Chapter 186: Response, Promotion
The journey back to the village wasn't urgent—but for those who had been away from home for so long, there was no way they would waste time on the road. Even without pushing themselves day and night, both squads moved at top speed. Even so, it would still take about three days to reach Konoha.
Faster than them, however, was the messenger hawk soaring through the skies.
Before Taichi and the others had even left the front lines, it had already departed a day earlier, carrying Jiraiya's report toward Konoha.
In just over a day, the hawk arrived.
When the intelligence officer saw the document marked as a highest-priority urgent dispatch, he was so startled he nearly crushed the hawk's leg.
Within ten minutes, after verification, routing, and reporting, the message finally reached the hands of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He didn't hesitate. The pipe in his hand—half-smoked—was forgotten as he immediately opened the letter.
The first thing that caught his eye was the bold headline:
"Iwa–Suna ceasefire. Target suspected to be Konoha."
His pupils shrank.
The worst possibility… had come true.
As he read on, the report detailed everything Minato Namikaze and Taichi had witnessed in the Land of Birds, along with Jiraiya's own analysis and that of his advisors.
At the very end, there was an additional note: Minato and Taichi's teams had already begun returning to the village—and Taichi had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Only then did a sliver of relief appear.
Taichi had actually learned the Flying Thunder God.
As a direct student of Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen knew better than anyone how difficult that technique was—and how valuable.
He himself had once attempted to learn it, only to fail due to lack of aptitude, eventually abandoning it under Tobirama's advice.
Now, with another user of that technique in Konoha, their tactical flexibility would increase significantly.
Their chances of victory—however slightly—had just improved.
But that small joy was quickly swallowed by a heavier concern.
If Sunagakure and Iwagakure had truly set aside their hatred, then it could only be for something greater.
And that "something"… was almost certainly the Land of Fire.
Hiruzen rubbed his temples.
If he had a headache, then everyone else would too.
Half an hour later, Konoha's top leadership had once again gathered in the Hokage's office—to collectively worry about what came next.
Meanwhile, after three days of travel, Taichi and Minato's teams finally returned to the long-missed Konoha.
The village gates weren't particularly grand—but the moment they came into view, a deep sense of relief and belonging rose from within.
Perhaps… that was what "home" meant.
Out on missions, even in camps, a ninja could never fully relax. Only here—back in the village—could they finally let their guard down.
Crossing through the gates, the village was as lively as ever. War hadn't drained Konoha of its bustle.
"Everyone's worked hard. Let's split up here. Go home and rest—I'll take Taichi to report to the Hokage," Minato said, turning to the group.
They had rushed back with hearts eager for home. Now, it was only right to let everyone reunite with their families.
Taichi nodded toward Yōhei and Saori. "Go on. Take a few days to rest. We'll set a regroup time later."
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.
Watching their teammates leave, Minato and Taichi didn't linger either. They headed straight for the Hokage Tower.
They, too, were eager to return home—but duty came first.
Inside the Hokage building, the atmosphere was completely different from the lively streets outside.
In the mission hall, ninjas hurried back and forth, taking assignments and leaving almost immediately. The usual ease was gone—replaced by urgency.
The tension seeped into both Minato and Taichi, washing away their earlier sense of comfort and replacing it with quiet seriousness.
They pushed open the office door.
Smoke lingered in the air. Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before a massive map of the shinobi world, brows tightly furrowed as if trying to memorize every detail.
Beside him stood the two advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. All three were silent, clearly deep in thought.
"Hokage-sama."
Minato and Taichi spoke in unison, breaking the silence.
"Ah, Minato, Taichi—you've returned," Hiruzen said, turning with his usual gentle expression. But the worry in his eyes was unmistakable.
"I've read the report Jiraiya and Shikaku sent back. You've done well. Now—I want to hear your firsthand assessment."
Minato, as the senior shinobi, spoke first.
He methodically described everything they had observed: Sunagakure's shift to a defensive posture after establishing their base in the Land of Birds, Iwagakure's probing attacks, the strange restraint on both sides, and finally the clearly separated patrol routes.
His explanation was calm, precise, and free of emotion—yet it filled in the gaps the written report couldn't capture.
Taichi added further details, especially what he had discovered while operating alone.
"Sunagakure's counterattack was efficient and highly coordinated—it was clearly planned in advance," he said. "But after that, the standoff between both sides… it didn't feel like enemies who had just fought a brutal battle. It felt more like… a tacit understanding. A silent agreement to stop fighting."
Hiruzen returned to his seat, fingers tapping lightly on the desk.
"Based on what you've seen, the situation is clear. Whether or not they've signed a formal treaty, Sunagakure and Iwagakure have shifted their focus away from each other… and toward us. Toward the Land of Fire."
Homura spoke in a low voice, "Who would have thought the chaos caused by the Third Kazekage's death would evolve into this so quickly…"
"This is the shinobi world," Hiruzen sighed.
Then he looked at Minato.
"Minato, your judgment and analysis were excellent—as expected of Jiraiya's most trusted student."
"Just doing my duty, Hokage-sama," Minato replied modestly.
Then Hiruzen turned to Taichi.
This time, his expression was more complex—surprise, approval… and even a hint of satisfaction.
