"Aaaah, why do we have to do such trivial tasks? This is so boring!"
After helping the daimyo's wife catch her lost cat for the tenth time, Obito finally lost it and started shouting in frustration.
The cat in his arms was startled and scratched his face with a sharp claw.
"Because we're newly graduated Genin. We can only take on the lowest-level D-rank missions," Rin replied calmly as she walked over and used her healing jutsu to treat the scratch on Obito's cheek.
"So, Obito, just be patient."
"I want to become Hokage! But if I'm stuck doing tasks like this, how will I ever earn the village's respect?"
Obito wailed dramatically, flopping to the ground.
Kakashi glanced at him and said coldly, "Just wait. I have a feeling these days won't last much longer."
"Really?!" Obito immediately perked up. "That's awesome! I've had enough of this boring routine!"
Rin looked over curiously. She didn't mind the simple missions as long as they were together every day. Still, the thought of more advanced missions excited her too.
At that moment, their teacher Minato returned, having been absent earlier.
"You guessed it right," Minato said with a smile. "Considering your overall strength, I went ahead and picked up a C-rank mission for you."
"Yeah!!"
Obito jumped up excitedly, while Rin smiled brightly.
Only Kakashi frowned slightly.
As expected... the war is approaching. Are the peaceful days coming to an end already?
Minato noticed their varied reactions and smiled meaningfully.
"Gather at the village gate tomorrow morning. This mission will take about two days. Bring your own rations. Dismissed!"
"Yes!" the three answered in unison.
---
The Next Day — On the Road
Four figures moved at high speed across the wilderness, crouched forward with arms extended behind them like wings — the classic ninja sprint.
Team Minato was on the move.
Suddenly, Minato raised his hand, signaling them to stop.
"We'll rest here for ten minutes. Recover your strength."
"Yes~"
Obito flopped onto the ground, breathing heavily.
Three hours of high-speed travel had taken a toll on him. Still, driven by his pride as an Uchiha, he gritted his teeth and kept pace.
What frustrated him more was how unaffected Kakashi looked, and how Rin only seemed slightly winded.
Minato took note, impressed.
Have they been training under Lady Tsunade too?
Kakashi noticed their glances but said nothing.
Back then, under the excuse that medical ninjas needed to carry wounded soldiers across the battlefield, Lady Tsunade had forced him and Rin to carry 60-kilogram stretchers for cross-country training every day.
Compared to that, traveling light now felt like a vacation.
They continued running until sunset, when Minato once again raised his hand to stop.
"One kilometer ahead is our target," he said seriously. "It's a bandit stronghold. Your mission is to eliminate every last one of them."
"Ah?!"
Rin gasped and covered her mouth.
"S-Sensei Minato, do we really have to kill them? Can't we just capture them and hand them over to the local guards?"
Obito's voice was filled with hesitation.
To teenagers barely eight or nine years old, killing was still an unfamiliar and frightening concept.
"No," Minato said firmly. "According to mission records, this group of bandits has repeatedly attacked nearby villages—looting, burning, killing... they've committed countless atrocities."
"That's why the villages pooled their money to post this bounty. The mission explicitly states: eliminate all targets. Leave no survivors."
Minato's grim tone shattered their last illusions.
Obito's hands clenched into fists. Now that he understood the full extent of the bandits' crimes, his hesitation turned to fury.
"I'll leave the execution to you three," Minato continued. "I'll observe but not interfere."
Kakashi immediately understood.
This mission was a trial—a rite of passage. Just like how special forces rookies in his past life were forced to execute prisoners during training to harden their resolve.
No matter how strong someone was, if they had never taken a life, they could hesitate or break down in real combat.
Killing changes a person.
"Obito, Rin, stay here and rest. I'll scout the enemy's camp," Kakashi said and disappeared into the trees with a leap.
"Will Kakashi be okay?" Rin asked anxiously.
"Don't worry," Obito said, trying to sound confident. "With his strength, these guys are just bugs. They won't lay a finger on him."
Still, the concern in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.
Unnoticed by the two, Minato's shadow clone quietly vanished, and the real Minato disappeared from the area.
---
Half an Hour Later
Kakashi returned.
"I've scouted the whole village. There are around sixty bandits. They have four sentry towers—one at each corner—and more than ten hidden lookouts."
He knelt down and traced a rough layout of the camp in the dirt with a stick.
"They're just ordinary thugs. As long as we stay sharp, they're no threat."
"We'll wait until nightfall to avoid any escapes. A surprise attack will work best."
Obito and Rin nodded. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the last rays of daylight faded into darkness.
They briefly discussed tactics, took a soldier pill each, and waited silently.
---
One Hour Later
Kakashi stood up and looked at the night sky. "Time to move."
The trio advanced stealthily, leaping through the trees like shadows.
"Here we are," Kakashi whispered.
