Jiraiya froze for a moment at Mochizuki Hui's words, but then, clenching his teeth, he shouted, "Stop looking down on me!"
With a roar, he grabbed his kunai and charged toward Mochizuki Hui.
It was hard to say where he got the confidence from.
Seeing this, Mochizuki Hui's lips curled into a faint smile. As soon as Jiraiya was within range, Mochizuki Hui casually threw a punch, landing it squarely on Jiraiya's stomach before he could react.
The blow knocked Jiraiya to his knees instantly, clutching his stomach in pain, his eyes wide with shock.
"Charging in like that takes guts," Mochizuki Hui said as he looked down at Jiraiya, his tone calm. "But without the strength to back it up, courage like that is just recklessness."
He glanced around, then fixed his gaze on a specific spot nearby, where a slight smile crept onto his face. Mochizuki Hui started walking toward that direction.
That spot contained Jiraiya's group's forehead protectors, hidden among the bushes and rigged with traps.
Jiraiya's team had prepared thoroughly, and their tactical awareness was impressive. They had tried to make the most of their limited resources and opportunities.
Unfortunately, they were still too young and inexperienced. Their traps, while well-intentioned, were clumsy and lacked the sophistication of a seasoned ninja's setup. Any experienced shinobi would have seen right through them.
Mochizuki Hui, with his sharp intellect and keen senses, found these traps to be laughably obvious—like placing a bear trap on a smooth, clean floor and expecting someone to fall for it.
As he walked toward the forehead protectors, the three defeated boys, lying on the ground pretending to groan in pain, couldn't help but watch him anxiously, their eyes glued to his every move.
Finally, Mochizuki Hui reached the spot. Without hesitation, he casually drove his kunai into the ground and bent down to retrieve the forehead protector hidden among the bushes.
"We got him!" Jiraiya exclaimed excitedly.
But his sense of triumph was short-lived. His expression froze as he watched Mochizuki Hui lift the forehead protector without triggering the trap.
"The trap… why didn't it go off?!" Jiraiya gasped in disbelief.
Hearing Jiraiya's outburst, Mochizuki Hui stopped and turned back, looking at the three stunned boys still lying on the ground.
With an amused smile, he said, "If it weren't for the fact that you guys set them, with traps of this level, I'd think they were designed to insult my intelligence."
With that, he turned to leave.
Jiraiya and his teammates were left dumbfounded, their faces turning red with embarrassment as the realization sank in.
"You bastard, it's not over yet!" Jiraiya yelled, his voice filled with frustration. He shakily pushed himself off the ground, grabbing a kunai and forcing himself to his feet despite the pain in his stomach.
But after just a few steps, the sharp pain overwhelmed him, causing him to stumble and fall again.
"Damn it!" Jiraiya cursed, lying on the ground and glaring at Mochizuki Hui's retreating figure. He couldn't accept it—he didn't know why, but he felt an overwhelming sense of unwillingness, of defeat gnawing at him.
Fueled by this feeling, he struggled to his feet once more and charged at Mochizuki Hui again.
Mochizuki Hui watched quietly as Jiraiya approached. Just as Jiraiya reached him, Mochizuki Hui extended his arm, grabbing Jiraiya's wrist. A swift knee to the stomach followed, sending Jiraiya crumpling to the ground once again.
This time, Jiraiya was curled up in agony, sweat dripping from his forehead as his face paled from the pain.
Mochizuki Hui didn't bother attacking again. He simply stood there, looking down at Jiraiya—the boy who would one day become one of the legendary Sannin.
After a few seconds, Mochizuki Hui turned and walked away.
But before he had gone far, Jiraiya's trembling voice called out again.
"You… you bastard… I haven't lost yet!"
Mochizuki Hui paused for a moment but didn't turn around. Instead, he continued walking away, leaving behind a single parting remark:
"If you can hold on to that kind of resolve in the future, I'll acknowledge you."
With that, he left the scene.
Back at the training ground, Oden Yutian and Senju Seimoku were chatting to pass the time.
They still had about an hour to wait, so with nothing else to do, they had started discussing which group would be the first to graduate.
"I think Group Three has the best chance. Their overall strength is solid."
"I'm betting on Group Five. Even though they've got a weak link in Jiraiya, the other two should have no problem taking two forehead protectors."
"Really? I hadn't noticed much about them."
As they talked, Senju Seimoku's thoughts wandered.
Honestly, I don't care who graduates, as long as Mochizuki Hui is eliminated. After all, that was the mission from the young lady, and I have no choice but to follow through.
Just as they continued their conversation, a figure slowly emerged from the forest's exit.
"It's… Mochizuki Hui. Looks like he got eliminated," Oden Yutian observed. Seeing the lone, small figure approaching, he assumed Mochizuki Hui had failed the exam.
"Fifteen minutes… not bad. For someone who was practically prey, lasting this long is impressive," Senju Seimoku added, nodding slightly. Despite himself, he felt a bit of pride. After all, Mochizuki Hui was someone he had watched grow up.
But as Mochizuki Hui got closer, their expressions changed.
They noticed the forehead protectors hanging from his hand.
Clink, clink, clink.
The clear sound of forehead protectors colliding echoed as Mochizuki Hui strolled up to the two men. He raised the forehead protectors for them to see, a wide smile spreading across his face.
"Oops, I accidentally collected all six forehead protectors."