Feng Zheng and his group quickly moved through the forest. Kaneie was in front, and Feng Zheng was in the back.
Occasionally, Feng Zheng would activate his Chakra Field to sense his surroundings.
Feng Zheng sighed, thinking to himself.
“It's really tough without Hodaka. If he were here, I could delegate this task to him and reduce my workload. Plus, his eyes could notice things I miss, and vice versa.”
After a while, Yasooka asked.
“Feng Zheng, you became a Chunin during the last Chunin Exams, didn't you?”
Feng Zheng replied.
“Yes.”
Yasooka asked again.
“Who were your sensei and teammates?”
Yasooka and his teammates hadn't spoken much along the way and felt very bored.
They also felt it would be impolite to only talk among themselves and ignore Feng Zheng. So Yasooka began to converse with Feng Zheng.
Feng Zheng wasn't particularly interested in talking to them, as there wasn't much benefit in doing so.
However, as they continued to chat, Feng Zheng found these people to be quite interesting, so their conversation became more harmonious.
At some point, Feng Zheng asked.
“How often do you take on missions like this?”
Tadao replied.
“It depends on our expenses. Usually, we take on one or two missions each month. Shichirō assigns a Chunin from our team to lead the mission.”
Feng Zheng asked.
“Do you usually do missions together?”
Kaneie nodded and said.
“Yes. For Rank C missions, we operate as a team. However, if someone needs extra money, they'll do some Rank D missions individually.”
Feng Zheng thought to himself.
“Not bad, this is a good way to earn money, at least for daily needs. And in the same team, they should be very familiar with each other and have solid teamwork. It's a pity that they are too weak. If they were at least Chunin, their team might gain some renown.”
They continued towards their objective. As they advanced, Feng Zheng seriously pondered a question.
“Should I also form a team like this? Teammates with good relationships, great teamwork, and complementary skills could greatly reduce the difficulty of missions.”
“But even if I wanted to form such a squad, who should it include? All I can think of are Mieko and Hodaka. Perhaps I could also ask Senju Teru and Uchiha Rai. Though I haven't seen them for over a year.”
“However, Uchiha Mieko and Uchiha Rai will both die very soon. So there's not much point in including them. Moreover, Hodaka and Senju Teru are both very stubborn and don't possess the Fire Release or Genjutsu skills that the Uchiha clan brings.”
Feng Zheng thought about it and finally gave up.
“Forget it. This kind of team suits these guys because they are all equally weak and lack great ambitions. Among the strong, such teams have never formed. The only team with an all S-rank lineup I can think of is the Sannin, but they also disbanded.”
The journey to the report location would take 7 hours. Feng Zheng sighed inwardly.
“If it were me and my previous squad, we'd be there in 3 hours. Unfortunately, these guys are not only slow but also need two breaks! Alas, it's a bit much to ask them to have the same stamina and ability as my previous squad. Probably only Anbu or Jonin squads are more efficient than us.”
Feng Zheng and the Genin were inspecting the area. There were obvious signs of a struggle.
Yasooka observed his surroundings and said.
“There are several wrecked carts here; it seems an attack happened.”
Kaneie grunted unhappily.
“Those arrogant Bandits don't even bother to hide or conceal their actions.”
Feng Zheng was also puzzled.
“This is very strange. Among the dozens of Bandit camps we cleared before, none had Bandits this foolish. It's as if they want others to know they caused trouble. But why would a Bandit group attract unnecessary attention?”
The strange situation immediately raised Feng Zheng's vigilance to the extreme!
Kaneie began to observe the clues around them. He said.
“Based on these clues, they are...”
However, Feng Zheng interrupted him.
“Southwest direction, about 1,100 meters from here. Move quickly and quietly.”
All three were surprised. They hadn't expected Feng Zheng to be a Sensor Ninja too!
They immediately followed his instructions, without any complaints or doubts.
They walked for over a kilometer in the direction Feng Zheng indicated and finally saw the camp.
Kaneie was very surprised. He whispered.
