Chapter 185: Report and Return
Inside the central command tent of Konoha's frontline camp in the Land of Rivers, Minato and Taichi finally returned after two days of exhausting travel.
After reporting everything they had witnessed in the Land of Birds to Jiraiya and Shikaku, the two fell silent.
It wasn't that they had nothing to say—but rather, they feared that their own speculation might interfere with the judgment of these two.
So even during the report, they had been extremely cautious, sticking strictly to what they had personally observed.
"It seems Sunagakure and Iwagakure are about to join forces," Jiraiya muttered.
"Not necessarily an alliance," Shikaku replied calmly. "At most, a tacit understanding among their leadership. After all, Sunagakure formally declared war on Iwagakure, and they've just gone through a brutal battle. The hatred among the lower ranks won't disappear so easily."
As expected of the Nara clan—just from Taichi and Minato's report, he had already grasped the essence of the situation.
"Sunagakure…" Jiraiya snorted coldly, clearly displeased. "Breaking promises again and again. They just signed an alliance with us, and now they're already setting their sights on Konoha."
Taichi and Minato exchanged a glance.
So their suspicions hadn't been paranoia after all.
Both Sunagakure and Iwagakure—
Were indeed turning toward Konoha.
"Someone!"
At Jiraiya's command, a ninja entered.
"From this moment on, double patrol forces. Expand the surveillance perimeter. Any intelligence coming from the Land of Wind must be reported to me immediately."
"Yes!"
Once the messenger left, Jiraiya turned back to them.
"Taichi, your team's mission duration was two months, correct?"
"Uh… yeah," Taichi replied, slightly confused. "Now that you mention it, it's been almost three months."
"Then it's time," Jiraiya said matter-of-factly. "Take your team and return to the village while there's still no major fighting."
Taichi frowned. "But… sensei, wouldn't that make us look like we're running away?"
Jiraiya's expression hardened.
"Nonsense. Completing your mission and returning to report is standard procedure. Besides, I'm not saying you can't come back."
That was when Taichi finally understood.
They had originally come here on assignment—not as permanent frontline forces. And with a large-scale war about to erupt, if they didn't return now, they might not get another chance for a long time.
Battlefields were unpredictable.
No one could guarantee survival.
Yōhei and Saori had families.
Even Taichi had people he needed to see—Nonō and the others at the orphanage.
This return—
Was necessary.
"I understand. Thank you, sensei."
This was the advantage of having a high-ranking mentor. Things you might overlook—they would consider for you. And more importantly, they had the authority to act on it.
At a time like this, frontline shinobi didn't just get to leave whenever they wanted.
"Minato, your team as well," Jiraiya added. "Take this opportunity to return. You can come back once the war officially begins."
"Understood, sensei."
---
After leaving the command tent, Taichi and Minato quickly found Yōhei, Kakashi, and the others.
They had just returned from a mission and were training together in a small forest.
The battlefield truly was the best teacher.
Even with fewer active battles recently, the atmosphere alone pushed people to improve.
And nowhere was that more evident than with Obito and Rin.
Obito had grown steadier, his presence now comparable to experienced chūnin.
Rin carried herself with newfound confidence—nothing like a fresh graduate anymore.
Three days apart, and one could already see the difference.
---
The moment Taichi and Minato appeared at the edge of the forest, Yōhei—still fighting three-on-one against Kakashi, Obito, and Rin with his Sharingan active—was the first to notice.
Despite being outnumbered, he could still track his surroundings effortlessly.
"Alright, stop," Yōhei said, forcing Kakashi back with a punch before stepping away. "Taichi and Minato-senpai are back."
Only then did the others notice.
Kakashi and Rin looked pleasantly surprised.
But Obito—
Why did he look like he was about to cry?
And what was with that expression of finally being freed?
So much for "growing steadier."
---
"Sensei! You're finally back!" Obito dashed toward Minato—only to abruptly change direction midway and rush toward Taichi instead.
"Taichi, you've got to do something about Yōhei! This is inhuman! He keeps picking on me!"
Taichi blinked, confused, then glanced at Kakashi and the others.
Rin and Saori were already covering their mouths, trying not to laugh.
That told him everything.
"Were you slacking off during training again?"
A direct hit.
Obito froze on the spot.
Taichi didn't even bother saying more.
Serves him right.
---
Ignoring him, Taichi walked over to Yōhei and Saori.
"How've you been?"
Yōhei laughed loudly, deliberately raising his voice while glancing at Obito sulking in the distance.
"Thanks to my dear little cousin, I haven't been bored at all."
Yeah… these two were definitely at odds now.
Taichi lightly punched his arm and whispered, "Don't go too far. If he gets strong later and comes for revenge, don't come crying to me."
Yōhei stared at him in disbelief, pointing at Obito and then himself.
Him? Beat me?
Taichi just smiled.
Who knew?
If Obito awakened Kamui…
Things might get interesting.
---
"Anyway," Taichi said, changing the subject, "I just came from the command tent. Jiraiya-sensei approved it—our mission is complete."
"We're heading back to the village tomorrow."
"Really?!"
This time, it was Saori who exclaimed.
Unlike the others, she couldn't hide her emotions.
After months of intense fighting and constant exposure to death, she had long wanted to return home—but never said it aloud, considering the circumstances.
"Of course," Taichi said, feeling a bit guilty for not noticing sooner. "Let's pack up. We leave early tomorrow. Honestly, this is the longest mission we've ever had."
---
Over on the other side, Minato had also informed Kakashi's team.
