Chapter 244: Chapter 244 Mission Accomplished, The Innocent Sand Ninja!
The factory at the edge of the Zhu Yan Forest had been destroyed by Hyuga as planned. There were only four ninja guards present; the rest were ordinary workers. Hinata efficiently gathered the special papers produced and secured them.
When Hinata and Asuma returned to the designated meeting spot, they found it empty. Puzzled, they moved toward the forest and discovered Reiki treating injured Sand Ninja.
"Reiki said he needed treatment practice," Morishita explained to a stunned Hinata, a smirk playing on his lips. "So, I let him have at it. It's not a big deal."
Even for Morishita, who participated in this operation, the scene felt surreal. Nearly forty Sand Ninja, including several jounin, had been subdued despite the apparent disadvantage in numbers. The addition of a stealthy, battle-ready medical ninja had made all the difference.
"We'll need to arrange for someone to handle the aftermath here," Morishita said, stepping aside to contact the village. "We should secure these strategic resources as quickly as possible."
Hyuga and Asuma moved to assist Reiki, who was still tending to the defeated Sand Ninja. It wasn't until late at night that Reiki finished his work. The captives were left powerless, unable to use chakra, with only limited physical strength remaining.
"Alright, the village will send backup tomorrow," Morishita said after returning. "My shadow clone has found the workers and, with a fair payment, convinced them to continue working until the Zhu Yan Tree stock is cleared. They'll go home afterward."
"Good," Reiki nodded. "By the way, we should use this opportunity for Asuma's training. Let's release a few seals and use them as live combat practice."
"This..." Morishita looked unsure, then turned to Asuma. "What do you think?"
"I'm in!" Asuma said, excitement in his eyes. He hadn't been able to participate much in the earlier fight due to Hyuga's ferocity.
"Alright," Morishita agreed. "Be cautious, Hyuga."
With that, Morishita released the seal on a chuunin-level Sand Ninja.
"Defeat him, and we'll let you go," Reiki said to the confused Sand Ninja, gesturing toward Asuma.
"Huh? You won't intervene?" The Sand Ninja looked at them skeptically, sizing up Asuma, who appeared to be just a child and no more than a genin. He himself was 15, a chuunin with experience.
"We won't," Morishita confirmed. "This is training for him."
"Alright!" The Sand Ninja hurled shuriken and weaved signs. "Wind Release: Wind Current Break!" A powerful B-rank jutsu, fully restored thanks to Reiki's treatment, surged toward Asuma.
Minutes later, Asuma was down, frustrated and breathing hard. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't defeat a chuunin, while Reiki had dispatched jounin-level enemies. The difference was staggering.
"Good job, Asuma," Reiki said encouragingly. "You showed the determination of a true combatant. Here's a stamina potion and recovery potion. Rest and get ready for the next opponent."
Asuma nodded, taking the vials with a determined smile. The day had seen 4 wins out of 36 battles, but his last four matches were victories. He could feel his growth, and that realization fueled his spirit.
"Why are you still here?" Morishita asked, looking at the bewildered Sand Ninja. "Do you want to stay for more practice?"
"Uh, no... I'll leave!" The Sand Ninja disappeared hastily with a teleportation technique.
Seeing this, other captured Sand Ninja eyed the situation eagerly. A sparring match was preferable to being a captive.
By the afternoon, only the high-ranking jounin remained. Asuma's combat tally stood at 4 wins and 32 losses, but those victories filled him with newfound confidence.
"Alright, combat training ends here," Morishita declared. "Rest well tonight. We start the second mission tomorrow. The intel confirms the two targets are currently in the Land of Rivers."
The captured Sand Ninja, including Yashamaru, sighed in disappointment. They had hoped to be released after participating in the sparring but were once again prisoners.
"I found a decent stash of food in their camp," Hyuga said. "Let's rest there tonight."
Yashamaru's eyes widened as he saw the sealed chuunin in the camp. "Didn't they leave?" he muttered, panic creeping into his voice.
"We let them go," Reiki said nonchalantly. "But we caught up and recaptured them."
"Despicable!" Yashamaru spat, seething with frustration. He couldn't fathom the deceptive tactics these Konoha ninja employed.
"Send them back, and they'll just bring reinforcements," Reiki said, eyeing Yashamaru with bemusement. "Are Sand Ninja really this naive? In Konoha, Danzo and Sarutobi would have exploited them mercilessly."
"You..." Yashamaru's rage got the better of him, and he fainted once more. His innocence was a poor fit for the cruel realities of the ninja world.
By noon the next day, reinforcements from Konoha arrived, led by a familiar face: Uchiha Natsume.
"You guys are efficient," Natsume said, grinning as he approached Morishita. "We'll take over from here."
"Good," Morishita nodded. Just as he turned to leave, Reiki's voice cut through the air.
"Natsume-sama, you're injured and need treatment."
Morishita's eyes twitched at the familiar line. It seemed those words would haunt the Sand Ninja for a long time, but now Reiki was saying them to Uchiha Natsume.
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