Naruto: The Teaching System - 244

Chapter 244: Fanning the Flames, Making Them Panic

Land of Rivers, front line. Inside the Land of Fire command tent.

Kakashi rested his chin on one hand, looking helpless. Aside from Sawada and Asuma, only two jōnin responsible for guarding the border were present. Since they were familiar with the front-line situation, Kakashi had naturally invited them.

But—

Kakashi glanced at Asuma beside him, who was alternating between munching on chestnuts and chain-smoking. That blank, disinterested stare just bored into him.

"Look, Asuma, with Sawada acting like this, won't you at least share your thoughts?"

Hearing this, Asuma froze mid-bite, cigarette dangling from his mouth. Then he spread his hands. "I just got here. I don't know the situation. What can I say?"

He had a point.

Kakashi's expression grew even more weary, and Sawada's mouth twitched beside him. The other two stationed officers exchanged glances. After all, these three were the village's power center. Better to stay out of it.

"Fine. Sawada, what do you think?" Kakashi could only look at Sawada, who was pretending to be invisible.

Hmm?

Sawada, his mouth stuffed with chestnuts, stopped and looked at Kakashi.

"Think about what?"

"About Sunagakure surrounding the Land of Rivers border but not engaging in battle—do you have any thoughts?"

Kakashi sighed helplessly. He'd prepared for Sunagakure to attack directly upon arrival and made extensive preparations. However, after reaching the border, they'd unexpectedly remained motionless.

"I don't think those Sunagakure shinobi are fools. They're clearly just being Iwagakure's pawn. They won't rashly rush in," Sawada said. Sunagakure's actions weren't surprising. Although he didn't yet know their internal situation, even if the Fourth Kazekage truly was unconscious, as long as their lives weren't threatened, the elders now commanding the battlefield wouldn't rush forward first to bear Konoha's initial fury.

Actually, the main reason should be the supplies they'd transported. With no news about them, Sunagakure was in a bind. They could only deploy troops on the front line to suppress the border and wait.

Kakashi naturally understood Sawada's words, but the village's orders were to quickly resolve the Sunagakure front. At least they couldn't drag it out until Iwagakure also entered the war. Even if Konoha wasn't afraid of fighting two great nations, they feared fighting on two fronts. After all, when the stakes were this high, every step had to be taken cautiously.

"Any solutions?" Kakashi asked directly for Sawada's opinion. After all, he was the commander-in-chief, and Sawada was the deputy commander.

Sawada tossed the chestnut shells into the campfire before him. "Turn up the heat on them. Make them panic themselves. Send out intelligence units to investigate Sunagakure's current food supply locations. At the same time, dispatch some squads to continuously harass them, buying time for the intelligence units. This will also get under their skin."

Inside the tent, everyone exchanged glances. Though this method was simple, it would be highly effective. After all, food was crucial to any war effort. If Sunagakure's final food supplies were seized, then even if their leadership remained calm, their troops wouldn't.

"Oh, and we need to secure our own logistics properly. Otherwise, if they're not anxious, we'll be the ones suffering first," Sawada reminded them. It was always better to be cautious. Everyone knew that a cornered enemy is the most dangerous—and right now, Sunagakure was in that state.

"Is there any news from Jiraiya-senpai?" Sawada remembered something and asked Kakashi.

"Jiraiya-sama's side is still quiet, and Iwagakure hasn't made any moves," Kakashi said directly. This was intelligence just transmitted.

"I think it's better to pay attention. I'm worried Iwagakure might use Bird Country or the Land of Rain to join forces with Sunagakure," Sawada said calmly.

Hearing this, Kakashi's eyes widened, and he immediately stood up. "Send a message to Jiraiya-sama. Have him watch Iwagakure's situation!"

Better safe than sorry. After all, Iwagakure's borders were now being monitored by Kumogakure and Konoha. As long as there were no unusual movements, there would be no problems. But if Iwagakure borrowed a route to join forces with Sunagakure, their side probably couldn't hold.

A border officer immediately stood and walked out of the tent. After all, this threat was very real.

"Shikaku-san, is there any intelligence about the supplies Sunagakure just transported?" Sawada asked. After all, if Iwagakure really got involved, then there was one thing to watch for: the Akatsuki organization.

Ōnoki frequently hired them to execute difficult missions. Konoha's defensive line could stop an army. However, if two Akatsuki members acted together, infiltration would be relatively simple.

"Not yet. Onizo is surprisingly tight-lipped. Even Inoichi hasn't been able to crack him," Kakashi said, shaking his head.

Sawada looked down thoughtfully. This was understandable. After all, once he talked, he'd be signing his own death warrant. Konoha was in the middle of a war and couldn't allow such a dangerous threat to exist. In peacetime, they'd study his kekkei genkai properly.

"Alright, Asuma, go talk with the Hyūga clan. Send a few more people to join the intelligence unit—split into small groups and start investigating Sunagakure's logistics situation. Then confirm whether there are any Iwagakure shinobi among their forces."

"Okay." Asuma tossed his cigarette butt into the campfire, stood, and walked out. As he passed, he patted Sawada's shoulder.

"Sawada, I know your speed is impressive. Are you confident in harassing Sunagakure's forces?" Kakashi asked seriously. After all, everyone understood Hiruzen's intentions. Sawada's deployment to the battlefield was meant to earn him military achievements. However, he couldn't constantly be at the front lines. In the previous battle with Kumogakure, Sawada had already made a name for himself. The moment he appeared on the battlefield, he'd become a priority target.

"No problem. If I stay any longer, I'll rust," Sawada said, rubbing his wrists and chuckling. Although he couldn't refuse the old man's care, he could still handle tasks within his capabilities. Besides, he wasn't weak.

"Good. Just be careful and make Sunagakure suffer!" Kakashi's expression became serious. Such a mission could turn deadly if you weren't vigilant—there was always the risk of being surrounded. Moreover, this was essentially a diversion to cover the intelligence division's activities, so naturally they had to penetrate deeper into enemy territory.

"Don't worry. I'll select the team members," Sawada waved his hand. This type of mission required quick strikes and tactical retreats, so it was best to choose people with good coordination.

"You have full authority to choose personnel here," Kakashi nodded, then began issuing other orders.