Chapter 166 — Pursuit, Captives
On a battlefield, the psychological impact of a large summoned beast is immense. But if Jiraiya had summoned it too early, when Sunagakure's forces were still unified and at full morale, there was a real chance it would have been focused down immediately and forced back to Mount Myoboku before it could make any impact.
Now, however, the timing was perfect.
Especially with the Sand's own commander issuing the retreat signal, completely extinguishing any lingering thoughts of counterattack among their ranks. When the massive Toad Oil Flame Bomb spread across nearly half the battlefield, the morale of the Sand shinobi near Gamabunta collapsed entirely, and the rout began to spread outward like a chain reaction.
Before that, Taichi had already dealt with the two puppet masters and was racing across the battlefield, putting out fires wherever he could. His monstrous strength-enhanced Body Flicker placed far less strain on his body, allowing him to rely on it constantly as he moved from one hotspot to another.
But even so, the numerical gap between Konoha and Sunagakure was too great. On average, each Konoha ninja had to deal with two enemies. No matter how hard Taichi pushed himself, he could only stabilize localized situations rather than turn the tide alone.
Fortunately, during the pre-battle briefing, all jōnin had been informed that reinforcements would arrive. Even though they were all placed on the front lines, they gritted their teeth and held on, preventing a complete collapse of Konoha's formation.
Feeling the dwindling chakra within his body, Taichi spared a glance across the battlefield, anxiety flickering in his eyes. Why aren't the reinforcements here yet?
Then, suddenly—signal flares rose from both flanks. Moments later, the giant toad descended. And immediately after, a vast sea of flames engulfed the Sand forces.
The counterattack had begun.
Swallowing a specially prepared soldier pill, Taichi's lips curled into an excited grin. He drew the short blade from his back—his fists were excellent against puppets, but against human opponents, a blade was far more efficient.
He flickered into a still-resisting cluster of enemies. With precise, refined swordsmanship, he coordinated seamlessly with nearby Konoha ninja, dispatching opponents in just a few swift exchanges.
As more and more Konoha forces were freed up and joined the counteroffensive, the balance of victory tilted completely in their favor.
At the center of the battlefield, Gamabunta rampaged freely. It didn't even need to attack directly—whenever Sand forces began to regroup, it simply leapt over, and the sheer force of its massive body and the wind pressure alone was enough to scatter them.
After several such disruptions, even the last remnants of organized resistance were crushed.
"Now's the time! Follow me and counterattack!"
Jiraiya's roar, amplified by chakra, drowned out the chaos of the battlefield. Every Konoha ninja heard it clearly.
"Konoha will prevail! Charge!"
Responding to his call, the Konoha forces surged forward. Jiraiya himself leapt from atop Gamabunta, landing directly in the midst of several Sand shinobi. With a flick of his hair, it extended into countless needle-like strands, impaling them instantly.
Without pause, he took the lead, charging straight toward the rear—toward Sunagakure's retreating command center.
Along the way, whenever he encountered clusters of fleeing Sand shinobi, he cast large-scale Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld, trapping them in place. The Konoha forces following behind finished them off swiftly with kunai and shuriken.
Taichi, having just assisted a surrounded Konoha squad by kicking away their final opponent, suddenly sensed Jiraiya's direction. His target was clear—the retreating Sand commander, Shamon.
A smile crept onto Taichi's face, like a predator spotting prey. Without hesitation, he burst forward in a high-speed Body Flicker, his figure cutting through the air as he chased after Jiraiya.
On the way, he spotted Yōhei and the others pursuing scattered enemies and shouted, "Come on! There's a big catch ahead—leave these small fry to the others!"
Yōhei turned, saw that Taichi was still in high spirits, and relaxed slightly. Hearing his call, he immediately abandoned the scattered Sand shinobi and led Kakashi and the others to follow.
Meanwhile, Shamon, fully aware that the situation was beyond saving, was retreating under the protection of his guards. He knew this battle had been a disaster. Even if he made it back to the village alive, the outcome awaiting him would not be kind.
But he couldn't afford to despair. He had to bring back as many of his remaining men as possible. Otherwise, even in death, he would have no face to meet the fallen.
At that moment, his loyal guards detected the pursuing enemies. Several capable chūnin, led by an experienced jōnin, stayed behind to block the path.
Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel.
Their combined wind technique formed a wall of slicing blades, sweeping toward the advancing Konoha forces.
"Out of the way!"
Jiraiya roared. A massive surge of chakra gathered, and his own wind technique erupted forward, smashing the incoming wall to pieces. Even at this stage, he was far beyond what ordinary jōnin could contend with.
