Chapter 16

It was the third day of the mission when something happened. We were on our way at civilian speed, like we were the days before when I suddenly felt a group of twelve Chakra signatures. One of them was on the level of a Genin, the rest was at a civilian or academy student level.

They were hiding inside the bushes along the path and positioned in such a way that they could cut us off from all sides.

I stopped, dispelled the forming Rasengan and looked at my team. "Guys, there are twelve possible bandits in front of us. One of them has the Chakra level of a Genin, the rest is either civilian or low academy."

Kagami-sensei nodded and gestured for us and the merchant to slow down. "Good, you have spotted them. Now, they will know that something is wrong if we suddenly stop. Just slow down to a crawl, it will give us enough time.

This will be your first real fight. I know that you are ready and I will watch and make sure that nothing happens. But you will have to fight them on your own. Four for each or three against twelve, I let you decide on a plan." Sakumo and Ariha were looking a little insecure, but both were quick to calm down and steeled themselves for the coming fight. They then looked at me, the tactician of our group.

"Right, any ideas?", asked Ariha us.

"A few, Sensei, are we fighting for efficiency or do we have to get close," I asked and looked at Kagami-sensei. He might want to use this chance to get our hands bloodied. The first kill is said to be the hardest and might freeze the new murderer. Having it in a relatively secure setting would be the best.

"Close," he answered, both my question and my thoughts.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and glared at him, he knew that I knew what he wants us to do. "Damn, well. Originally I would simply burn them with a combination of a Great Fireball and a Great Breakthrough, but that option is out now.

Next, I would suggest attacking one side to get those out first and then take care of the other side. This way we only have six to worry about and not twelve. Are we allowed to do that?"

After a moment of thought, he nodded. Fighting only six would be safer and we would still need to get close to kill the remaining six.

"Very well. I'd like to attack the right side, that is the side with the Genin, with a Great Cutting Whirlwind. It should be enough to take care of them. Directly afterwards we will rush in. There are two close to us, followed by two more and another two. Each pair is roughly three meters away from the other.

Ariha and Sakumo can attack the first pair and overwhelm them, I will keep the second busy. Once you finish the first you attack the third and then help me with the second."

"That would put you against two, possibly four at once. And the Jutsu you want to use is a mid-B-Rank Jutsu, do you have enough Chakra to fight afterwards?" pointed Kagami-sensei out.

I nodded before answering. "Yes, I have enough Chakra to do eight B-Rank Jutsu and I only have to fight them for a short time. I am also the strongest of us three and if something happens it is your fault Sensei. You forbid us from doing it the same way. It will be you who will have to explain to Hokage-sama and Grandma Mito how I got injured when it could have been prevented."

Kagami-sensei was suddenly very pale and gulped audibly, seems he forgot that tidbit. Having me in his team leaves heavy scrutiny on him. Everyone will question him if I get injured, just him being an Uchiha is enough. They will doubt his skill and accuse him of pushing me into danger deliberately. Uchiha and Senju may live together in Konoha, but the two clans were no real friends, as much as Hashirama had wanted it to be so.

He might want to change his orders, but by now we were too close for that, so he led his head fall down and sighed. "Very well, but be careful, all three of you."

I quickly went through the needed hand seals and sucked in a deep breath, before mixing it with Wind Chakra. "Great Cutting Whirlwind!" Four blades of wind flew out of my mouth, two vertically the other two diagonally. Each slightly positioned next to the other for maximum effect.

They cut through the bushes and the shocked bandits only had enough time to shout a cry of fear before the wind blades reached them. The first two bandits were cut in half and then in quarters without slowing the blades at all. The second pair wasn't any different, they died a little later and got not completely cut into pieces.

The wind blades were made by a B-Ranked Jutsu, they wouldn't be stopped by simple shrubbery and some humans. So they flew past the corpses of the second pair and reached the third and final pair.

These two had the most time to react and it was shown when only one of them died instantly. The man with Chakra of a Genin managed to jump away but lost his right leg and arm mid-jump. He hit the ground and was screaming in pain, yet none of us had any time to take care of him.

