Ninja World: Power through Bonds

"What's the point of discussing?" Denji unsheathed his Kusanagi blade, his tone icy. "The easiest way to maintain stealth is to leave no witnesses. I'll just kill them all."

"Denji, calm down!" Hizashi hurriedly stepped forward, placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "This approach is too extreme."

Though still rattled by the enormous chakra radiating from the young shinobi, Hizashi tried to keep his voice steady. "We're not butchers. We're Konoha ninjas. There are innocent people in that house—people who aren't involved in the smuggling."

Denji's lips curled into a sneer. "Innocent? If they're aiding the enemy, they're not innocent. The Root doesn't concern itself with these distinctions. If someone stands in the way of the mission, they're eliminated."

"That's far too harsh," Hizashi countered, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "Denji, we're not part of the Root. We're a standard ninja team. If we resort to such measures, you may walk away unscathed, but the rest of us—Yugao, Kurenai, and myself—we'll all face the consequences."

"You can't drag your teammates down with you," Hizashi added, his tone now more imploring than authoritative.

For the first time, Hizashi saw a shadow of Danzō's cold resolve reflected in Denji's expression. Until now, the boy had struck him as a precocious but mostly harmless youth—a little spoiled, sure, but fundamentally decent. But this? This was something darker. The Byakugan could see through walls and bodies, but not through hearts.

Yugao and Kurenai shared a glance. Their faces mirrored a sense of disbelief and unease. How had they ended up in this situation? The idea that they might suffer for something Denji did felt deeply unfair. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a far more complicated—and dangerous—teammate than they had anticipated.

Finally, Denji's grip on the hilt of his blade relaxed. He exhaled sharply, his expression softening just enough to show he'd reconsidered. "Fine. What's your plan, Hizashi-sensei?"

Relieved that his words had gotten through, Hizashi nodded, quickly laying out the strategy. "Kurenai, you'll use genjutsu to subdue the ordinary residents. Denji, you'll handle the Chūnin. Yugao, you'll complete the assassination. I'll stay outside as backup and monitor for any unexpected developments."

The plan was well thought-out, playing to each individual's strengths. By stepping back and letting them carry out the bulk of the mission, Hizashi hoped not only to ensure its success but also to give his team valuable experience.

Denji and Yugao had no objections, but Kurenai hesitated. "Teacher Hizashi, most of my genjutsu is single-target. I've learned the Narakumi Technique, but I'm not very proficient at it yet. The people in the basement might not be affected."

"I see." Hizashi frowned. He hadn't considered that.

"I can handle it," Denji said. 

"Denji, you know large-scale genjutsu?" Kurenai asked, surprised.

"I don't," Denji replied, "but my summoning beast does."

He pulled out a small tube of blood, smeared it on his hands, and formed a series of hand signs. Finally, he slapped the ground and called, "Summoning Technique!"

A puff of white smoke revealed a small, pink creature that looked like a piglet, except its nose was long and elephant-like. The little creature bounced into Denji's arms, rubbing against him as if to chastise him for not summoning it sooner.

"Alright, alright," Denji said, lifting it up. "I've been busy with missions. Once we finish here, I'll get you some octopus balls."

"Tapir!" the creature chirped happily.

Kurenai's eyes lit up. "It's adorable!" She stepped closer, clearly wanting to hold it herself. Yugao, though more reserved, couldn't hide her curiosity.

"Is that a dream-eater?" Hizashi asked. His clan's records contained mentions of such creatures.

"Yes," Denji confirmed. "Most dream-eaters focus on wind techniques, but this one specializes in putting people into deep sleep. It's still young, but it's strong enough to handle normal people."

"Tapir!" the creature trumpeted proudly, drawing admiring smiles from both Kurenai and Yugao.

"Let's give it a try," Hizashi said, nodding. "Kurenai, after it works, go in and make sure no one is awake."

"Understood." Kurenai nodded, still slightly embarrassed that she had to rely on a summon, but determined not to let it show.

Denji set the creature down. "Alright, Tapir, go to work." As Hizashi watched from outside, Kurenai and Yugao scaled the wall and entered the grounds.

The tapir let out a low, resonant sound that rippled through the mansion. With his Byakugan, Hizashi could see the guards outside the master bedroom collapse into slumber. Soon, only the Chūnin on the second floor remained awake, his chakra spiking as he sensed something amiss.

Denji, however, was already moving. He burst into the Chūnin's room, the door flying open with a bang. Startled, the Chūnin hurled a barrage of shuriken, but the weapons clattered harmlessly against Denji's blade.

"Hello, I'm Denji. What's your name?"

The Chūnin answered on reflex. "Nakamura…" Then his hands flew into seals, realizing too late that he'd let his guard down.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nakamura, but I'm afraid this will be the last time we see each other." 

The Chūnin completed only four seals before Denji's blade pierced him from behind. His eyes widened as the life drained out of him.

"That was a simple Shadow Clone and Body Flicker combination," Denji explained calmly as Nakamura crumpled to the floor.

[Host and Nakamura establish a life-and-death bond, reward standard Chūnin Chakra unit +1]

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