The backlash of wind sent the Sand defenders flying. Almost simultaneously, Taichi, just a step behind, locked onto his targets.
Without hand seals, three golden Phoenix Flower fireballs formed instantly and shot forward, striking two midair enemies directly.
Their screams echoed sharply.
The remaining jōnin reacted quickly, deflecting one fireball with a chunk of rock. But fragments of the golden flames still clung to his arm, the searing pain disrupting his movements just long enough for Jiraiya to close in and knock him unconscious with a single punch.
More than a dozen Konoha ninja now followed behind Jiraiya in pursuit of the fleeing commander. At the same time, Sand shinobi from all directions attempted to intercept them.
War was ever-changing. In the morning, the Sand had chased Konoha. By afternoon, the roles had reversed. But clearly, the Sand had not prepared for defeat.
Though resistance appeared along the way, Konoha's pursuing forces were far from weak. Some intercepted the defenders, others broke through. And when faced with stronger enemies or larger groups, even stronger figures stepped forward—like Minato, who had just joined the pursuit, or Taichi himself.
Ten minutes into the retreat, Shamon finally found himself alone.
He knew there was no escape.
Rather than collapse from exhaustion while running, he chose to stop and face his enemy head-on. If he was to die, then he would do so with dignity.
He halted abruptly and turned to face the approaching Jiraiya.
"As expected of one of the Three Legendary Sannin… You've been planning this for a long time, haven't you?"
Jiraiya's expression was stern. "Don't make it sound like we set a trap for you. If you hadn't sought to destroy us, none of this would have happened."
Shamon let out a quiet sigh. It was true. This was a trap—but one the Sand had willingly walked into. In the end, it was his own greed that led to this outcome.
There was no more to say.
He attacked first.
But time had taken its toll. Once a powerful elite, he was now past his prime. Though he struck first, Jiraiya overtook him almost immediately, interrupting his hand seals with a powerful Great Flame Bullet.
Closing the distance, Jiraiya pressed the attack relentlessly. Fists and kicks drove toward vital points, each strike heavy and precise.
The sound of impact echoed repeatedly.
After just over ten exchanges, Shamon faltered. Jiraiya seized the opening and drove a brutal uppercut straight into his abdomen.
Chapter 166 — Pursuit, Captives (Part 2)
Doubling over, Shamon spat out a mouthful of blood. In that instant, he understood—he was finished. He had overestimated himself and underestimated Jiraiya. The gap between them was far greater than he had imagined. At this point, even dying quickly would be a luxury.
Just as he realized this, Jiraiya's uppercut lifted him clean off the ground. Before he could recover, a spinning kick followed, sending him flying through the air—straight toward Taichi, who had just arrived.
Taichi blinked in surprise, glancing down at the Sand commander sprawled before him, still coughing up blood. Confirming he was alive, he immediately understood Jiraiya's intent.
Stepping forward, he grabbed Shamon's arms and yanked hard. With a dull crack and a stifled groan, both arms were dislocated. Without pause, Taichi formed hand seals. Five distinct chakra signatures—wind, fire, lightning, earth, and water—gathered at his fingertips. With his left hand pulling aside Shamon's clothing, his right hand slammed down onto his abdomen, forming a sealing array in an instant.
It was the Five Elements Seal.
If it could suppress tailed beast chakra, restraining a normal shinobi was effortless.
Captured before countless witnesses, Shamon's defeat shattered the final thread of resistance. The news spread without needing Konoha to announce it—like a plague, it rippled through the remaining Sand shinobi still struggling on the battlefield.
Whatever will they had left broke instantly.
They abandoned their positions in the Land of Rivers, fleeing desperately toward the Land of Wind without even looking back.
---
"Sensei, what now?" Taichi asked, watching the scattered Sand forces being hunted down. He made no move to join the pursuit—not because he didn't want to, but because his chakra reserves were nearly depleted.
Jiraiya clearly saw his condition. The sealing technique had likely pushed him to his limit. "Take Shamon back and reorganize the troops. Treat the wounded. I'll lead the pursuit a bit longer."
He spoke decisively. "We paid a heavy price for this victory. We must squeeze every last bit of advantage out of it."
"Understood."
Taichi nodded, hoisting the unconscious Shamon over his shoulder and heading back toward the original battlefield. Along the way, he ran into Yōhei and the others. They were all breathing heavily, each carrying visible injuries.
Yet their eyes were bright.
Alive.
Fired up.
---
Taichi gave the captured commander a shake and grinned. "Come on, head back with me. This is a major prize—we need to make sure no stragglers try to snatch him away."
