Fame Spreads Far and Wide

The following day at noon, the three members of the team finally returned to the camp, weary from their journey.

The first thing they did upon arriving at the camp was to report their encounter to Commander Orochimaru.

Of course, before returning, Taiichi had already discussed it with Yohei and Saori, in order to conceal the strength of the team members, especially Taiichi and Yohei.

The enemy that ambushed them Chunin only 3 Jonin and 6 Chunin. Even so, Orochimaru was still extremely surprised when he learned of Taiichi and the others' achievements.

He had some suspicions about that Kaze Wafu before, but at the time Orochimaru thought they might just be Danzo's pawns.

I never imagined he was a spy.

It's unclear whether Danzo was aware of Kaze Wafu's spy identity, or if this was merely another of his maneuvers.

"I already know what happened, and I will report the details to the village. It's a stroke of luck that you all returned safely!" Orochimaru looked at the three disheveled boys, his eyes still full of admiration. "This mission will be rated S-rank; consider it my personal compensation to you!"

Good heavens, as expected of Orochimaru, he's completely generous with the village's resources, without spending a single penny of his own money, and even gains the favor.

Sure enough, Yohei was already feeling grateful. "Ah~ Haha, thank you so much, Lord Orochimaru! I thought the mission was over!"

Taiichi wanted to cover his face, so he grabbed Yohei, who was about to speak, and pulled him behind him. "Lord Orochimaru, our team only has three people left now. In this situation, how does the village usually make arrangements?"

Orochimaru watched Taiichi with great interest; compared to the straightforward Yohei, this little guy was much harder to fool.

"Usually, the village will transfer a new person over, but if you have any requests, as long as you're still in the Northern Camp, I can try my best to accommodate them!"

This statement is quite magnanimous and reflects Orochimaru's leadership charisma at this stage; he is capable and willing to take responsibility.

"Thank you so much, Lord Orochimaru. However, we don't want to take on any new team members right now. We hope to continue the mission as it is."

This was all discussed on the way back. The team has too many secrets, and it's really not suitable to add new members at this stage, especially since it's uncertain whether this new member is friend or foe. After all, even espionage has occurred, so what's impossible?

"Okay, no problem!" Seeing that it was such a simple request, Orochimaru agreed without even thinking.

Taiichi saw that his goal had been achieved, he took the opportunity to say goodbye.

Orochimaru extremely busy, and seeing that he had appeased Taiichi and his team, he let them go.

But after Taiichi and the others left, he picked up Taiichi's mission report and read it carefully.

After reading it carefully several times, he finally revealed a meaningful smile; he had discovered the flaws in the report.

They must have killed more enemies than that, so why did Taiichi Squad conceal their results? Was it due to distrust of the village, or did they have some other secret?

Orochimaru's vertical pupils gleamed with a sense of exploration, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth like a venomous snake discovering a delicious meal.

He wouldn't tell anyone about something so interesting; he wanted to savor it all by himself and see Taiichi and the others could bring him even more fun.

But as the Commander, he still had to do what he was supposed to do, such as sending a letter back to the village, denouncing the village's Intelligence Department for its dereliction of duty. One spy incident was one thing, but to have another spy incident happen in such a short period of time? Just how many spies were still in the village?

He believed that Teacher Sarutobi would take the letter seriously, not only because the victim was his good grand-disciple, but also because he could use it as an opportunity to further consolidate his power within the Root.

At the same time, at the Cloud Village Frontline Camp.

The Jonin went to Scout the island returned to Camp around the same time as Taiichi other two. What was supposed to be a simple Scout mission turned into a devastating piece of bad news.

"Reporting, sir!" The Jonin Captain nodded, but his voice was unusually hoarse. "No one of our personnel was found at the scene. The warehouse area is completely reduced to ruins, and the island is covered with signs of fire and flooding. The Barrier was also forcibly destroyed."

The Jonin paused for a moment, then gave his final, albeit with difficulty. "Based on the various clues found at the scene, we conclude that the ambush team is completely dead, with no survivors!"

The chilling report struck the hearts of all the high-ranking officers in the command tent like a heavy hammer. The tent was deathly silent, save for the occasional crackling of the brazier.

"Five people! Five Jonin! And ten Chunin!" A middle-aged man wearing Cloud Village -style vest suddenly stood up, his face ashen. "That's not 15 cats; that's one-tenth of the Camp's Jonin strength."

Tell me they just died silently like that!

His voice trembled with anger and disbelief. The ambush team was incredibly well-equipped, with Water Style ninjas specifically assigned to them. It should have been a foolproof crushing victory, but instead, they ended up like this.

