Escorting a Merchant

Days had passed since the Chuunin Exams, and after a period of sadness, unwillingness, and overall pain, Jazz had recovered both physically and mentally. Now, at the orders of his sensei, he walked to their meetup point in the Leaf Village. He wore his typical green outfit, and while he slouched with every step, determination could be seen in Lee's eyes.

"Taiga-sensei, I'm here now!" he said, his voice sounding forcefully deeper, as if Jazz wanted to prove something.

The meetup point was just outside the gates, and Taiga was already present alongside their charge, an ageing woman with a wagon and two large horses, the wagon itself was filled to the brim with all kinds of goods both common and unusual. She didn't seem optimistic to see a kid especially when most shinobi teams included three people, but Taiga had requested that Jazz Lee go with him alone to give the youth more things to do and new ways to improve his self-esteem.

The Senju smiled at his student and beckoned him closer: "Well if it isn't the man of the hour, Lee this is Shizuna-san, and our task is to guard her to the nearest village, it will take some time to be sure, and we will be facing bandits every step of the way but don't worry, you'll be fine."

"Heheh..." Lee scratched the back of his head, his cheeks blushing at his teacher's compliment. However, it quickly dissipated as he gazed at the woman. He blinked. Once. Twice. "My name is Jazz Lee, a pleasure to meet ya! I'm lazy, basically have no life goals, but I will try my hardest to assure you're safe!" he said before bowing.

Taiga shot Jazz a glare before he let out a forced chuckle and went over to smack his student's back repeatedly as to emphasize that all of this was clearly a joke and not at ALL to be taken seriously. "Please pay him no heed, he is an excellent fighter, and I am sure he'll perform to the utmost limit of his capabilities. Us Shinobi from Konohagakure are trained professionals one and all, you and your wagon are in safe hands, Shizuna-san!"

Chuckling herself, the old woman shook her head as she replied: "I have grandchildren myself, I know what youth is like!"

Jazz's posture shot upright as Taiga patted him with decent strength. It stung his back, though instead of complaining, as he usually did, he simply nodded excitedly.

The journey would lead them to a small village by the name of Akagiri that sorely needed the wares and products that the kindly old Shizuna-san brought to them. Underway both she and Taiga explained the situation and how a large gang of bandits that called themselves the Oni Tribe for the strange masks they wore had recently started patrolling the road, even those hidden ones that she had used to avoid bandits in the past.

Consequently, the mission was two-fold, as not only were they expected to ensure her safety but also to lure out and destroy as many of the bandits as at all possible. Every thug that fled or died meant that the citizens of Akagiri could rest easier and that the roads would be all the safer.

Taiga, therefore, did not attempt to hide their tracks with Earth Release Ninjutsu the way he otherwise might and instead left their trail all the more obvious. And when the inevitable happened, and the screams of men in rattling masks were heard, the Jonin did the only sensible thing and nudged Jazz forwards in their direction while exclaiming in mock horror with his hands plastered to his cheeks in a faux scream.

"Oh, no! Bandits! Whatever shall we dooo.. please take my kid but leave my mother and me alone!"

The plan was simple, Taiga would ensure that no harm befell Shizuna and Jazz Lee would have to do all of the fighting himself, though he'd assist if things got hairy of course.

"You're kind of a shitty dad, Sensei." Jazz did not voice his thoughts but rather he looked back with a single eye at Taiga, noticing his terrible acting as he assured the safety of Shizuna before it flickered back to the mass that stood in front of him.

Their steps were audible, and even more so as they approached, allowing Jazz to prepare himself, slightly bending his knees and placing his hands at his sides as they closed the distance.

His feet begged him to move, to dodge away from one of the men, who led the pack with a swinging sword and a loud scream. Alas, he could not, behind him stood what he had to protect more than anything else. Bringing his leg to his front and holding its bent form at his front, he unleashed a kick of wrath by out stretching it and pushing the sole of his foot against the man's torso before his sword could even reach Jazz.

The kick pushed the man against the other bandits, red escaping his lips before he hit a nearby stack of hay. Jazz's browns remained furrowed while he stared down at the now recovering bandits.

"11 left." The genin wasted no time, he blurred from sight, attacking another one of the masked men. This time, a quick jab in between his eyes that struck like a stinging bee. It was enough to put the man down, but his groan of pain alerted to other of his comrades who attacked Jazz from both sides.

Their arms swung towards Jazz, their kunai whistling a humming tune, which caused him to bend his back and narrowly avoid his assaulters. Placing his hand on the earth as he fell back, Jazz then pivoted around it, kicking both of the men to the floor in a single movement, before firmly planting them into the ground with two well-placed strikes of his heels.

"8 left."

Once more, his figure disappeared, and only the groans of two more men could be heard, each one receiving a crushing blow to their side that pushed them towards the earth. He skidded along the earth after an exhibition of speed as several shuriken were thrown towards him. He couldn't avoid them at least not fully, and thus as they approached, Jazz tried to narrowly twist his body, and while two of the shuriken grazed his skin, and tore through his clothes, another struck against his shoulder.

"Shit!" A stinging pain plagued his entire body as three more of the bandits approached. Jazz tended his right shoulder, forcing the shuriken to loosen itself from his skin. When one of them attacked, plunging his sword towards Jazz, the young ninja used his palm to change its direction before head butting his opponent with intense force.

The next two's heads were grabbed before they could react, and Jazz Lee brought them together, causing them to, much like their peers fall unconscious.

"Only three left."

The last three were dealt much like their compatriots with a single blow. Jazz dashed towards them, allowing himself to jump as he spun around several times in the air before unleashing the name of his technique.

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

His opponents were swiftly dispatched and sent flying in several directions as Jazz landed on the ground, his eyes droopy and his face somewhat blank. "None left."

Shizuna's jaw would have fallen off her face and hit the ground with a splat if it wasn't attached to her face by bones, muscles and ligaments; the old woman was completely in shock, sure Shizuna had heard mention that even Genin possessed qualities that were easily superhuman but this, this was something so far beyond the scope of what she had expected that it was almost terrifying.

To think that a boy of 15 could do such a thing, they had been armed to the teeth and powerfully built too but Jazz had defeated them all while only sustaining light injuries; there was no doubt in her mind, if any of the other bandits saw this they were sure to leave her and the village alone. If a lone Genin could annihilate a raiding party this quickly then she could scarcely imagine what a more experienced Ninja could do.

Taiga smiled widely at witnessing the spectacle and while he noted that the boy was bleeding he wasn't that worried. There had been a number of other bandits who'd gone for the wagon while Jazz was distracted but the Jōnin wasn't here just for show after all, as much as Jazz, protection of the merchant was his top priority next to ensure the boys' survival but he never had any doubts about Jazz to begin with.

All of the bandits that had attacked from cover were dead, Taiga had killed each of them seemingly at once by spearing them through the chest with his Wood Release: Great Forest Technique, death had been instantaneous and merciful.

The rest of the journey passed by uneventfully as after their initial attack the bandits swiftly relocated elsewhere, as between Jazz and Taiga most of their raiding party had been destroyed and their livelihood ruined. It was not the way of such thugs to remain where they'd be thwarted to they skulked back into the woods to find easier prey.

Aside from the brief bout with bandits, the mission's final portions were a bore as they, or rather Jazz, was tasked to keep Shizuna-san company while she painstakingly took trips to every door to sell her wares.