wasting our time?
They moved cautiously, but the trail was short. Within thirty minutes, they reached the end.
It led to a bandit stronghold. Or at least, what used to be one.
It looked completely abandoned. Taiichi flashed a hand signal to Yohei and Saori, and they spread out to breach the perimeter.
Taiichi found a blind spot and vaulted over a crumbled section of the wall. From his elevated position, he scanned the entire compound. His suspicion was confirmed—the place was a ghost town.
Still, you can never be too careful. He moved silently, checking corners just in case a lookout had been left behind.
He swept the area room by room, starting from the outer edge. The further he went, the more something felt off.
Even for an abandoned hideout, the decay was too advanced. Doors were hanging off their hinges, and thick layers of dust coated the tables and chairs. It looked like no one had lived in these outer buildings for a long time.
It wasn't until Taiichi reached the center of the stronghold that he found signs of recent life. Yohei and Saori converged on his position at the same time.
"Find anything?" Taiichi asked.
Both shook their heads.
"The whole place is a wreck except for this central area," Yohei said, kicking at a loose floorboard.
"Yeah," Saori agreed. "But even here... it looks like no one's been around for over a week."
"Taiichi, do you think they got wind of us and bolted?" Yohei looked worried. His face practically screamed, If there are no bandits, how do I complete the mission?
"Maybe. Judging by the lack of clutter, they left calmly. They took everything of value," Taiichi analyzed. "It's possible they knew the heat was coming and bailed early."
"Also, did you notice?" Taiichi continued. "They didn't build this place. They were just squatting here. That's why they only bothered cleaning up the central living quarters."
"So you think they're nomads? Just moving from place to place?" Saori asked.
"It's a possibility," Taiichi said, though he didn't sound entirely convinced.
"So what's the play? Do we still check the village?" Yohei asked, clearly itching for action. "I still haven't tested my new Jutsu!"
"Of course we go," Taiichi said firmly. "It's our last lead. The village is right next door. There's no way the locals don't know what's been happening on this mountain."
"Alright then. Let's move."
---
By the time they reached the village, the sky was painted in the deep oranges and purples of twilight. Despite hustling down the mountain, evening had set in.
Smoke curled from chimneys as families prepared dinner, giving the village a peaceful, cozy atmosphere.
It was a tiny place—maybe fifty households, tops.
The three Genin walked through the streets, stopping occasionally to try and strike up a conversation with anyone they saw.
Taiichi, banking on his innocent, youthful appearance, knocked on a door. "Excuse me, ma'am? Could we trouble you for some water?" He put on his most harmless smile.
The woman who opened the door took one look at his headband, her face went cold, and she slammed the door shut without a word.
Taiichi turned back to his team, bewildered. "Do I look that scary?"
"Let's split up," Taiichi suggested. "Cover more ground. Ask around and see what's up with this place."
They separated. Taiichi wandered down a narrow lane. Maybe it was the proximity to the bandit hideout, but the xenophobia here was intense. The villagers treated him like a plague carrier.
People on the street actively dodged him. A farmer working in the distance with a pitchfork saw him coming, immediately dropped his tool, and retreated into his house. When Taiichi knocked, silence was the only answer.
He tried a few more houses with similar results. The only progress he made was finally getting someone to give him a drink.
Holding a surprisingly delicate porcelain cup of water, Taiichi decided to cut the small talk. "Hey, brother, small village you got here. I heard there were bandits nearby. Did you guys have any trouble with them?"
The man, a burly guy with a face full of rough muscle, scoffed. "Trouble? Look around. We're all able-bodied men here. They'd be lucky if we didn't go up there and cause them trouble." He seemed completely unbothered by Taiichi's questions.
"It's getting dark, kid," the man said, glancing at the sky. "You want a place to crash for the night?"
"Thanks, but no thanks. My friends are waiting for me. I'll just finish this water and head out."
"Then hurry up and go." The man didn't even wait for Taiichi to finish before shooing him toward the door.
Standing outside the slammed door again, Taiichi frowned. Something is definitely weird about this place.
Shortly after, Yohei and Saori met up with him. They compared notes and realized they'd all received the exact same cold shoulder. It was almost impressive how unified the village was in their rejection.
"Let's just go to the Village Head," Taiichi decided. "He has to know something, and legally, he has to cooperate with Konoha ninja."
"Agreed."
Finding the Village Head's house was easy—they just looked for the biggest, nicest building in town.
Sure enough, a quick knock confirmed they were at the right place.
Given the hostile reception so far, Taiichi didn't waste time with pleasantries. He flashed his Ninja Registration and the official mission scroll from the Capital, demanding cooperation.
The Village Head, an old man, scrutinized the scroll for a long awkward minute before reluctantly stepping aside to let them in.
Once they were seated, Taiichi got straight to the point. "Sir, you've seen the mission order. We're here to deal with the bandit problem. What can you tell us about them?"
"You're too late," the old man said slowly, unbothered. "About ten days ago, they packed up and ran off to the Land of Grass."
"They really ran away?!" Yohei blurted out. Realizing he was shouting, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, sorry. Go on."
Taiichi pressed on. "Do you know where they came from? Your village is right at the foot of their mountain—did they ever try to raid you?"
"I don't know where they came from. One day they were just... there," the Village Head recalled. "Not long after they arrived, they did try to raid us. You've seen how wary everyone is of strangers? That's because those bandits scared the life out of them."
"Oh?" Taiichi stared intently at the old man. "So the village has enough firepower to fight off a bandit raid? That's impressive."