A moment later, in a quiet corner of a room within the Konoha front-line base.
After Takuno completed his handover with his Shadow Clone, he sat on a chair, stretched comfortably, and let out a soft sigh of satisfaction.
The smoke of war permeated outside, but it seemed to have nothing to do with him.
Although the war between Konoha and Kumogakure was largely instigated by him, the direct confrontations on the front lines never involved him.
Now, the severe injury of Yugito would undoubtedly cause a huge stir within Kumogakure, and their strategy would surely shift to defensive contraction.
At the same time, there was a high probability that they would send their true trump card, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer Bee, to reinforce the front line.
And the powerful leader, Fourth Raikage Ay, could also personally arrive on the battlefield at any time.
Once the Raikage moved, in response, Konoha's Yellow Flash Minato would also definitely rush to reinforce at any time, relying on the flying thunder god kunai left on the front line.
The grand spectacle of top-tier combatants clashing seemed about to begin.
However, Takuno's thoughts merely skimmed over these macroscopic battle situations before returning his focus to himself.
Because these had nothing to do with Takuno himself; they would fight their battles, and he had other things to do.
The "materials" he had collected had exceeded expectations, enough to support his research and experiments for a considerable period.
Even if this war ended immediately, his gains would already be overflowing.
Why let Yugito go?
Others might be puzzled by this question, but Takuno had his own calculations.
The answer was actually very simple: what he needed was merely pure Tailed Beast Chakra, free of the Tailed Beast's will.
He wasn't the one who needed a complete Tailed Beast, but rather—
His gaze penetrated the window frame, as if seeing that mysterious Akatsuki lurking in the shadows of the Ninja World!
He currently had no direct connection with the Akatsuki, so it seemed unnecessary to make concessions for their needs.
However, the Akatsuki's Ten-Tails was also a fallback for him.
His ultimate pursuit was not a Ten-Tails, but a simplified "Mini Ten-Tails"!
The core of this plan was that it didn't require gathering the complete origin of all nine Tailed Beasts, only a sufficiently powerful portion of will-less Chakra from each Tailed Beast.
The crucial issue was that no matter how ingenious this "Mini Ten-Tails Plan" was, it could only remain at the theoretical level, with the possibility of failure.
What if it failed? Where was his fallback? The answer lay with the Akatsuki!
Let the Akatsuki follow their plan to capture all nine complete Tailed Beasts and merge them into a truly powerful Ten-Tails.
If Takuno's own "Mini Ten-Tails" plan succeeded, he would naturally be able to ascend to the pinnacle of the Ninja World with this power;
But what if it failed—
Then, the complete Ten-Tails created by the Akatsuki would be regarded by him as a backup "Plan B"!
By secretly letting Yugito go, leaving her to be captured by the Akatsuki in the future, he was essentially reserving an ultimate fallback path to the power of the Ten-Tails for his potential failure.
The air on the battlefield was thick with an unsettling calm.
Just as Takuno had predicted, Kumogakure's offensive on the front lines had completely receded, transforming into a terrifying, defensive stillness.
This sudden shift in momentum weighed heavily on Jiraiya, Konoha's supreme commander, stirring deep doubts and caution within him.
Jiraiya stood before the map in the command center, his rough finger tracing the area representing the Cloud Ninja positions, his thoughts racing.
The sudden retreat of the enemy was clearly not a sign of goodwill.
The greatest possibility was that the unidentified "third party," like a sword hanging over their heads, made Kumogakure hesitant, fearing that if they fought to a mutual destruction, the lurking third party would reap the benefits.
There was also another possibility: had Yugito, the Jinchuriki who wielded Matatabi and the highest combat power on the Kumogakure battlefield, been severely injured in a clash with the third party?
This was Kumogakure's biggest weakness at the moment. Without her to hold him, Jiraiya, in check, the Kumogakure high command must have known they had no chance of winning on the front lines, making a defensive retreat an unavoidable tactical choice.
"Which situation is it—?" Jiraiya murmured to himself, his tightly furrowed brows revealing his inner uncertainty.
He knew Yugito's strength well. In her normal state, she might struggle to match him, but once she completed her Tailed Beast transformation—
Even he, a venerable Sannin, would have to go to great lengths to completely suppress her.
Not to mention her massive Tailed Beast form; if she was determined to escape, fleeing would be easy, and he would certainly not be able to stop her easily.
Moreover, it wasn't just Kumogakure that was wary of the third party; he was too.
This deep apprehension towards the third party was not limited to him alone.
During previous operational meetings, the consensus among Konoha's high command was crystal clear: a rash all-out assault on the retreating Kumogakure now carried risks far beyond imagination.
If that unknown "third party" harbored ill will towards Konoha, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Thus, the safest, yet most anxiety-inducing, plan was established: they must spare no effort to first ascertain the true identity of that "third party"!
At the same time, they also needed to ascertain the exact condition of Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito.
However, the passage of time brought no progress in the investigation; the intelligence network was like a stone thrown into mud, stirring not a ripple.
The mysterious force was elusive, like smoke. And Kumogakure's core base was heavily guarded, making it impossible for Konoha's infiltrators to advance even half a step; Yugito's specific intelligence remained a mystery.
A slightly self-mocking bitter smile appeared on Jiraiya's lips.
