The Mangekyo's Power

In the forest where frost and fire intertwine, trees lean, shrubs fly, the earth is either scorched or frozen, and the pitted ground is full of puddles.

A handsome young man with black hair was bowing and apologizing repeatedly to an older boy and girl, his face full of ingratiating smiles, his attitude as humble as could be.

"Yohei, Saori, please forgive me. I really acted on impulse and wanted to test my newfound power!"

Looking at the two with cold faces, especially the trail of blood at the corner of Yohei's eye, Taiichi felt genuinely guilty.

Yohei remained unmoved. He had just been truly determined to fight to the death. If Taiichi had revealed his identity any later, he would have already been ready to activate Susanoo.

Saori, being a girl after all, softened her heart upon seeing Taiichi's humble attitude.

"Taiichi, really! We were so worried just now. You really can't do this again next time. Look at Yohei, his eyes are still bleeding. You should get them treated right away."

With Saori's offer as a stepping stone, Taiichi and Yohei readily accepted it.

Taiichi flashed to Yohei's side, a dense green light emanating from his hand. He looked directly at Yangping and said, "Yohei, don't move! Let me examine you!"

Yohei didn't flinch, but just quietly looked at Taiichi, though the anger in his eyes had diminished considerably.

Seeing Taiichi no longer hesitated, placing his hands on Yohei's temples and beginning to quietly sense the state of his eyes and brain.

Clearly, the pupillary force in Yohei's right eye was abnormally active, like a wild child running amok, operating wildly in his eye. The bleeding was caused by the eye itself being unable to withstand the pressure brought about by the pupillary force, thus damaging the internal tissues of the eye.

Furthermore, Taiichi also noticed that the rate at which this pupil power was being generated was exceptionally slow. More than ten minutes had passed since the battle ended, and there had been no significant increase in the pupil power in his right eye.

This led Taiichi to a conjecture: the Sharingan power recovers slowly to begin with, and the more it is used, the greater the damage to the eyes becomes. Could this create a vicious cycle, ultimately leading to blindness?

Of course, this is just speculation, and the final result will require further observation and research.

But at this moment, Taiichi's first priority is to treat the damage to his eyes and calm the raging pupil power in his right eye.

Chakra was transformed into Yang Release, and a rich life force surged in Taiichi's hands, acting on Yohei's eyes. The bleeding was stopped immediately, and the pupil power gradually subsided with Yohei's own cooperation.

No wonder it's said that Hashirama's cells can restrain the power of the Mangekyo; to be precise, it should be a mutual restraint between high-quality Yang Release and Yin Release.

However, ordinary people do not possess the formidable Yang Release power of Senju Hashirama. Based on Taiichi's current observations, given the quality of the Yin Release in his Mangekyo Sharingan, the Yang Release Nature Transformation would require at least reaching the peak of the Kage Level at Lv13.

Considering I'm only at Lv9 with the Yang Release, the road ahead is truly long and arduous.

However, what is difficult for others is only a matter of time for Taiichi. Moreover, with Taiichi's current abilities, it is not a problem for him to perform preliminary treatment on Yohei's eyes.

After a long while, when Taiichi withdrew his hands, Yohei reopened his eyes. A cool sensation came from his eyes, and the stinging sensation he had felt when using the Mangekyo had disappeared.

"How are you feeling, Yohei? Any particular sensations?" Taiichi asked attentively, wanting to get immediate feedback from the patient.

Yohei looked at Taiichi, then at Saori, and then turned to look into the distance. He found that the world before him was still clear and bright, and he was immediately happy.

"Very good. There was indeed a moment of blurriness after using the right Dōjutsu, but it has recovered now."

"It seems my guess was correct, but Yohei, you still need to be careful. My current abilities can only treat minor damage to your eyes. Once it exceeds a certain limit, I will be powerless to help."

Taiichi still gave him a heads-up, to prevent Yohei from using the Mangekyo without restraint after the treatment.