Ariha and Sakumo have jumped into action the moment I started my hand signs. They jumped at the other side of the street and quickly spotted the first two bandits. Ariha had a Kunai in each hand and Sakumo had his tantou drawn.

The bandits, having used the little time it took for Ariha and Sakumo to spot them, were able to stand up and pull their weapons into a parry. And while both Ariha and Sakumo were stronger and faster than the two bandits, body mass still has some effect and the bandits were able to block the first attack.

I had jumped right after finishing my Jutsu and flew over the first two bandits. The second pair was ready for me and both were holding a spear, posed to impale me.

I went through another set of hand signs and finished mid-flight, "Wind Needle!" dozens of razor sharp and fast needles flew out of my mouth. Each wasn't very long, but made out of a cutting wind and fast.

They rained down on the two bandits and impaled them, cutting through bones and flesh with ease. There were so much that even their bones began to break and both bandits were turning into a pile of blood and flesh. Their screams were short, the first dozen needles were enough to kill them. But once the Jutsu has started it was harder to stop than to let it finish.

Anyway, my first two were dead and I felt how the Chakra of both Ariha and Sakumo was frozen in shock. They must have each killed their bandit. Having realized what they have done they fell into shock and were unable to move, which left me with the two remaining bandits.

They have seen what we have done and were busy running away from us. I casually threw a Kunai at each of them. The knife hit them in the neck and killed them instantly. Their fear made them run away in a direct line and easy for me to hit.

I turned around and saw Sakumo standing over his bandit. His sword was still inside the chest of the bandit and Sakumo was looking down to his shaking hands.

Ariha wasn't much better. She has fallen on her behind and crawled backwards until she hit a tree. Her face was blood splattered and she was staring at her bloody hands. The bandit she had fought has a slit throat. The blood must have spurted out and hit her in the face, shocking and freaking her out.

The next moment Kagami-sensei was standing next Sakumo, a hand rested on his shoulder in silent comfort. He looked at me and frowned briefly, before kneeling down to be at face level with Sakumo. Sakumo, the frightened child, as we were nothing but children, looked at Kagami-sensei and mumbled something incoherently.

I substituted myself with the dead bandit of Ariha and sat down next to her. Her body was trembling and she hasn't yet looked up from her hands.

I pulled her into a one-armed hug. She froze briefly, but then threw her arms around me and hugged me back. She started to sob quietly. I didn't know what I could say to make it easier for her.

I wasn't feeling any remorse, guilt, disgust or any other emotions over the death of the bandits. Gamer's Mind and I think part of my old mindset was preventing me from doing so. These twelve men knew what they were doing and sealed their fate when they attempted to ambush us. The fact that I gained a level didn't make it easier for me to think of them as humans.

I could only sit there and slowly pat Ariha's back while she was sobbing into my chest. "I killed him, a human being. He is dead, he... I saw how his eyes lost sight, how his life left him. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I had trouble hearing her whispered apologizes.

"Shh, it's okay Ariha-chan," her grip tightened, "yes you killed him," another sob escaped her, "but it was the right thing to do. You had no choice, either you would have killed him or he would have killed you. And then he would have killed Sakumo and tried to kill me and Kagami-sensei," I continued, not bothered by the increasing wetness of my shirt.

Thinking that this lowly bandit could even lay a hand on either of us with Kagami-sensei watching over almost made me laugh, but that would be a very bad idea now. Ariha needs to think that she had no other choice. She isn't thinking logically now, she won't have time to point out the impossibility of what I just have said.

"We are Ninja Ariha-chan, sometimes we have to kill. What's important is not that we kill, but that we don't forget why we kill." I stopped for a moment for her to process that. She looked up at me, her eyes were red from her tears, but also from a newly awakened Sharingan with a single tomoe.

Don't Uchiha need a near-death situation to awaken their Dojutsu? How was this close to her death? Or did it awake because she was thinking she could die?

"These bandits were killing travellers, civilians, children. They killed them because they wanted to steal the few valuables these people had. Their reason for the killing was for their own gain, to enrich themselves at the costs of others.

The reason for us Ninja to kill is manifold. We kill because we are ordered, those kills are the hardest, as we don't have a personal reason to do so.

