Chapter 177 – Eyes, The Beginning
At the front-line camp in the Land of Rivers, after spending three days acting as an instructor, Taichi finally received news that Yōhei's team had completed their mission and returned to the Konoha camp.
The moment he heard, he glanced at the medical-nin around him—many older than him by years—yet all staring at him with eager, almost hungry eyes for knowledge. Without hesitation, he created a shadow clone to continue teaching in his place, while his real body headed toward the mission reception area.
This time, Yōhei and Saori had joined Minato's squad for a patrol mission. But calling it a "patrol" didn't quite do it justice—their range covered the entire Land of Rivers.
In truth, it was less patrol and more… a display of force.
After Konoha had driven Sunagakure back into the Land of Wind, those nobles who had sided with Suna, along with the fence-sitters who wavered between sides, all needed to be dealt with. But before applying pressure, sending elite squads led by a top-tier jōnin for armed patrols was essential. It reduced resistance, streamlined later negotiations, and made future mission assignments easier to secure.
Though the mission involved little direct combat, the mental strain was no less taxing. It drove home a harsh truth to Yōhei and the others—
The shinobi world was one where the strong preyed on the weak.
If you were weak, you could only be trampled. Only strength gave you the freedom to act.
So when Taichi saw them again, their appearances hadn't changed—but their aura had. In just a few days, they had grown, shedding a layer of innocence, stepping closer to adulthood.
Yet when their eyes met Taichi approaching them, he could still feel it—the bond between them hadn't changed. If anything, it had only grown stronger, like a diamond polished by hardship.
"Ah~ Minato-senpai, Yōhei, everyone—I've been waiting here for you for three days," Taichi greeted with a grin.
"Taichi, you're back already? Weren't you supposed to be gone for a month?" Yōhei asked, clearly delighted. He knew exactly what Taichi meant by "waiting."
Taichi glanced around. There were quite a few people nearby, and given his growing reputation, passing shinobi kept greeting him.
"Let's talk inside."
He gestured subtly and led the way toward a tent.
The group exchanged curious looks. Whatever Taichi had to say, it clearly wasn't something to discuss openly.
"Let's go. We could use some rest anyway—we've been traveling all day," Minato said, following behind.
Inside a larger tent, once everyone had entered, Taichi pulled down the flap and added an isolation barrier on top of it.
Now everyone's curiosity was fully ignited.
"This isn't classified," Taichi began, "Jiraiya-sensei didn't forbid me from sharing it. Just don't spread it around."
Everyone nodded eagerly.
Taichi paused for a moment, then said:
"The Third Kazekage… is dead."
"What?!"
The shout burst out instantly. Fortunately, the barrier held—otherwise, someone would have rushed in already.
"Why are you so loud?" Taichi shot Yōhei an annoyed look.
Among them, Yōhei had reacted the most. Minato, though shocked, remained composed. Saori and Kakashi were visibly surprised but controlled. Obito and Rin, however, were still trying to process the gravity of it all.
"That's… the Kazekage…" Yōhei stammered, pointing at Taichi, then at himself, completely at a loss.
They had just been fighting Sunagakure not long ago—and now their leader was suddenly dead. Anyone would be shaken.
"Taichi, what exactly happened? How do you know this so clearly?" Minato asked, cutting straight to the point.
Taichi grinned.
"I saw it with my own eyes."
And just like that, he began recounting his mission—adding a bit of embellishment here and there. Everyone listened, stunned, even Minato.
By the end, the way they looked at him had completely changed.
This kind of luck… it was absurd. To stumble upon such a situation and walk away with the bodies—anyone would be envious.
But once the excitement faded, a heavy realization settled in.
War… was likely coming again.
"Make the most of this time," Minato said seriously. "Once full-scale war breaks out, there won't be days like these anymore."
His gaze lingered especially on Obito.
The words struck home. Kakashi stood up first. "You guys talk. I'm going to train."
Rin followed. "I'll go check on him."
"Rin, wait for me!" Obito rushed after her.
Just like that, three people left.
Minato scratched his head awkwardly. "Was I too harsh?"
Taichi chuckled. "You're just looking out for us, senpai."
Minato stood as well. "I'll go check on them. As their instructor, I should teach them more."
Watching him leave, Taichi couldn't help but smile. Minato truly understood people—he had deliberately given the three of them space.
Now alone, Yōhei dropped all restraint.
"Taichi… you're ready, right?"
Taichi nodded. "Just finished improving it a couple of days ago. If you'd come back earlier, I might've disappointed you."
Yōhei's face lit up instantly.
"Then let's start now! I can't wait anymore!"
Even Saori looked on with anticipation.
"Of course. Come here."
Yōhei immediately sat cross-legged in front of Taichi, completely relaxed, trusting him fully.
Taichi took a breath, his expression turning serious. Whether his theory was correct… would be proven today.
He formed hand seals, and a greener, warmer chakra than before gathered in his palms. Slowly, he placed his hands at Yōhei's temples, letting the chakra seep in, carefully sensing and nurturing his eyes.
First, he checked the condition of the eyeballs and nerves. Thankfully, Yōhei had listened—there was no excessive damage.
Next came the Mangekyō's ocular power. Compared to when Yōhei had first awakened it, his power had increased by nearly fifty percent.
