Chapter 151– Fame Spreads Far and Wide
By noon the next day, the three members of Taichi's squad finally returned to the main camp, dusty and travel-worn.
The first thing they did upon arrival—
Report directly to Commander Orochimaru.
Before returning, the three had already agreed on one thing:
They would downplay their true strength.
Especially Taichi's.
And definitely Yōhei's.
So in their official report, the ambush force consisted of only three jōnin and six chūnin.
Even so—
Orochimaru was visibly surprised by their victory.
As for Kizuna—
He had already harbored suspicions. At first, he assumed the boy was merely one of Danzō's pawns.
He hadn't expected him to be a full-fledged spy.
The question now was—
Did Danzō know?
Or was this yet another one of his layered schemes?
---
"I understand the situation," Orochimaru said calmly. "I will report the specifics to the village."
"That you returned alive is already a blessing amid misfortune."
His golden slit pupils lingered on the three battered youths.
"This mission will be recorded as S-rank."
"Consider it my personal compensation."
What generosity.
At no cost to himself.
Yet the favor would be remembered.
Yōhei was already grinning.
"Ahahaha! Thank you, Lord Orochimaru! I thought the mission might not count!"
Taichi nearly facepalmed.
He grabbed Yōhei by the collar and pulled him back.
"Lord Orochimaru," Taichi said smoothly, "our squad now consists of only three members. In such situations, how does the village typically proceed?"
Orochimaru studied him with interest.
Compared to straightforward Yōhei—
Taichi was far harder to handle.
"Normally, a replacement would be assigned," Orochimaru replied.
"But if you have requests—so long as they remain within the Northern Camp—I can accommodate them."
That was no small promise.
Leadership charisma at its finest.
Taichi bowed slightly.
"In that case, we would prefer not to accept a new member for now."
It had been decided on the way back.
Their squad carried too many secrets.
After a spy incident—
Trust was a luxury.
"Very well. No problem," Orochimaru agreed without hesitation.
Objective achieved.
Taichi took his leave.
After they departed—
Orochimaru reread the mission report.
Again.
And again.
Then—
A faint, meaningful smile curved his lips.
There were discrepancies.
The kill count felt… incomplete.
Why underreport?
Mistrust of the village?
Or something else?
His pupils narrowed, snake-like.
Fascinating.
He would not expose them.
No.
He would savor this slowly.
But as commander, he still had duties.
He immediately drafted a sharply worded letter to Konoha—
Condemning Intelligence Division negligence.
Two spy incidents in such short succession?
Unacceptable.
He knew Hiruzen would take it seriously.
Not only because Taichi was his grand-student—
But because it provided leverage to weaken Root's authority.
---
Meanwhile — Kumogakure Frontline Camp
The scouting jōnin returned from the island almost simultaneously with Taichi's squad.
What should have been routine reconnaissance—
Brought catastrophic news.
"Reporting, sir."
"The warehouse is completely destroyed. The island shows widespread burn and flood damage."
"The barrier was violently broken."
The jōnin hesitated.
"…The ambush squad is presumed completely annihilated. No survivors."
Silence filled the tent.
Five jōnin.
Ten chūnin.
Fifteen elite shinobi.
Gone.
"That's one-tenth of our jōnin force!" one commander roared.
"This was supposed to be overwhelming force!"
Another strategist spoke grimly:
"Combined with previous deaths… our high-end combat strength is now compromised."
"And there is also that mysterious blond shinobi appearing across the front…"
The imbalance was becoming dangerous.
If Konoha shifted from defense to offense—
Cloud would suffer heavily.
The commander decided swiftly:
"Cease all offensive probing."
"Retract lines. Strengthen internal defenses."
"I will request reinforcements."
"And spread intelligence about Matsushita Taichi's squad."
"If we suffer headaches, let Sunagakure and Iwagakure suffer them too."
---
Back at the Northern Front
Cloud's sudden strategic contraction was immediately noticeable.
Harassment ceased.
Border skirmishes dwindled.
The quiet was unsettling.
Like the stillness before a storm.
In his command tent, Orochimaru tapped the latest reports thoughtfully.
"Hmm… so Taichi caused quite the damage."
"A pity you barbarians only learn fear the hard way."
But opportunity shimmered beneath the surface.
Cloud's morale was shaken.
This was the perfect moment to push forward—
Crush supply lines.
Drive them back beyond the border.
Yet—
Village orders were explicit.
Hold the northern defense. No unauthorized offensives.
His excitement cooled instantly.
Opportunity…
Wasted?
No.
Orochimaru quickly drafted an urgent classified proposal to the Hokage.