We also kill in self-defence, like you did today. You had to kill or would have been killed yourself.

And then we kill to protect, to protect our team from enemy Ninja, from hostile villages or any other danger we come across. But we don't only protect our team, we protect the people of Konoha, the family we have there. The old lady that sells fresh baked goods, the children that play in the park and the happy couple that is expecting their first baby.

They might die, would we not kill those that seek their harm. The missions we receive are strengthening Konoha, they help us protecting these people we want to be saved.

We, us Ninja, are never allowed to forget why we kill. If we do so we will be nothing but rabid dogs. Each of us needs their own reason for killing. As long as you have one, and can accept that reason for yourself, everything is good."

She stared at me for a long moment, her Sharingan was spinning slowly. It was burning this very moment into her mind, for her to never forget. "What...what is your reason?" asked Ariha quietly.

I knew my next words were corny, but it was kinda true. "I kill because I want to protect the precious people I love. I want to protect my grandmother Mito, my mother, my sister Tsunade, Sakumo and you, Ariha-chan. I want to protect all of you, so that no one can harm my family. For that reason, I kill before they can retaliate."

She buried her face back into my shirt and became silent, thinking over what I have said and what this means for her. I couldn't keep a small smile down when I saw her slightly red tinted ears. She must have heard the last part especially well.

We've must have stayed like this for some minutes, she wasn't letting go of me and I wouldn't without a good reason. Alas, Kagami-sensei had other intentions. He had spoken to Sakumo and was now on his way over to us. He looked at us two, grinned at me, but then schooled his expression, before kneeling down and softly patting Ariha's shoulder to get her attention.

Ariha looked at Kagami-sensei and released me from her hug, in exchange for him. It allowed me to stand up and inspect my shirt. Ariha has smeared some blood and soaked it with her tears, I have to change it later.

With a nod I left the two and walked over to Sakumo, he still looked a little pale but wasn't shaking anymore. "You alright?" I asked once I was close enough for the others to not listen in. Well for Ariha that is. I had no delusions that Kagami-sensei could still hear us, nor that he hasn't listened to my monologue to Ariha.

He nodded and smiled weakly at me, he obviously wasn't but would be. "Yeah, Kagami-sensei helped. You?"

"Fine," I replied easily. He looked at me for a moment, searching for something, but shrugged before turning around and walking back to the merchant we were escorting. "You coming?" he called over his shoulder.

I quickly caught up to him and we waited for Ariha and Kagami-sensei to come as well. They did so a few minutes later. Ariha was looking a lot better but stayed silent for the rest of the day. Her Sharingan was deactivated.

Kagami-sensei hasn't addressed me about my kills for the rest of the day. I wasn't knowing why my behaviour was the most worrisome. Total lack of any reaction should not be good, I knew that much.

He waited until the other three were inside their tents and asleep. He gave me the first watch, which made it easy for him to speak to me without anyone listening to our talk.

I felt him coming out of the tent and jumping up to the branch I was sitting on. "Kenshiro-kun," he greeted while sitting down next to me.

"Evening Kagami-sensei, you want to talk about today's bandit attack don't you?" I replied and jumped right into the matter. There's no reason to skirt around the problem.

"Yes, but first I want to thank you for what you said to Ariha-chan. She is a dear niece to me and I was worried about her first kill. She is a sweet and friendly girl, the killing could have devastated her without the right words afterwards. I am happy that she has teammates such as you and Sakumo-kun." He replied and even gave me a small bow.

"It's only the natural thing to do. She and Sakumo are my friends," I reasoned. Raising children to kill at the age of six is barbaric, but the way of this world. I had no real problems with the consequences. I am mentally close to thirty and Gamer's Mind prevents me from gaining PTSD. There is no such thing for most other people.

"How do you feel? You've killed most of the bandits. This was your first time killing someone as well, wasn't it?"

I hummed in confirmation. "They were, but what I said to Ariha wasn't a lie. I knew what I would have to do the moment I became an academy student. Tobirama-jii is very descriptive in his stories. Mom never liked it when he told me and Tsunade about his childhood and the warring age."

