Chapter 165 — Endurance, Reversal
At this moment, the main Sand shinobi pursuit force was receiving streams of intelligence reports from all directions.
Some reported battlefield achievements.
Some requested coordination.
Others called for reinforcements.
Overall—
The situation was still developing in Sunagakure's favor.
---
Although Konoha had deployed interception squads,
and those squads had indeed eliminated a considerable number of Sand shinobi—
To Sunagakure, these losses were nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
After all, they had also wiped out a number of Konoha's interception units—
And those had been elite forces.
---
Just then, another intelligence report arrived.
A jōnin responsible for intelligence—Aokawa—stepped forward and took it.
He read it carefully.
But within seconds—
His expression turned extremely grim.
---
Commander Shamon noticed immediately.
Though he sensed bad news, he didn't show much urgency.
In war, casualties were inevitable.
At worst—
A few more people would die.
That was all.
---
"Shamon-sama… we have a problem."
"There's a troublesome Konoha ninja."
"Based on the description, it should be that recently famous genius—Matsushita Taichi."
"He's operating alone on our flank…"
"And has already destroyed nearly fifteen squads."
"…including two jōnin."
---
Shamon's expression shifted slightly.
But he remained composed.
"It's fine."
"Mobilize forces. Lock him down."
"Don't let him continue rampaging like this—"
---
Before he could finish—
Another report was delivered.
Same process.
Same result.
But this time—
The content was even worse.
---
"Another Konoha ninja."
"Based on intelligence… it should be Namikaze Minato."
"Preliminary estimates—he's destroyed nearly twenty squads."
"…including at least two jōnin."
---
If Shamon had only been slightly concerned before—
Now his face turned as dark as iron.
Two people.
Just two.
And they had already wiped out over a hundred Sand shinobi.
Did they think Sunagakure's forces were something to be mass-produced?
---
"Where are the puppet units?"
"Split off part of them."
"Send them to eliminate these Konoha elites."
"We can't allow them to keep wreaking havoc."
---
"But if we do that," Aokawa hesitated,
"Our offensive strength against Konoha's main force will decrease."
"If they take advantage of that to break out—"
---
Before he could finish—
He stopped.
Because the messenger delivering the latest report looked even worse.
At that moment—
Both Shamon and Aokawa already had a bad feeling.
---
This time, Shamon didn't wait.
He stepped forward himself and grabbed the report.
His eyes scanned it rapidly—
And his expression grew colder and colder.
---
"No more discussion."
"Immediately split half of the puppet forces."
"Coordinate with other units."
"Wipe out those Konoha pests blocking our advance."
---
"Yes!"
Aokawa no longer objected.
He turned and carried out the order immediately.
---
With the puppet corps joining the battlefield—
The pressure on Konoha's interception forces increased dramatically.
And with that—
Casualties began to rise sharply.
---
Taichi didn't need reports to understand this.
He had already encountered the puppet units twice himself.
Although his ninjutsu and taijutsu were effective against puppets—
There were simply too many of them.
Even he could only repel them temporarily before retreating.
---
And during that process—
He had come across the corpses of Konoha shinobi more than once.
Think about it—
On such a vast battlefield, Konoha didn't have that many troops to begin with.
Yet Taichi had already encountered bodies twice.
That alone showed—
How many elites had died just to sustain this interception effort.
---
As he moved, Taichi continued searching for targets.
But by now—
The easy prey had already been eliminated.
What remained were all hard targets.
And if he got tied down too long in a fight—
The pursuing forces behind him would catch up.
At that point—
He would be the one in danger.
---
He checked the time.
It was nearly noon.
According to the pre-battle plan—
The interception squads were only required to fight until this time.
After that, they were to regroup with the main force.
Because by now—
The army should have almost reached the designated ambush zone.
---
Having confirmed the timing, Taichi didn't hesitate.
He turned and sprinted toward the Land of Fire.
This time—
Much faster than before.
---
As the interception squads began withdrawing one after another—
Sunagakure quickly noticed.
Without interference, their advance speed increased significantly.
---
By noon—
The scattered Konoha interception forces gradually regrouped with the main army.
---
When they had set out—
There had been over one hundred shinobi.
Now—
Fewer than sixty returned.
---
Nearly half had fallen.
The silence among the survivors was heavy.
---
Don't be misled by Taichi's ability to move freely through enemy lines.
Sunagakure was still a major shinobi village.
They had been fighting deep inside enemy-controlled territory.
It was like dancing in the hands of death.
Survival required both strength and luck.
---
And remember—
The weakest among those sent out were still chūnin.
Most had been elite squads led by jōnin.
Yet even so—
Nearly half had been wiped out.
With casualties this severe, if Jiraiya's plan were to fail, even his status as the Hokage's disciple might not be enough to shield him from the consequences.
"Taichi, over here!"
The call drew his attention. Turning toward the voice, a smile finally broke across his face—it was the group he had been searching for. A quick glance confirmed it: Yōhei, Saori, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. All five were present.
But as he approached, that smile slowly faded. Their expressions were off. Heavy. Exhausted. Especially Yōhei—faint streaks of blood still lingered at the corners of his eyes.