"I know, I know!" Yohei didn't care about any of that at the moment. With Taiichi's treatment, at least using it in small amounts was no problem at all. He had just tried the Dōjutsu of his right eye - Susanoo-no-Mikoto.

After trying it, he realized how powerful the Mangekyo's special Dōjutsu was. If he couldn't use it in the future, wouldn't that be the death of him?

"Taiichi, how was it? How powerful was my Dōjutsu just now?" Yohei couldn't wait to show off.

"Oh!" Taiichi exclaimed in surprise, "It was your Dōjutsu that caused the power of that Great Fireball to suddenly surge, and your Taijutsu that made each punch have Chakra Enhanced Strength."

Saori looked at Yohei with curiosity. Although she wouldn't actively inquire about her teammates' Ninjutsu, she would be happy to listen if her teammates told her. Besides, the previous Fire Release Ninjutsu was indeed very powerful, almost as powerful as Taiichi's Taiichi -power Fire Style.

"Yes, yes!" Yohei had completely forgotten that he was angry earlier and was now acting like a child eager to show off his new toy.

"That's Susanoo-no-Mikoto, named after the legendary god of destruction. Its effect is to amplify the power of one's Ninjutsu and attacks by consuming ocular power and Chakra."

"Currently, the amplification effect is 100%. Once you become more proficient, you can achieve a greater amplification effect by increasing the power consumption."

Taiichi amazed. It was a simple yet powerful Dōjutsu that directly amplified attack power, affecting both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. As expected of a technique named after a god of destruction, its function was indeed so direct.

This might be the Dōjutsu born from Yohei's urgent desire for power when he awakened the Mangekyo. The saying that the Sharingan is the Eye of Heart Reflection is quite apt. I just don't know what the ability of Yohei's left eye is.

However, Taiichi his curiosity, Taiyi didn't actively inquire about it.

"The Dōjutsu is indeed powerful, but one's own strength is fundamental. Yohei, don't forget, you said that yourself!" Taiichi solemnly reminded him.

Yohei was taken aback upon hearing this. He had been so engrossed in researching and exploring the Sharingan that he had completely forgotten about his own training. Fortunately, Taiichi's reminder brought him back to his senses.

"Thank you, Taiichi, I won't forget!" Yohei lowered his head and fell silent.

Saori then asked the real reason why everyone was fighting, "Taiichi, how did you learn Ice Release?"

Saori's question finally brought the issue back on track, and Yohei realized that they had actually fought over it before.

Now it was Taiichi's turn to show off, after all, a ninja who could autonomously fuse Kekkei Genkai like him was extremely rare, even in the entire Ninja World.

When Taiichi how he used his Chakra Control and superb feng shui Nature Transformation to explore the world step by step, causing countless explosions and dangers along the way, the two listened with great interest, wishing they could try it themselves.

Fortunately, Taiichi final reminder: "Don't even try this if you don't have exceptional Chakra Control. I only survived because of the Fire Transformation Technique. An ordinary person would probably be half-dead from the elemental clash if they tried it."

That's how they gave up the idea of trying it on their own. After all, the reality was only more difficult than Taiichi described. He himself only made a start and then completed the rest using Skill Points, so his description was not helpful at all.

It was only then that the noise from their fight attracted the attention of the patrolling ninjas. After all, this was near the Camp, and Taiichi Squad had reported to the Camp that they had been training here for the past two days. But with such a huge commotion, the patrolling ninjas had no choice but to come and check it out.

Sensing that others were rapidly approaching, Taiichi casually waved his hand, and a fire dragon was created, spinning rapidly around the arena. The ice that had frozen on the ground and trees around them melted quickly under the high temperature of the flames, leaving only a pool of water.

"Taiichi, what's going on here?" After the previous matter was dealt with, the patrolling ninjas arrived and, seeing the chaotic scene around them, were at a loss for words.

"Sorry, our team was conducting a live-fire exercise here, and it made a bit too much noise. We've caused you some trouble!"

