Chapter 144 – Intelligence Leak
Morning dew still clung to the blades of grass at Training Ground Seven.
The rising sun gilded the treetops along the field's edge with a soft golden glow.
Taichi, Yōhei, Saori, and Kizuna arrived right on schedule.
"Same as always—warm up first," Taichi said, moving through a series of efficient stretches. "Today's focus is still coordination. Especially you, Kizuna. You need to adapt to our rhythm faster—get used to everyone's combat habits and frequently used techniques."
Kazewata Kizuna nodded seriously.
"Understood, Captain!"
He knew this entire session was designed for him. Taichi, Yōhei, and Saori had fought together for years—they understood each other instinctively. He was the only newcomer.
After warming up, they split into pairs.
First Taichi and Kizuna.
Then Yōhei and Kizuna.
Finally Saori and Kizuna.
The goal was simple—make sure Kizuna fully grasped each member's fighting style.
---
Soon, the training ground erupted into chaos.
Wind blades tore through the air.
Fireballs exploded in bursts of heat.
Lightning crackled and danced across the field.
The sharp crack of impacts echoed loudly, drawing nearby ninja to stop and watch.
"Isn't that Taichi and Yōhei?"
"Looks like their squad got a new member."
"I heard Captain Yamaguchi was reassigned for solo operations. That must've left an opening."
"Seems like they're training the rookie. Taichi really lives up to being a medical-nin—pretty considerate."
The murmurs outside the field did nothing to disrupt the training.
As time passed, Kizuna began slowly syncing with the squad's tempo.
He started anticipating attack patterns.
Recognizing openings.
Adjusting positioning without needing explicit instruction.
When Taichi finally called for a break, the four of them stood in the center of the slightly battered field, breathing heavily.
"How does it feel, Kizuna?" Taichi wiped sweat from his forehead.
Kizuna bent slightly at the waist, catching his breath—but there was an excited grin on his face.
"Captain… I think… I'm starting to get it! I can roughly predict everyone's attack tendencies now."
Yōhei laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.
"That's more like it! Next mission, you won't just be standing around wide-eyed anymore."
Saori smiled gently and handed him a water flask.
"You coordinated very well today, Kizuna-kun."
For the first time since joining the squad—
Kizuna truly felt like he was becoming part of it.
Taichi nodded, approval in his eyes.
"Good. Hold onto that feeling. Review the details when you get back. Tomorrow we'll take on a mission and test this in real combat."
The team responded in unison, enthusiasm evident. After weeks of grinding coordination, everyone was eager for a real battlefield trial.
But just as the pleasant atmosphere of teamwork settled in—
A figure rushed toward them at astonishing speed.
At the last instant, he vanished—
And reappeared directly in front of Taichi.
If Taichi hadn't noticed the ANBU uniform a split second earlier, he would have drawn his blade on reflex.
"Taichi Matsushita. Yōhei Uchiha. Saori Furukawa. Kizuna Kazewata. Emergency mission. You have thirty minutes to prepare."
Without another word, the ANBU operative handed Taichi a sealed mission scroll.
Taichi frowned.
He'd received designated missions before—but one urgent enough to be personally delivered by ANBU?
That was a first.
He wasted no time, breaking the seal and verifying all authentication codes. Only after confirming its legitimacy did he read the contents.
His expression darkened.
Konoha's defensive deployment map along the Land of Lightning border had been stolen this morning by a Kumogakure spy.
Taichi's squad was ordered to cooperate immediately with Minato Namikaze and Hizashi Hyūga to pursue and recover the document at all costs.
Taichi stared at the scroll, then at the ANBU operative.
Unbelievable.
If it had been intercepted during transport, that would be understandable.
But stolen inside the village?
That was humiliating.
The ANBU sensed his disbelief and added quietly,
"The map is sealed. It cannot be opened by ordinary means. The spy must return to Kumogakure to break the seal. That is our window."
Translation:
Move. Now.
Taichi snapped back to focus. He briefed his squad rapidly, then gave the order:
"Dismiss. Prepare supplies. Village gate in thirty minutes."
The four scattered like arrows released from a bowstring.
All levity vanished.
Only cold focus remained.
