Hokage: Immortal, I Open Unlimited Eight Gates

As the saying goes, "Capture the thief first, capture the king." Chiba ignored the minor bandits who were fortunate enough not to be poisoned.

He charged directly into the largest house in the village.

Inside, he saw a bald man dressed more extravagantly than the other bandits. The man glared at Chiba, gripping a katana tightly in his hand.

Chiba examined the man carefully. Bald head, muscular build, and a long scar running more than ten centimeters across his face—he fit the image of a stereotypical bandit leader perfectly.

Although Chiba was certain this man was the leader, he decided to confirm it first. If it turned out he wasn't, perhaps this man could reveal the real boss's location.

Just as he was about to ask, the bald man beat him to it.

"Who the hell are you, and who sent you here?" the man barked angrily.

Chiba was momentarily confused. Couldn't the man tell he was a ninja? Then he realized he still didn't have a forehead protector, as he was just a student who hadn't graduated yet.

Shrugging off the thought, Chiba responded calmly, "I'm a ninja sent here on your daimyo's orders to destroy you. By the way, are you the leader of this group of bandits?"

The bald man's face twisted in rage. "You bastard ninja! Die!" he roared.

Without warning, the man raised his katana and swung it toward Chiba's head.

To Chiba, the movement was painfully slow. With a slight shift of his feet, he sidestepped the attack effortlessly.

"Hey, Baldy, I'm asking you a question. Are you the boss here?" Chiba asked again.

Instead of answering, the man swung his sword again, this time aiming for Chiba's neck.

Seeing the man's stubbornness, Chiba sighed and activated his armament Haki, covering his left hand with an invisible layer of protection.

As the blade came down, Chiba caught it mid-swing with his bare hand.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing against an unyielding surface echoed through the room.

Shock flickered across the bandit leader's face as he realized his sword hadn't even scratched Chiba's hand. He pulled at the weapon desperately, trying to free it, but it didn't budge.

After a couple of futile attempts, the man gave up, releasing his weapon and retreating a few steps.

Chiba's patience had run out. "If you won't answer me, then you don't need to speak ever again," he said coldly.

He tossed the katana into the air, then kicked its handle with all his might.

Boom!

The katana shot forward like a bolt of lightning, piercing the bandit leader's neck. It didn't stop there—it tore through the wall behind him and disappeared into the distance.

The man staggered, clutching his throat as blood poured out. He made a hoarse, gurgling noise, but no words came out.

Chiba watched with icy indifference. "Goodbye," he muttered.

A few seconds later, the man collapsed, lifeless. Without sparing him another glance, Chiba turned and left the house.

Outside, he was greeted by a grisly sight.

The ground was littered with corpses—bandits in various states of disarray. The snow was stained red, and the air reeked of blood.

Some of the surviving bandits, too frightened to fight, were fleeing toward the outskirts of the village.

Ignoring them, Chiba rejoined the battle.

Ten minutes later, the three regrouped.

Nawaki was staring at the carnage around them, his face pale. Unable to hold it in, he turned away and vomited.

Having eaten nothing but soldier pills since last night, all he brought up was bitter stomach acid.

Chiba and Orochimaru stood by silently.

Every ninja faced this stage eventually. It was simply a matter of when.

Once Nawaki recovered, Orochimaru scanned their surroundings. "Chiba, Nawaki, search the houses to make sure no one is left hiding," he ordered.

"Yes, Sensei," Nawaki replied, eager to escape the battlefield. He was already dreading the nightmares this scene would cause.

Chiba nodded and headed off to check the remaining buildings.

After searching several houses, he came across one that stood out.

Unlike the others, which were simple but intact, this house was in ruins. Its walls were riddled with holes, and only the roof seemed somewhat stable.

Activating his observation Haki, Chiba sensed something unusual. There were over a dozen people below the house.

He deduced there must be a basement.

Inside, he quickly found a wooden board hidden under a water tank. Lifting it revealed a secret passage.

Descending cautiously, Chiba kept his Haki active to avoid any ambushes.

At the bottom of the stairs, he saw a dimly lit room filled with iron-barred cells. Inside the cells were women—haggard, frightened, and clutching each other for comfort.

Chiba realized these women must have been kidnapped by the bandits.

Not wanting to make any decisions on his own, he returned to the surface to fetch Orochimaru.

"Sensei, what should we do with the women in the basement?" he asked.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Release them. Tell them to wait here. When we report back to the daimyo, he'll send someone to handle the rest."

Nodding, Chiba returned to the basement and crushed the lock on the cell door.

"You're free. The bandits are dead. Wait here, and someone will come to escort you home," he said.

A woman near the front of the group asked timidly, "Is it true? Are those bandits really dead?"

"Yes," Chiba confirmed.

The woman burst into tears. Her sobs set off a chain reaction, and soon the entire room was filled with the sound of weeping.

Chiba stood silently, waiting for them to calm down.

For now, the mission was complete.