Chapter 194 — Diligence, Ambush
In the southern frontline camp, a strange phenomenon had started to spread.
One moment, you'd see Taichi in the medical camp, standing behind a medic, calmly guiding them through the use of the Mystical Palm Technique.
The next moment, in a quiet grove, another Taichi would be practicing swordsmanship—his short blade flashing relentlessly through the air.
And not long after that, you might run into yet another Taichi somewhere else, buried in scrolls, deeply researching a new technique.
At first, people thought they were mistaken.
But gradually, everyone realized the truth—
These were all shadow clones.
And every single one of them had one thing in common:
They were busy.
Relentlessly busy.
Soon enough, word spread throughout the camp—Taichi was using shadow clones to squeeze every possible second out of his time for training.
Naturally, some tried to imitate him.
After all, no shortage of shinobi craved power.
But those who truly understood the nature of shadow clones… hesitated.
And those few who didn't understand—and tried anyway—
Gave up after just one attempt.
The backlash of memory overload hit like a hammer:
Splitting headaches.
Total exhaustion.
No one who experienced it wanted a second round.
Taichi himself hadn't started with six clones.
He had built up to it—
One… then two… then more.
Even then, it was only possible because of his abnormal physical and mental stats, combined with the system's feedback reinforcing his progress.
This wasn't training.
It was torture.
And yet, he endured it daily.
People often say:
It's not scary when someone is more talented than you.
What's truly terrifying—
Is when someone more talented works harder than you.
At that point, no one in the camp questioned Taichi's strength anymore.
If you weren't convinced—
You were welcome to try training like him.
---
Outside the Central Command Tent
Watching Taichi dash past for the third time, Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and turned to Shikaku.
"I remember he could only maintain four shadow clones before. Why does that number look… off?"
"Six now," Shikaku replied calmly. "He added two more. He's pushing himself pretty hard."
Jiraiya whistled softly.
"He's really mastered shadow clones, huh…"
Then his tone shifted.
"What about that matter? Any results?"
Shikaku nodded.
"We caught him. A Chūnin from the barrier team. He was captured by Sunagakure three years ago during a mission… and turned."
Jiraiya's eyes sharpened.
"They've been planting seeds that long, huh? Did he give us anything useful?"
"His latest report was about Taichi," Shikaku said. "Sunagakure noticed our rising combat effectiveness. They suspected something and had him investigate."
Jiraiya's expression darkened.
"Damn it… we were too late."
They had noticed Taichi's impact early.
But there was no way to keep it secret—too many people had seen it.
All they could do was hope the enemy found out late.
But clearly—
Sunagakure had caught on faster than expected.
"And what do you think they'll do next?" Jiraiya asked.
Shikaku didn't hesitate.
"The intel was sent two days ago. And based on their prior movements, they were already planning a raid on our camp."
He paused.
"With Taichi now identified… they'll likely combine both objectives."
Jiraiya looked at him, waiting.
"They'll move soon," Shikaku concluded. "The sooner they act, the better for them. My guess—within the next couple of days."
For once, Shikaku spoke with absolute confidence.
Jiraiya nodded slowly.
"Then we'll prepare properly… and give them a warm welcome."
---
Meanwhile, Taichi
Completely unaware of the target now painted on his back—
Taichi continued training as usual.
Even if he knew, he probably wouldn't care.
In fact…
He might even welcome it.
After all, it had been nearly two months since he'd fought seriously.
His body was starting to feel… stiff.
---
That Afternoon
Shikaku found Taichi in the medical camp and quietly pulled him aside.
From today onward—
Stay in the medical camp at night.
Sunagakure may launch an attack soon.
With Taichi stationed there:
Protection could be concentrated
His strength could serve as a final safeguard
Taichi's eyes lit up immediately.
Finally—
A chance to fight.
"Don't worry," he said eagerly. "I'll stay in the medical camp. No one's touching the medics."
The excitement in his tone was obvious.
Shikaku felt a headache coming on.
He quickly clarified:
"You're the main target. The medical camp is secondary."
That only made Taichi more excited.
Even better.
"Want me to act as bait?" he asked eagerly. "Draw them all in?"
"…No."
Shikaku shut that down instantly.
"Stay in the medical camp."
"…Alright."
Taichi looked disappointed—
Then poof—
Turned into smoke.
Shikaku froze.
"…Shadow clone?"
So he had just spent all that time briefing… a clone.
After a long silence, Shikaku muttered:
"People who are good with shadow clones… are always trouble."
---
In the Forest
Taichi's real body paused mid-training as memories flooded back.
For a moment, he tensed—
Thinking something had gone wrong.
But after processing everything—
He relaxed.
"So… an ambush, huh."
Then he chuckled.
That clone's personality had clearly drifted.
Long-term clones always developed quirks.
Examples like Obito or even Naruto made that obvious.
Shaking his head, Taichi vanished—
Using Flying Thunder God to return to the medical camp.
No one noticed the switch.
He simply resumed teaching—
Calm on the surface.
But inside—
He was counting the hours.
---
Night Falls
Taichi dispelled all clones.
Adjusted his state.
Sat quietly in meditation.
