"Really?" Yahiko instantly lit up with excitement upon hearing that.
After all, until now, Jiraiya had only taught them ninjutsu—he had never taken them out on an actual mission before.
"Of course it's true." Aoshi gave a definite nod.
For a ninja, real combat experience was essential to improving strength quickly. In a world like this, strength was the only currency for survival.
"Awesome! You're the best, Aoshi-nii!"
That evening, Aoshi informed Jiraiya about his decision.
After all, the three kids were still Jiraiya's students, so it was only right to let him know before taking them on a mission.
Jiraiya naturally had no objections. He had actually planned to take Nagato and the others out for missions soon anyway—Aoshi had simply gotten ahead of him.
Besides, with Aoshi's strength, there was no need to worry.
"Then I'll leave them in your hands, Aoshi."
The night passed without incident. Soon, it was the next day. The Land of Rain was still, as always, shrouded in constant rainfall.
After breakfast, Aoshi set out with Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato to carry out the mission.
"Aoshi-nii, where are we going to pick up the mission?" Yahiko asked not long after they'd set off.
Since the three kids weren't officially part of Amegakure, they naturally couldn't accept missions from the Hidden Rain Village.
But Aoshi had already thought ahead. "The black market bounty exchange."
The answer left the three kids visibly confused. They had only been ninjas for just over a year and knew nothing about the black markets scattered across the nations of the shinobi world.
Compared to the Five Great Villages, the black market was an underground network that operated in the shadows, unrecognized officially.
But it offered all kinds of bounty missions—targeting not just missing-nin and rogue samurai, but sometimes even well-known shinobi from the Great Villages themselves.
For instance, in the future, even Sarutobi Asuma would be worth a 35 million ryo bounty on the black market.
To put that in perspective, an S-rank mission typically paid around a million ryo.
After Aoshi's explanation, the three began to grasp the basics of how the black market operated.
Soon, they arrived at a nondescript building—this was the black market bounty station located in the Land of Rain.
"You three wait outside. Stay alert."
After giving the order, Aoshi transformed his appearance with a transformation jutsu and stepped inside.
He might have sounded like he knew the place well, but in truth, this was also his first time in such a location—better to play it safe.
Upon entering, he was immediately greeted by the sight and stench of a restroom. The air reeked.
Aoshi was a little speechless. So even in the Land of Fire, black market entrances are disguised as toilets?
After locating the hidden mechanism in the restroom, he stepped into the true bounty exchange area. It was dimly lit and reeked heavily of blood.
Apparently, the person in charge didn't care much for cleanliness. Suppressing his disdain, Aoshi approached the counter and stated his intent.
The man behind the desk said nothing—he simply handed over a thick stack of bounty posters, each one listing a wanted individual.
As Aoshi flipped through them, he recognized several familiar faces. Some were missing-nin from his own village; others were notorious names from other major villages.
But most of them were far too strong—hardly suitable opponents for Konan and the others' first mission.
Eventually, Aoshi landed on a bounty worth 1.2 million ryo.
The target was a man named Nozomi Okubo—a notorious rogue ninja known for committing unspeakable atrocities in various small nations.
He was an irredeemable criminal. And he'd recently been spotted within the borders of the Land of Rain.
But the main reason Aoshi picked him was that his estimated strength was around chūnin level. That is, a chūnin from one of the Five Great Villages, not just a minor one.
For the three kids who had only been learning ninjutsu for a year, he was the perfect first target.
This mission wasn't about defeating a powerful enemy—it was about learning to kill. That was the true first step to becoming a shinobi.
After securing the bounty, Aoshi exited the station and reverted to his original appearance.
"Aoshi-nii, so what's the mission about?" As expected, it was Yahiko who asked again.
Without hiding anything, Aoshi handed over Okubo's bounty flyer to the three. "Our mission is to hunt this man down and kill him."
The moment they heard the word kill, both Konan and Yahiko froze momentarily. Nagato, on the other hand, had already taken a life before.
Aoshi went on to explain the man's past crimes.
"He's committed countless atrocities. Killing him is not just justice—it's a service to the people. You'll be contributing to peace in the ninja world."
"I understand, Aoshi-nii. This man definitely deserves to die!" Konan was the first to steel her heart. She didn't want to disappoint Aoshi.
Seeing that even Konan, a girl, had already made up her mind, Yahiko quickly followed suit.
---
Somewhere in a remote village in the Land of Rain...
Fewer than a hundred people lived there, and the place was impoverished. Today, however, an unwelcome guest had arrived.
Nozomi Okubo—the target Aoshi had selected for the kids' first mission. His goal was simple: rob them of their money and food.
He chose this place precisely because there were no ninja here. No matter how many commoners there were, they were meaningless to him.
He planned to slaughter them all. And if there were any pretty women, he didn't mind having some fun before killing them.
That's how he had stayed on the run for so long—because no one had ever escaped alive to tell the tale.
But as the saying goes: "What's done in darkness will eventually come to light."
During one of his previous massacres, he had clashed with a group of shinobi. He tried to kill them all to keep his crimes secret, but one escaped.
Because of that lone survivor, his actions were exposed—and the countless unsolved tragedies across the nations all pointed to him.
Overnight, he became a wanted criminal in several countries. To avoid being hunted down, he fled to the chaotic Land of Rain.
Now, as he mercilessly butchered the villagers, Aoshi and the three kids tracked his trail and rushed to the location.
But they were still too late. By the time they arrived, the village was a graveyard. Nozomi Okubo, satisfied with his loot, was just about to leave.
"Who are you people?" Their sudden appearance startled him, and he immediately went on guard.
But none of them responded. The kids' eyes widened at the horrific scene—the ground littered with corpses.
Fueled by rage and hatred, the three could no longer restrain themselves. Without saying a word, they charged at Nozomi Okubo.
They didn't hold back. All they wanted was to kill him—fast—and avenge the people of the village.
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P@treon/Lord IM(30+ Advanced Chapters)