Chapter 148 – If You're Going to Cheat, Might as Well Enjoy It
The dim warehouse suddenly blazed with light.
Torches flared.
Every shadow vanished.
And what Taichi and Yōhei saw—
Nearly drove them mad.
Saori was standing in front of Taichi—
Blocking him.
And Kizuna's kunai was buried in her right chest.
From the angle—
That strike had been meant for Taichi's heart.
Kizuna turned slowly.
Gone was the timid, apologetic teammate.
In its place—
Contempt.
Mockery.
"You bastard!" Taichi's eyes burned red as he lunged forward—
But Kizuna was prepared.
He shoved the weakened Saori toward Taichi and retreated in a few swift steps—
Stopping beside the Kumogakure shinobi at the entrance.
Taichi caught Saori instantly.
Right lung punctured.
Severe trauma.
Immediate treatment required.
"You idiot!" Taichi hissed through clenched teeth, green chakra already flooding his hands. "That attack couldn't have killed me! Why would you block it?!"
Saori coughed blood.
"My body… moved on its own… I'm sorry…"
"Stop talking!" Taichi pressed gently against her lips. "You'll be fine. I'm here."
Behind him—
Yōhei stood rigid.
Three tomoe spinning violently in his Sharingan.
But he didn't move.
He guarded Taichi's back.
"You're a spy," Taichi said, each word grinding out between his teeth.
Kizuna laughed.
"Captain Taichi, don't be so angry. We're all just fighting for our villages."
He spread his arms theatrically.
"How do you like the trap? We put a lot of effort into it."
"You think this is enough to stop us?" Taichi's voice was icy.
"Your strength is known," one of the enemy jōnin spoke calmly. "You killed Zyna. We alone wouldn't suffice. But…"
A violent surge of chakra erupted around them.
Taichi's senses flared.
A massive barrier sealed the entire island.
Three more jōnin.
Eight additional chūnin.
All entering the warehouse.
"The whole island is sealed," the leader said coldly. "You have nowhere to run."
"So that's it." Taichi's lips curled in disdain. "Hiding inside a barrier to avoid my sensing. Cowards. None of you had the guts to face me head-on."
Several Kumogakure ninja bristled—
But the leader held them back.
He glanced at Saori.
Her bleeding had slowed.
But the wound was still severe.
Good.
Let Taichi burn chakra on healing.
They would exhaust him first.
---
Five minutes passed in eerie silence.
Taichi's healing stabilized her condition.
Hand seals shifted—
Two shadow clones formed, taking nearly all his remaining chakra with them.
They grabbed Saori and retreated.
At that exact moment—
Taichi allocated one attribute point into Constitution.
His chakra pool refilled instantly.
He didn't even bother with elaborate hand seals—
A blazing Fire Dragon Flame Bullet erupted from his mouth, cutting off the enemy's advance.
"Yōhei! Guard her! Retreat to the barrier's edge!"
Taichi stepped forward, blade in hand.
"Be careful!" Yōhei shouted, retreating with the clone while blasting a massive Fireball that shattered the warehouse wall.
---
The Kumogakure squad realized too late—
Konoha had attacked first.
The battlefield split in half by roaring golden flames.
"Kill Matsushita Taichi first!" the leader ordered.
But before the command fully landed—
A figure burst from the fire itself.
Taichi.
Engulfed in golden flames.
His blade flashed.
One slash—
A chūnin split in half, weapon and all.
"Idiots!" the leader roared. "I told you to reinforce your weapons with chakra!"
Too late.
Taichi wasn't interested in trading blows with jōnin.
He moved like a phantom.
Phoenix Flower Fireballs constantly forming around him.
Close the gap.
Blade flash.
Fire burst.
Two exchanges—
Another chūnin dead.
"Chūnin cluster together! Long-range suppression!" the leader barked.
Lightning techniques rained down from all directions.
Taichi was forced to dodge.
Fine.
You want to play ninjutsu?
He pivoted.
Abandoned close combat.
Golden flames flooded the warehouse.
Within moments, the entire interior became an inferno.
"Fall back!" someone shouted. "We can't stay here!"
Taichi wasn't letting them escape so easily.
He targeted the slowest group.
One horizontal slash—
A blazing sword arc tore free from his blade.
"Running? Did you ask me first?"
The jōnin and one chūnin dodged expertly.
But another chūnin—
Too arrogant.
He tried to block.
Clang.
The blade arc deflected—
But the golden flames carried through.
Steel melted instantly.
Fire coated his body.
His scream cut through the air—
And was swallowed by the inferno.
The warehouse collapsed soon after—
Burying everything.
---
The surviving Kumogakure regrouped near the shoreline.
Their faces blackened with soot.
They had superiority in numbers.
In rank.
And yet—
Four chūnin dead in minutes.
Humiliating.
"To the sea!" the leader ordered. "Use Water Release to suppress his flames! Chūnin harass from range! Jōnin engage close combat with me!"
The ruins thundered behind them.
Taichi stepped over debris.
Blade raised.
He pointed it at them.
"A bunch of trash. Come."
The leader sneered.
"You're powerful. But how long can you maintain that level of chakra output?"
He was trying to break Taichi's momentum.
Also reminding his own men—
Taichi couldn't sustain this forever.
Taichi smirked.
"If you won't come to me—"
He stomped the ground.
Launched forward like an arrow.
Mid-charge—
Another attribute point into Constitution.
Full recovery.
"Move!" the leader shouted, retreating toward the ocean while hurling explosive-tag kunai behind him to slow pursuit.
And Taichi chased—
Through smoke.
Through fire.
Through detonations.
Eyes burning.
Unstoppable.
Because if you're going to cheat—
You might as well enjoy it.
The island wasn't large.