That rate of growth was astonishing—even chakra growth rarely reached such speed. It spoke both of the Mangekyō's potential and Yōhei's hard work.
More importantly, the increased power hadn't worsened the strain. Instead, through constant use and training, it had become more stable.
Taichi suspected this wasn't just physical—it was mental. Yōhei's growth hadn't been fueled by despair or hatred, so his power lacked the usual darkness associated with the Mangekyō.
"Yōhei, activate your Mangekyō. Use your ability," Taichi instructed.
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Yōhei activated it.
Instantly, the previously calm ocular power surged, coursing through his eye pathways. The pressure increased sharply.
As Yōhei used his right eye technique—Susanoo—the power became violent, crashing against the eye's structure.
At that moment, Taichi's Yang Release chakra flowed in—not clashing, but enveloping every cell like a lubricant, reducing the strain.
That was the brilliance of medical ninjutsu—his chakra integrated without rejection.
Taichi even realized—if Yōhei possessed this level of Yang Release himself, he might already have solved the blindness issue.
"Alright, stop."
Yōhei deactivated his Mangekyō. After a few more minutes of nurturing, Taichi withdrew his chakra.
"How is it?" Saori asked immediately, unable to hold back.
Taichi gestured for silence, glancing at Yōhei.
Yōhei, eyes still closed, felt the coolness and unprecedented ease in his vision. Even before opening them, he knew—
This had worked.
When he opened his eyes, the world before him felt like it had been washed clean by rain.
Tears streamed down his face.
"Taichi… it's clearer… your treatment works!"
Saori covered her mouth, overwhelmed with joy.
"Don't celebrate too early," Taichi said calmly. "This is only temporary. The root problem isn't solved. The clarity will fade with use."
He paused, then added firmly:
"But this proves my theory. Whether it's improving your own body or strengthening my Yang Release, both can suppress—and eventually eliminate—the problem. So don't lose hope."
"I won't!" Yōhei wiped his tears and burst into laughter, throwing his arms around Taichi and Saori.
Saori immediately slapped his hand away.
"Getting cocky, are you? Want me to fry you?"
Lightning flickered around her—her own growth clearly evident.
Raising his gaze beyond the camp, beyond the Land of Rivers, Taichi's thoughts stretched outward—
Across the entire shinobi world…
The real stage was only just beginning.
---
The disturbance within the Land of Wind did not go unnoticed. Sunagakure began deploying large numbers of ninja across the country, searching frantically for something. The scale of this movement was first detected by Iwagakure, their closest neighbor. Not long after, Kumogakure also picked up on the unusual activity.
At first, however, no one realized the seriousness of the situation. Most assumed it was just another routine operation by Sunagakure.
But two days later, a piece of news began to spread across the entire shinobi world—
The Third Kazekage had gone missing.
Silence. Shock. Disbelief. Stunned confusion.
That was the reaction across every village upon hearing it.
This wasn't just anyone—it was the leader of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. For such a figure to vanish within his own country… it was almost absurd.
Reality, once again, proved stranger than fiction.
In Iwagakure, inside the Tsuchikage's office, Ōnoki was quietly reviewing documents when the door burst open with a loud bang.
The sudden noise made his hand slip, leaving a long, jagged line across the scroll he was working on.
Veins bulged on his forehead as he roared, "Kitsuchi! What are you doing?!"
But Kitsuchi paid no attention. He rushed forward excitedly, waving a scroll in his hand.
"Father—huge news! This is massive!"
"Idiot! In here, you call me Tsuchikage-sama!"
Ōnoki snapped back sharply, though he still took the scroll.
Kitsuchi, still brimming with excitement, barely listened to the reprimand. "Yes, yes, Tsuchikage-sama," he said absentmindedly, then pointed at the scroll and blurted out, "The Third Kazekage has disappeared!"
"What?!"
Ōnoki froze, thinking he had misheard. He immediately opened the scroll and read it himself. After confirming it several times, he muttered, "So that's what Sunagakure has been searching for all this time… their Kazekage."
Kitsuchi nodded eagerly, his grin never fading. "Father, this is our chance! Sunagakure is bound to fall into chaos. Shouldn't we—"
Ōnoki shot him a sharp look, clearly displeased with his careless tone. "Disappeared? That's just Sunagakure deceiving themselves. At that level of strength, 'missing' is no different from dead."
As an outsider, he could see the truth far more clearly than those within Sunagakure.
They were still clinging to hope, believing their Kazekage could be found. But the longer they delayed, the more dangerous their situation would become.
Ōnoki was not a man who hesitated.
"Call an emergency council immediately," he ordered.
There was no debate, no wasted words. Everything moved with decisive clarity.
In less than half an hour, the high-level meeting concluded with a unanimous decision—
War against Sunagakure.
The reasoning was simple. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The disappearance of the Kazekage meant the loss of their strongest combat power, which would inevitably plunge the village into internal instability.
Moreover, a significant portion of Sunagakure's forces had been scattered across the country in their search, further weakening their border defenses.
A gift from heaven should not be refused.
There was no way Iwagakure would let this chance slip by.
That very same day, the massive war machine of Iwagakure roared into motion. Weapons, supplies, and provisions were mobilized at full speed.
Within just a single day, they had already assembled a force of one thousand ninja.