After saying his piece, Jie vanished from in front of the three kids.
He believed the genin would find their own way to complete the mission. Besides, it was just a few black bears. They might look scary, but to a ninja, they were nothing.
Even a freshly graduated genin who only knew a few basic jutsu could beat a black bear senseless. Knowing what they were capable of, Jie wasn't worried about their safety at all.
'Since I've got some free time, I might as well head to Ryuchi Cave and catch a couple of snakes', he thought.
'A warm bowl of snake soup will hit the spot when they finish their mission. Come to think of it, black bear paws are supposed to be a rare delicacy. Snake soup with a couple of bear paws... that's dinner sorted.'
With that in mind, Jie left.
After Jie was gone, Sasuke took a deep breath and turned to Hinata.
"Hinata, your Byakugan gives us a huge advantage. You handle the scouting," Sasuke said. "Naruto and I will take the front line."
"You're my brother's disciple. If you get hurt, he'll definitely skin both of us alive when he gets back."
Hinata shook her head, rejecting Sasuke's protective gesture.
She had no problem taking on the scouting role. In the ninja world, there was no ability better suited for reconnaissance than the Byakugan.
Staying hidden in the back while the others fought? That she couldn't accept.
Jie had made it crystal clear... if they wanted to become real ninjas, bloodshed and combat were unavoidable. And going from a qualified ninja to an exceptional one took a ton of effort and sacrifice.
Seeing her determination, Sasuke didn't argue. He knew full well that Hinata was actually stronger than him.
He'd only spoken up because, deep down, he felt pitting a ten-year-old girl against a vicious, two-meter-tall bear was just wrong.
The black bears didn't have a fixed schedule for raiding the village, so Sasuke and the others had no choice but to wait. They'd wait for the beasts to show up, kill them all, and complete Jie's orders.
Meanwhile, in Ryuchi Cave, Jie effortlessly secured a perfect ingredient.
Just as he was about to head back to the ninja world to cook his snake soup, a wooden sign slowly sprouted from the rock in front of him.
'The White Snake Sage wants to see me?'
Even though the sign was blank, Jie understood.
Everything inside Ryuchi Cave was soaked in the White Snake Sage's senjutsu chakra, constantly under the influence of her Inorganic Reincarnation technique. Even without leaving her sanctuary, the Sage knew every single movement inside the cave.
Likewise, she could use her abilities anywhere within it without any hindrance.
Since the three Snake Princesses were absent, this sudden summons meant she had something specific to discuss with him.
Figuring the kids wouldn't finish their mission anytime soon, Jie simply carried his newly caught ingredient and headed toward the Sage's lair.
From a distance, he spotted a massive stone throne.
Coiled on top of it was a giant serpent with white scales. This was the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave.
"Did you need something from me, White Snake Sage?" Jie asked as he approached.
"Jie, it's been a while." She smiled warmly.
Jie still wasn't sure how a snake could pull off a human-like smile.
Then again, ordinary snakes couldn't live over a thousand years either. He decided not to overthink it.
As her voice faded, the giant serpent rapidly shrank. In the blink of an eye, an elderly, kind-faced woman stood before him.
"I was just thinking of having Tagorihime summon you, but to my surprise, you were already here," she said.
"So what's going on?" Jie asked, getting straight to the point. His mind was still on his snake soup, the bear paws, and the three kids out on their mission.
"That old toad from Mount Myoboku is acting mysterious again with his prophecies," the Sage replied, her tone turning serious.
"And from what I hear, this one is about you. I want you to keep your guard up around those Mount Myoboku toads. When you have the time, it might be worth taking a trip there to see for yourself."
"That old toad is stirring the pot again?" Jie frowned.
Five years ago, that old geezer had used Jiraiya to deliver one of his so-called prophecies to him. Over the past five years, Jie hadn't cared enough to bother with Mount Myoboku.
He'd completely shoved the matter to the back of his mind. He hadn't expected the old toad to poke his nose in again so soon.
Jie nodded. "I understand, White Snake Sage. I'll take a trip to Mount Myoboku in a few days when I have some free time. I'm curious to see exactly how that old toad is trying to screw me over this time."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. If that old toad had a death wish, Jie was more than willing to oblige him.
The White Snake Sage nodded, satisfied with his reaction. The successor of Ryuchi Cave was supposed to be exactly this decisive and ruthless.
"That's all," she said, a gentle smile returning to her face as she eyed his freshly caught snake. "But when are you going to make us another pot of that snake soup?"
Jie's mouth twitched. The giant serpents of Ryuchi Cave really had terrible luck having an ancestor like her.
But considering how much he benefited from the cave's resources... he couldn't exactly refuse.
He used his fresh catch to cook a massive pot of snake soup just for the Sage. Then he quickly made an excuse, hunted down another snake for his own meal, and prepared to head back to the ninja world.
If he lingered any longer, the three Snake Princesses might catch him cooking snake soup in their territory again, and that would be a real headache.
Carrying his freshly secured ingredient, Jie reappeared at the exact spot he had left from.
But the moment he took in the scene before him, he couldn't help but frown.
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