Chapter 18: First Battle!

Leaving the village, Genichi Shukashita and his three companions headed northeast, leaping through the dense forest. This was Genichi’s first time leaving the village, though there was nothing particularly remarkable about it; the Land of Fire was filled with such tall, lush forests.

The group did not travel at a rapid pace. They rested for an hour at noon and set up camp in a grove by a river as night fell. At this point, they had not yet left the Land of Fire. The four split into two pairs to take turns keeping watch: Genichi and Sakumo Hatake in one group, and Namiichi Uchiha and En Yamanaka in the other. The night passed without incident.

The following morning, after a meal of fish soup and grilled fish, the four set off again. By three in the afternoon, they had crossed the border of the Land of Fire and arrived in a small nation: the Land of Rice. It was a country Genichi had never heard of, known throughout the ninja world for a specific type of fragrant rice from which it took its name. The Land of Rice had no ninja village of its own, so they relied on Konoha for their missions. A gang of bandits had recently occupied the mountains, frequently descending to plunder the fragrant rice, which had led to this assignment.

By dusk, the four arrived at a village at the foot of the mountains. Upon entering, they noticed the villagers avoiding them. Children who peeked were quickly hushed and pulled back inside by their parents. Before long, the entire village appeared desolate.

"These people," Namiichi Uchiha scoffed, "don't tell me they've mistaken us for bandits?"

Genichi looked around, lost in thought. En Yamanaka asked, "Captain, should we grab a villager and ask?"

Sakumo Hatake understood the dual meaning of that suggestion: it could mean a friendly inquiry, or it could imply the use of secret techniques or genjutsu. According to intelligence provided by the Land of Rice’s daimyo, the bandit gang was hiding in the mountains right here. Sakumo did not answer, instead turning to Genichi. "Genichi, what do you think?"

"The villagers might fear us," Genichi replied, "but they are likely more terrified of those bandits. The Land of Rice probably sent samurai here before hiring us, but they were defeated—perhaps even wiped out. The villagers may have been subjected to reprisals. It is also possible that the bandits have people among them like us."

"People like us?" En asked. "Ninjas wearing ninja headbands?"

Genichi nodded. "And I suspect there is an informant for the bandits inside this village."

Namiichi immediately suggested, "Then let's find them and use genjutsu to extract the information."

It was a direct and viable method, but Sakumo did not agree. He turned to Genichi again. "What is your take, Genichi?"

"Namiichi’s plan is feasible," Genichi said, "but we have just finished a long journey, and our stamina is not at its peak. Furthermore, we are unfamiliar with the local situation and the mountain terrain. Even with genjutsu, we might not extract every detail. Therefore, I suggest we wait for the enemy to come to us. We rest, allow the informant to send word, and wait for them to come and try to kill us."

"What if there is no informant in the village?" En asked.

"Since the Land of Rice has tried to deal with these bandits before, if they are even remotely clever, they would have developed an informant here, even if they didn't plant one themselves," Genichi explained. "Would the villagers refuse? Perhaps. But faced with the blade and threats of bandits, they would have no choice but to comply."

As they spoke, they reached the edge of the village, where a small river flowed by. Sakumo immediately decided, "We'll camp here by the river. If the bandits come, we will deal with them and take one alive for interrogation. If they don't show up tonight, we head into the mountains at dawn."

Since the villagers were so afraid, Sakumo did not intend to press them for information. He would simply head into the mountains to track the bandits himself the next day. The three subordinates followed his orders, and they built a campfire by the river. Genichi and En caught fish, while Namiichi grilled them. After a meal supplemented by military rations, they took turns resting in pairs.

Before long, the stars began to fade under the moonlight.

"They're here!" Genichi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, was shaken awake by En.

Genichi adjusted his eyes to the dim light, but he could neither see nor hear anyone approaching. En whispered, "They just came down the mountain. Eight of them in total."

Genichi nodded. He flashed to the surface of the river and quickly formed hand seals. *Water Clone Technique!* The river water surged, coalescing into a watery replica. The clone then flashed back to the spot where Genichi had been resting against a rock, while Genichi’s true body hid beneath the water. By the campfire, En and Namiichi remained on guard, while Sakumo lay to the side, appearing as though he were unaware that bandits were closing in.

A moment later, light footsteps echoed in the darkness.

"Who's there?" Namiichi shouted deliberately.

Immediately, the sound of projectiles whistling through the air erupted as several shuriken flew directly toward them. Namiichi’s eyes turned red as he drew his blade and deflected them, while the others dodged.

"It’s an Uchiha! Two of you, surround him!" a voice shouted from the darkness.

Two figures lunged at Namiichi, while three others attacked Sakumo, En, and Genichi’s water clone.

"Die, brat!" the person lunging at Genichi roared, looking particularly ferocious in the flickering light of the campfire. He held a long sword, and he wore a ninja headband—though it was not the mark of a rogue ninja. Genichi did not recognize the insignia, but it didn't matter.

Crouching low, Genichi rested his right hand on his hilt. As the enemy’s blade swung down like a flash of lightning, Genichi drew his own sword.

*Clang!*

Sparks flew as the blades collided. After parrying the heavy blow, Genichi followed through with a slash, snapping the enemy's sword in two. The bandit was shocked and leaped backward, but Genichi lunged forward, sheathing and drawing his blade in one fluid motion.

*Splatter!*

Blood sprayed under the moonlight. The bandit’s eyes widened as blood gushed from his chest. The strike had been too fast.

Genichi landed, but immediately sensed danger. A fierce gale was sweeping in from the side—from the direction of the village. The five attackers from the north had been joined by others from the east; the enemies had split their forces.

Genichi tried to leap away, but the Wind Release technique covered too wide an area. The razor-sharp wind slashed at his body, cutting his clothes and flesh.

*Poof!*

Genichi’s body dissolved into a stream of water.

"A water clone!" A middle-aged man standing five or six meters from the riverbank looked shocked.

He then saw a figure standing atop the river, the water around him swirling and rising into a massive pillar. In an instant, the river's flow was cut off.

*Rumble!*

The water surged onto the bank with overwhelming force. The middle-aged man panicked. He did not know Earth Release, so faced with this Water Release technique, he could only leap into the air as the wave reached him to avoid the brunt of the impact.

As he landed on the water's surface, the trailing wave crashed into him. He quickly formed seals and exhaled, releasing a blast of wind that dispersed the wave. However, the water behind him curled back around. Caught off guard, the man was slammed into the water, choking on several mouthfuls as his entire body ached.

As the water settled and the man surfaced, Genichi’s cold blade was already pressed against his throat.