At full speed, it took only a few breaths to reach the shoreline.
Three Kumogakure jōnin stepped forward immediately, positioning themselves to pin Taichi down.
The remaining chūnin spread outward, preparing long-range suppression.
Farther out—
Two jōnin stood atop the ocean's surface.
Already weaving hand seals.
Taichi saw the formation from a distance and understood instantly—
This would not be easy.
Attrition.
Suppression.
Chakra drain.
Unfortunately for them—
That was the one thing Taichi did not fear.
He formed two shadow clones.
They split left and right, targeting the scattered chūnin.
But Kumogakure had learned from their mistake.
Two jōnin immediately intercepted the clones.
Steel clashed.
Taichi attacked without defense, aiming to eliminate one jōnin instantly—
But the opponent refused direct engagement.
They had clearly been briefed by Kizuna.
No reckless exchanges.
Only delay.
Only drain.
Behind them—
The two ocean-standing jōnin completed their seals.
Sea.
Wind.
Terrain advantage.
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique ×2.
The ocean surged violently.
Within seconds—
The sea level rose more than ten meters.
A colossal wall of water towered over Taichi.
"Let's see how your Fire Release works underwater!" one of them shouted, pouring even more chakra into the technique.
They were willing to sacrifice everything—
Just to drag him into the sea.
Taichi didn't hesitate.
His blade struck with lethal intent.
Despite frantic evasions, he severed one jōnin's arm before the tidal wave crashed down.
Even armless—
The jōnin grinned savagely as he held Taichi in place—
Until both were swallowed whole.
---
The Kumogakure forces exhaled in relief.
Underwater—
Taichi smiled coldly.
He spent one skill point.
Water Nature Transformation → Level 11.
A flood of understanding filled his mind instantly.
Hand seals flashed.
Water Release: Great Water Prison.
The raging sea around him calmed—
Then extended outward like living arms.
In seconds—
The armless jōnin was caught.
A massive water sphere formed.
Taichi willed the currents upward.
He rose from the sea—
Dragging the enormous water prison with him.
The island was completely submerged now.
Kumogakure shinobi stood scattered atop the water's surface—
Staring in stunned disbelief at the rotating sphere.
"What kind of intelligence was that?!" the Kumogakure leader roared at Kizuna. "He can use high-level Water Release?!"
Kizuna was pale.
He had never seen Taichi use it before.
---
Taichi raised his right hand slowly.
The motion was pure killing intent.
The Kumogakure squad reacted instantly—
Attacks flew.
Close combat pressure surged.
But Taichi moved as well.
Shunshin activated.
He circled the sphere while fighting.
Inside—
The water prison began to compress.
Spin.
Turbulence multiplied.
Water blades formed within.
The trapped jōnin was tossed violently—
Cut again and again.
Then—
Crack.
Everyone heard it.
His ribcage collapsed under crushing pressure.
Dead.
The five-meter sphere compressed down to barely three.
Still spinning.
Still tightening.
The Kumogakure leader's eyes widened.
"Retreat! That thing's going to explode!"
Not entirely accurate—
But correct about the danger.
Taichi didn't wait.
Hand seals shifted.
Great Water Prison—
Converted into Wild Water Rampage.
A single heartbeat of stillness—
Then countless water arrows erupted outward.
A twenty-meter radius became instant death.
Even Taichi was struck—
At least ten water arrows pierced his body.
Chakra flared.
Flame Transformation activated.
Massive chakra consumption halted his own attack's backlash.
Another attribute point spent.
Full recovery.
He surveyed the battlefield.
Four bodies floated.
All chūnin.
Farther out—
The Kumogakure leader clutched his pierced left leg.
Even farther—
A defensive water wall collapsed, revealing three intact jōnin and two surviving chūnin.
Taichi exhaled faintly.
One attribute point—
Four chūnin.
A loss in efficiency.
---
At this stage—
Kumogakure was shaken.
One jōnin dead.
Eight chūnin eliminated.
And Taichi—
Still looked fresh.
Still terrifying.
When he stepped forward—
They involuntarily stepped back.
Morale dipped instantly.
The leader forced his voice steady.
"Either he dies—or we do! The barrier traps all of us. This ends here!"
The words worked.
Resolve hardened.
Assignments were given rapidly.
The leader and remaining jōnin charged.
---
On the opposite side of the island—
Taichi's shadow clone continued healing Saori.
One clone had already dispersed from chakra exhaustion.
But the results were undeniable.
The chest wound had sealed.
Only pale skin remained.
Yōhei paced anxiously.
"How much longer?!"
"Almost done!" the clone replied, hands never stopping.
Ten minutes later—
The final trace vanished.
Saori stood, slightly pale but steady.
"Feels like I died once," she murmured.
"Then let's make sure he doesn't," Yōhei said urgently.
The clone nodded.
"Go. Be careful."
With a puff of smoke—
It dispersed.
Yōhei's Sharingan spun faster.
Saori swallowed a special ration pill.
They sprinted toward battle.
---
Back on the shoreline—
The clone's returned memories settled Taichi's mind.
Saori was safe.
Reinforcements incoming.
The stalemate would break.
Kumogakure had adapted.
They no longer rushed recklessly.
They focused on measured defense.
Chakra conservation.
Attrition.
They believed—
No human could sustain Taichi's output.
They weren't wrong.
His chakra had indeed bottomed out again.
But—
He could cheat.
He had already allocated two more attribute points during the lull.
Now—
It wasn't Taichi who was running low.
It was Kumogakure.
Even the distant Water Release jōnin—
Now abandoned long-range techniques and joined close combat with kunai in hand.
And Taichi—
Smiled.
Because the longer this dragged on—
The more hopeless it became.
For them.