The two great Ninja Villages, once dominant, were now being forced into mutual apprehension and hesitation on this battlefield by a shadow whose identity was unknown.
This reality had a touch of absurd humor to it.
And the prolonged stalemate unexpectedly brought a moment of respite; the intelligence system was silent, and the fighting grew sparse.
The entire long Konoha-Kumogakure front line seemed to have been pressed into a brief, strange period of calm by an invisible hand.
This rare tranquility directly benefited the field medical camp in the rear.
Once upon a time, it was a hellish place, overcrowded and lit day and night.
Now, with fewer casualties, the exhausted medical Ninja could finally temporarily escape the encirclement of blood and pain, allowing their weary bodies and tense nerves to relax slightly.
It was on such a day, imbued with a precious atmosphere of peace, that Takuno appeared before Jiraiya.
"Lord Jiraiya." Takuno's calm voice brought the commander's thoughts back.
"Oh, oh, it's Takuno, my boy!" Jiraiya snapped back to attention, a hearty and sincere smile instantly spreading across his face, a smile born of genuine admiration.
"You've really worked hard during this time! Without your outstanding performance in the medical camp, the casualty figures on the front line would have multiplied several times over. Your hands have saved countless Konoha Ninja lives!"
Takuno's expression was modest, and he bowed slightly: "Protecting the lives of comrades is the duty of every Konoha Ninja."
"Haha, I knew you'd say that!" Jiraiya laughed heartily, his voice like a booming bell, full of vigor. "Tell me, boy, you specifically came to find me, what's the matter?"
"Medical camp affairs have been much quieter recently," Takuno stated calmly. "I plan to apply for rotation and temporarily return to Konoha headquarters for a period of rest."
Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully.
Come to think of it, among those in core positions requiring long-term duty in the medical camp, Takuno was the only one who had never applied for rotation.
He knew the pressure on the medical camp too well; every intense conflict meant the lights there would burn all night, with people constantly bustling about.
Even the toughest medical Ninja couldn't endure continuous overload; rotating for rest was an iron rule for maintaining combat effectiveness.
Since Takuno set foot in this smoke-filled land and began working in the medical camp, he had almost single-handedly shouldered the core pressure, never leaving.
Even if he had extraordinary energy, he was still flesh and blood.
His proposal to return to the Village for rest now clearly implied that once large-scale warfare reignited, he would not hesitate to embark on the journey again, returning to the front line of the battlefield where he was most needed.
Jiraiya habitually stroked his chin, a flicker of consideration in his eyes.
Undoubtedly, Takuno was an irreplaceable pillar in the front-line medical system.
But Konoha must not deplete its resources; letting him return to thoroughly relax his tense nerves, recuperate in the familiar Village, and restore himself to his best state was the truly long-term strategy that embodied his value.
"Good! I approve!" Jiraiya agreed decisively. "Your position will be temporarily taken over by the former medical squad leader."
He paused, then added, "Not only that, I will personally write to Minato, instructing him that after you return, you are to rest assured and recuperate, and absolutely no other tasks are to be assigned to you! Your only mission is to rest well in Konoha! Accumulate your strength!"
"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya, for your kindness!" Takuno expressed his solemn gratitude.
Jiraiya smiled warmly, patting Takuno's shoulder, and said with emotion, "We should be thanking you! Did you forget, my boy? All the injuries I've sustained in these battles, you're the one who healed them for me! Without you, these old bones of mine might not have held up!"
Even he couldn't avoid getting injured on the battlefield!
He reined in his smile, his gaze becoming extremely serious, "Takuno, my boy, go back and rest assured. Get enough sleep, recover all your energy. And then—"
"Come back here! In this war, all the Ninja here cannot do without you!"
"Yes, Lord Jiraiya! I understand!" Takuno straightened his back, his voice firm.
Takuno, holding Jiraiya's personally signed directive, returned to the medical team's camp.
He solemnly conveyed the order to the medical Ninja team, immediately causing a slight stir.
The surrounding Ninja exchanged glances of respect and reluctance.
Every time they witnessed Takuno working tirelessly beside the wounded throughout the night, they drew an invisible strength from his figure, which seemed to be the highest interpretation of the Will of Fire.
Perhaps their ability to persevere until now also owed a debt to Takuno.
The former medical captain stepped forward, the experienced elder sighed deeply, his eyes revealing genuine emotion.
As the person closest to Takuno, he knew how heavy a burden the other was carrying.
"You really should take a break," the former captain said in a low, caring voice. "To be honest, that you've managed to hold on until now without collapsing is a miracle in itself; we've all seen it."
Takuno smiled faintly, a hint of trust in his expression.
"Mm, I'll leave the medical team's affairs entirely to you now," he said gently.
"Don't worry," the former medical captain replied, his tone relaxing. "With the battle situation stabilized, the pressure on the infirmary has eased considerably. I'll handle the follow-up work."
As he spoke, he patted Takuno's shoulder. Although Takuno was much younger than him, he was genuinely willing to work under him.
"Also, don't just stay in the Village resting; we're waiting for you to come back and continue leading us," the former medical captain laughed, and the surrounding medical Ninja also chimed in.
"Yes, I'll be back."
After Takuno gave his assurance, he didn't linger.
He took Jiraiya's personal letter to Minato and, joining a group returning to Konoha for rotation, slowly embarked on his journey home.