Naruto: The Teaching System - 228

Chapter 228: A Father's Return

At his father's grave near the Konoha Memorial Stone, the crowd from the funeral ceremony had dispersed, leaving only Neji standing alone. The breeze whispered through the trees, carrying the scent of fresh earth and incense.

Neji stared motionless at the name carved into the headstone, his expression unreadable.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to talk to your father properly?" A gentle voice broke through his thoughts.

Neji turned and saw Sawada walking over slowly, carrying something wrapped in cloth.

"Sensei." Neji bowed respectfully, his voice steady despite the emotion tightening his chest.

"Did you see him?" Sawada asked, looking at the freshly covered grave.

"Yes. The clan head cleared everyone out and let me see him first," Neji replied, his fingers clenching slightly at his sides. It was the first time since his father's death he had seen his face. Despite everything, Neji felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

"That's good." Sawada nodded. Hiashi probably cleared the area because he worried about the condition of the body after so many years. But Kumogakure had proven surprisingly skilled at preservation. At least on the surface, no damage was visible.

"Thank you very much, Sensei." Neji bowed again, deeper this time. He knew what it cost to make Kumogakure return his father's remains—not to mention the battle against the Eight-Tails jinchuriki.

Sawada reached out and placed a hand on Neji's head. The boy was obviously grieving, but he refused to cry.

"If you're sad, then cry. You can say anything you want to your father. Don't worry—no one will hear your voice."

Neji shook his head firmly. "Crying won't solve anything. Besides, I already cried when I read your letter." He straightened his shoulders. "Sensei, please train me even harder from now on!"

Seeing Neji's renewed determination, Sawada couldn't help but sigh. "Don't worry. You've never been lazy."

Among his disciples, even Sasuke—once the most diligent of them all—couldn't match Neji's work ethic anymore.

"Oh, Sensei, my Byakugan has evolved," Neji said suddenly, remembering something important. "Since receiving that letter, something has felt different about my vision."

"Let me see." Sawada raised his hand, and a transparent spherical barrier rippled outward, enclosing them both.

"Byakugan!" Neji formed the hand seal, and the veins around his eyes bulged with chakra.

When Sawada probed Neji's Byakugan with his spiritual sense, unexpected pressure pushed back against his mental energy. For someone with weaker spiritual strength, that pressure would be overwhelming—potentially even paralyzing.

"What exactly can you do now?" Sawada asked, noting how Neji's eyes seemed sharper, more alive than before.

"My insight has improved dramatically. Just now, I could almost penetrate the barrier you cast, Sensei." Neji paused, focusing inward. "I can also channel spiritual pressure through my Byakugan—creating an impact on anything within my field of vision." His jaw tightened. "Though I sense the Caged Bird seal is restricting its full potential."

Sawada nodded thoughtfully. This was a partial awakening—the first stage of his bloodline's true evolution.

As for the Caged Bird seal, Sawada placed a reassuring hand on Neji's head. "Don't worry about the seal for now. I have methods to address it, but we need to choose the right timing—too much commotion would draw unwanted attention."

Neji's eyes widened slightly—not in surprise that Sawada claimed it was possible, but in quiet relief that his teacher would even try. "I understand, Sensei. This is enough for now."

In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen watched Jiraiya lounging carelessly on the sofa, his eye twitching slightly.

"Old Man, don't keep staring at me like that. I've been sitting at that desk for a while now. This is already my limit," Jiraiya said helplessly. He'd been ready to leave the village when Hiruzen stopped him.

Hiruzen settled back in his chair, his expression grave. "Kumogakure will soon send people to sign the alliance agreement. Before that happens, the village needs to ensure its fighting strength—especially with an Eight-Tails jinchuriki here."

"Isn't Sawada here?" Jiraiya scratched his head. After all, Sawada could no longer be measured by ordinary jōnin standards.

"That's precisely why I need you." Hiruzen shook his head. "Sawada has proven himself against Kumogakure—that alliance is secure. But Iwagakure and Ōnoki are unpredictable. If they see this as an opportunity to strike while we're distracted with Kumogakure's delegation, we need our strongest ready to respond. I can't have both of you in one place."

Jiraiya straightened, his casual demeanor evaporating. "You mean Onoki might start a war?"

"Just speculation. After all, I've dealt with him for many years. I'm not unfamiliar with his methods," Hiruzen said quietly. For decades, Iwagakure had been the type to gamble on risky moves, frequently hiring organizations for dangerous tasks they couldn't complete themselves. This pattern was well-known among the great nations.

"How long has peace lasted? Is it about to happen again?" Jiraiya shook his head and collapsed back on the sofa, the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders.

He didn't question his sensei's assessment. This conclusion had undoubtedly been discussed with Shikaku and other advisors. And people who thought the Old Man was losing his edge were fools.

Hiruzen remained silent. Yes, how long had the ninja world been peaceful? And now chaos threatened to rise again. But Konoha couldn't retreat—if they showed weakness, the other nations would swarm immediately.

"Alright, I understand. I won't leave during this time," Jiraiya said finally, standing and heading for the door. Even if he couldn't leave, he refused to sit in this office any longer. He felt like his bones were turning to dust.

At the training ground, Sawada found himself surrounded by eager disciples. Naruto and the others chattered excitedly, peppering him with questions about Kumogakure.

"Sensei, is it true what our classmates say—that all Kumogakure ninja are tall and strong?"

"Sensei, I heard you personally defeated the Eight-Tails jinchūriki! That's amazing!"

Sawada raised one hand for silence, and the questions immediately ceased.

Naruto and the others looked at him expectantly. For those who had never ventured beyond Konoha's walls, everything seemed wondrous and mysterious.

"In a few days, people from Kumogakure will come. If you're curious, you can see for yourselves then," Sawada said calmly.

"Really?!" The disciples exchanged excited glances—they hadn't heard about this development.

"Yes. The Eight-Tails jinchūriki came back with us. He's already here in the village," Sawada confirmed, watching their reactions with quiet amusement.