On the other fronts, Kurenai and Asuma also launched their attacks.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"
"Wind Style: Wind Blade Jutsu!"
Very quickly, Renzo and the other two were spotted by bandits patrolling deeper inside the stronghold.
Some of the bandits immediately rushed at Renzo, while others sounded the alarm, shouting for reinforcements.
"Splat! Splat! Splat!"
Renzo swiftly drew the long sword strapped to his back and charged into the fray without hesitation.
Cold steel flashed, and in an instant, every bandit in his path fell lifeless to the ground. Not a single one could withstand even a single strike from him.
"That headband...! Brat, you're a Konoha ninja?! Die!!"
The bandit leader, hearing the commotion, rushed out with a dozen men. The moment he spotted Renzo and the forehead protector he wore, his pupils shrank.
Without a second thought, he unsheathed his blade and used the Body Flicker Technique to close the distance in an instant.
"Oh? A mere Genin? This is getting interesting."
According to the mission intel, this guy was supposed to be just an ordinary person. Yet now, he revealed himself as a shinobi. Clearly, something was off about his identity.
"A spy from Sunagakure or another village, perhaps?" Renzo mused.
No wonder Konoha issued a mission to exterminate these bandits.
It was likely that bandit groups all over the Fire Country would soon be targeted by Konoha shinobi. This was a standard pre-war cleansing tactic.
Two figures clashed in a blur, their blades colliding with a sharp metallic ring.
The bandit leader reappeared four meters behind Renzo, frozen in place. A look of utter disbelief spread across his face as blood gushed from his mouth.
"How... is this possible?" he muttered before darkness consumed him forever.
Blood sprayed from his slit throat as he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Renzo's eyes flickered, glowing with a crimson light. Each iris now bore two black tomoe.
"A demon...! He's a demon!"
"You idiot! That's the Uchiha's Sharingan! Kill him now!!"
Seeing their leader cut down in a single move, the remaining bandits panicked. Some hesitated, fear gripping their hearts, while the braver ones charged forward, swinging their weapons at Renzo.
Renzo let out a cold chuckle and disappeared in a flash, using the Body Flicker Technique to weave through the battlefield at blinding speed.
With every movement, another bandit fell.
One strike, one kill.
Within mere minutes, every single enemy who had rushed at him lay dead.
Not a single drop of blood had touched his clothes.
At that moment, Kurenai and Asuma arrived from their respective sides, regrouping with Renzo.
Both of them looked visibly shaken—their first experience taking a life had left their faces pale.
Renzo wasn't much different. The thick scent of blood in the air made his stomach churn slightly.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on such feelings. He gave them a slight nod. "Good work. But don't relax just yet. Keep searching the area. Make sure no enemies are left alive. We'll regroup here afterward."
With that, Renzo disappeared again, dashing toward the largest building in the hideout.
Kurenai and Asuma were still stunned by Renzo's Sharingan but had no time for questions. Without further delay, they split up and moved out to search their respective areas.
"Oh? He has awakened his Sharingan... and straight to two tomoe? What incredible talent."
On a tall tree outside the bandit stronghold, Yūhi Shinku observed everything. He had been silently watching the entire battle unfold, and he couldn't help but sigh in admiration upon seeing Renzo's Sharingan manifest.
Renzo was only ten years old. He was already among the strongest of his peers, and now, with his Sharingan awakened—at the two-tomoe level no less—his strength was bound to skyrocket in the near future.
Before awakening their Sharingan, they were one thing. After awakening it, they were on a whole different level.
"Even the Third Hokage might take notice of this."
Yūhi Shinku mused to himself.
As Renzo's teacher, he was genuinely pleased with his student's progress, especially in these turbulent times.
With war looming, Renzo's rapid growth wasn't just good for him—it also meant a greater level of security for Kurenai and Asuma, his teammates.
That alone was enough to put Yūhi Shinku's mind at ease.
Moreover, he was well aware of his daughter Kurenai's feelings for Renzo. Although he wasn't entirely thrilled about it, at least Renzo was a far better choice than Asuma.
The bandit hideout had already been largely wiped out, but Renzo and the others meticulously combed through it, eliminating any remaining threats. They also rescued a few innocent civilians and looted the stronghold for valuables before regrouping at the center.
"Ughh... I'm exhausted!"
Asuma collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
"We should be done now, right?"
Kurenai, her face still slightly pale, glanced at Asuma and Renzo as she caught her breath.
Renzo nodded calmly. "We've checked everything. Now we just need to deal with the bodies before we leave."
"What?! We still have to move the corpses? Have some mercy on me!"
Asuma groaned in protest. He had zero energy left—and honestly, he didn't even want to touch those gruesome bodies.
"What, you want Kurenai and me to do it all by herself?"
Renzo smirked, emphasizing the words "all by herself."
Asuma immediately sprang up, extending a hand in defiance. "Kurenai is a delicate girl! How can we let her do something ? You and I will handle it!"
"Delicate? Me? Asuma, are you looking down on me?"
Kurenai frowned, crossing her arms as she stared at him.
Seeing her reaction, Asuma panicked and quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no! That's not what I meant! I just..."
The more he spoke, the more flustered he became. Finally, he sighed in defeat. "Ugh! You know that's not what I meant, Kurenai!"
Kurenai suddenly chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, alright, enough. I was just messing with you. Let's get to work. We're teammates—no one gets special treatment."
"I don't want to fall behind."
She immediately got to work, determined not to lag behind Renzo.
"Heh, so that's what it is."
Asuma scratched his head awkwardly, finding this side of Kurenai kind of cute.
Renzo shook his head and started gathering the bodies.
"Hey, what did you just call me?!"
"Nothing. Get to work. Unless you plan on slacking off?"
The three of them worked quickly, finishing the task in just over ten minutes.