Respond and Pull Yourself Together

Konoha, Hokage's Office.

A wisp of smoke drifted through the room as Hiruzen Sarutobi on his pipe.

The two Advisor beside him, however, had vacant eyes, their thoughts clearly wandering elsewhere.

On the other hand, Taiichi, who was opposite them, looked completely calm and showed no signs of anxiety or worry.

Perhaps even the heavens couldn't stand Taiichi's leisurely pace, for the Third Hokage was the first to react upon seeing Taiichi's expression.

He held his pipe, lit Taiichi's cigarette, and his face showed a mixture of annoyance at being watched and a bit of relief.

"You little rascal, is there some information you haven't revealed?!"

The two Advisor, who were in a daze, were also brought back to their senses by the Third Hokage's light rebuke.

Seeing Taiichi's relaxed demeanor, they immediately realized that they had been misled by this kid before.

Regardless of whether Madara Uchiha is actually still alive, even if he is, he's an 80-year-old man, and it's hard to say how much strength he still retains.

They were merely intimidated by Madara Uchiha's past formidable reputation.

Thinking of this, not to mention Mitokado Homura, who already had a problem with Taiichi, even Utatane Koharu, who had goodwill towards him, looked at Taiichi with a lot of resentment.

As people get older, their hearts can't withstand Taiichi's torment.

Seeing the different expressions on the faces of the three big shots, Taiichi felt helpless. He had told the truth without hiding a word.

They were just scaring themselves before they could even finish speaking.

Madara Uchiha indeed still alive.

The confirmation startled the three of them again, but this time Taiichi didn't delay and immediately began his remaining report.

"However, during my battle with him, I discovered that he must have used some kind of secret technique to restore his youthful body."

This is causing his already limited lifespan to be shortened even further; it seems he won't have much time left to live after this trip back."

Taiichi's words greatly relieved the three of them, as they highly regarded Taiichi medical skills.

If a highly skilled doctor tells you that a person is nearing the end of their life, the credibility of that statement is quite high.

The deterrent effect of someone who doesn't have many days left to live is completely different from that of someone who can live a long time.

Taiichi then gave a general account of his battle with Madara Uchiha.

When they heard that Madara had summoned a complete Susanoo that was a hundred meters tall, the three of them looked extremely solemn.

But when they heard that Madara Uchiha had used the Wood Human Technique to escape, the expressions on the three of them were beyond grim.

Madara Uchiha can also use Wood Style.

The combination of the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Style Release makes Madara Uchiha a formidable threat to Konoha as long as he lives.

The three, who had initially thought Madara was nearing the end of his life, were once again on tenterhooks.

"Hiruzen, arrange for the Anbu, or have my Root put the Uchiha Clan under complete surveillance. Madara Uchiha is not dead; the Uchiha Clan could rebel at any time."

Mitokado Homura immediately thought of the Uchiha clan in the village; this already unstable bomb now seemed even more precarious.

Taiichi's sharp gaze swept over them immediately, his dissatisfaction evident. However, before he could make any further move, someone raised an objection.

"No, Yan, the Uchiha currently very stable. We can't arbitrarily monitor them based on such unfounded charges. Doing so would only push the Uchiha to the opposite side of the village."

Utatane Koharu's words timely reminded everyone that the Uchiha clan's policies were actively aligning with the village's interests, and this favorable situation should not be easily disrupted.

Hiruzen Sarutobi his forehead, looking very troubled. He took a drag of his cigarette to calm himself down, then turned his gaze to Taiichi.

"Taiichi, what are your thoughts? You should be very familiar with the situation of the Uchiha Clan."

Taiichi withdrew his glare from Mitokado Homura, quickly processed all the information in his mind, and made a decision.

"Surveillance is necessary, not only for the village's safety but also for the protection of the Uchiha, but we absolutely cannot resort to any comprehensive surveillance."

Taiichi was the first to state his opinion.

"Comprehensive surveillance is a measure taken against the enemy. The Uchiha are our fellow villagers. Doing this will not only chill the hearts of the Uchiha, but also cause other clans in the village to feel a sense of shared fate."

The enemy is still just a shadow, yet we're already making a huge fuss about it, causing chaos within our own ranks. This might just be what the enemy wants to see.

Taiichi's explanation was reasonable and well-founded, neither blindly favoring the Uchiha nor failing to fully consider the safety of the village.