Waiting.
The moon rose…
Climbed high…
Then began to fall.
Dawn approached.
Still nothing.
Taichi sighed, stood up, and stepped outside.
"Guess I waited for nothing…"
He turned, ready to grab some rest—
Then—
BOOM.
A violent explosion tore through the distance.
Direction:
Central command tent.
Taichi's eyes snapped open.
"Finally."
His senses flared outward instantly.
Multiple enemy groups had infiltrated—
Not just one.
The largest force targeted the command center.
Smaller squads were scattered throughout the camp—
Creating chaos.
But—
Konoha had been ready.
The initial panic lasted only moments.
Orders were quickly issued:
One group to encircle the infiltrators
Another to reinforce perimeter defenses
The chaos was contained almost immediately.
And in the midst of it—
Taichi stood still.
A faint smile forming.
After waiting all night—
The prey had finally arrived.
But the Sunagakure strike force—already clashing with Konoha's defenders—had no idea any of this had happened.
This was no ordinary unit.
It was an elite assault team.
More than a dozen jōnin had been assigned just to attack the central command, not to mention the countless chūnin accompanying them.
The moment they engaged—
A storm of ninjutsu erupted.
Wind, fire, lightning—
In the blink of an eye, everything within range was obliterated.
And yet…
No cheers followed.
Instead—
A chill crept up their spines.
Too quiet.
Why wasn't there any resistance?
"…Something's wrong."
The realization struck instantly.
"It's a trap! Retreat—don't engage, fall back immediately!"
The squad leader didn't hesitate for even a second.
But it was already too late.
The encirclement had closed.
---
Taichi's Side
From afar, Taichi withdrew his sensory perception.
The situation at the central command was already decided—no need for him to intervene.
Now—
His attention shifted to the medical camp.
Although it often felt like the camp was small—given how frequently Taichi moved between locations—
In reality, it stretched for several kilometers.
Which meant:
Aside from knowing the command center had been attacked—
The medical camp had no idea what was happening over there.
And if Konoha didn't know—
Then the invading Sunagakure force knew even less.
They were still proceeding exactly according to plan—
Heading straight for the medical camp.
Through his senses, Taichi locked onto them.
Fifty-plus enemies.
Ten jōnin among them.
If this group managed to launch a successful surprise attack—
The medical camp would be devastated.
After all, it was filled with:
wounded shinobi
medical personnel
Not everyone there had Taichi's combat ability.
But—
There was no "if."
The moment they stepped into Konoha's detection range—
The ambush had already begun.
Before the Sunagakure force could even reach the camp—
Hidden Konoha units struck first.
This wasn't the command center.
They couldn't evacuate patients or medics here without raising suspicion—
So the only option was:
Stop the enemy outside.
The timing of the ambush was perfect.
But the result—
Was anything but.
A golden dome suddenly erupted—
Expanding outward and completely enveloping the Sand shinobi.
A flawless defense.
Taichi saw it clearly from afar.
As Konoha's barrage of jutsu crashed down—
"Damn it…!"
"That's the Fourth Kazekage!"
"What the hell is he doing here—has he lost his mind?!"
Without hesitation, Taichi left behind two shadow clones to guard the medical camp—
And his real body shot forward at full speed.
At the same time, he shouted:
"That's the Fourth Kazekage—be careful!"
He had never met Rasa before—
But he had seen the techniques of Third Kazekage.
Aside from the color difference—
The resemblance was unmistakable.
No one had expected this.
Not Taichi.
Not Jiraiya.
Not Nara Shikaku.
For a Kage to personally join a stealth raid on an enemy camp—
It was reckless.
Even if successful, the chaos of battle could easily turn against him.
But here—
This battlefield favored him.
Surrounded by enemies—
His Magnet Release could be unleashed without restraint.
And once he seized momentum—
Konoha would be forced on the defensive.
---
Taichi's warning came just in time.
The golden dome shattered outward—
Transforming into countless needles of gold dust.
They shot in every direction.
The Konoha ambush force reacted instantly:
Earth Release: Earth Wall
Water Release: Water Formation Wall
Defensive jutsu rose one after another.
Those who couldn't cast in time dove behind their comrades' defenses.
Even so—
This was no ordinary attack.
Some defenses were pierced clean through.
Shinobi hiding behind them weren't so lucky—
Blood blossomed as golden needles punched through their bodies.
And those caught completely exposed—
Aside from a handful of jōnin and elite taijutsu users—
Dropped almost instantly.
One move.
A devastating area-wide strike.
The momentum of Konoha's ambush—
Was crushed in an instant.
But despite the overwhelming display—
Rasa's expression darkened.
His heart sank.
Everything had been planned perfectly.
A coordinated surprise attack.
And yet—
Konoha had been waiting.
Prepared.
If he hadn't reacted in time—
That first wave would have slaughtered his forces.
And worse—
His mind drifted to the other battlefield.
The central command assault team…
They didn't have someone like him.
If they had walked into the same kind of trap—
How many of them were still alive?
The thought gnawed at him.
Uncertainty turned into fury.
Losses were inevitable now.
But if they were going to bleed—
Then Konoha would bleed too.