The night passed quickly.
After sleeping in, a refreshed Jie arrived at the mountain behind the Hidden Leaf Village. He waited for his three students to gather.
Hinata was the first to arrive. When she saw Jie waiting there, she hurried to his side with a bright smile.
It wasn't until much later that Sasuke and Naruto finally showed up. They stormed over, eyes bloodshot and faces twisted with rage.
"Big brother, did you forget about us yesterday?" Sasuke demanded.
"Hokage-nii, are you messing with us?" Naruto pulled out a mission scroll, pointing furiously at the tasks listed on it.
"Is this really the kind of mission we're supposed to do after becoming ninjas?"
Hearing their accusations, Jie cursed inwardly. No wonder he felt like he was forgetting something when he returned home from the Hyuga compound yesterday. He had completely left Sasuke and Naruto out in the cold to run chores.
The missions he prepared for them were carefully selected. They were the simplest, most basic D-rank missions meant to hone one's character.
One was a weeding mission, requiring them to clear out overgrown weeds across twenty acres of wheat fields. Another was a sanitation task, cleaning out pigpens and chicken coops for the villagers.
Honestly, out of the hundreds of missions available, only freshly graduated Genin with absolutely zero experience would pick them.
Anyone else would just turn a blind eye. Even if they saw the postings, they wouldn't dare choose them.
However, Jie felt these fundamental tasks were perfect for tempering Sasuke and Naruto's mental states, giving them an early taste of how grueling the real world could be.
Keeping a straight face, Jie replied, "I did this all to train you. Besides, weren't there combat missions in the batch I accepted for you yesterday? Aren't combat missions enough?"
Naruto and Sasuke instantly exploded at his words.
Combat missions? Who in their right mind would consider catching field mice and hunting badgers on a farm to be a combat mission? If it weren't for those stupid assignments, would they have stayed out in the fields so long and lost an entire night of sleep?
Seeing their reactions, Jie knew his excuse was a stretch. He coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness. "Catching field mice tests your reaction speed. Hunting badgers hones your night combat capabilities..."
"But seeing as you've completed them so well, I suppose I won't accept these kinds of missions for you anymore."
He paused, looking at them solemnly. "Rest up for a bit today. Tonight, I'll take you on a real combat mission."
Sasuke and Naruto looked at him dubiously, terrified that he would spring more weeding or rat-catching chores on them. But seeing the earnest expression on his face, they decided to give him one more chance.
After all, they had stayed awake the entire night running around a farm. Now that they had his guarantee, the two boys collapsed onto the soft grass. It wasn't long before the faint sound of snoring echoed through the clearing.
They were only ten years old. Their stamina couldn't compare to adult ninjas. Combined with a sleepless night, they were completely exhausted.
Since the boys were out cold, Jie didn't stay idle. He decided to guide Hinata in her training.
Last night, he had obtained the complete legacy of Hyuga Tennin. He was now the most knowledgeable person in the entire ninja world when it came to the Gentle Fist. Teaching Hinata would be an absolute breeze.
Plus, one night was plenty of time for him to combine the Gentle Fist with all the powers he currently possessed and create a brand-new training method.
Jie led Hinata to an empty clearing nearby. "Watch closely, Hinata. What I'm about to teach you is the most suitable Gentle Fist style for you... one I spent all night developing. Nintaijutsu: Eight Trigrams - Thunder Palm!"
He assumed the starting stance of the Gentle Fist.
Crackle!
Lightning flared across his body as he executed the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms with effortless, lethal grace.
Infused with Lightning Release chakra, this variant's destructive power was leagues beyond the original Hyuga style.
Receiving personal guidance from Jie, Hinata didn't dare slack off for even a second. Her large, pearly eyes remained glued to his every movement, as she began to mimic his strikes.
Time slipped away quietly during their training, and soon it was late afternoon. Once Hinata finished her routine, Jie told her to rest for a moment while he went to wake the sleeping boys.
Looking at the bleary-eyed duo, Jie smiled. "Didn't you want to carry out an extraordinary mission? It's time."
Hearing the word 'mission', Naruto and Sasuke instantly perked up. They pricked their ears and looked at him with immense anticipation. Once Hinata walked over and the three kids were gathered, Jie began to brief them on the details.
"Some civilians on the outskirts of Konoha issued a commission. They reported a pack of black bears roaming around their village. The bears harass the livestock every night, so they hired ninjas to eliminate the threat."
"You wanted a combat mission, right? You'll be the ones taking care of these bears."
Jie pulled out a mission scroll from his ninja pouch and handed it over.
Hearing that their so-called special mission was just dealing with a few animals, a flash of disappointment crossed Naruto and Sasuke's faces.
This wasn't what they wanted. It felt like playing house. They longed for the thrilling, blood-pumping battles of true ninja combat.
Still, fighting black bears was infinitely better than catching field mice. Without further complaint, they accepted the scroll, relatively satisfied.
Because the clients lived outside the Hidden Leaf Village, it was quite a distance away. Accounting for the kids' travel speed, Jie didn't delay. He immediately led them out of the gates and headed straight for their destination.
After two hours of travel, the sky gradually darkened. Jie and the Genin trio finally arrived at the village that had issued the commission.
After speaking with the locals and figuring out when the black bears usually appeared, Jie turned back to the kids.
"Although the mission only requires us to drive the bears away and stop them from harassing the village, this is your first combat mission. Therefore, I demand that you kill all of them," Jie said calmly.
"If you want to become qualified ninjas, slaughter and bloodshed are inevitable. Even if it's just beasts instead of humans this time, consider it a test of your will."
Hearing his words, the three Genin nodded solemnly.
"With your current strength, these bears are nothing to you. Because of that, I won't interfere in the upcoming fight unless your lives are in genuine danger," Jie continued, injecting a deliberate sense of pressure into the straightforward task.
"But know this... if I am forced to step in, it proves you don't possess the necessary strength to be true ninjas. I'm sure you understand the consequences of that."
The three kids instantly straightened their postures, their mindsets shifting as they nodded heavily.
"If that's understood, then let the mission begin!"
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