Naruto: The Teaching System - 273

Chapter 273: If I Escaped Once, I Can Escape Twice

A low hum rolled out. Waves of energy spread, and within the unseen realm, Jiraiya and Fugaku felt a soothing warmth sink into their bodies and minds.

“This feeling…” Jiraiya held out a hand, watching motes of chakra spiral in the air.

As he exhaled, a dense, flowing, searing-white cloak of chakra swept over Sawada’s body. A demonic sigil seemed to coil across the back of the cloak. Sawada opened his eyes. The glare faded, and his hair, lifted by the current, had turned white.

He raised his hand to the still-stunned Jiraiya and Fugaku. “Jiraiya-senpai. Fugaku-san. I’ll personally sweep the front and confirm every hidden threat. After that, it’s in your hands. I can’t maintain this state for long.”

The two men froze, then nodded, expressions hardening. With their assent, countless chakra motes gathered in Sawada’s palm.

“These particles home in on what’s hidden in the field. The Yang Release inside them forces it to surface into this.” He tilted a glance at the pale, man-shaped growths by his feet.

“No problem. That’s more than enough.” Jiraiya nodded, satisfied. This was the front. Leaving a couple to dissect could wait; no sane commander would prioritize that right now. Eliminating hidden dangers and winning the battle came first.

Hearing this, Sawada’s face eased slightly, though his voice stayed tight as he cursed how disgusting Black Zetsu’s methods were. There were no fewer than a hundred spore points embedded along the main front.

He didn’t hesitate. He flicked his wrist, and the motes in his palm lifted and scattered in all directions.

“So wide?” Jiraiya’s brows shot up. The coverage was absurd.

“Jiraiya-sama, I’ll step out,” Fugaku said, ignoring Jiraiya’s astonishment. This couldn’t wait. He turned and left the command tent. Jiraiya gave Sawada a short nod and followed. As a frontline commander, if he didn’t move fast to organize, chaos would bloom.

—

Kitsuchi sat in the command seat, brow furrowed.

"Lord Tsuchikage has arrived!"

The moment he heard that, Kitsuchi stood and strode toward the tent entrance.

"Hm?"

The instant Kitsuchi stepped outside the main tent, he froze—there was no sign of the old man.

"Lord Tsuchikage is over there," the ninja beside him said, pointing toward a mound of earth in the distance.

"What happened?" Kitsuchi asked, confusion creasing his face.

"Before we left, we received no word from Lord Akatsuchi..." The ninja beside him looked uneasy and trailed off.

"Old man—"

Kitsuchi hesitated, then walked briskly toward the mound. The moment he stepped onto the slope, before he could say a word, the Third Tsuchikage's voice drifted over.

"Kitsuchi, do you think this war is worth it?"

Kitsuchi fell silent. Akatsuchi was practically the old man's most prized student. First, Deidara left the village, and now Akatsuchi might be in danger too. As for whether it was worth it—that question was just the old man's frustration over losing his student. After all, the war had reached this point. Worth it or not, they could only fight to the end.

"What about the Akatsuki?"

Ōnoki knew his son's temperament and changed the subject.

"Their sensory ninja have been very helpful. They've already intercepted several small probing squads from Konoha," Kitsuchi answered truthfully.

"Notify them—the payment won't be small, but I want to see their people show up during the general offensive."

With that, Ōnoki rose into the air and floated back toward the main tent.

Watching his father's retreating figure, Kitsuchi couldn't help but sigh.

"Han, I'll need your help again tomorrow."

Kitsuchi turned to Han, who had just followed him outside. Clad in red armor and wearing a red mask, Han simply glanced at him and nodded.

—

“Oh dear, my clones are all gone—” In a backwater corner of the Land of Rivers, a pitcher plant mouthed the words.

“What happened? Who did it?”

“Oh dear, not entirely sure, but almost everyone was taken out in an instant,” the half-black, half-white face chattered, ignoring the others as it talked to itself.

“Zetsu.” Pain cast a brief look toward Black Zetsu and spoke.

“Oooh, the boss sounds angry,” White Zetsu sing-songed. “By the way, the Third Tsuchikage just reached the front. He wants us to liaise and get moving.”

The pale half put on a show of fear, then relayed the message. Pain withdrew his gaze and fell quiet for a long time. During the fight for the Four-Tails, Kakuzu and Kisame had both gone dark, and their rings were no longer transmitting. They were likely dead.

“Sasori. You go.” After a long silence, Pain spoke.

“Hn.” The puppet master’s carapace creaked as he moved, his voice dry and rasping.

Deidara hesitated, then blurted, “Boss! I’m going too!”

“Fine,” Pain said—and vanished.

As Pain disappeared, Black Zetsu looked over what remained—Deidara and Sasori—then slowly sank into the ground.

“The Akatsuki’s getting smaller and smaller,” Deidara said, flopping down cross-legged and rubbing a cheek. “First, that guy in the Land of Hot Water—we never even met him, and he died before we could recruit him. Orochimaru’s gone. Kakuzu and Kisame, too.”

Sasori cut him a glance. “What? Are you afraid?”

Deidara stamped his foot, scowling. “Sasori-danna! Don’t be gross, yeah! I’m saying whoever took out Kakuzu and Kisame is seriously tough! I’m actually looking forward to it.” A spark of excitement lit his face. Anyone who joined the Akatsuki was monstrous—but someone had beaten both Kakuzu and Kisame. Just thinking about it was fun.

“Enough chatter. We move,” Sasori said, turning toward the cave mouth.

“Hey, wait for me!” Deidara hurried after him. “Sasori-danna, war’s about to break out. How do you feel?”

“Heh. Ants,” Sasori said, footsteps steady. “As for you, try not to get snatched back by the Third Tsuchikage.”

“Tch. I don’t want to see him,” Deidara muttered. Then, after a beat, he added, “Even if I do get nabbed—if I escaped once, I can escape twice.”

“Hey! Sasori-danna, wait up!” he called, seeing Sasori’s shape blur toward the exit.