Taiichi politely waved his hand, dismissing the ninja who came to Scout. Although he was still only Chunin, his reputation in the Northern Camp was quite high. Such a small matter could be easily resolved without affecting the Camp.

After watching the patrolling ninja leave, the three members of the team trained for a while before returning to their Camp.

At the Camp gate, they bumped into two people they hadn't seen for several days— Minato Namikaze and Hizashi Hyuga.

"Taiichi, Yohei, Saori!" Minato greeted us with a sunny smile, as warm as a spring breeze. "Finally! We haven't seen each other since we arrived at this Camp. I thought you had all gone back to Konoha."

Hizashi followed closely behind, nodding calmly. "We've been operating behind enemy lines for some time now, and when we came back, we were on missions again and left." He did offer an explanation.

"Minato- Senior! Hizashi- Senior!" Yohei's booming voice was filled with the joy of a long-awaited reunion. "I've been looking for you for so long! Turns out you've been on missions all this time."

"Come on, come on, it's been a long time. Let's find a place to have a good chat." Minato hooked his arm around Taiichi and pulled him toward the Camp with a big smile. "Don't block the entrance and obstruct everyone's passage."

The group of five chatted and laughed as they arrived at a temporary camp, where they sat together and talked about their experiences.

"What?! You're saying that Kaze Wafu was also a spy?!"

When the topic of Taiichi Squad's previous ambush was brought up, Hizashi was visibly surprised, not expecting to encounter two spy incidents within just one month.

Minato, however, appeared much calmer. "Remember when we were chasing the Defense Map?" Minato said casually, "Those two, Kazeko Kaze Wafu, kept getting into trouble. Looking back now, it seems they were just slowing us down so the Cloud Village spies could escape!"

The group thought about it and realized it was true. Exhaustion, falling from the tree in the dark—these were mistakes that even Genin could avoid, yet he, a Chunin, had made them all.

However, it's not fair to blame people for not recognizing him. Who would suspect a spy who had been infiltrating Konoha since childhood? It's just the fault of this terrible world.

"The enemy was so well hidden—thankfully, you were the ones who won in the end!" Minato's face was extremely solemn. The war hadn't even started yet, and the conflicts between the villages were already so intense. Once the war truly began, who knows how chaotic the Ninja World would become.

He took a deep breath, as if remembering something, and his tone became more chilling than ever before. "Although you escaped this ambush, you still need to be more careful, especially you, Taiichi."

"During a break in our mission, we visited an intelligence outpost in the Land of Hot Water and obtained a newly updated bounty list from the Black Market Exchange. Your name is on it."

Minato carefully pulled a piece of paper from his personal Ninja Tool Pouch and unfolded it in front of the three. It contained the latest updated bounty information, which included a blurry portrait of Taiichi, with a bounty of 10 million ryo marked below.

"Ten million taels!" Yohei Ping gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "Taiichi is only a Chunin!"

Minato nodded emphatically, his golden bangs swaying slightly, his sharp eyes sweeping over the crowd. "This defies all logic! But Taiichi, this precisely signifies your special status in the eyes of the enemy!"

"Those Bounty Ninja, Rogue Ninja from various villages, even Sunagakure and Iwagakure, don't mind killing you, this Konoha genius worth 10 million ryo, early on." Minato said solemnly, "From the moment you stepped out of the camp, you became a walking golden target."

Seeing everyone looking at him with concern, Taiichi didn't care at all. It was only 10 million taels. Asuma had a bounty of 30 million taels back then, and he was still alive and well.

My current strength is far greater than Asuma's back then, and my survival skills are so strong that I have nothing to worry about.

"Why are you all staring at me like that? You all know my strength. What can those chickens and dogs outside do to me?" Taiichi smiled confidently, and his nonchalant attitude clearly infected the others, easing the tense atmosphere in the tent.

At this time, Orochimaru's urgent official letter had also been delivered to Hiruzen Sarutobi through special channels.

To be honest, Hiruzen Sarutobi was tempted by Orochimaru's plan and the prospects after achieving his goal, as described in his letter.