Ahead, the bandit camp glowed with bonfire light. They could hear loud laughter, dice shaking, and cards slapping on wooden tables.
"I'll eliminate the sentries on the towers. You two wait for the signal and then take out the hidden lookouts."
Obito and Rin nodded, and Kakashi vanished into the dark.
He moved swiftly, targeting blind spots. The lazy sentries never even saw him coming.
A cold blade flashed across a throat. The guard, his mouth covered to muffle any cry, struggled briefly before falling still.
Warm blood... So this is what it feels like to kill...
Kakashi exhaled slowly, planted a disguised shadow clone to replace the body, and moved to the next tower.
Within five minutes, all four sentries were eliminated without raising the alarm.
Seeing this, Obito and Rin sprang into action.
Boom!
Suddenly, a flare shot into the sky with a loud crack!
"Enemy attack!!"
The bandits scrambled, grabbing weapons and running out of their huts.
Kakashi regrouped with Obito and Rin.
"What happened?"
"I-I just hit him... but he didn't go down..." Obito mumbled, shaken.
He hesitated. First kill... not fast or clean enough.
"It's fine," Kakashi reassured. "Plan B: direct assault."
They pressed their backs together, forming a triangular formation. All around, angry, armed bandits encircled them.
Their crude weapons and flashy clothes contrasted sharply with the trio's standard-issue gear.
"Hah! I thought it was the guards. Turns out it's just three little brats!" one bald bandit scoffed.
"You've got to be kidding! Were the sentries really killed by kids?"
"Silence!" barked a fierce voice.
A tall, bearded man stepped out. His burly body glowed in the firelight. Holding a massive machete, he exuded a savage aura.
The bandits fell silent at his presence—it was clearly the leader.
He looked the trio over and flashed a strangely friendly smile.
"Judging by your headbands, you must be Konoha ninjas. Tell me, what grudge do we have that made you come here and kill my men?"
"Oh please," Obito snapped. "Do we need a reason to eliminate scum like you?"
"Hmph. So the villagers offered a bounty... Tell me the price, and I'll double it!"
"Boss, they killed our men!" the bald bandit from earlier yelled. "Just say the word—we'll hack them up!"
Slash!
Blood sprayed as the bandit leader cut him down on the spot.
"Forgive him. He was disrespectful to our honored guests," the leader said with a smile. "Now, name your price."
Obito and Rin were stunned by the sudden turn.
But Kakashi saw through him.
He's not afraid of us—he's afraid of Konoha's retaliation.
"It's simple," Kakashi said. "If everyone here dies, we'll leave immediately."
The leader's smile vanished.
There would be no negotiation.
"Kill them all!" he roared.
---
Battle Erupts
"Earth Style: Yellow Spring Swamp!"
Kakashi slammed his hands to the ground. The soil turned to mud, dragging rushing bandits into a deep mire.
"Obito!"
"Right! Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Obito inhaled deeply and exhaled a massive fireball, engulfing dozens of panicked bandits.
"Ahhh!!!"
Screams echoed as burning thugs thrashed around, trying to smother the flames.
"Crossbows! Shoot!"
Hidden bandits drew their crossbows and fired a rain of arrows.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
Rin summoned a thick barrier of water, blocking the deadly volley.
Behind the wall, Kakashi vanished.
"Ahh! Ghost!"
Within seconds, the bandits were dropping like flies. Kakashi moved like a phantom, his blade flashing with deadly precision.
The camp fell eerily silent.
Rin dropped the water wall. All around them lay bodies—scorched, slashed, and lifeless.
Kakashi, drenched in blood, stood alone like a grim god of death.
"Kakashi! Are you hurt?"
Rin rushed to his side, worry etched on her face.
He shook his head. But his right hand, still gripping the sword, trembled slightly.
Suddenly—
"Ughhh!"
Obito turned away and vomited.
Rin, overwhelmed by the stench and the scene, followed soon after.
Kakashi sighed. "You're still too young..."
But before he could finish the thought, he turned and darted behind a tree.
Even after two lifetimes—even knowing they were evil men—this was the first time Kakashi had killed so many humans in one night.
The nausea hit him hard.
He suddenly thought of a certain someone from the original timeline, who had massacred his entire clan.
Was it really about carrying the burden of darkness? Or was it just madness caused by unbearable grief and obsession?
After all... this kind of thing wasn't something a normal human could do.
He looked toward Obito.
I must keep an eye on him. His clan... they're too easily consumed by extremes.
---
Aftermath
Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport them back to the village.
No one spoke on the journey home.
The silence was heavier than any battle.
That night, Kakashi stood under the shower, naked, scrubbing his hands over and over again, trying to wash away the blood, the guilt, the memories.
Only when the scent of blood finally faded did he dry off and collapse into bed.
But sleep never came.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.