First Battle

A few days later, Jiraiya brought back a small booklet and tossed it to Chiba and the others.

"This is your opponent for this mission."

The group curiously examined the booklet. On the first page was a photo of an exceptionally tall and thin man with plain, unremarkable features; the only notable characteristics were his cold and sharp eyes.

"I obtained this intel from a nearby underground exchange. It has been preliminarily confirmed that this guy, Jing Jiu, is a rogue Mist Ninja."

"A rogue Mist Ninja?"

Jiraiya nodded. "That's right. The Mist Ninja have already issued a bounty for him. While it is quite rare to see a Mist Ninja here, I suspect he fled to this region to escape their pursuit. After all, the Mist Ninja have just emerged from a major war and likely lack the resources to track him across so many nations."

"In fact, whenever there is a war between nations, the number of rogue ninjas from every village surges. It is an unavoidable reality for any hidden village."

Just then, Yahiko, who was flipping through the file, suddenly froze.

"This guy... he actually dared to..."

In an instant, Yahiko's eyes were filled with fury.

Chiba followed Yahiko's gaze and felt a slight jolt of shock himself.

The file revealed that this man had actually slaughtered three civilian villages.

Seeing this, Jiraiya's expression turned icy. "Generally speaking, even rogue ninjas rarely target commoners. However, such individuals do exist. The composition of the ninja world is complex, much like those ninjas you encountered before who tried to kill you for no reason, taking pleasure in bullying the weak."

It wasn't just Yahiko; Konan and Nagato also displayed intense anger.

Coming from civilian backgrounds themselves, this was the type of person they loathed the most.

Watching their reaction, Jiraiya nodded with satisfaction.

"This guy is the most suitable opponent I could find for you right now. I imagine you will feel no guilt in killing someone like this. His strength should be between a Chunin and an elite Chunin, which you are fully capable of handling. However..."

Jiraiya's tone turned stern again. "That is no reason to underestimate him. In the Ninja World, anyone who manages to survive is not simple, especially someone hailing from the Mist Ninja, known for their cruelty and assassination tactics. You must be cautious and give it your all. This is a real life-and-death battle; one slip-up could cost you your lives."

Hearing the gravity in Jiraiya's voice, the group nodded earnestly. "We understand."

"Good. In fact, as you know, I will be following you from the shadows. I can guarantee your safety and intervene if necessary, but I hope you never have to rely on me. I cannot be by your side forever; you must learn to rely on your own strength."

"Also, unless it is a fatal wound, I will not step in to help."

"Understood." The group nodded again.

Yahiko even gestured confidently with his fingers. "Don't worry, Jiraiya-sensei. We aren't that weak. We are no longer the people we once were."

Chiba, however, remained more rational and was not as optimistic as Yahiko.

Although, theoretically, based on the intel Jiraiya provided, each of them should possess strength approaching this man's level—with Nagato being even stronger—a four-on-one fight should logically be fine.

But considering their lack of practical experience—they were rookies who hadn't even completed a single Genin-level mission—their shortcomings were glaring.

It wasn't impossible for them to be countered and killed, which was why Jiraiya was "insane" enough to make them fight four-on-one.

Fortunately, their safety was guaranteed. This was where the importance of having a great teacher truly shone; most Jonin would likely lack the confidence to save someone's life in the middle of a fierce Chunin-level battle.

Only a Kage-level powerhouse like Jiraiya would dare to make such a promise.

Soon, the group packed their gear and set off with Jiraiya.

On the afternoon of the following day, using some unknown method, Jiraiya easily tracked the man's location and led Chiba and the others to the edge of a dense forest.

Tap, tap.

Jiraiya's footsteps on the wet ground came to a halt.

"Alright, that guy is hiding in this forest. The rest is up to you."

Jiraiya looked up at the rain. "Rainy weather... well, it should be advantageous for both sides, though generally, it probably helps him more. Even so, your combined combat power is far superior."

Yahiko and Chiba exchanged glances, nodded in unison, and charged into the forest.

Swish—tap, tap.

Draped in black hooded raincoats, the group moved at high speed, weaving through the forest.

For a moment, Chiba felt a surge of tension. After all, this was his first real combat experience.

Even though Chiba knew Jiraiya was watching and nothing would go wrong, his heart began to beat faster uncontrollably.

Beside him, even the initially confident Yahiko was clearly nervous, his face set in a tight grimace.

Suddenly, Nagato noticed something.

"Found him. Over there."

In an instant, the group accelerated toward the direction Nagato pointed.

Just as they spotted their target, a tall, thin man hundreds of meters away suddenly stood up.

"What's this... Heh heh, more people here to die..."