Chapter 85: Unexpected

Hearing the complaints from behind, Yuzhibo Chongzheng, who was leading the way ahead, slightly sensed the condition of his three disciples behind him.

Huh! Yan's breathing has already become rapid; she probably can't hold out much longer.

Zhe's condition is still not bad; he can hold on for a while.

As for Dong Shilang...

He added a bit more energy and carefully sensed. It seems he still hasn't reached his physical limit at all!

He turned back and carefully observed Dong Shilang's condition, then lightly said to Yan: "Yan! Long-distance rushing is the most basic of basic ninja skills. You still need to gradually get used to it!"

Seeing the girl hear his words, her spirits drooped a little, but fortunately she had no other rebellious emotions.

She simply pursed her pretty lips tightly and puffed out her cheeks, looking very unhappy.

Seeing this, he added: "Rest for twenty minutes after one hour!"

At the same time, he slowed his steps a bit, reducing the frequency of his leaping forward between tree branches considerably.

This let Yuzhibo Yan, who was following behind him, breathe a huge sigh of relief.

He also didn't forget to mention some tricks for conserving energy while on the move, making the three behind him feel increasingly at ease.

"Chongzheng-sensei is really too sly; having such a useful technique, why didn't you teach us earlier? It made me suffer so much just now!"

Facing her familiar relatives, the girl named Yuzhibo Yan would not feel any fear or shyness.

She immediately asked, hoping the teacher would give her a reasonable explanation to soothe her wounded heart.

"Hmph! If I don't let you truly feel the hardship of rushing, you might not study this so seriously."

While giving the complaining girl a glare, he continued to explain some common sense about ninja missions.

Actually, during a ninja mission, the time spent rushing usually accounts for over ninety percent of the mission time.

To strengthen the three disciples' emphasis on this basic skill, Chongzheng deliberately abandoned the wide, flat main road and chose to advance by leaping between tree branches.

Considering the level of this C-rank mission, there is absolutely no need to use the current rushing method.

Even if they proceeded slowly along the main road, during this period when war has not yet broken out, there would be absolutely no problem.

He merely increased the intensity to train Dong Shilang and the others' adaptability.

Such a rushing method is normally used only in B-rank missions and above.

By utilizing the ninja's superb mobility, they directly planned the shortest route on the map, crossing forests, leaping over mountains and rivers, to reach the destination quickly and engage in battle.

Or, because of mission needs, they deliberately choose remote deep mountains and old forests where few people go, in order to conceal their tracks.

The knowledge and skills involved along the way—such as vigilance, trace clearing, route selection, and so on—must be taught to them as quickly as possible.

The signs of war are becoming increasingly obvious; for the sake of the disciples' future, I have no choice but to make them suffer a bit now.

Huh! Everything is for their own good!

However, how much they can learn from this depends on their own individual perceptiveness...

Time flew by, and two days passed.

At noon on the third day, near Niketown, which is close to the prosperous commercial district of Huo Zhi Guo, in a secluded grove.

At this moment, a group of one adult and three children were resting under a large tree over twenty meters tall, nearly thirty meters.

From a distance, Yuzhibo Chongzheng, as an elite Jonin, still looked fine—his attire, demeanor, and aura showed no change from three days ago.

Wearing a green Jonin vest, with the Yan clan's fan crest specially embroidered on the shoulder as a guard unit insignia, he appeared relaxed and at ease, completely unaffected by these three days of travel.

However, the three resting opposite him were not so leisurely.

Dong Shilang and his three companions all looked utterly drained, sitting on the muddy ground without any regard for appearance.

Each of them was disheveled, with messy hair and dirty faces, full of fatigue.

Even Dong Shilang, the physically strongest among the three, was no better off, likewise sitting on the ground in a sorry state.

Originally, among the three, he had the best stamina; just two and a half days of rushing shouldn't have exhausted him to this extent.

After all, four years of basic training isn't just for show.

The cause dates back to the second day of departure.

At that time, after a night's rest, Yuzhibo Yan had just set out on the journey, less than half an hour in.

She hadn't yet recovered from the first day's high-intensity exercise; when she stepped onto a branch suspended in midair, a moment of inattention caused her to miss her foothold and she fell from the air.

And Zhe, who was following behind her, didn't react in time to this sudden accident.

He watched helplessly as his teammate fell freely through the air.

If it weren't for Dong Shilang, who was at the back, reacting quickly with sharp eyes and swift hands to catch Yan as she fell, Yuzhibo Yan's fall would have caused unclear injuries even if she didn't break any bones.

Speaking of which, the blame still falls on Chongzheng-sensei, who was leading the way; to train his three subordinates, he deliberately chose rugged, harsh roads.

The training effect was achieved, but it's not strange for some minor 'accidents' to occur.

Actually, the three of Dong Shilang didn't know that.

When Yan missed her footing and fell from the tree, the team's leader, Yuzhibo Chongzheng, up front, immediately sensed that something was wrong.

He had already formed the hand seals for the 'Instant Body Technique,' but seeing Dong Shilang's action, he refrained from intervening to save her.

This was also a good opportunity for them as comrades to strengthen their bond; he saw no need to jump in and break it.

Although Dong Shilang caught Yan in time, she still got injured.

Though not serious, she only sprained her ankle; however, it would be impossible for her to continue high-speed leaping through the forest as before.

To avoid delaying the mission's progress, with no other choice, they had Dong Shilang, the strongest in stamina among the squad, carry her while rushing.

At the same time, they gave Dong Shilang's backpack to Yuzhibo Zhe, who had failed to catch his teammate in time despite being his childhood friend.

After rushing like that for a day, Dong Shilang, who knew a bit of medical ninjutsu, gave Yan a simple treatment; after resting overnight, she basically recovered.

The next day, after resting on Dong Shilang's back for a daytime plus another night of rest and treatment, Yuzhibo Yan regained normal mobility.

But carrying a person while rushing all day left Dong Shilang utterly exhausted!

Even if today Yan has recovered and the journey is unburdened, it's also as exhausting as Zhe and the others, half-dead.