"Were there any traces of other ninjas found at the scene?" the commander-in-chief asked from the main seat. "Is it that Taichi Matsushita's squad is too strong, or does the enemy have other supporting teams? Can we find out?"

Faced with the Commander's cold gaze, the Jonin Captain could only grit his teeth and say, "The entire island has been submerged by seawater, and most traces have disappeared. It's simply impossible to make a judgment!"

Upon hearing this, the Commander was completely disheartened. He didn't blame the Scout team; it was clear that the other side had done it intentionally, so the intelligence they could gather was naturally limited.

"Regardless, based on the available intelligence, this kid from Konoha, Taichi Matsushita —his value..."

"His threat far exceeds any of our previous assessments!" The commander-in-chief's eyes flashed with a cold and wary light.

"Possessing top-tier Medical Ninjutsu, powerful Fire Style techniques, and superb swordsmanship, he can only be described as a genius! We absolutely cannot allow someone like him to continue growing!"

Another staff officer's voice was hoarse. "But—in a short period of time, we've lost Senior Ziina and 5 members of the ambush team..."

The Jonin has dealt a huge blow to the morale of our frontline forces. We are now facing a significant shortage of high-level combat power, especially given the recent appearance of a mysterious, Yellow-haired Ninja on the front lines.

The strategist's words were both a reminder and a concern. The balance of power between the two sides was now unbalanced. If Konoha changed its strategy and stopped defending, but instead launched an offensive, then they would be in trouble.

"Suspend all proactive attacks and probing actions," the commander-in-chief decided decisively. "From this moment on, retreat across the board and strengthen defenses within our borders. I will request reinforcements from the villages."

"Furthermore, spreading information about Taichi Matsushita's squad shouldn't just be a headache for us. Sunagakure and Iwagakure would probably prefer this kind of dangerous mission."

"Yes!"

As Cloud Village began to tighten its defenses, the pressure on the previously tense Northern Front dropped sharply.

From frontline troops to ninjas providing support from the rear, everyone clearly felt this change: harassment and sabotage from Cloud Village had almost disappeared, and even small-scale conflicts had decreased significantly.

This unusually calm state, like the calm before a storm, not only fails to reassure people but also exudes an unsettling atmosphere.

In the command tent, Orochimaru tapped the latest battle report with his fingertips, a cold light flashing in his golden vertical pupils.

His intelligence was far superior to that of ordinary ninjas. Combining the scattered information brought back by ninjas who had penetrated deep into enemy territory with this unusual strategic retreat, he quickly pieced together the most likely truth in his mind.

"Hmph, it seems Cloud Village has suffered quite a few losses at Taiichi's hands, and they've had to retract their outstretched claws."

Orochimaru's hoarse whispers echoed in the tent, a mocking smile appearing on his face.

"I never expected you barbarians to be afraid. That's quite something—"

But then, he keenly sensed the fleeting opportunity that existed here.

With the Cloud Village's frontline forces weakened and morale shaken, it is time to launch a decisive attack, expand the gains, push the front line forward, and further destroy the Cloud Village's Resupply points and war potential on the border.

However, when Orochimaru inadvertently caught a glimpse of the recent instructions from the Village Higher-Ups, Orochimaru excitement was immediately dampened.

His core mission at this moment remains "to hold the Northern Front defense line" and ensure that the Northern Front Land of Fire is not invaded by the Cloud Village. A large-scale, unauthorized offensive would clearly be a violation of his orders.

It would also touch a nerve with the Village Higher-Ups regarding "disobedience."

"How can we let such an opportunity go to waste!" Orochimaru sneered. Without further hesitation, he quickly summoned his trusted confidants, and soon, a meticulously analyzed and urgently worded official letter, encrypted at the highest level, was sent to the Hokage's Office Konoha through an emergency channel.

In his official letter, Orochimaru provided a detailed analysis of the situation at the front lines, clearly pointing out that Cloud Village was Jonin, which presented Konoha with the best opportunity to launch a tactical counterattack while Kumogakure was weakened.

Not only could it compress the strategic space of the Cloud Village and damage the enemy's morale, but it could also force the Cloud Village, which had entered the Land of Hot Water, back into the Land of Moon. He even attached a preliminary, controllable outline of a small-scale raid plan.

As Orochimaru watched the official letter, carrying his urgent hopes, disappear from his sight, a rare ripple of emotion stirred within him. If things could go smoothly, the pressure Konoha would face, at least on the Northern Front, would be greatly reduced.

Three days have passed since we returned from the last mission, and during this time we have not carried out any field missions except at the Medical Camp.

Yohei and Saori were the same; whenever they had free time, the three of them would get together to practice and refine their skills, or find a secluded spot to train alone and familiarize themselves with their newly acquired powers.

