Chapter 62: Changing Mindsets

Chapter 62: Changing Mindsets

If Ino were to control a bandit and then use words like "fat pig" or "fatty" to insult them, it would definitely provoke Choji's fighting spirit. However, that would only be limited to fighting spirit and wouldn't turn into killing intent. This surge of energy comes quickly and fades just as fast. For the next battle, would she have to control another enemy to insult him again? This isn't a long-term solution.

She could only resort to the most clichéd argument: "Choji, I won't lecture you with big principles. Let's just talk about something simple. Do you remember what Grandpa Third Hokage said before we left?"

In Ino's eyes, the Third Hokage was just a lecherous and indecisive old politician. But in the hearts of the young genin, he was the embodiment of kindness, benevolence, and justice the perfect shinobi.

The Third Hokage had been in power for nearly forty years, fought in three Great Shinobi Wars, and emerged victorious in all of them. The prestige he had accumulated wasn't fake. Not to mention Ino, even the combined prestige of their fathers and grandfathers from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio couldn't match that of the Third.

Choji had great respect for the Third Hokage and now wore a thoughtful expression.

Ino continued, "Grandpa Third said they've committed countless evils. You're so kind-hearted. Can you just stand by and watch them do evil, watch them bully the villagers? Punishing evil is promoting good!"

It has to be said that the skill of "Talk no Jutsu" is actually quite useful. When Naruto received the news of Jiraiya's death, he truly hated Nagato. He had probably never been so heartbroken in his life. In the end, being able to set aside that hatred had something to do with Jiraiya's teachings and his own ability to convince himself.

Had she convinced Choji? Ino didn't know. But after saying all that, the gloom in her heart caused by killing had dissipated quite a bit.

That's right, punishing evil and promoting good! Thinking about it this way made her feel much better.

"Choji, having a kind heart isn't wrong. You don't need to apologize to me. Holding firmly to your principles is fine, but at the same time, don't let down those who trust you. Don't waste your talents. Protect the good and punish the evil."

Ino said with a righteous expression, summing it up: "With great power comes great responsibility!"

It was clear that there was something different in Choji's eyes now.

Ino coughed lightly at the right moment. In the distance, Shikamaru, who was covered in blood from killing, immediately stumbled. To help his best friend change his mindset, he had really gone all out. He didn't dodge the bandit's naginata, pretending he couldn't avoid it in time, letting the blade cut a bloody gash on his arm.

"Shikamaru!? Don't you dare hurt Shikamaru!" Seeing his best friend injured, Choji couldn't hold back anymore. A "Human Bullet Tank" shot out, smashing the bandit who had cut Shikamaru into a bloody pulp.

"With great power comes great responsibility?" Asuma pondered this phrase carefully. As someone who had left the village in youthful rebellion, the more he thought about it, the more profound it seemed.

He didn't regret what he had done in his youth. Who hadn't made mistakes when they were young and reckless? But looking back now, he realized he had indeed let down many people's expectations and hadn't shouldered the responsibilities that should have been his.

Kakashi, who had been killing since he was six, didn't find the phrase particularly profound. To him, it simply meant that the greater the power, the more people you could kill. He had killed more people than Ino and the others had ever seen. He had been surrounded by darkness since childhood and had rarely seen the bright side of the world. Ino's words, meant to inspire kids, had no effect on him.

When Asuma tried to discuss it with him, Kakashi just responded with vague "uh-huhs" and "ahhs."

The bandits tried to resist, but with chakra enhancing their abilities, the shinobi's strength and speed far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even Sakura, who had a low fighting spirit, could easily take down bandits. The six of them swept through like a storm, and within an hour, they had completed the mission to eliminate the bandits.

The bandit leader, a tall, curly-haired man named Bucky, was knocked down by Shikamaru with a single punch. The bandit named East Wind, who had led them into the trap, was dragged out by Choji from the nearly ruined second gate.

With the two leaders captured, the remaining bandits were powerless to resist and could only kneel and surrender.

When they heard that the group was looking for the village chief's granddaughter and were severely short-handed, Naruto's desire to show off in front of his classmates overwhelmed his urge to kill. It was truly a case of "showing off feels great, and doing it all the time feels even better!"

His Shadow Clone Jutsu finally proved its worth. He instantly created hundreds of clones, searching every room, leaving no rice jar, cupboard, or bed unturned. Eventually, they found the village chief's granddaughter, a little girl who looked to be about six or seven years old, in a hidden room within the bandit leader's quarters.

Earlier, everyone had been so caught up in the killing that they had forgotten about this part of the mission. It was Shikamaru who finally remembered.

With the hostage rescued, the rest was simple.

Out of the two hundred or so bandits, about a hundred had been burned to death, drowned, or killed by the six of them. The rest were all injured.

Team 7 and Team 10 were here to train, to get a taste of blood, and to gain some combat experience. They weren't here to slaughter everyone. They had done enough.

"Hey," Ino said, eyeing the bandit leader, Bucky.

This bandit leader was quite tough, holding his head high and refusing to speak. Beside him, East Wind was kowtowing like a madman, begging, "Please, Lord Shinobi, spare my worthless life!"

Ino was just an ordinary person. She looked down on those who groveled, but she had some admiration for those who stood firm in the face of death.

"Hey, aren't you afraid of death? We've already killed more than half of your men today. I personally killed forty or fifty of them. I don't mind adding one more."

Bucky sneered, "Just kill me if you want. No need for words."

"You're not afraid of death?"

"What's the point of being afraid?"

Beside him, East Wind kept babbling, "Lord Shinobi, spare me! I'm afraid of death! Spare me, and I'll do anything!"

Ino knocked him out with a punch. All this babbling, and he didn't even mention what skills he had. What good was just begging for mercy?

She casually asked Bucky, "I heard from this guy that you designed the stronghold? Do you know about architecture?"

Bucky looked at her curiously, his lips twitching, but he ultimately said nothing.

"Alright, you're a tough guy. Serve your sentence well, and don't die." Ino turned and left.

She left a glimmer of hope for Bucky, who seemed to know a thing or two about architecture, and then went to clean up the battlefield.

At the very least, she had to retrieve the shuriken and senbon she had thrown earlier. She wasn't going to let Naruto profit from them again this time.

She wasn't just collecting weapons; she was picking up other things too.

The valuables in the stronghold were considered spoils of war during the mission and didn't need to be handed over to the village. Shikamaru, Sakura, and the others were still adjusting to the aftermath of killing, their faces pale. Choji was vomiting his guts out. They had no interest in the ruined stronghold, but Ino was full of energy, scavenging everything she could.

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