Apart from Mitokado Homura, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Utatane Koharu both nodded in agreement, clearly showing their greater approval of Taiichi's approach.

"Taiichi, take this body to the Intelligence Department and let them see if they can find any useful information from it."

Furthermore, Rin's safety must continue to be protected. As long as Obito is not found, the child is an important safeguard.

Given that he possessed the strength to kill multiple Jonin after awakening his Sharingan, Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan must have been extraordinary.

Instead of making a decision immediately, Hiruzen Sarutobi took the opportunity to send Taiichi away.

Seeing the resentful look on Mitokado Homura's face, Taiichi knew that the Hokage would be the next to persuade him, and he probably didn't want his old friend to lose face in front of his junior.

Taiichi resealed the White Zetsu corpse on the ground, bowed to the Hokage and Utatane Koharu, and then turned and left the Hokage's Office.

Once Taiichi's figure had completely disappeared from sight, Mitokado Homura began to grumble again in the office.

"Hiruzen, look at him, he's increasingly disregarding me!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't even raise his head, only glancing sideways at Mitokado Homura before continuing to smoke his pipe.

It wasn't that he was being pretentious; he genuinely couldn't understand whether Mitokado Homura was truly unaware of the situation.

Regardless of whether his suggestion was reliable, Taiichi's current strength was not something he could easily ignore.

Although Taiichi's previous report did not describe his own strength in detail, the fact that he was able to force Madara Uchiha to retreat shows just how strong Taiichi had become.

Instead of trying to win over such a powerful force, you're deliberately offending them. Do you really think your life is too comfortable?

"Yan, stop talking. Taiichi is right. The Uchiha is the closest they've ever been to the village since its founding. We can't make any rash decisions."

Both Lord Hashirama's expectations and Teacher Tobirama's policies aimed to fully integrate the Uchiha into Konoha.

As for Taiichi —you two should consider the bigger picture more.

Utatane Koharu's words were quite a show of respect for Mitokado Homura; Taiichi is no longer the insignificant figure he once was in Konoha.

Even disregarding his own abilities, his reputation and connections alone are enough to enable him to establish a powerful force.

To continue treating someone like that as a junior is simply outrageous arrogance.

"Alright, that's enough. I'll arrange for a team of Anbu to monitor the Uchiha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi away his pipe and turned to look at Mitokado Homura.

"Yan, send a team of Root to the place Taiichi described. Have them thoroughly examine the scene. Such an intense battle must have left numerous traces. Go and check it carefully!"

Although still somewhat unwilling, Mitokado Homura was ultimately not Shimura Danzō and did not have the confidence to openly contradict the Hokage.

"Yes, I understand!"

Meanwhile, after leaving the Hokage's Office and handing over the White Zetsu's body to the Intelligence Department, Taiichi went to a secret ward located in the basement of Konoha Hospital.

Here, Rin, whom Black Zetsu had previously tried to assassinate, was lying quietly on her hospital bed.

Unlike before, when her body was covered in various testing instruments and a large Life Barrier was maintaining her life, Lin now simply lay clean and tidy on the hospital bed, as quiet as a sleeping beauty.

"Kakashi, how is it? Is Rin reacting?"

That's right, Kakashi was the only one in the entire ward with Rin, and he was there to wake her up from her coma.

Kakashi slowly shook his head, not turning around, but keeping his gaze fixed on the sleeping Rin.

"Aside from the occasional irregular movement of her eyes, she showed no other reaction."

His voice sounded so helpless, completely unlike Kakashi's usual self, but Taiichi wasn't surprised.

Ever since Kakashi arrived in this ward, aside from constantly talking to Rin, he's been acting like a lost soul.

"I went to hunt down the group that ambushed you back then, and I'm only just back now."

What? Don't you want to hear the results?

Taiichi leaned against the wall, his Short Sword dangling back and forth in his hand. He looked at the half-dead Kakashi, and although he understood, he was still a little angry at his lack of ambition.

Kakashi, who had just woken up, knew he needed to train to get revenge later. Now, what is he like?

Rin and Obito aren't dead, so why are they acting so pathetic?

However, Taiichi's question did have some effect. Kakashi suddenly turned around, his still-recovering body swaying a few times.

Are they all dead?

He said this through gritted teeth, finally showing some of the spirit of the former Kakashi.

"Oh!"

