Naruto: The Teaching System - 243

Chapter 243: Sunagakure Army Arrives at the Land of Rivers Border

After the tsunami, the once-vast sea was in complete chaos. The surface was littered with countless ship debris and the corpses of Sunagakure shinobi and Sea Snake Cartel members.

High in the sky, Sawada scanned the scene below, his sensory abilities pushed to their limits.

"Did you find him, Nyanko?" After a long moment, Sawada asked, shaking his head.

"Not yet. I think he's already dead," Nyanko said, eyes closed in concentration.

"That would be convenient, but I've got a feeling this guy's still alive." Sawada frowned. Adhesive-Steel Release—this kekkei genkai gave him a major advantage on the sea. As long as he abandoned his subordinates and used his kekkei genkai to create a protective shell, he could survive the tsunami.

"I have to say, your intuition is spot-on!" The next moment, annoyance flashed in Nyanko's eyes as he charged toward a specific location.

On the sea surface, a cocoon-shaped object floated with the current. Sawada jumped down from Nyanko's head. His senses confirmed there was indeed someone inside—just unconscious.

Without hesitation, Sawada delivered a powerful punch, shattering the shell. Inside lay Onizo, his face covered in severe burn scars. He'd probably been overwhelmed by the tsunami's force.

Sawada pressed his hand on top of Onizo's head. A black thread formed a seal. "Alright, now his kekkei genkai won't activate."

Sawada grabbed the opening he'd just broken, tossing the entire steel-like cocoon toward Nyanko while he leaped onto Nyanko's forehead. "Let's go. We need to rendezvous with Choza."

As dawn broke over the horizon, Choza sat slumped on the beach, gasping for breath. Watching the wreckage being continuously washed ashore by the waves along with scattered corpses, he couldn't help but shake his head.

"This destructive power is even more exaggerated than Tsunade-sama's."

"Choza-senpai!" Sawada's voice came from above. Choza squinted up as a huge cocoon-shaped object crashed onto the beach near him.

"What's this?" Choza stood up, confused.

"That Adhesive-Steel Release user," Sawada answered, landing steadily.

"Choza-senpai, are there any injured people here?"

"No problem. Just capturing this person is good enough. I've already arranged for medical ninja to treat the wounded." Choza waved his hand. "If my chakra had recovered, I would've come looking for you already."

Sawada nodded, looking at the still-unconscious Onizo. "Do we need to send someone to escort him back?"

"Yes, but we need the sealing corps first," Choza said, crossing his arms and studying the kekkei genkai user.

After several grueling days and nights, the hundreds of ninja traveling along the Land of Rivers route finally rested for a few hours on the coast before the exchange ninja sent by the village arrived.

However, Sawada never expected the captain would be Sarutobi Asuma. Before leaving the village, Asuma had still been stationed at Moon Wheel Valley.

"Choza-san, take them back to the village now," Asuma said, looking at the nearly half-injured force on the beach.

"No problem." Choza nodded, then looked at Sawada. "Take care from now on."

"Don't worry, Choza-senpai." Sawada nodded.

Watching Choza lead the team back to Konoha, Sawada looked at Asuma beside him. "Uncle!"

"Knock it off! Don't always call me that!" Asuma, who'd just lit a cigarette, rolled his eyes and aimed a kick at him.

Sawada lightly leaped back, dodging with a smile.

"Alright, although the Old Man really wants you to return and rest, it seems your actions with Choza-san have really pissed off Sunagakure. Before I left the village, their forces were already approaching the Land of Rivers border. Kakashi's already gone to hold the line."

Asuma paused. "The Old Man's meaning is clear—since Sunagakure is so eager to cause trouble, let's properly drain their resources."

Sawada thought of Onizo being taken back and raised an eyebrow. "I think Sunagakure is probably worried about the transported supplies. This guy's kekkei genkai allows him to dive underwater. The storage location is probably somewhere uninhabited, even if guarded by Sunagakure forces. Without Onizo leading the way, they probably can't get in or out."

Asuma paused. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. He quickly walked to the nearby communications officer and connected directly to the village.

After a while, Asuma returned. "The Old Man said when Choza-san gets back to the village, he'll interrogate this Onizo immediately," Asuma said with a mischievous grin, looking pleased.

But Sawada raised an eyebrow. With Onizo captured, Sunagakure's situation would become even more desperate. As for Choza escorting Onizo back, both tacitly avoided discussing it. If Sunagakure really dared to intercept him, not to mention whether they could break through so many defensive lines, Choza would make those shinobi understand the prestige of the Akimichi Clan.

"Alright, heading to the battlefield now—are you ready?" Asuma looked at Sawada, lit another cigarette, and asked.

"Ready?" Sawada's mouth twitched. "I don't have that kind of overconfidence. Even famous ninja can die in battle. Everything follows Kakashi's arrangements."

Hearing this, Asuma chuckled. "Before coming here, I was actually worried you'd have some reckless ideas. After all, the Third War ended almost ten years ago. You're still so young—I was afraid you'd get carried away on the battlefield. Looks like I overthought it."

Asuma reached out to pat Sawada's shoulder. Although his relationship with his Old Man was just average, he didn't want to see Hiruzen lose such a prized final disciple—someone he was consciously training as the next Hokage candidate.

Sawada had no complaints. After all, Asuma genuinely cared about him.

"Don't worry, uncle. Aren't you smoking a bit too much?" Sawada looked at Asuma lighting yet another cigarette. In just a short while, he'd already smoked three.

"Little guy, stop nagging me," Asuma retorted when Sawada called him that again.

"Tsk, looks like I need to find time to chat with Kurenai," Sawada said with a knowing glance.