Chapter 271: A Real Spar
Konoha Year 37, November 15.
Akaseki had been back in Konoha for a month now. By this point, he could tell that Hiruzen Sarutobi really intended to give him an extended vacation.
Over the past month, Dan Katō's request to join the battle had been approved, and he had returned to the Land of Rain front. Even Ranwu had been assigned to the battlefield again, yet Akaseki had not returned to the front lines.
Over the month, he had only been assigned one B-rank mission to an island nation in the eastern seas—because most Jonin
and Chunin were in the Land of Rain, even missions of this rank had to be specifically assigned.
Originally, aside from the bandit-suppression missions allocated from the Fire Capital, Konoha had stopped accepting this sort of civilian commission.
However, Konoha had only just secured the mission rights for the eastern island nations. It could be called Sarutobi's first political achievement after taking office, so it was not suitable to halt the missions completely—
Although the target had been a pirate group with rogue ninjas, with Akaseki, a genuine Konoha Jonin, leading two Chunin and the Genin Might Duy, they wiped out the target and returned within a week.
Other than that trip, Akaseki had been recuperating in Konoha the entire time.
That suited Akaseki just fine—
In Training Ground 44, otherwise known as the "Forest of Death," Akaseki carried a wooden frame on his back while an enormous wooden hand whirled through the air, forcing Might Duy to dodge everywhere.
Meanwhile, Akaseki used the "wooden ribcage" outside his body to block Might Duy's attacks!
Though it was wood, whenever Might Duy struck it, he found himself holding back—
But in the end, he failed to rein himself in for a