Obito, who had just been sulking, was now bursting with energy—more excited than Rin, hopping around like a restless bird.
But the moment he saw Taichi and Yōhei approaching—
He instantly behaved.
Looks like he'd really been "trained" well.
---
"Minato-senpai," Taichi said, "let's head back together tomorrow. It'll be good to have company on the way."
Before Minato could even respond, Saori and Rin Nohara had already linked arms, happily nodding in agreement—completely ignoring the pitiful look on Obito's face.
"Alright, no problem. Let's go together," Minato said with a renewed smile, the earlier heaviness gone from his expression.
That night, inside Taichi's team tent, Taichi was carefully nourishing Yōhei's eyes with chakra while Saori packed up her belongings.
"Taichi… is the war about to start again?" Yōhei asked, eyes closed, finally voicing what he hadn't been able to ask during the day.
Saori paused her hands and turned, quietly waiting for Taichi's answer.
Despite his usual carefree attitude, Yōhei was nothing like Obito in this regard. After all, he had once ranked near the top of his class—a true academic standout.
"Yeah… probably very soon," Taichi replied calmly. "We're only able to return now because there's a brief lull. Once things escalate, there might not be another chance."
Silence settled over the tent.
No normal person truly liked war—especially those who had already witnessed its brutality.
And the three of them… were all very normal.
Even Taichi, who often pushed himself toward the battlefield, did so only to grow stronger through real combat. Deep down, he hated war just as much.
Yōhei lay there, feeling the soothing warmth of chakra around his eyes, yet unable to ease the restlessness in his heart.
"Taichi…" he finally said, his voice tinged with rare confusion. "Why is there war at all? Villages like Sunagakure and Iwagakure fight to the death one moment, then calculate their way into a ceasefire the next—only to turn around and prepare for another war."
He opened his eyes, the green chakra glow blurring his vision, yet his gaze remained fixed on Taichi.
"For the desires of a few people… everyone else has to risk their lives."
Taichi's hands didn't stop, but he gave Yōhei a long look. He hadn't expected a question this deep.
War—such a heavy topic. Heavy enough to crush innocence.
"Profit... profit is everything." Taichi said quietly, his tone steady and mature. "Or more precisely—resources for survival."
"The Land of Wind is mostly desert, surviving on scattered oases. The Land of Earth is filled with rocky mountains. The Land of Lightning sits on high plateaus, plagued by constant storms. The Land of Water is just islands—isolated and resource-poor."
"And then there's the Land of Fire."
"Vast plains, mild climate, abundant resources. There's no better place to live."
He looked at them both.
"Why do we get to live here… while others don't?"
"Do you think they wouldn't feel envy? Jealousy? Hatred?"
"And those emotions… are the spark of war."
"Ninjas fight over grudges. Nations fight over survival."
"The shinobi world, at its core, is nothing more than competition between great powers and the plundering of resources. 'Peace' is often just the breathing space before the next war."
Yōhei sat up abruptly, emotion rising in his voice.
"But people die—so many people! Even their own families! How can they just accept that?!"
Taichi's tone softened, though a trace of helplessness lingered beneath it.
"An individual can be rational. But when it becomes a group… or a nation, rationality disappears."
"At that point, only national interest remains—and that's not something any single person can change."
"As shinobi, we're caught in that current."
"All we can do… is try to see clearly. Not let meaningless hatred consume us. And…"
His gaze swept across Yōhei and Saori, turning firm.
"…protect the people we care about."
"That's our reason to fight."
"War may be unavoidable. But at least—we can choose who we stand for, and who we stand against."
Yōhei fell silent. His clenched fists slowly loosened.
Saori quietly returned to her bedding, hands folded on her knees, head lowered.
War was still terrifying.
But the will to protect—
That gave it meaning.
The green chakra gradually faded as Taichi finished.
He patted Yōhei's shoulder lightly. "Get some rest. When we return to the village… spend time with your family. You'll feel better."
That final night on the front line, everyone drifted into sleep with their own thoughts—some calm, some conflicted, some quietly hopeful.
---
At dawn, just as the sky began to brighten, their tent flap was suddenly thrown open.
The culprit? Obito Uchiha.
With dark circles obvious even through his goggles, it was clear he hadn't slept either.
"Taichi! Yōhei! Saori! Get up! Let's leave early—we'll get back to the village sooner and see Grandma faster!"
Despite his exhaustion, his energy was overflowing.
Yōhei, who had just been about to retaliate, paused when he heard that—and slowly withdrew his hand from his pillow.
…Fine. He'd let him off this time.
With Obito around, sleep was no longer an option anyway.
The group got up and stepped outside—just in time to run into Minato, Kakashi, and Rin.
Seeing Obito emerge from their tent, Minato laughed apologetically.
"Sorry about that, Taichi. He was so excited he didn't sleep all night—and still came to bother you this early."
Taichi glanced at Obito, clearly exasperated.
Some people just never learned.
Raising his voice deliberately, he said to Yōhei, "Obito has way too much energy. Make sure you train him properly on the way back—for his own good."
Yōhei froze for a second—then caught on immediately.
"Of course. I've actually come up with a new training method. Perfect timing to test it on him."
In an instant, Obito froze solid.
His neck creaked stiffly as he turned toward them, looking utterly betrayed—on the verge of tears.
The sight sent Minato and the others into laughter, even lifting the last traces of early-morning fatigue.
Of course, it was just a small moment of humor.
Since everyone was already awake, they quickly washed up and ate.
After all—
The sooner they set off, the sooner they could go home.