However, considering Konoha's current situation of being surrounded by enemies, and the possibility that excessively provoking Cloud Village could immediately trigger a war, the Hokage does not want to bear the stigma of starting a war.

Having considered this matter, Hiruzen Sarutobi was once again caught in a dilemma. Helpless, he had to summon his strategist group to discuss the matter together.

After a long while, when the Konoha F4 had reunited in the Hokage's Office, the office was once again filled with smoke.

Hiruzen Sarutobi handed Orochimaru's urgent letter to the three Advisor for them to read. Before he could even ask a question, Danzo couldn't wait to start speaking.

"Hiruzen, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Cloud Village suffered such a huge loss at the hands of Taiichi Squad this time, and their frontline strength has been severely depleted. They are currently short of troops and their morale is low!"

Orochimaru's plan was feasible: send an elite squad deep behind enemy lines, avoiding engagement with their main force and targeting their weaknesses.

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his tone gradually becoming impassioned, filled with the aggressiveness characteristic of Militant Faction and their desire to strike at enemy countries.

Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses revealing deep worry. "Danzo, you're talking about an ideal situation!"

But what about our own war preparations? Sunagakure and Iwagakure are both eyeing us covetously on the border.

Given their nature, the Cloud Village will undoubtedly retaliate fiercely after this defeat, perhaps even joining forces with other ninja villages to attack the Konoha.

What will we do if we're not prepared then? Therefore, I believe that launching an attack now would be a serious mismatch between risk and reward, and would be a losing proposition!

Utatane Koharu immediately chimed in, her voice steady but equally opposed. "Yan is right. Our frontline supplies and personnel rotations are not yet in place. The reduced pressure on Orochimaru's Northern Front defenses is a good thing, giving us the opportunity to consolidate our defenses and support the southwestern fronts."

The two, working in unison, completely wore down Danzo's already dwindling patience. He scoffed, "Womanish sentimentality! The victory is right before our eyes! Throwing the baby out with the bathwater will only lead to missed opportunities! Orochimaru, as the commander-in-chief on the front lines, sees things most clearly, and his judgment—"

"Orochimaru's judgment—" Mitokado Homura interrupted Danzo before he Danzo speaking, "He is only the commander-in-chief of the Northern Front; he can't see other places either."

He certainly wanted to seize this opportunity to make a great contribution and prove himself. With the other two fronts remaining inactive, the cross-border operation on the Northern Front and the destruction of the Cloud Village's rear were not urgent matters. Such a great achievement would be a valuable asset even in the future competition for Hokage!

Utatane Koharu opened her mouth, trying to ease the tension, but saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression suddenly become extremely solemn and complicated.

Whether Mitokado Homura's words were unintentional or deliberate, they were like a cold needle, precisely piercing the most sensitive string in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart—the choice of successor and prestige.

Danzo also sensed the change in atmosphere. An indescribable light flashed in his eyes. Yan's words not only reminded Hiruzen but also him that he now also wanted to compete for the Fourth Hokage.

Besides, he knew Hiruzen Sarutobi too well. If he had any intention of attacking at the beginning, after Yan spoke, that thought completely disappeared.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, which blurred his somber face. He raised his hand and ended the heated debate with an unquestionable tone.

"Enough—Yan and Koharu's concerns stem from a comprehensive consideration of Konoha's overall situation; they are pragmatic and necessary. Now is not the time to completely enrage Cloud Village and drag the Land of Fire into a full-scale war."

He picked up Orochimaru's proposal and closed it gently, but with utmost determination.

"Send orders to the Northern Front: maintain the current defensive posture. Deny Orochimaru's plan. Let him focus on consolidating the existing defenses. The village will send him the supplies he needs as soon as possible; don't worry."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over everyone present, his tone leaving no room for argument.

A deathly silence fell over the office. Danzo's lips twitched slightly, a mixture of amusement and anger, but in the end, he simply turned and silently left the Hokage's Office.