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Deep in the thick forest, two Sand ninjas sprinted for their lives. Their faces were twisted with panic and terror as they kept glancing over their shoulders, as if something monstrous was chasing them.
Up ahead, the trees thinned out like doorframes opening onto brightness—the edge of the forest. Once they broke through, they'd reach friendly territory.
The light grew brighter. They were almost out. Then a dozen kunai shot from different angles deep within the woods.
The two ninjas stumbled to a halt right at the forest's edge, staring down at the blades that had punched clean through their chests. Their legs gave out. One man weakly stretched his right hand toward the sunlight just beyond the trees… and died.
Three young Leaf ninjas flickered into view beside the corpses. They quickly cleaned up the scene, retrieved their kunai, made sure the bodies were dead, and left without a backward glance.
This was Team Kakashi. Eight days had passed since their first real mission.
In those eight days, the three of them had changed completely. From stumbling beginners who made every mistake possible to calm, capable operators—they were improving at a shocking speed.
The battlefield truly was the best teacher. Two or three real fights every day, constant trap awareness, and the ever-present threat of death had forced them to grow fast.
Thankfully, Team Taiichi was always nearby. Whenever the rookies ran into something they couldn't handle, Taiichi's squad stepped in at the perfect moment—giving them real combat experience while pulling them out of danger.
Even so, accidents still happened.
That day, Obito had moved in to finish off a dying enemy. The moment he got close, the Sand ninja triggered every explosive tag on his body. The blast sent Obito flying more than thirty feet.
The explosion came out of nowhere. No one had expected such a desperate final attack. Rin's eyes turned red instantly. She rushed toward Obito like a madwoman.
But Taiichi was faster. He flickered in first, dropped to his knees beside Obito, and activated full sensory mode. Green healing chakra exploded from his hands, covering Obito's entire body.
The rest of the team arrived seconds later. Yohei grabbed the tearful Rin and held her back. She was in no state to help right now—she'd only get in the way. Better to let Taiichi work alone.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Trust Taiichi—you can see how calm he is," Yohei told everyone, trying to keep spirits up.
No one blamed Rin for panicking. Obito looked horrible. Half his body was burned black, his organs were displaced, and he was bleeding internally. If they'd been even two or three minutes slower, he would have died for sure.
But Taiichi was right there.
Chakra scalpels sliced away the charred clothing. His right hand used Mystical Palm to reposition organs and stop the bleeding while his left hand poured massive amounts of Yang-natured chakra through Obito's body, keeping every cell alive during treatment.
It took over twenty minutes to stabilize the internal damage. Then Taiichi moved on to the surface burns. Those were severe but much easier to fix.
Mystical Palm accelerated cell growth while Yang chakra nourished the new tissue. When Taiichi finally pulled his hands back, Obito was completely healed—except for being deathly pale and completely naked.
Rin dropped to her knees immediately and started gently cleaning the grime and smaller scrapes Taiichi hadn't bothered with.
A few moments later, Obito stirred. His memories were fuzzy—he remembered being blown up by explosive tags. Was he already in the afterlife?
He thought of Rin—he still hadn't confessed. He thought of his grandmother—she was getting old and had no one to look after her. Tears started rolling down his cheeks.
Everyone exchanged confused glances. Was he crying from relief?
Obito finally woke up fully. When he saw his worried teammates, he realized he was still alive. When he saw the concern in Rin's eyes, he decided that even dying would have been worth it.
Then he felt a cool breeze on his skin. He looked down.
He was completely naked.
"AAAAH!" Obito let out a high-pitched shriek and curled into a ball like a shy maiden. "Clothes! Dammit, Kakashi—give me some clothes!"
Seeing that Obito still had the energy to worry about being naked, everyone finally relaxed. The treatment had clearly worked. No lasting damage.
"Kakashi!" Obito yelled again, but Kakashi just stood there awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
"I don't have any spare clothes either…"
Everyone burst out laughing.
