Chapter 39
The Third explicitly stated that he needed to make this trio the best they could be before the Chunin Exams. While he believed others could have performed better in this task, the Third didn't think so. According to him, only Jiraiya would do better, which gave Choza a sense of pride in himself. Being second only to Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, in any regard was something to be proud of.
However, it had been a while since he had taught. His previous students turned out great, but Choza didn't believe he contributed much to that since they were quite a hardworking bunch. Having Might Guy on the team motivated them all to do their best as well. Now, all of them were Chunin.
Genma and Guy would soon be considered Special Jonin. Both excelled in combat despite lacking in other areas. Not everyone can be Kakashi, a once-in-a-generation genius, or Asuma Sarutobi, who possessed immense talent and even better nurturing than anyone else. It was no surprise that he was promoted to Jonin, even if Choza expected it to happen sooner. But he understood the Third's intent to protect his son; Choza himself now had a child and could barely fathom it.
And yet, here he was, once again, teaching children who barely needed instruction. Both Shisui and Yamato were likely more intelligent than he was. Furthermore, he learned not to underestimate Iruka's observation and logical thinking either. All he could do was share his experiences, hoping they would help others in the future.
Choza had been in many battles, being primarily responsible for most of the combat in his team; he knew well what was important for a Shinobi. It all came down to endurance. He still remembered his early years as a shinobi when he was so anxious he couldn't eat, always hungry, and a liability to his team.
Yet, this experience taught him a valuable lesson. It revealed his true limits, and in future battles, when he didn't have time to eat for days as he fought or ran nonstop, he was able to endure better than his enemies. Thus, it became the first lesson he imparted to his students. Once they learned what it meant to starve themselves nearly to death, they would adapt better in the future.
It also demonstrated how they reacted under pressure. Shisui was quick to anger, contrary to his typical calm and indifferent demeanor. Yamato stopped thinking, likely his instinctual response to conserve energy, and acted more recklessly. However, what surprised Choza the most was Iruka. He hadn't encountered anyone like him. His mental strength far surpassed that of any of his students, and now he understood why the Third believed he belonged with the rest of the team.
"He's alone," Shisui reported as he observed the solitary figure approaching them. "A cloak conceals much of his body, but he appears to be somewhat older and of smaller stature."
"He's walking toward us?" Iruka asked, and Shisui nodded in affirmation. "Wouldn't he be waiting for us to come to him if it were an ambush?"
"Or he could be a distraction," Yamato added. "Let me approach him first and see if anyone else is waiting."
"Yamato, Iruka, you two stay close to the clients," Choza instructed, disregarding Yamato's disappointed sigh as he gave the orders. "Shisui, come with me."
Iruka excelled in the support role. Yamato was acting too recklessly, so Choza didn't want him to engage in battle. Thus, using Shisui's aggressiveness to confront their mystery man seemed like the most logical plan. Even though Choza didn't think he would need help, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Hello there, sir," Choza and Shisui moved ahead to greet the man by the road.
"I was waiting for you," he replied, and Choza immediately prepared. "Just know that before I kill you, it is your Hokage's fault. You shall pay for your crimes, you hypocritical tree-huggers."
"Down," Choza pushed Shisui down beneath himself as the man stepped forward, his instincts screamed at that moment.
With one step, he transformed the battlefield. Dozens of barrels shot up from the ground, exploding around them. Shuriken flew off in various directions in a split second. Choza used his body to shield the young Uchiha from the blast, sustaining numerous injuries. He had no other option as he wasn't fast enough to react to the attack.
"For years, I have waited to exact my revenge. And your heads will serve as the message to that monster and his student. He shall not forget his crimes. And rue the day he decided to destroy everything dear to me."
"Who are you?" Choza asked, retrieving a pill from his pocket.
"Forgotten by time, like my village," the man replied. "I am the last survivor of the village the Third Hokage destroyed. For twenty years, I have trained and prepared myself for vengeance, and you, head of the Akimichi clan, shall be my test subject. We shall see what your village is worth."
"We shall see about that," Shisui said, furious at his sensei's injuries. "I finish what the Third started."
Choza swallowed the pill, injecting himself with three days' worth of calories and regaining his strength as Shisui rushed at the enemy. For a brief moment, while Shisui occupied the foe, Choza surveyed the surroundings. It was undoubtedly an ambush, but was he alone? He didn't know. For now, it appeared that way.
"Uchiha, huh?" The enemy was quite skilled in taijutsu, easily matching Shisui. "Your eyes will fetch a good price on the black market."
Both legs met in deadlock, but Choza's experience told him that Shisui was the one in danger. Yet before he could yell out a warning, an explosion rang out, throwing Shisui back. The young Uchiha managed to retreat before the full blast hit him, but the heat still burned him. The enemy's leg burned in smoke, with some kind of contraption revealed under the burned cloth.
"Shisui, fall back."
Choza knew that the enemy wasn't finished, so he quickly prepared his hand signs and placed his palms on the ground, waiting. He didn't have to wait long, as the moment Shisui returned to Choza's side, the enemy pulled something from his coat. A weapon he had never seen before, but the flicker of fire at the end of the barrel told him enough.