During this time, Yohei and the other person naturally learned about Taiichi's latest power - Ice Release.

When Taiichi first used Ice Release during a sparring match, Yohei and Saori's reactions were truly unforgettable.

The shift in their expressions—from surprise to doubt to anger—still makes them feel ashamed, even now.

Having just experienced a spy incident, they were extremely sensitive. Their first reaction upon seeing the Ice Release was that Taiichi had been assassinated and kidnapped by a ninja from the Yuki Clan.

Yohei's Sharingan instantly activated to the Mangekyo, and Saori's body crackled with electricity—a sign that Lightning Style had activated her physical body. The two of them were clearly ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

While Taiichi was touched, he also felt a urge to tease them and test his newly mastered Ice Release. The battle began in an instant.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Taiichi did not use Taijutsu or swordsmanship, but instead used Ninjutsu to fight his enemy.

Ice Release: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death - Countless ice Senbon condensed out of thin air and shot swiftly toward Yohei and Saori.

While attacking, he retreated rapidly, his hands forming hand Hand Seals lightning speed.

Ice Release: Ice World is a terrain skill that creates an environment suitable for Ice Release to unleash its power.

A large amount of cold air was blown out by Taiichi, and instantly, a large amount of frost spread rapidly in all directions from Taiichi's center. Ice also gradually covered the entire land with Taiichi's footsteps.

Faced with the sudden drop in temperature to below 0 degrees Celsius, Yohei showed no weakness and Fire Style Majestic Destroyer Flame, whose power and scale far exceeded that of the time on the small island.

Wherever the flames reached, the ice melted rapidly, but Taiichi's icy world was clearly not simple either. With the continuous support of his Chakra, frost pressed down on Yohei from all directions.

Judging from the clash between ice and fire, Taiichi clearly has the upper hand, but Yohei is not the only one present.

Under the cover of the flames, Saori had already circled around to Taiichi's side. Several flashing Lightning Ball flew towards Taiichi, and Saori followed closely behind, her legs and arms also wrapped in lightning, rushing towards Taiichi at an unprecedented speed.

Taiichi dodged the Lightning Ball with a few quick movements, but after exchanging a single blow with Saori who was close behind, he decisively retreated.

It turns out that the electric current wrapped around Saori's hands not only activated her body, but also had the paralyzing effect unique to lightning. Just from the moment of contact, Taiichi, who was unprotected, was paralyzed by the lightning. If it weren't for his high physical strength, the battle would probably have ended.

As Taiichi retreated, he waved his hands continuously, causing ice pillars to grow and form ice walls on the ground covered with ice crystals, hindering Saori's pursuit.

This is not Ninjutsu, but a high-level application of Nature Transformation. For Taiichi, whose Chakra Control is as high as Lv11, this method is quick and easy, and can be used at will without much consumption.

The only drawback is its lack of sturdiness; it can be easily broken. However, as an obstacle, it is still very effective.

Once Taiichi had retreated a sufficient distance, he began preparing for his next Ice Release: Ice Release: Ice Dragon Strangulation.

Three ice dragons shot up from the ground, intertwined and charging towards Saori. If she were to be entangled, her body would be instantly crushed into a pulp.

Just as Saori was about to be entangled, a Great Fireball rose from the side and rushed towards the dragon's head.

However, in Taiichi's view, although the Great Fireball was powerful, it was not enough to melt Saori before the ice dragon hit Saori. Just as Taiichi was about to stop, an accident occurred.

The originally orange-red flames seemed to have been injected with new fuel, suddenly increasing in power and rapidly changing color from orange-red to a brilliant gold. The intense heat instantly melted the ice dragon.

This change caught not only Taiichi off guard, but also Saori, who was startled and thought it was Fire Style released by Taiichi.

But Yohei gave Taiichi no chance to catch his breath, seizing the moment when Taiichi was distracted, and rained down punches on Taiichi.

The moment they made contact, a soft "crack" sounded from the arm that was blocking the movement—it was a fracture.

"Damn, what's going on? Every single one of these attacks is comparable to my own Chakra Enhanced Strength Fist."

Taiichi managed to withstand a few blows before retreating repeatedly. While inwardly cursing the attacker as a monster, he knew he couldn't continue fighting with just his Ice Release. He could only shout, "Stop! Stop! Stop! I am Taiichi!"

Seeing that Yohei and Saori were still charging towards him recklessly, Taiichi stopped hiding. Bright Gold Kakkou flashed around him, and his severed hand returned to its original state. At the same time, the high temperature forced back Yohei who was pursuing him.

"Damn it, you really are Taiichi!" Yohei cursed, a trickle of blood flowing from his right eye.