A laugh, whether mocking or sighing, rang out. Taiichi straightened up and slowly walked towards the hospital bed.

Lin's face was still pale on the bed. Taiyi had healed Taiichi her physical injuries, but her spirit remained dead.

"The enemy was strong and cunning. I chased them all the way to the Land of Earth and fought a great battle with them, but in the end they still managed to escape."

A leisurely voice slowly rose, Taiichi gathered the information he could to describe the course of the pursuit to Kakashi.

Although he omitted information about Madara Uchiha, Kakashi was still stunned by the intense battle.

Konoha —there's actually an enemy like this?

The Ninja World —there's actually such a hidden force.

Fortunately, Taiichi didn't know what Kakashi was thinking, otherwise he would have told Kakashi that the waters of the Ninja World were very deep, and that they had only just begun!

"I didn't see Obito this time, but I sensed his lingering presence, so he must have been moved before I arrived."

I've managed to rescue Rin, but Obito is still in enemy hands. I'm no longer in charge of this matter, and I don't know if the people investigating will be able to rescue Obito safely.

Taiichi spoke with a sense of helplessness, as if he had endless things to do and Konoha couldn't function without him.

But at this moment, Kakashi was no longer able to calmly discern whether his words were true or false.

Considering Obito's current predicament, even Taiichi's pursuit failed, and if an outsider is in charge of the matter, it's truly uncertain whether Obito can return unscathed.

"Taiichi! Could you help me ask the Hokage-sama to let me participate in the investigation?"

Kakashi spoke with conviction, but given his weak appearance, he seemed utterly unconvincing.

"In your current state, I could take you down with one hand. How are you going to save Obito? You should just stay home and rest!"

Taiichi's sarcasm was like a steel needle, mercilessly piercing Kakashi's heart.

But he no longer looked at Kakashi, instead turning and walking towards the door, leaving only a single sentence echoing in Kakashi's ears.

"Come find me again when you're fully recovered, otherwise going there will just be suicide."

Watching Taiichi's disappearing figure, Kakashi clenched his fists, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, but the deep weakness emanating from his body constantly reminded him of his own vulnerability.

His recent period of depression has greatly delayed his recovery, and due to lack of exercise, his previously good health has also shown signs of weakening.

Kakashi raised his right hand and slapped himself hard. He then rallied his spirits and began doing simple rehabilitation exercises in the open space of the ward.

When he got tired, he would go to Lin's bedside and tell her about interesting things from the past. When he regained his strength, he would continue exercising, and so on.

Taiichi stood quietly outside the door, sensing the movements inside. After confirming that Kakashi had regained his fighting spirit, a relieved smile appeared on his lips before he stepped away.

The Land of Earth, another secret base of Madara.

After settling everything, Black Zetsu went to the cave Obito was sleeping.

Seeing Obito, whose body was almost entirely fused with White Zetsu, Black Zetsu felt rather helpless.

They possess immense strength and a thousand years of experience, yet not a single person here is skilled in Medical Ninjutsu.

Minor injuries and pains are usually harmless thanks to the White Zetsu's healing abilities and their own strength.

But when faced with a serious injury like Obito's, that's not something they're good at.

Furthermore, fearing that Obito would continue his rampage, Madara completely suppressed Obito's consciousness, which further delayed his recovery.

Only now, with the help of White Zetsu, have his injuries begun to heal.

However, thinking of Taichi Matsushita before, Black Zetsu couldn't help but slap his forehead.

What a careless act! A thousand years of life wasted on a dog, and yet a mere teenager left a mark on him without his knowledge.

I wonder how Madara is doing now. If we could kill Taichi Matsushita, our future plans would be at least ten times simpler.

Black Zetsu stood quietly beside Obito like a statue, his eyes fixed on Obito, but his thoughts had already wandered far away.

Time passed by, and before we knew it, it was night.

A series of hurried footsteps gradually grew louder in the cave. Black Zetsu's thoughts, like a startled bird, plummeted rapidly into his body. He jolted awake and quickly Earth Flow of the cave Obito was sleeping.

"Lord Madara, Lord Madara, is that you who's back?"

Before even seeing Madara in person, he was already eagerly greeting her.

At this moment, a figure gradually emerged from the narrow corridor, and Black Zetsu stepped forward even faster to greet him.

But the figure that came into view startled him, and all his shrewdness vanished in an instant.