If Ino were to control a bandit and then use insults like "fat pig" or "fatty" to provoke Choji, it would certainly ignite his 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. What about the next battle? 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 grand principles, let's just talk about something simple. Do you remember what Third Hokage said before we set out?"
In Ino's eyes, the Third Hokage was just a lecherous and indecisive old politician. But in the hearts of the young male and female ninjas, he was the embodiment of kindness, benevolence, and justice—the perfect ninja.
The Third Hokage had been in power for nearly forty years, fought in three Shinobi World Wars, and emerged victorious in all three. The prestige he had accumulated was no joke. Not just Ino, but even the fathers and grandfathers of the Ino-Shika-Cho Formation combined couldn't match the Third's prestige.
Choji had great respect for the Third Hokage and now wore a thoughtful expression.
Ino continued, "Third Hokage said they have 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 was filled with hatred for 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 Naruto convincing himself.
Did she convince 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, being kind-hearted is not wrong. You don't need to apologize to me. Holding firmly to your principles is not a problem. 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 spoke with a righteous expression and concluded, "With great power comes great responsibility!"
It was clear that there was something different in Choji's eyes compared to before.
Ino coughed at the right moment, and Shikamaru, who was covered in blood from killing in the distance, immediately stumbled. To help his good friend shift his mindset, he had really gone all out. He didn't dodge the bandit's naginata, pretending he couldn't avoid it, and let the blade cut a bloody gash on his arm.
"Shikamaru!? You're not allowed to hurt Shikamaru!" Seeing his best friend injured, Choji could no longer hold back. He launched a "Human Bullet Tank" and smashed the bandit who had cut Shikamaru into a bloody pulp.
"With great power comes great responsibility?" Asuma pondered this sentence carefully. The more he thought about it, the more profound it seemed. As someone who had left the village in youthful rebellion, he didn't regret what he had done back then. Who hasn't made mistakes in their youth? 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 the age of six, didn't find any profound meaning in those words. For him, it was simply that the greater his abilities, the more people he killed. He had killed more people than Ino and the others had ever seen. Since childhood, he had been surrounded by darkness, rarely glimpsing the world of light. Ino's attempts to manipulate the children had no effect on him.
Asuma wanted to discuss a few things with him, but Kakashi just responded with vague "uh-huhs" and "ahs."
The bandits tried to resist, but with the enhancement of Chakra, the ninjas' strength and speed far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even Sakura, who had a low inclination for combat, could easily take the lives of the bandits. The six of them advanced like a hot knife through butter, and within an hour, they had completed the mission of clearing out the bandits.
The bandit leader, a tall, curly-haired man named Baki, was knocked down by Shikamaru with a single punch. East Wind, the bandit who had led them into the trap, was dragged out by Choji from the nearly ruined second checkpoint.
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 that they 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 good, and doing it all the time feels even better!" His Multiple Shadow Clone technique finally proved its worth. In an instant, he created hundreds of Shadow Clones, searching every room, leaving no stone unturned—rice jars, cabinets, under beds—until they finally found the Village Chief's granddaughter in a hidden room of the bandit leader's hideout. She was a little girl who looked to be about six or seven years old.
Earlier, everyone had been so caught up in the bloodshed that they had forgotten about this mission. It was Shikamaru who finally remembered.
With the hostage rescued, the rest was simple.
Out of the more than two hundred bandits, roughly over a hundred had been killed—burned to death, drowned, or slain by the six of them. The rest were all injured.
Team 7 and Team 10 had come to train, to get a taste of blood, and to gain some practical combat experience. They weren't here for a massacre, so they decided that was enough.
"Hey," Ino said, sizing up the bandit leader, Baki.
This bandit leader was quite tough, holding his head high and not saying a word. In contrast, East Wind, the bandit beside him, was kowtowing like a pestle, begging, "Please, ninja-sama, spare my worthless life!"
Ino was a simple person. She had no respect for those who groveled desperately, but she quite admired those who stood firm in the face of adversity.
"Hey, aren't you afraid of death? We killed more than half of your men today, and I personally killed forty or fifty of them. I wouldn't mind adding one more."
Baki sneered, "If you're going to kill me, just do it. No need for words."
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
"What good would being afraid do?"
Meanwhile, East Wind kept babbling, "Ninja-sama, please spare my life! I'm afraid of death, spare me, and I'll do anything!"
Ino knocked him out with a punch. All this blabbering, and he didn't even mention what skills he had. What good was just begging for mercy?
She nonchalantly asked Baki, "I heard from this guy that you designed the bandit hideout? Do you know architecture?"
Baki was somewhat curious, giving her a careful look. His lips moved slightly, but in the end, he remained silent.
"Alright, you're a tough guy. Serve your sentence well, and don't die," Ino said as she turned and left.
She left a glimmer of hope for Baki, who seemed quite knowledgeable about architecture, and then went to clean up the battlefield.
At the very least, the Shuriken and Senbon she had thrown earlier had to be retrieved. This time, she wasn't going to let Naruto benefit from them again. Not only did she collect her Ninja Tools, but she also scavenged for other items.
The valuables within the bandit stronghold were considered spoils of war during the ninja mission period and didn't need to be handed over to the village. Shikamaru and Sakura were still adjusting to the aftermath of the killings, their faces pale. Choji was even worse, vomiting uncontrollably. They had no interest in the dilapidated stronghold, but Ino was full of energy, eagerly looting everything.