Taichi's expression darkened. Without a word, he grabbed Yōhei and leapt onto a nearby platform. Yang Release chakra surged into his hands and flowed directly into Yōhei's eyes. Through his perception, the damage became clear—ruptured capillaries, strained nerves, even slight neural impairment.
"If you keep pushing like this," Taichi said quietly, "you'll really go blind."
The words struck like thunder.
Yōhei let out a bitter sigh. "You think I want this? If I hadn't pushed… maybe you wouldn't be seeing five of us right now. Maybe four. Maybe even three."
There was no anger in his voice—only exhaustion, and the quiet helplessness of someone who had no choice. War didn't ask what you wanted. It forced your hand.
Taichi fell silent. Thinking back to his own battles earlier that day, he said nothing more and focused entirely on healing Yōhei's eyes.
By around two in the afternoon, roughly twenty kilometers from the border of the Land of Fire, Konoha's main force was finally intercepted.
There were no greetings, no exchanges of words. The moment the two sides met, battle erupted.
Sunagakure attacked with overwhelming momentum. Countless puppets surged forward as the vanguard, with close-combat shinobi following behind. Before the lines even clashed, the sky was already filled with ninjutsu, shuriken, kunai, and explosive tags raining down in a deadly storm.
On Konoha's side, Taichi had been placed on the front lines specifically because of his overwhelming Fire Release. As soon as the puppets entered range, waves of fire techniques erupted—Fireballs, Dragon Flames, Great Fire Annihilation—countless jutsu surging forward in unison.
And among them, one stood out unmistakably.
Golden flames.
Sunagakure had prepared for fire. Their puppets were treated with fire resistance, allowing many to continue advancing even while burning. But against those golden flames, it made no difference. The moment they were touched, even the toughest puppets were reduced to charred remains within moments.
That flame didn't just stand out—it drew every eye on the battlefield.
"That's him… the one with the golden fire—Matsushita Taichi!"
From the rear, Commander Shamon locked onto him immediately. Without hesitation, he issued the order: "Deploy elite puppet units. Focus everything on killing him. No matter the cost."
Three elite puppet-master jōnin broke away from the battlefield, silently closing in from three different directions.
At that moment, Taichi was already in motion.
His figure flickered through the battlefield like a phantom. Every appearance ended in destruction. A single punch shattered a puppet. A step forward crushed another. Golden flames formed around him without hand seals, raining down like a relentless storm—precise, continuous, suffocating.
Wherever he moved, the battlefield collapsed.
His presence alone boosted Konoha's morale and relieved pressure across the front lines. Naturally, it also made him an even greater target.
The three puppet masters moved into position, forming a perfect triangular encirclement. But to Taichi, their movements were obvious.
Before they could act, he vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared directly beside one of them.
Too close.
The puppet master's eyes filled with despair. To avoid detection, he had spread his puppets too far. Now he had no defense.
Taichi's fist came down.
A sharp crack rang out as bones shattered. The force crushed through the man's arms and into his chest, launching him like a cannonball. He was dead before he hit the ground.
For a brief moment, the battlefield seemed to freeze.
Then everything erupted.
Even Konoha's own forces were stunned. But the next second, morale surged. A faltering front stabilized.
The remaining two puppet masters immediately abandoned stealth, recalling their puppets into defensive and offensive formations. But Taichi showed no concern. Against puppet users, his abilities were simply too effective.
Ten minutes into the battle, Konoha was already nearing its limit. Though individual strength allowed certain areas to hold, most of the battlefield was under pressure. Without the jōnin holding the line, collapse would have already occurred.
Even Jiraiya had entered the battlefield personally, plugging a breach where a jōnin had fallen. Sweat lined his forehead as he fought, his gaze repeatedly flicking toward the flanks—waiting for something.
Reinforcements.
From the rear, Shamon watched with confidence. "No matter how strong individuals are, this isn't Hashirama's era. War is decided by overall strength."
But suddenly, movement on both flanks caught his attention.
Before he could process it, an intelligence ninja rushed forward, face pale. "Commander! Large-scale Konoha reinforcements have appeared on both sides—at least five hundred each!"
The words hit like a thunderclap.
"How is that possible?!"
Shamon's composure shattered. On the battlefield, chaos had already begun. The sudden reinforcements shattered formations and overwhelmed isolated units.
Then, two signal flares rose.
Konoha's.
Reinforcements confirmed.
Panic seized Shamon, and in that moment, he made the decision he would regret for the rest of his life.
"Retreat!"
At the front lines, the signal flares ignited Konoha's morale.
"Reinforcements are here! Counterattack!"
Doubt turned into certainty. Even the Sand shinobi began to falter.
Then the sky darkened.
With a thunderous impact, a massive toad descended onto the battlefield—Gamabunta.
Cheers erupted. Reinforcements had arrived, a summoned beast stood among them, and victory suddenly felt within reach.
For Sunagakure, it was the final blow.
When the retreat signal rose from their rear, their already shaken morale collapsed completely.
And as Jiraiya and Gamabunta unleashed their combined technique—Toad Oil Flame Bomb—the battlefield tipped irreversibly.
The rout began.
Sudden.
And inevitable.