“First, they left all the clues on the road. And they're camping in the open? Although it's in the forest, once someone discovers them, there's absolutely no cover here!”
Yasooka and Tadao were also confused. The place had many small huts made of bamboo and leaves. They stretched for a hundred meters and could probably accommodate sixty Bandits. Other than the forest, there was no natural protection.
However, Feng Zheng's attention was on something else.
“Oh! I understand. There's a Ninja among this Bandit group. And his strength seems to have reached the Chunin level. Is he behind this foolish behavior? Or is he plotting something?”
Feng Zheng looked at his temporary subordinates, thinking to himself.
“It's good to have subordinates. I can let them test the waters. If it's just this guy, I'll kill him. If he does have a plot, then they're good human shields. I'll observe from behind to see what's being planned here.”
“Alas, they seem like good people. It's a pity this world is too dangerous. If anything happens to them, it's because they are too weak!”
Feng Zheng made up his mind. He said.
“You three start the attack. Move stealthily and try to eliminate as many enemies as possible before alarming the entire camp. I'll stay behind and observe, in case there's anything suspicious.”
Tadao, Yasooka, and Kaneie nodded, then took action.
They didn't know that among this group of Bandits, there were people stronger than them. Feng Zheng stayed behind, observing them.
In a small hut in the center of the camp, a tall man sat leisurely in a rather comfortable reclining chair.
Around him were two slender ladies, one massaging his shoulders, the other his legs.
Both women had expressions of terror on their faces. The man, enjoying the treatment, laughed like a pervert.
Some other Bandits in the room also looked at them with lustful eyes.
The man in the chair was Itakai. He was a hot-headed Chunin from Hidden Cloud Village.
Due to his volatile temper, he had killed a civilian and was imprisoned. Fortunately for him, due to “special” circumstances, he was able to get out of prison.
A month ago in the Raikage's office:
An old man walked into the Raikage's office and placed some documents in front of him. He was an elder of Hidden Cloud Village. He said.
“These are some reports we received from the Land of Fire.”
Mabui took the reports and began to read. The Fourth Raikage frowned. He asked.
“Is something wrong with Konoha?”
The old man shook his head and said.
“It concerns their trade. In recent months, their trade has suddenly boomed. If it continues to grow at this rate, they will earn a lot of money. They can then use it to train more Ninja.”
A's frown deepened. He said.
“Konoha controls the richest and most fertile lands in this world. If they start developing rapidly, their strength could once again surpass ours.”
The old man nodded and said.
“Yes. If that's the case, then war must be waged again to prevent Konoha from becoming too powerful. Although Minato Namikaze is dead and Orochimaru has defected, their strength is still quite formidable. Some of their younger Ninja are quickly gaining fame, and we need to ensure Konoha's growth rate at least slows down so we dont have to get into another war.”
A immediately became furious. He said.
“Just a few years ago, we could force them to hand over an Elite Jonin. Now they're a threat again?”
However, the old man calmed him down.
“Don't make such reckless moves again, Lord Fourth. Konoha has promoted many Chunin to Jonin recently, and more importantly, our spies report that Iwagakure is also rapidly regaining strength. That fence-sitter Ōnoki is spending a lot of money to cultivate new Ninja.”
“If Konoha decides to retaliate instead of seeking peace, we might be in trouble.”
A calmed down slightly. He asked.
“Then what do you suggest?”
The old man said.
“According to my information, Konoha's trade suddenly boomed because the Bandits around them were quickly eliminated. So we should increase their Bandit groups.”
He thought for a moment. He looked at Mabui and said.
“Mabui, see if we have any useful prisoners. We'll release them and let them act as rogue Ninja in the Land of Fire, organizing more Bandit groups.”
Mabui nodded and left to check their data.
The old man continued.
“Although Konoha doesn't have the strength to retaliate against us, it's best not to leave any clues.”
A nodded and said.
“Yes, I know. If they retaliate with similar methods again, it will be annoying, but if they do, I'll smash them all!”