After receiving Aoshi's firm response, Pakura fell into silence. Lies don't hurt—truth is the sharpest blade.
Just as Aoshi had said, he had no reason to lie. In other words, she had truly lost to a mere Genin from Konoha! In the end, too embarrassed to remain any longer, Pakura quickly took her subordinates and left the area.
"Don't forget your mission," Aoshi reminded Konan and the others as soon as Yakura's group disappeared into the distance.
"Oh no, that guy escaped while we weren't paying attention!"
While Aoshi had been healing Pakura, Okubo had noticed no one was watching him and silently slipped out of his bindings and fled.
As someone who had managed to stay hidden in the shinobi world for so long, he certainly had the skills to pull that off.
But what he didn't know was that Aoshi had noticed his every move. The reason he didn't stop him was to give the three kids a lesson—never let your guard down until the enemy is fully secured.
"I'm sorry, Aoshi-nii… we let the target escape."
"That's why you must never make the same mistake again. This time, Okubo fled because he realized the gap in strength. But next time, what if the enemy chooses to strike instead of flee?"
Hearing that, all three kids' expressions turned grim.
They knew that if what Aoshi described really happened, the consequences would be unimaginable. They could lose a comrade… and regret it for the rest of their lives.
So they quickly promised never to repeat the mistake.
Only then did Aoshi nod with satisfaction. Failing one mission wasn't a big deal, but if they didn't fix their flaws now, they'd suffer far more in the future, and by then, regret would be too late.
"Don't worry. He couldn't have gone far. Split up and pursue him now. Whoever finds him first should hold him and fire the signal flare."
With Aoshi's orders, the three kids immediately went their separate ways.
Aoshi created Shadow Clones to protect each of them, just in case of another surprise attack. Soon, Nagato was the lucky one to catch up with Okubo and immediately launched a signal flare.
The others rushed over at once.
Seeing that Nagato had found him, Okubo's expression darkened. He hadn't forgotten how Nagato had neutralized his Lightning Release earlier in that strange way.
Still, driven by desperation, Okubo didn't give up. He hurled several kunai tied with explosive tags, hoping to slow Nagato down.
Nagato didn't dodge. He quietly activated Shinra Tensei and repelled every single kunai.
Although Okubo tried to dodge, he was still injured by the blasts.
"Damn it! If you're not going to let me go, then I'll take you down with me!" Realizing escape was impossible, Okubo revealed his vicious side and tried to drag Nagato into death with him.
But Nagato wasn't about to give him that chance. Though often the quietest of the trio, he was the strongest among them.
A Chunin-level ninja like Okubo stood no chance. Trying to take Nagato down with him? That was wishful thinking.
As Okubo lunged toward him, Nagato suddenly stopped, jumped back to create distance, and quickly performed hand seals.
A flash of lightning pierced through Okubo's heart before he could react. Just like that, Nagato single-handedly took down the mission target.
The swift and decisive strike earned the approval of Aoshi's Shadow Clone, who had been watching.
After confirming Okubo was truly dead, Nagato turned to the others as they arrived.
"All done. The mission's complete. Time to head to the bounty office and collect the reward."
The trio cheered with excitement.
Having once lived by stealing food to survive, they understood the value of money all too well. Now, about to earn their very first paycheck, their joy was natural.
Aoshi understood completely. He had reacted the same way when he received his first mission payment after graduating as a Genin.
Soon, they returned to the bounty office.
As usual, Aoshi used Transformation Jutsu to go in while the kids stood guard outside.
"This is the reward for the mission—1.2 million ryo. We'll split it evenly: 300,000 ryo each."
To support the trio, Aoshi chose to divide the bounty equally. No one objected. The kids were too stunned by the sheer amount—300,000 ryo each.
They had never seen so much money in their lives.
Finally, Yahiko exclaimed, "Being a ninja sure pays well!"
Konan and Nagato nodded furiously in agreement.
Afterward, Aoshi took the kids away from the bounty office, not directly home, but to a nearby town. They were running low on food at home.
Also, Aoshi hadn't forgotten that he planned to buy sunglasses to hide his Rinnegan. This was the perfect opportunity to pick up both.
"Aoshi-nii, this is a gift from us. To thank you for everything." The gift was a small piece of chakra metal. The three had pooled their money to buy it from a weapons shop.
Chakra metal was a rare and special alloy in the shinobi world—extremely hard and excellent at conducting chakra.
Just adding a small amount to a weapon could dramatically enhance its power. Its only downside was its rarity and cost.
Still, the trio decided this was the best gift, since Aoshi specialized in swordsmanship and could use it to upgrade his standard ninja blade.
"You three are thoughtful. I like this gift a lot." Not wanting to disappoint them, Aoshi happily accepted.
With all supplies purchased, they finally returned home.
"Welcome back. Thanks for handling everything, Aoshi."
"You're too kind, Lord Jiraiya. Konan and the others did really well. They performed excellently."
After briefing Jiraiya on the mission, Aoshi went to Mikoto's room and knocked. "Mikoto, it's me."
Soon, she opened the door with a smile. "Aoshi, you're back from the mission."
"Hey… when did you start wearing sunglasses?"
Striking a pose he thought was super cool, Aoshi asked, "Don't you think I look awesome like this?"
"You do. But you also look like a show-off." Mikoto didn't hold back with her words.
In terms of looks, Aoshi was undoubtedly handsome, so her teasing was just part of their normal banter.
"I've got something for you, too." Aoshi pulled out a beautifully crafted necklace and gently put it around her neck.
As they inevitably leaned close, Mikoto's cheeks flushed. But then she boldly kissed Aoshi on the cheek.