---
Taichi vaulted over his courtyard wall instead of wasting time with the gate.
Storage room.
Rapid inventory.
Soldier pills.
Specialized medical compounds.
Kunai.
Shuriken.
Explosive tags.
Sealing scrolls.
Spare blades.
Medical kit.
Change of clothes.
He sealed what needed sealing, packed what needed packing.
His mind ran simulations—terrain, interception timing, possible reinforcements.
Satisfied, he paused only briefly.
His Ice Release training…
Delayed again.
But this wasn't the time. His core strengths—blade and Fire Release—were more than sufficient.
He leapt to the rooftops and sped toward the village gate.
---
The squad arrived almost simultaneously.
A glance.
No words needed.
Prepared.
Seconds before the deadline—
"Whoosh!"
Two figures landed before them.
On the left—bright blond hair, composed but stern expression.
Minato Namikaze.
On the right—long black hair, pale eyes that seemed to pierce through everything.
Hizashi Hyūga.
"Ready?" Minato's tone was calm but firm. His gaze lingered briefly on Taichi and Hizashi.
"Yes, Captain!" they responded in unison.
Minato nodded.
"The deployment map is critical. We cannot allow it to reach enemy hands. Our objective is simple—pursue at maximum speed and intercept before rendezvous."
"No questions?"
Silence. Steady eyes.
"Move."
---
Six streaks of color tore northward toward the Land of Lightning.
"Eight kilometers ahead—no visual contact," Hizashi reported, Byakugan active.
Taichi's perception flared outward.
"There are signs of high-speed movement along this path. Fresh—today's traces. Direction is correct."
One scanned far.
One scanned near.
Efficiency maximized.
Two hours later—
Their speed began to falter.
Taichi's gaze shifted toward Kizuna.
Already exhausted?
"Sorry… this morning's training… I overdid it," Kizuna admitted.
Taichi suppressed a sigh.
Wrong time.
He withdrew a small vial.
"Special soldier pills. Rapid stamina and chakra recovery. No side effects. Hard to make, so don't waste them."
He handed the bottle directly to Kizuna.
"Swallow. Don't chew."
Everyone else wore identical expressions of shared trauma.
Kizuna, confused but trusting, swallowed the massive black pill.
Three seconds later—
"Ghk—!"
Yōhei accelerated and slapped his back.
Gulp.
The pill went down.
Laughter erupted.
Even Minato smiled.
"Your medicine remains… memorable."
Taichi wordlessly handed Kizuna water.
Moments later, warmth spread through Kizuna's abdomen like a furnace.
His stamina surged.
They resumed pursuit at full speed.
By nightfall, they had shortened the gap from three hours to one.
Minato called for brief rest.
"Without Taichi's pills, we wouldn't have closed this distance," he said—though his expression clearly recalled the taste.
"Hey! What's with those faces?" Taichi protested.
More laughter.
Midnight.
They resumed.
In darkness, ordinary tracking failed—but not for Byakugan and sensory perception.
Suddenly—
"Crack!"
A body fell from a tree.
Rustling branches. Startled birds.
Kizuna climbed out of a bush, mortified.
Taichi could feel Minato and Hizashi's silent amusement.
Your teammate, their expressions seemed to say.
Yōhei dragged Kizuna up.
"No one's this clumsy normally. What's wrong with you?"
No time to dwell.
They pushed forward.
---
By dawn, Taichi raised a hand.
They stopped.
"Taichi?" Minato asked.
"Clone diversion," Taichi said calmly. "Three separate trail signatures."
Kizuna blurted, "Then we split up?"
Taichi shot him a look.
Split now? And if the real one splits again?
Minato stayed silent, watching Taichi.
Taichi stepped forward and formed hand seals.
His pupils ignited—
Contracting into ruby-like embers.
"Whoa—what technique is that?!" Yōhei stared.
Taichi didn't answer.
This was partial fire-body manifestation.
Thermal vision.
Clones lack true body heat.
The trails were fresh—thirty minutes at most.
In his vision—
Two paths were cold.
One glowed faint red along broken branches.
"This way."
He pointed forward.
Clear.
Unmistakable.
The real target was still within reach.