At that moment, a set of clothes landed on Obito. Yohei had finally taken pity and handed over his spare uniform.
Obito quickly dressed, still red-faced. He was about to complain when Taiichi spoke up.
"Obito, how do you feel? Any pain anywhere?"
Obito froze. Only then did the memory of the explosion hit him. A wave of fear washed over him.
He patted himself down, jumped in place, and finally confirmed he was really okay.
A single tear slipped from the corner of his eye—this time from pure relief.
"Remember this," Taiichi told the group. "Never underestimate any enemy on the battlefield. Never let your guard down. For finishing moves like that, just throw a kunai. Why risk getting close?"
Everyone nodded. Especially Obito—he was nodding so hard it looked like his head might fall off. This lesson was burned into him for life.
Just as they finished cleaning up and were about to leave, Taiichi suddenly drew his blade and slashed at a large tree nearby.
A bright golden flame blade shot out and sliced the tree cleanly in two. The cut edges were scorched black.
Everyone jumped, assuming an enemy had appeared. They dropped into fighting stances and stared in the direction of the tree.
Nothing moved.
"Taiichi, did you sense something?" Saori asked, voicing what they were all thinking.
"I thought I felt something there for a second… but it's gone now."
Taiichi kept his tone casual, but he already had a strong suspicion. Something had been hiding inside the tree, moving without a sound and getting dangerously close. If it hadn't leaked the tiniest trace of presence, he never would have noticed.
That had to be a White Zetsu using its Mayfly Technique. He glanced at Obito. It was probably here for him.
Yohei and Saori caught the look in Taiichi's eyes and understood immediately. Since he didn't want to explain, they didn't press.
"Let's head back to camp," Taiichi said. "We've been out long enough. Time to rest and resupply."
"Got it!"
---
Not long after they left, two white heads poked out of the ground.
"Whew, that was close! We almost got caught!"
"Yeah, yeah! His senses are crazy sharp. I just breathed a little too loud and he noticed."
"Good thing we ran fast. That slash would've cut me in half. I still haven't experienced what it feels like to poop!"
"You can't poop. Why would you even want to know what that feels like?"
"Because I can't! That's exactly why I want to know!"
The two White Zetsu argued for a long time. Finally one of them vanished while the other sank back into the ground, following the direction Taiichi's team had gone.
---
When Team Taiichi returned to the Leaf camp, they immediately noticed the heavy, restless atmosphere. Everyone looked exhausted and on edge. Many shinobi were busy tearing down tents.
Taiichi shot Yohei a look. Yohei understood instantly and stopped a passing chunin.
"Excuse me, senior—what's going on with the camp? Are we moving out?"
The older chunin looked annoyed at being grabbed, but when he saw who was asking—and recognized Taiichi—he quickly bowed.
"Hello, Lord Taiichi!"
Taiichi hadn't expected to be recognized, but he returned the greeting politely and asked about the camp.
The chunin sighed. "We can't hold this position anymore. Yesterday Sand's forward scouts reached the camp gates. Lord Jiraiya has ordered a full withdrawal back into the Land of Fire to set up a new defensive line."
So the plan had reached this stage.
Taiichi thanked the man and led his team toward the mission desk to turn in their report.
"Taiichi, are we really pulling back?" Obito asked, confused. "I thought we were doing pretty well out there."
Taiichi glanced at Obito, then at the busy camp around them, and chose to stay silent.
Kakashi answered for him. "What you saw was only our small corner of the war. Overall, Leaf is at a disadvantage right now."
Obito looked at Kakashi, then at the silent faces of the others. His usual energy faded.
By the time they reached the mission desk, Taiichi had already decided.
"You three go rest. I'm heading to the main command tent to get the latest on the camp situation."
The others knew about Taiichi's connection to Jiraiya, so they watched him leave with hopeful eyes, waiting for any new information.
---
After being announced multiple times, Taiichi was finally allowed into the main command tent.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw more than a dozen jonin seated on both sides. He recognized Captain Yamaguchi, Director Fujita, Minato-sensei, and a few other jonin he had treated before. Most were strangers.
