MM Racing Chapter 44 Bandit Suppression, This is Only a C-Rank Mission
Chapter 44 Bandit Suppression, This is Only a C-Rank Mission
"Wow...quack quack..."
As night fell, the hoarse cawing of crows cut through the sky. A few crows flew over a cluster of neatly arranged mountain villages, and wisps of smoke could be faintly seen drifting in the wind…
"Hey! Did you hear? There was a ninja battle in town last night. I heard it was a huge commotion, houses were smashed to pieces, and the ground was blasted to pieces."
"Really? Are ninjas that powerful??"
"Of course! I heard there was a monster the size of a house that appeared back then, it was terrifying..."
"Yes, yes, the boss personally led a group down to check this morning, and they came back pale with fright!"
"Huh? Why??"
"Idiot, don't you know what kind of business we're in? Of course, we're afraid those ninjas will come after us."
"Yeah, right! We've done all sorts of things—murder, arson, rape, and robbery. Last time our leader led us to rob a town, we ran into the mayor, and he didn't dare utter a single word, just dropped everything and ran away..."
"That's right, that's right! We have to let that old bastard know who's in charge of this Shallow Wood Yokota Town!"
"Hey, stop talking. That's why the boss is worried that those ninjas might be after us. After all, we just kidnapped the mayor and now ninjas are showing up. It's too much of a coincidence."
"Hmph, what are you afraid of? Do you really think our village's crossbows are a joke? Our leader went to great lengths to get them, just to guard against ninjas."
"That's right, that's right. Stop worrying unnecessarily, let's think about it..."
"Boom!!" Just as the bandits and robbers were laughing and joking, a piercing explosion suddenly resounded throughout the village.
Hearing the sound, everyone looked over and saw that their prized armory was engulfed in flames, billowing thick smoke...
"Run! The ninjas are coming!"
A sudden shout startled everyone awake, and the bandits who had been shouting moments before scattered and fled in all directions...
As for resistance? With their armory destroyed, what could they possibly use to fight back against the ninjas? With the swords they had? Those things were only good for scaring ordinary people.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."
Just as the bandits were frantically fleeing to one of the village's only two passages, several kunai shuriken shot out from the bushes.
In just one exchange, several unfortunate men were stabbed and fell to the ground. The remaining men were instantly terrified, and remembering the horrific scenes they had heard about, their legs gave way and they collapsed to their knees.
"Sir Ninja, spare me! Spare me!!"
"Spare my life! I have an eighty-year-old mother to support and a crying baby to feed..."
"Shut up!!" Ishikawa stepped out of the bushes, speechless. Couldn't you guys come up with a different line? This is so cliché.
Immediately, Ishikawa looked at everyone with considerable annoyance and a bit of a headache. Their mission was to suppress bandits, which naturally meant to wipe them out completely.
But he's not a cold-blooded animal. If he kills people after they've surrendered, wouldn't he be no different from a beast?
"If you don't want to die, drop your weapons and wait over there." After a pause, Ishikawa pointed to a large tree beside him, looking at the weeping crowd.
Leave this troublesome matter to Kakashi. Whether you live or die is up to your own fate!
"Yes, sir." The bandits, who had already lost their will to fight, dared not say another word. They immediately threw down their weapons, moved to tears, and ran to the base of the tree to squat down.
Even without Ishikawa's instructions, they consciously tied their hands tightly with belts, for fear of causing a misunderstanding and being killed!
"You call this robbery??" Ishikawa looked at the group who seemed to know their way around and was speechless again. He shook his head and disappeared into the bushes.
What happened next completely surprised Ishikawa!
When the bandits who escaped later saw the state of those who had fled before, apart from a few fools who launched an attack only to be instantly killed by Ishikawa, the rest threw down their weapons, bound their hands, and tearfully returned to their ranks before their companions had even died.
This scene left Ishikawa speechless and also impressed. In front of ninjas, civilians were like ordinary people with guns pointed at them. Even a low-ranking ninja could crush these mountain bandits and make them surrender!
"However, this is the correct way to approach a C-rank mission. The kind of mission last night was simply not something a rookie genin like us could handle." Shaking his head with a smile, Ishikawa touched the bleeding wound on his chest and muttered to himself.
That's right, under Tsunade's intimidation, Shizune ultimately didn't treat him. She only applied some special medicine to temporarily relieve the pain and promote a quick recovery!
He also obtained some information about Rin. However, like Kakashi, it was all based on hearsay and rough versions.
"Big brother, big brother..."
Soon, as the noise in the village gradually faded away, Taro came running over, shouting.
Even from several meters away, Ishikawa could smell the blood on Taro and detect the subtle changes in his expression!
That was murderous intent!!
This is the true ninja world; even a minor character doesn't react excessively after their first kill. But thinking about it, who among a genin wouldn't be prepared to kill? The so-called passionate bonds are merely a fig leaf to cover up the brutality and bloodshed of the main characters.
"Is it over, Taro?" Despite the turmoil in his heart, Ishikawa remained outwardly calm.
"Yes, we were worried about your injuries, so Jiro was cleaning up the battlefield, and I came to check on you." As he said this, Taro quickly glanced at Ishikawa before fixing his gaze on the bleeding chest.
As expected, it was too much of a stretch to have the eldest brother participate in the battle!
"Don't worry, my wound is fine," Ishikawa said nonchalantly, then pointed to the prisoners under the tree. "Signal Kakashi-sensei and tell him to come and see what to do with these guys."
"Yes, brother." Taro glanced at the trembling prisoners with surprise and immediately sent out a signal.
A firework exploded in the sky, and less than a minute later, Kakashi appeared instantly.
"Well, it looks like the mission is going smoothly." Kakashi glanced around, quickly grasping the situation, and relaxed.
"It's all thanks to Big Brother's excellent plan. He first used explosive tags to destroy their armory, then split his forces into two groups to block the exit and trap them like turtles in a jar," Taro said with a smile, praising his brother.
"Is that so?" Kakashi, who had been observing from the shadows, already knew about this, but still nodded in agreement to save face. "So, Ishikawa, what do you plan to do with these guys?"
"Uh..." Ishikawa's face darkened instantly. He hadn't expected Kakashi to kick the ball back so easily!
"Then let the client handle it. Besides, those spoils of war need to be carried down anyway, so let's leave them for now."
"Alright, let's do it this way." Kakashi wasn't angry that Ishikawa hadn't killed them all; instead, he showed a faint smile of satisfaction.
If they do whatever the client says, then what are they, ninjas? Weapons without emotion?
At least in Kakashi's view, a Konoha ninja who possesses independent thought and flesh and blood is the one who truly inherits the Will of Fire.
"Let's go, down the mountain." Thinking about the negotiations with the Cloud Village to get Tsunade's reward tomorrow, Kakashi raised his arm and urged them on.
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei..."