For someone like Naruto, Natsuki truly felt helpless.
He wasn't running a charity, after all. Giving away cards in the past was just to promote them. Now, there was no reason to give out anything for free.
Besides, Natsuki suspected that Naruto's card addiction wasn't completely cured yet. Giving him new cards might only make things worse. So he pretended not to notice Naruto's plight and let the poor guy stew in frustration.
Soon, the school day ended.
Natsuki and Shino went to the ninja tool shop, only to find that his father-in-law said Tenten had already gone out on a mission.
"Ha, just as I thought. Good thing I prepared everything in advance. At least she won't be scrambling around, and it'll make things easier out there."
Just as Natsuki predicted, Guy's team had barely left the village before it started raining.
The mission had a deadline, so they couldn't delay just because of a little rain—but traveling while soaked wasn't a good idea either.
That's when Tenten pulled out four raincoats and handed them out. With their gear on, the impact of the rain was reduced to a minimum. Though the rain still lashed at their faces, as long as their bodies stayed dry, there was no risk of catching cold or falling ill.
By dusk, Guy's team was nearly at their destination.
Tenten then passed out cups of ginger tea along with warm meat buns. Everyone immediately felt their fatigue melt away.
Guy gave a thumbs-up in approval. "Summoning techniques are so convenient. Having Tenten on the team makes missions feel way easier."
Mini Kappa #2—also known as Lee, now proudly donning his green spandex—nodded excitedly. "Totally! With Tenten around, it's like we don't even need to build a fire to get hot drinks! Plus, these meat buns are delicious. This feels more like a vacation than a mission!"
Even Neji gave a rare nod of approval.
Tenten wasn't just strong—she was like a walking treasure trove. Having someone like her on the team was a huge advantage.
Tenten, now setting up four tents, couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Convenient, huh? Don't treat me like some tool. It's the space-time ninjutsu that's convenient, not me. Besides, all these raincoats and tents were prepared by my boyfriend. You lonely single guys can just keep being jealous."
Wait a second, how did this joke turn into a personal attack?
Can't we just have some friendly banter?
The four of them didn't light a fire that night to avoid drawing attention. It was also too dark for a sneak attack, so they all crawled into their tents to rest and wait for dawn.
In the darkness, Guy whispered, "Tenten… I heard Natsuki passed out from pain recently. What happened?"
Tenten hesitated. She didn't want to lie, but she also didn't want to spill the truth. While she trusted Guy-sensei, she wasn't sure about Neji and Lee—especially Neji, who had the cursed seal of the caged bird on him. He didn't even have freedom over his own body, let alone the ability to keep secrets.
Her boyfriend's cheat-like dream realm was better left unsaid.
"What else could it be? He overtrained. I gave him a good scolding when I got back. He promised not to do it again. Guy-sensei, if you get the chance, please lecture him too. He really went too far."
"So that's what happened, huh? Don't worry, Tenten. I'll make sure to talk to him. Training must be grounded and steady—you can't just mess around like that."
Tenten wanted to retort—because in her mind, both Guy and Lee often went way too hard.
Lee's training was practically self-abuse. His body was probably riddled with hidden injuries. It might not show now, but one day, it definitely would. Still, that was Lee's choice—his path toward his dream. It wasn't her place to interfere.
Her own boyfriend was way more reliable.
Sure, he sometimes went a little overboard—but only in that special dream realm, where both his life and body were completely safe.
By comparison, Tenten suddenly felt much more at ease.
—
The next morning, Tenten packed up the tents while handing out breakfast. After eating, the four continued toward their mission site, eventually arriving near a cave.
Neji immediately activated his Byakugan. After scanning for a while, he spoke gravely, "There are twenty bandits inside. No shinobi among them, and their defenses are lax. However, there's a prison inside the cave… filled with corpses. Some of them are women and children."
The air turned cold.
Tenten's tone was chilling. "Guy-sensei… are we killing them?"
Even Lee and Neji instinctively turned toward Tenten. The killing intent in her eyes was undeniable—and they felt the same.
Guy's expression darkened. "I don't like killing. But there are people who deserve to die. If they do, then so be it."
Guy was genuinely kind. Despite being an elite jōnin, he rarely killed. That stemmed from his deep respect for life. But that didn't mean he was a softhearted saint—when faced with evil scum, he wouldn't hesitate to strike them down.
This was also why he wasn't suited for the ANBU.
In the past, during a joint mission with the ANBU, Guy couldn't understand their cold efficiency—executing even harmless witnesses without hesitation. That's just how ANBU operated.
Even Hiruzen had refused to let Guy join ANBU. Even Danzo had no interest—because Guy simply wasn't a good fit.
That said, Guy was not blind to justice. These bandits were a threat to the nearby villagers. They had already taken lives. To let them live would be to betray the innocent dead.
So Guy wouldn't stop his students from killing them.
After all, a ninja needed to see blood eventually—only then could they grow.
"This is your trial. I won't get involved unless I have to. You three can handle this," Guy said, folding his arms and stepping aside.
Tenten, Neji, and Lee weren't surprised. They began discussing tactics, with Neji providing detailed info on the enemy layout and everyone splitting up the tasks.
After finalizing their plan, the three nodded to Guy—then sprang into action.
Tenten unrolled a scroll and summoned a long-barreled rifle fitted with a silencer. She aimed at a bandit guarding the cave entrance.
Pfft!
A suppressed shot rang out. The bandit dropped without a sound. The others inside didn't even notice.
Neji and Lee rushed forward, kicked the corpse aside, and charged into the cave.
Tenten stowed the rifle and pulled out a pair of pistols, quickly taking position near the entrance.
Screams erupted inside the cave.
Lee, even with his gentle personality, showed no mercy—slashing throats with his kunai. Neji, meanwhile, shattered limbs with pinpoint strikes from his Gentle Fist—his attacks were arguably even more brutal than killing.
Some of the bandits tried to flee toward the exit—only to be gunned down by Tenten's special peanut bullets.
The cleanup didn't take long.
Once the bandits were dealt with, the trio began removing the corpses from the prison cells. Guy went to a nearby village and brought back the locals to identify the dead.
It was cruel.
But it had to be done.
As the villagers arrived and wailed over the bodies of their loved ones, the four ninja quietly turned their heads away, unable to bear the sight.
(End of Chapter)
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