As an earth wall rose to defend them, it collided with something highly explosive. The wall managed to withstand the blast, but it could not endure another. Choza was worried; the enemy was dangerous, unknown, and had an agenda against them. He should have known that their first mission would be more than they bargained for. At this point, it wasn't superstition anymore.
"Cover me," Choza urged, rushing in first before the enemy could pull out anything else.
By the time he swung, his arm had enlarged tenfold. Shisui kept the enemy in check with shuriken. Just as Choza's fist was about to connect with the foe, the ground below him collapsed. Still, he was prepared for such a trap and managed to sidestep away from the pit. He noticed the enemy's cloak blocked Shisui's shuriken. The young Uchiha decided to use his fireball jutsu instead.
The enemy had nowhere to go as Choza continued to push forward, this time charging at him with his shoulder. Seeing no escape, the enemy yanked down his cloak and threw it at Choza. The sizzling of burning explosive tags was all the warning he got before being hit by an explosion.
His shoulder burned with pain as Choza blocked most of the damage and continued to charge. The enemy rolled away, too, getting hit by Shisui's fireball. But he was far from finished. Choza felt a growing concern. He had never heard of the man, yet he was clearly skillful enough to hold his own against both him and Shisui. Choza began to regret training his genin on their first mission.
"Had enough, old man?" Shisui taunted the enemy.
"Enough? This is only the beginning." The enemy picked himself up. "I have studied you for decades and know how you operate. I understand how much you Konoha scum like to stand on high morals—presenting yourselves as peace-loving protectors of the world. You'll protect your clients with your lives, touting your trustworthiness while massacring hundreds of innocent. Children and elders are not spared from your viciousness."
Slamming his palms on the ground, he summoned a giant hawk with razor-sharp talons. Choza didn't let it take flight; enlarging his arms, he caught it by its wings and pushed it to the ground, even as its talons buried into his chest. Shisui rushed to support him, fearing the enemy would use the situation to harm Choza further. However, neither of them expected the enemy to bypass them and target their clients directly, leaving smoke bombs behind to stall them.
…
The explosions and fire didn't sit well with Iruka. He glanced at Yamato, who was also on edge. All Iruka could do was stay back, prepare for the worst, and hope it wouldn't come to that. Watching the fight from a distance, Iruka realized he wasn't prepared for this; he would only get in the way.
"He is coming," Yamato warned as a figure darted toward them from within the smoke. "Stay behind me."
Iruka could only draw his kunai and watch as the enemy rushed at them. Yamato intervened, but the enemy didn't take it kindly; from his sleeves, he shot out dozens of needles. Yamato's reaction was spot on as he managed to conjure a mud wall to block the attack, but that was all it took for the enemy to bypass him. Throwing bombs to distract Yamato.
That left only Iruka to intercept the enemy. But there was nothing he could do but quickly dodge when he caught a glint of the blade in the enemy's hand. A long cut sliced along his arm as he barely evaded the strike. As he jumped back, he threw his kunai. There was no hope of hitting any vitals, so he aimed for the enemy's feet and, by luck, landed a hit, halting the foe.
That was enough for a blob of water to crash into the enemy, sending him crashing back toward the caravan. Choza arrived a moment later, glancing briefly at Iruka's wound before dismissing it. Shisui soon followed. But the enemy was already on his feet, smiling victoriously.
"Go on, save them if you can." The enemy taunted them, but soon realized his mistake. "What?"
Because there was no one in the caravan, only Iruka's clones, which quickly vanished. Seeing the fight drag on, Iruka told the clients to retreat and created a dozen illusionary clones to take their place. Only now did the enemy notice it; his smile vanished, and Choza prepared to strike him down.
"Twenty years, and this is all I got?" The enemy looked down at his hands. "Heh, I guess I knew I could never achieve the strength to take my revenge. I could never measure up to a monster like the Third. I can't even beat a bunch of kids. Falling for such an obvious trap."
"Surrender," Choza offered the man one last chance.
"Heh, who do you think I am? I, the lone survivor of Kagero village. The Trapmaster. I will die today, and so will you. Look closely at my last masterpiece." The enemy stripped off his shirt, revealing his toned body marked with seals. "I thought I'd have a chance to use it against that murderer, but you will suffice. A clan head shall bring some solace to my fallen brothers and sisters."
"Why?" Iruka asked, knowing well that what the man was about to do was very dangerous. "Why go this far?"
"Why not? I have nothing, boy. I knew from the beginning I could never infiltrate the village to take my revenge. And I would never be a match for these monsters. Even against kids, I must use every single trick I have. I accepted my death long ago. But I suppose it was never meant to be like this. I should have joined the rest twenty years ago. But with this, at least, I will remind that monster that there are still people willing to fight him."
"Run!" Choza shouted as the marks on the enemy's body began to burn.
Iruka hesitated momentarily before running with all his strength. Just a few seconds passed before they heard the explosion detonate. Sensei turned back and erected a massive earth wall to shield them from the blast. Simultaneously, Yamato used his wood style to envelop them in a protective dome. But even with all that defense, Iruka felt the impact of the shockwave and the heat from the explosion.