Of course, that was only part of the reason. They had all been fighting nonstop since morning, sustained purely by willpower. Now that the battle was ending, if that tension snapped mid-journey, exhaustion could drop them where they stood—and that would be dangerous.
Obito, as usual, was the most enthusiastic. Hearing there was "credit" to claim, he ignored his injuries, shoved past Kakashi, and leaned in to get a better look.
"So this is the Sand commander? Doesn't look like anything special. What was he thinking, trying to attack us?" he scoffed, hands on his hips.
Taichi felt a faint tremor from the body he was holding and couldn't help but smile. Already getting worked up? You've got a long way to go.
"Alright, let's move," he urged, noticing the fatigue creeping back into everyone's posture.
"Yes!"
---
Meanwhile, under Jiraiya's unified command, Konoha's pursuing forces pressed relentlessly, driving the Sand shinobi all the way out of the Land of Rivers. Had the Sand border forces from the Land of Wind not arrived in time, they might have pushed even further.
Thus, a carefully orchestrated counteroffensive concluded in victory—hard-earned, but decisive.
---
By the time Taichi returned to the designated rendezvous point with Shamon in tow, a temporary camp had already taken shape.
The air was thick with the scent of soil, blood, and medicinal herbs. Shinobi moved in all directions—some carrying the wounded, others erecting tents and defenses, others quietly collecting the bodies of fallen comrades. It was chaotic, yet orderly.
At the center stood Nara Shikaku, the strategist, issuing commands over a spread-out map. His voice was steady, his instructions precise, coordinating every aspect of the aftermath.
When he noticed Taichi—more specifically, the figure slung over his shoulder—he immediately cut off his current briefing and strode over.
"Taichi, everyone—you've done well," Shikaku said, his gaze briefly lingering on Taichi's exhausted but steady expression before shifting to Shamon. "And this is…?"
"The Sand frontline commander—Shamon," Taichi replied, raising his voice slightly so those nearby could hear. "I'm handing him over."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
Cheers erupted.
Starting from where Taichi stood, the sound spread outward in waves until it became a unified roar:
"Konoha—victory!"
---
Seeing morale surge, Shikaku's eyes gleamed. A rare, unrestrained smile appeared on his face. "Excellent. This is beyond expectations."
He clapped Taichi firmly on the shoulder, only to feel the subtle sway beneath his hand—clear signs of extreme exhaustion.
"You've achieved the greatest merit here. With Jiraiya still pursuing the enemy, your capture alone will boost morale tremendously—and it'll be crucial in future negotiations."
Taichi shook his head with a faint smile. "I didn't capture him. That was Jiraiya-sensei. I just brought him back."
He handed Shamon over to the receiving ninja. "I've placed a Five Elements Seal on him. He can't use chakra, but stay cautious."
Shikaku examined the seal briefly and was visibly impressed—it was even more refined than what their sealing teams typically used.
"Go rest," he ordered firmly, glancing at Yōhei and the others behind Taichi. "Especially you. You've exhausted your chakra completely. Recover immediately. The medical corps can manage for now—your condition is the priority."
---
Taichi had indeed reached his limit.
Continuous combat, pursuit, and finally sealing Shamon had drained him to the brink. His body felt hollow, as though every last bit of strength had been wrung out. Even standing required effort.
He nodded without argument. "Understood."
After offering a few words of encouragement to Yōhei and the others—praising their performance—Shikaku returned to his duties.
---
Taichi turned back to his teammates.
Yōhei leaned against Saori, his Sharingan closed, though his eyelids still twitched faintly—signs of overuse.
Obito had collapsed onto the ground, while Rin anxiously checked the heavily bandaged wound on his back, wincing alongside him.
Kakashi rested against a tree, his breathing uneven beneath his mask.
Saori's face was pale, her arms trembling slightly as she supported Yōhei.
---
"You all heard him," Taichi said softly, forcing a faint smile. "Find somewhere to lean and rest. Recover your strength and chakra."
No one argued.
They supported each other to a quiet corner at the edge of the camp. The moment they sat down against the trees, exhaustion washed over them like a tide.
Chakra depletion left behind a hollow emptiness, and the accumulated pain of battle surged back all at once. One by one, they closed their eyes and slipped into sleep.
---
Taichi leaned back against the rough bark of a tree, swallowing another specially made soldier pill.
He had to recover quickly.
The external battle might be over—
But another, more difficult one still awaited him.
And for that—
Even pushing his body further was worth it.
After all…
That kind of damage could always be healed later.