He said nothing, seemingly accepting that as my answer and finding it well enough. "Did you know that he never spoke well about the Uchiha. And that he was not happy with me having an Uchiha teammate and an Uchiha Sensei on top of that?" I began again. It was an attempt to change the topic away from today's happenings. I think he knew but didn't care.

"Hokage-sama's dislike for us Uchiha is well known," answered Kagami-sensei with some sadness and disappointment in his tone.

"To be honest I was very worried when I got informed who would become my Genin. The Hatake are known for their swordsmanship and skill with infusing Chakra into their fighting style. I knew that Sakumo-kun would make little trouble. Their clan is still deeply rooted in the samurai honour.

No, it was Ariha-chan and you that was worrying me. Ariha's father is..., let's say less than friendly towards the Senju and he would have told Ariha-chan sparsely few good things about your clan. On the other side, you are the clan heir to the Senju, influenced by Lord Second and all the other war veterans.

I was very surprised when you offered your help to Ariha-chan during my test. You are not what I have expected. Sometimes you seem older than what you are, can you tell me why?"

"Who knows, maybe I was born with an old soul?" I joked. Both of us chuckled, he out of good humour, I somewhat nervously.

For some time we stayed silent. I don't know what he was thinking and I wasn't in the mood to restart the conversation. After probably five minutes in total silence, he yawned and jumped down from the tree.

"I'll see you in the morning. Ariha-chan will take over watch from you in two hours," he said over his shoulder before vanishing into his tent.

With nothing to do but to reach out with my Chakra senses, I started to train again. Chakra control training wouldn't help me any longer. I can't rise it any higher. Maybe I should put more time into wind manipulation. That's still not as good as it could be.

I nodded to myself and created fifteen clones, they spread out and began to train wind Chakra manipulation. They were forming a circle around the camp, giving it an extra pseudo protection line.

I myself started to juggle half a dozen Kunai for reflex training and didn't stop for the rest of my watch. Two hours into the night Ariha woke up and got ready to relieve me of my watch.

She came out of her tent and spotted me on my tree, she jumped up and sat down next to me. "Hi, Kenshiro-kun. I'm ready, you can go to sleep."

"I don't mind staying awake for a moment longer," I replied, still not stopping with my juggling. The resistant seal makes it difficult to catch them in the right moment and at the right place. I have suffered numerous cuts before I was able to juggle two without dropping them every second throw.

Ariha was watching me from the side. "Thank you Kenshiro-kun," she said suddenly.

I stopped juggling and caught the falling Kunai before looking at her. She was staring at her hands and blushing. "For speaking with me after our fight. I was frozen in fear when I killed the bandit. I couldn't stop thinking what this means for me, that I have taken a life and that I am a monster. And then I remembered that you still had to fight four at the same time.

Yet my body didn't move, I tried, but it didn't work. I feared that you will get killed because of me. I couldn't see you and only heard screams of pain. Everything was red and then the world slowed down. Kagami-Oji said that is the effect of my Sharingan, but I didn't know at that time.

I don't really remember how I fell down or when my back hit the tree. The first thing I really remember after killing the bandit were your words and hug." She became silent and started to fidget with her fingers.

I really don't know what I should say to that. 'Don't worry' doesn't seem right and playing it down wasn't good as well. It was something big for her. I choose to say nothing. The silence between us became awkward for me and probably for her as well.

Ariha was the first to find the silence no longer bearable. "Why haven't you freaked out?"

I mulled over her question, I could give her the same answer I did to Kagami-sensei. "Tobirama-jii has told me how his first kill was and how he felt. And I think I had no time to think too much as well. I knew that there are two more and that you two are behind me, relying on me to keep the four away until you come to help.

And after the fight, when I had time to think I could rationalize my actions." Again, neither of us continued.

I wasn't in the mood for an awkward silence, so I jumped down and walked to my tent. "Have a nice night," I said in parting and slipped silently into the tent. Sakumo was sleeping on his bedroll and didn't notice my entrance.

The rest of the mission went by without a hitch, no more bandits or any sign of trouble crossed our path. Our way back was equally silent and we handed in our report before parting ways for the day. All in all, it was the perfect C-Rank mission for any new Genin team.