Dozens of bandits launched their attack, and the four leading them were clearly rogue ninja.
"Watch me!"
Jiraiya was the first to leap forward, his hands flying through hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A low earthen wall suddenly rose from the ground, temporarily stalling the bandits' advance.
He then charged straight into their ranks, using taijutsu to knock down three ordinary bandits.
"Take a nap, old men!"
He swung his fist with a grin, knocking them unconscious in a single blow.
Renya frowned instinctively at the sight.
At that moment, a rogue ninja hurled a kunai toward him — Jiraiya didn't even notice the danger.
"Idiot!"
Tsunade flashed in front of him, pulling him aside just in time to dodge the kunai.
"Thanks, Tsunade," Jiraiya said gratefully.
If Tsunade hadn't reacted so quickly, he'd have been badly injured — if not dead.
"Save it for after the fight!"
Tsunade rushed forward, closing in on the rogue ninja who had thrown the kunai. With terrifying strength, she sent him flying dozens of meters with a single punch.
The surrounding bandits were all knocked away by the shockwave of her strike.
"Has that girl already mastered superhuman strength at such a young age?" Renya muttered under his breath.
His gaze shifted to Orochimaru.
Kunai whistled through the air, piercing the eye of another rogue ninja with deadly precision. Orochimaru moved across the battlefield like a serpent, each strike targeting a vital point.
Unlike Jiraiya and Tsunade, who showed restraint, every move Orochimaru made was meant to kill.
"Pathetic... so weak," Orochimaru murmured coldly as his serpentine hand twisted, crushing a bandit's throat.
By the time he turned around, three more kunai were already buried deep in another enemy's heart.
Blood splattered across his pale face, and yet, he wore a look of satisfaction.
Renya: "..."
At such a young age, Orochimaru already possessed such a thirst for blood. He was truly born to be a shinobi.
But at this rate, wouldn't he eventually develop some serious psychological problems?
Ninja was a high-risk profession — most would develop some kind of mental scar over time, especially the younger ones…
"Sir, aren't you going to help them?" the caravan leader asked nervously.
This shinobi-sama sure had guts — letting three children fight up front while he just stood watching in the back…
"No need. They can handle it," Renya replied calmly.
Among these bandits, a few were indeed ninja, but only at the genin level. They weren't remotely a match for the three of them.
As long as they didn't do anything reckless, there was no risk of failure.
And besides — he was watching.
As time passed, only the bandit leader and another rogue ninja were still standing.
Everyone else lay either dead or severely injured, completely losing the ability to fight.
"Damn it!"
The bandit leader's eyes turned bloodshot — fear creeping in alongside the thought of retreat.
He never imagined that after surviving in this region for years, he'd fall at the hands of a group of brats.
"I'll count to three! We'll rush them together and take them down!"
"Got it, boss!"
"One, two, three — charge!" the bandit leader roared.
The rogue ninja didn't hesitate and dashed toward the three of them.
But soon, he realized something was wrong — why was he the only one charging?
When he turned his head, he saw the bandit leader already sprinting into the distance, having even thrown away his sword just to run faster.
"That bastard!"
Rage and disbelief filled the rogue ninja's heart — he'd been betrayed by his own leader.
...
Moments later, he was surrounded by the trio and swiftly slain.
"Renya-sensei, we let one escape," Jiraiya said with a guilty look.
"It's fine. He won't get far," Renya said softly. "Finish off anyone still breathing."
With that, his figure flickered and disappeared.
Jiraiya and Tsunade hesitated, their eyes showing reluctance — clearly, they still weren't ready to kill.
For shinobi, killing was inevitable. Sooner or later, they would have to face it.
"Finish them," Orochimaru said quietly. "Showing mercy to enemies is the same as showing cruelty to yourself."
Hearing that, the two tightened their grip on their kunai and approached the fallen bandits.
Orochimaru watched their actions in silence, eyes glinting with anticipation.
Weeds that aren't pulled up by the roots will grow again in spring.
Renya certainly wouldn't let any enemies escape — not even a rogue ninja.
The fleeing bandit leader suddenly noticed a figure appear in front of him. Before he could even react, his consciousness faded.
A flash of cold light — and his head flew high into the air.
"Is it all cleaned up?"
When Renya returned, he saw Jiraiya and Tsunade sitting pale-faced on the ground, blood splattered across their clothes.
The bandits on the ground were completely silent now.
"Everything's taken care of, Renya-sensei," Orochimaru said quietly.
Of the three, he was the only one whose expression remained unchanged. Truly, Orochimaru was born to be a ninja — brilliant in both combat and science.
And his charisma… enough to make others follow him willingly.
A true talent indeed.
"Good. Well done," Renya praised without reservation.
Jiraiya forced himself to stand despite the discomfort — he couldn't let Orochimaru leave him behind!
Seeing Jiraiya rise, Tsunade felt embarrassed to stay seated and stood up as well.
"If you've rested enough, let's move on. We still have a long road ahead," Renya said, signaling the caravan to continue their journey.
After what had just happened, the three of them were noticeably quieter along the way.
Jiraiya and Tsunade still hadn't recovered from the emotional shock of their first kills — perfectly normal. They'd adjust soon enough.
For most, the first kill was never easy.
After all, they were just kids fresh out of the Academy — and during peacetime, it was natural that they'd need time to steel themselves mentally.
Still, this was better than during Naruto's era — back then, Academy graduates rarely had the chance to face life-or-death combat. They were practically raised in a greenhouse.
...
That night, the caravan stopped to rest.
The group sat around the campfire, reviewing their performance from the battle.
"Your fighting today was full of holes..."
Renya looked at Jiraiya and Tsunade.
"You hesitated to strike when facing enemies. That moment of hesitation could have gotten you killed!"
If their opponents had been properly trained shinobi instead of unskilled rogues and bandits, the two of them would have been dead by now.
"A ninja's life isn't a hero's game," Renya said coldly. "Mercy toward your enemies is cruelty toward yourself. Remember — compassion will only get you killed… and endanger the ones you want to protect!"
"Ensuring all threats are completely eliminated is the most basic rule of survival!"
Jiraiya and Tsunade bowed their heads in silence, realizing the flaw in their thinking.
They truly hadn't considered it that deeply.
"Learn from Orochimaru," Renya said, glancing at him. "He performed admirably in battle."
"Understood, Renya-sensei / Renya-san."