In it, he meticulously outlined:
Cloud's weakened frontline
Strategic defensive shift
Opportunity for limited tactical counteroffensives
Even included operational frameworks.
If approved—
Northern pressure would dramatically ease.
---
Three Days Later
Taichi's squad had not taken field missions since their return.
Instead:
Medical rotations
Sparring
Independent training
And—
Acclimation to new power.
During this time, Yōhei and Saori learned of Taichi's newest ability:
Ice Release.
The first time Taichi used it in sparring—
Their reactions were unforgettable.
Shock.
Suspicion.
Outrage.
Having just survived a spy incident—
Their nerves were raw.
Seeing Ice Release—
Their immediate conclusion:
A Yuki clan shinobi had captured Taichi.
Yōhei activated Mangekyō instantly.
Saori's body sparked with Lightning Release muscle activation.
They were ready to kill.
Taichi was moved.
And slightly amused.
So—
He played along.
And used the opportunity to test Ice Release properly.
---
He avoided taijutsu and kenjutsu deliberately.
Only ninjutsu.
Ice Release – Thousand Flying Needles of Death
Countless ice senbon formed midair—
Shooting toward Yōhei and Saori.
Taichi retreated rapidly—
Hands weaving seals.
Ice Release – Frozen Domain.
A field technique.
Cold surged outward.
Frost spread across the ground.
Temperature plummeted below freezing.
Ice crept across the terrain.
Yōhei answered immediately—
Fire Release – Great Fire Annihilation.
The scale dwarfed what he used on the island.
Flames clashed against encroaching frost—
Steam exploding upward—
Wherever Yōhei's flames surged, the encroaching frost melted instantly.
But Taichi's Frozen Domain was no simple terrain effect.
Backed by his nearly bottomless chakra reserves, fresh waves of frost pressed inward from all directions, constantly rebuilding what had been burned away.
In the clash between fire and ice, Taichi clearly held the upper hand—
But Yōhei wasn't alone.
Saori had already used the curtain of flames as cover, circling to Taichi's flank.
Several crackling spheres of lightning shot toward him, and she followed immediately behind them. Lightning wrapped around her arms and legs, enhancing both speed and power, propelling her forward at a velocity she had never achieved before.
Taichi flickered sideways, narrowly dodging the lightning spheres.
But Saori was already upon him.
They exchanged a single close-range clash—
And Taichi immediately retreated.
He had misjudged.
The electricity coiling around her limbs wasn't just for muscle activation.
It carried lightning's signature paralysis.
Even that brief contact had numbed his arm.
Had his constitution been any weaker, the match might have ended right there.
Retreating rapidly, Taichi swept his hands through the air.
From the frost-covered ground, jagged ice pillars erupted one after another. Thick ice walls rose in succession, obstructing Saori's pursuit.
This wasn't even a formal technique—
Just high-level application of nature transformation.
With Chakra Control at Lv11, such constructs were effortless and economical.
Their only flaw—
They weren't particularly durable.
But as obstacles, they were more than sufficient.
Once he gained distance, Taichi formed seals again.
Ice Release – Ice Dragon Strangle.
Three colossal ice dragons burst upward from the frozen ground, spiraling together as they lunged toward Saori.
If caught—
Her body would be crushed instantly.
Just as the dragons were about to coil around her—
A massive fireball roared in from the side.
It slammed directly into the head of the leading dragon.
Taichi calculated quickly.
That fireball, while powerful, shouldn't have been able to melt the dragons before impact—
But then—
Something changed.
The originally orange-red flames flared violently.
Their color shifted—
From amber—
To blazing gold.
The temperature skyrocketed.
The ice dragons evaporated in an instant.
Taichi blinked.
Saori stared in shock.
She had assumed it was Taichi's technique—
But Yōhei gave him no time to process.
Seizing the split second of distraction—
Yōhei closed the distance.
His fists descended like a torrential storm.
The first blow landed—
Crack.
A crisp, unmistakable sound.
Bone fracture.
"Damn it—what the hell is this?!"
Every punch carried monstrous force—
On par with Tsunade's raw strength.
Taichi blocked only a few before being driven backward repeatedly.
"Monster…" he muttered internally.
Ice Release alone wasn't going to hold.
"Stop! Stop! I'm really Taichi!"
They didn't slow down.
Seeing no alternative, Taichi stopped holding back.
Golden flames erupted around his body.
His broken arm regenerated instantly.
The searing heat forced Yōhei backward.
Yōhei staggered a step—
Then blinked.
"…You really are Taichi."
A thin line of blood trickled down from his right eye.
The Mangekyō was active.
And judging by the power spike—
It wasn't just awakened.
It was already beginning to reveal its true potential.