In a dense mountain forest near a border town in the Land of Rain.
Chiya brought Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan to a place where wild boar were known to roam.
His crimson Sharingan swept the surroundings, then he turned to the three of them and spoke.
"There are plenty of wild boar here. This is a good chance to train your teamwork. Remember, wild boar may look clumsy, but their strength and speed are not to be underestimated. Their tusks are extremely sharp as well. If one catches you with a full charge, the consequences will be severe. So you must be careful. Do not let your guard down."
The expressions on Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan's faces immediately became serious.
Chiya had come to see them.
They were happy about it. Each of them glanced at the others.
In their hearts, they all wanted to show Chiya what they were capable of.
Yahiko took a deep breath and spoke first.
"Chiya-nii, do not worry. We will cooperate well and catch the boar!"
Chiya smiled slightly and gave a nod.
"Good. Then use the teamwork principles you have learned before and get started. Remember, safety comes first. Do not push beyond your limits."
The three of them set their expressions with resolve and answered together.
"Yes!"
Konan moved first. She pulled a paper crane from inside her coat and slowly channeled chakra into it.
The paper crane instantly came to life, spread its wings, and flew off into the distance.
Chiya stood to the side, a trace of surprise in his gaze.
The paper crane would make sounds to draw the boar's attention, and at the same time give the three of them enough time to observe the boar's movements and gather information.
'Not a bad approach.'
Nagato stood to the side, formed seals quickly, and spoke in a low voice.
A faint gust of wind blew out from his mouth in the direction of the paper crane.
This wind not only increased the crane's flying speed, but also used Wind Style to assist Konan's crane in creating more noise, making it easier to draw the boar over, while also splitting the boar's attention and creating an opening for Yahiko.
Chiya's gaze fell on Yahiko.
Yahiko held several shuriken tightly in his hand, his focus sharp.
It looked like he intended to attack using taijutsu and shuriken.
Chiya watched the three of them in action.
A sense of quiet comfort rose inside him.
'In the time they have had, these three have clearly been training hard. The progress is noticeable.'
Before long, the roaring of a wild boar came from the distance, growing louder and closer.
The paper crane came into view, and behind it charged a massive wild boar.
Konan's paper crane had successfully drawn the boar's attention and guided it over.
As the boar came charging in, Nagato began forming seals.
A powerful burst of wind blew forward. The boar's eyes were forced shut by the wind.
Its movement paused for a moment, clearly impeded.
Yahiko found the right timing and quickly threw his shuriken.
They struck the boar's legs with precision.
With its legs injured, the boar did not stop.
Instead it grew more violent, letting out a more ferocious roar.
"Wind Style, Gale Palm!"
"Water Style, Wild Water Wave!"
The two of them quickly stood together and unleashed the jutsu they had been training recently against the boar.
Konan used her Wind Style to hurl the shuriken from her waist at high speed.
With the boost of Wind Style, the power of the shuriken was amplified considerably.
Then the boar's cry of pain rang out.
The massive boar was left completely helpless under the three of them working together.
Just as the three were about to finish the boar off, Yahiko let his guard slip.
Seeing the boar wounded and listless, a look of satisfaction crept onto his face.
"Let us tie it up and drag it back!"
Nagato and Konan saw this and also stopped their attacks.
Yahiko moved quickly toward the boar, intending to bind it.
However, at that very moment, the boar suddenly moved. Its earlier state had been a trick.
Seeing Yahiko approach, the boar violently raised its head, tusks bared, and charged directly at him.
The three of them panicked at once. Konan cried out.
"Yahiko, watch out!"
Nagato also quickly began forming seals, preparing to use a jutsu.
But it was clearly already too late.
Chiya moved swiftly forward. The Body Flicker brought him in front of Yahiko in an instant.
He struck Yahiko on the shoulder with one palm.
He shoved him out of the way, then spoke quietly.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A scorching fireball instantly burst from his mouth and struck the boar dead on.
The boar was hit by the fireball and let out a shriek.
It was swallowed by the flames in an instant and finally collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Chiya turned and looked at Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan. He spoke seriously.
"Remember. Never be careless at any moment. Unexpected things can happen at any time. You must stay alert at all times. Wild boar are very dangerous animals. They will play dead, wait for prey to come close, and then strike a lethal blow. People are the same way. You are young now and have not yet experienced the darkness in this world. Whoever you meet from here on, whatever they say, do not be careless."
The three of them lowered their heads in shame, but they agreed completely with what Chiya had said.
Yahiko spoke.
"Chiya-nii, we were wrong. We will never make this kind of mistake again."
Chiya said nothing more. He just smiled, hoisted the boar onto his shoulder, and set off.
"Let us go back."
They returned to the riverbank not far from the cabin. Chiya brought the three of them along and began butchering the boar.
"Whatever else, the three of you worked together to hunt this boar down. Rest for now. Leave the rest to me."
"Yes, Chiya-nii!"
Chiya skillfully cut the boar meat into pieces, then skewered them on branches and prepared to grill them.
The three sat nearby and watched Chiya's movements, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.
As Chiya worked, the boar meat sizzled over the fire, giving off an irresistible aroma.
Before long, the roasted meat was ready.
Chiya distributed the grilled boar meat to the three of them.
"Have a taste. This is your spoils."
The three took their portions and bit in eagerly.
Immediately, rich savory juices filled their mouths and the aroma spread everywhere.
Their eyes were full of satisfaction.
"It is so good!"
Chiya looked at their satisfied expressions, and a warm smile of contentment spread across his face.
"Chiya-nii, you eat too!"
Konan looked at Chiya, who had no meat for himself, and held her portion out to him.
"Konan is still growing. You eat more."
Chiya tousled her head. Not only did he refuse to take hers, he also handed his own portion of grilled meat over to her.
"Chiya-nii, you are so kind!"
Konan looked at Chiya. Her face still carried the innocence of a child, yet was already clear and lovely.
That smile of hers especially put people in a pleasant mood.
"Remember what happened today. When facing danger, you must stay calm and not panic. At any time, trust your teammates and work together. That is how you overcome difficulties. Your performance today was already quite good. But you must keep working hard and keep improving your strength. Only then will you be able to change Amegakure in the future!"
The three answered in unison, full of energy.
"Yes, Chiya-nii! We will work hard! We will definitely be able to change Amegakure in the future!"
Chiya smiled, stepped out of the cabin, and looked up at the sky.
Stars were scattered lightly across it.
'A clear night in this place is a rare sight indeed, even if it is after dark.'
"It is rare for this place not to be raining. It is actually quite beautiful."
Jiraiya, who was seated on a rock in the distance, suddenly spoke, smiling as he looked toward Chiya.
Chiya turned and looked at Jiraiya.
"Lord Jiraiya, how long do you plan to keep teaching them?"