They were clearly in the middle of a meeting.
No wonder entry had been so strict. Normally he could walk right in.
"Taiichi, you already know the situation, and everyone here acknowledges your strength," Jiraiya said, scanning the room. No one objected. "Find a seat in the back and listen in."
Taiichi looked around. When he saw only friendly nods, he didn't refuse. He took the last seat on the right side.
"Shikaku, continue," Jiraiya said.
"Everyone, we already explained the plan earlier. Tomorrow your main job is to hold off the Sand pursuit and keep the retreat orderly. We cannot allow it to turn into a rout. Once we reach the designated ambush zone, that's when we counterattack."
"Shikaku, the plan sounds good, but we need manpower for a counterattack," a dog-clan jonin spoke up. A massive black dog the size of a calf lay beside him. "Right now we're barely holding the defensive line. Where are we supposed to get the troops for a counterattack? Has reinforcement from the village arrived?"
The dog jonin's question echoed what most of the jonin were thinking. They had been pushed back hard lately. They would have counterattacked already if they had the numbers.
"Reinforcements are not coming," Shikaku said, dashing their hopes. Before anyone could protest, he continued, "But the manpower issue has already been solved—by Taiichi."
Shikaku gave Taiichi a respectful nod, deliberately giving him the spotlight.
Every head turned toward Taiichi. Some looked curious, some surprised, but most looked confused.
A few who knew Taiichi's medical skills—like Captain Yamaguchi—showed sudden understanding.
Shikaku didn't drag it out. "More than twenty days ago, the day Taiichi arrived, he already developed the antidote. That's why all the poisoned shinobi who were supposedly sent back to the Land of Fire were actually hidden away, waiting for the decisive moment."
The command tent exploded.
Some couldn't believe it. Some cheered. Some laughed with pure relief. Everyone vented the emotions they had bottled up for weeks. Many of the jonin had already been prepared to die for the village.
When the noise finally died down, Jiraiya stood up for the final summary.
"Everyone, tomorrow's battle is critical. If we win, we will cripple Sand's fighting strength and lay the foundation for future victories.
But none of that matters if tomorrow's retreat turns into a rout. So I'm counting on all of you—hold the line. Do not break!"
"Yes, sir!" Every jonin stood and answered with one voice.
As the meeting ended and the jonin began filing out, each one paused by Taiichi's seat. Some nodded respectfully. Some patted his shoulder. Everyone showed him genuine goodwill.
It wasn't just because of his strength. They respected what he had contributed.
If anyone had still looked down on him when he first entered the tent, that was gone now. Every jonin in the room now saw Taiichi as one of their own—even if he still only wore a chunin vest.
After most of the jonin had left, only Jiraiya, Minato, and Taiichi remained.
"Jiraiya-sensei, do you have any orders for me tomorrow?" Taiichi asked, clearly eager for action.
"You'll be with your squad, holding back the Sand pursuit," Jiraiya answered.
Taiichi's expression didn't change, but he pressed on. "Sensei, I'd like to operate alone tomorrow."
Both Jiraiya and Minato looked stunned. They knew Taiichi was strong, but they didn't know the full extent of his power. In their eyes, he was at best a veteran jonin—still a step below elite.
"What?" Jiraiya asked.
"Sensei, please trust me. If I'm asking for this, it's because I have the ability."
"And your squad?" Minato asked, worried. "What about Kakashi and the others?"
"Yohei is already jonin-level. Saori and Kakashi are special jonin. After these past weeks of training, Obito and Rin are far stronger than before. I have faith in them too."
Jiraiya and Minato exchanged a long look. Taiichi stayed silent, meeting their gazes with steady determination.
Finally Jiraiya made his decision. "Fine. Since you're asking, you'll operate alone tomorrow.
But Taiichi—remember, your safety comes first. Do not take unnecessary risks!"
"Yes, sir!"