"And you, Taichi…"
"In these three months, you've slain multiple elite jōnin, saved numerous Konoha lives with medical ninjutsu, recovered critical intelligence—and even brought back the Kazekage's body."
"Each of these achievements alone would be remarkable."
"I had intended to promote you directly to jōnin…"
He paused slightly.
"…but unfortunately…"
A trace of regret appeared in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.
"According to village regulations, promotion to jōnin requires not only sufficient merit and strength, but also a certain number of high-level missions to accumulate experience. You've simply been a ninja for too short a time. You're still a bit short of the formal requirements."
Taichi listened calmly. He had expected this outcome. He simply nodded.
"Yes. I understand the village's rules."
"But—" Hiruzen's tone suddenly rose, shifting sharply, "while I cannot promote you to jōnin… I can promote you to Special Jōnin."
"Special Jōnin emphasizes not overall mission count, but exceptional ability in a specific field—enough to shoulder critical responsibilities. Your Flying Thunder God, along with your advanced medical ninjutsu, fully qualify you for that distinction."
He took a breath, his voice firm and resolute.
"Your achievements and strength are clear to both the village and myself. We intended to promote you earlier, but you were away on missions. Now, the timing is right. Therefore, in my capacity as Hokage—"
Hiruzen stood, his gaze sharp and commanding.
"Chūnin Matsushita Taichi, from this day forward, you are officially promoted to Special Jōnin of Konohagakure! Continue striving, and take on greater responsibility in protecting the village!"
Silence filled the office.
Minato Namikaze smiled warmly, pride evident in his eyes as he gave Taichi a small nod.
The two advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, exchanged glances. Though they said nothing, their approval was clear—this young man's merit and strength were beyond dispute.
Taichi had anticipated this moment, yet hearing it spoken aloud still stirred something deep within him.
It wasn't pure joy.
It was weight.
Responsibility settling onto his shoulders.
"Yes! Thank you, Hokage-sama, and the village, for your trust! As Special Jōnin Matsushita Taichi, I will give everything I have and never fail your expectations!"
"Good." Hiruzen's expression softened slightly, though concern still lingered. "War is approaching. Enjoy this brief peace—rest well, spend time with your family. It could begin tomorrow… or next week. When it does, the village will need your strength. The coming storm will arrive faster—and fiercer—than we expect."
"Yes!" Minato and Taichi responded together.
After leaving the Hokage's office, Minato accompanied Taichi to complete the formal procedures for his promotion. These steps were more than mere bureaucracy—they were a ritual, reinforcing a shinobi's identity and responsibilities.
Once everything was done, Taichi was officially a Special Jōnin.
"Congratulations, Taichi," Minato said with a smile. "You're probably the youngest Special Jōnin in Konoha's history. Who knows—you might even become the youngest jōnin someday."
"Haha, I should be thanking you, Minato-senpai. Without your help, I'd probably still be stuck in paperwork all day."
"Don't be so formal." Minato laughed, patting his shoulder. "This is exactly when a senior should step in."
Then his expression shifted slightly—impatient, almost eager—as if he had just remembered something important.
"Well, everything's done now. You should head home. I won't accompany you any further!"
Taichi immediately understood.
"Got it, got it. You're thinking about Kushina-neesan, right? Go on, don't worry about me."
He waved him off.
In the next instant, Minato vanished.
"Damn… Flying Thunder God really is convenient," Taichi muttered. "One day, I'll leave markers all across the shinobi world—go anywhere I want."
Pushing open his long-closed door, a faint layer of dust fell from above. Looking up, he noticed a spider had already made a home in the corner of the eaves.
Living alone in a large house had its downsides.
After long missions, the place felt empty—lifeless.
Standing in the quiet courtyard, Taichi suddenly had an idea.
Forming hand seals, he created two shadow clones.
One went out to buy groceries.
The other headed for the orphanage.
As for his main body—he set off toward the Konoha Hospital.
The hospital was always one of the busiest places in the village, and now even more so. With increased mission frequency and many skilled shinobi deployed to the front lines, both efficiency and overall capacity had taken a hit.
By now, Nonō Yakushi had risen to become the head of the emergency department thanks to her exceptional medical ninjutsu. Compared to before, she was far busier.
As Taichi stepped into the emergency ward, he spotted her in the distance, treating a chūnin with a fractured hand. Behind her stood four young ninja, carefully observing.
The scene reminded Taichi of his own time in the frontline medical camp, teaching other medical shinobi.
It seemed Konoha had realized the shortage of medical ninja and was now actively training more.
And rightly so.
A skilled medical ninja was invaluable on the battlefield. Without Taichi's presence on the southern front, casualties would have been at least doubled.
Compared to that, the cost of training medical ninja was negligible.
Konoha's leadership understood this calculation very well.
After finishing the treatment, Nonō carefully explained the key points of treating bone fractures to her trainees. Unlike the battlefield, she couldn't simply throw patients at them for practice. They had to take detailed notes and train on small animals before applying those skills in real cases.
As she straightened up, she suddenly felt a gaze lingering on her.
She turned.
And immediately saw, among the crowd—
That familiar face.
A wide grin. A hand waving enthusiastically.
"Taichi!" she cried out in surprise.