Storming the Enemy's Lair
Konoha Hospital, Dean's Office.
The afternoon sun slanted down on the mountain of documents, outlining their jagged shapes, but it couldn't penetrate the brown eyes behind the desk.
Princess Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin and the medical genius of Konoha, is now losing her life force at a visible rate.
She slumped in the high-backed chair, her chin resting on the cold tabletop, staring blankly at a spider spinning its web in the corner of the ceiling.
The spider worked diligently, but Tsunade only felt that it was mocking her.
"Signature----Signature----Again, a signature----"
She murmured unconsciously, her right hand mechanically rising to grab a document, glancing at the title, and then scribbling it down with a "whoosh."
The entire process was smooth, precise, and efficient, yet it was permeated with a numb, zombie-like quality.
Her soul seemed to be slowly being siphoned off and crushed by the endless forms, reports, and budget requests, leaving only a humanoid signing machine called "Dean" running numbly.
The culprit behind all this, that name, she almost ground to dust between her teeth.
"Matsushita ---- Taiichi ----"
Tsunade suddenly sat up straight, her forehead slamming hard against the table with a dull thud, causing the pen holder on the table to jump.
She rubbed her forehead, which had instantly turned red, and gritted her teeth, her voice filled with resentment at being betrayed, "That damned brat—where the hell is he? Is there another war in the Land of Hot Water? Why does it take so long to catch a few petty thieves?!"
She grabbed a new document in a fit of rage, slammed it onto the table without even glancing at it, as if it were Taiichi's always calm and expressionless face.
The document unfolded, revealing a dense array of numbers inside, which made her dizzy.
The peaceful days, the lazy times, the thrill of spending money like water in the casino—these beautiful memories, like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind, are drifting further and further away from her.
It's all because that guy isn't here! With him gone, all the trivial, annoying, and troublesome things that should have been his responsibility have fallen on her shoulders!
Tsunade wailed in despair, burying her face in her arms again, "Come back—come back, you bastard—if this keeps up, I'm going to be buried alive by these papers—"
Just then...
Tap, tap, tap.
Three clear and restrained knocks on the door, like pebbles thrown into a stagnant pond, broke the suffocating silence of the office.
Tsunade froze, then jerked her head up like a startled cat, her eyes flashing with intense, almost ecstatic light!
He's back! That kid finally knew to come back!
"Go in!" she almost shouted, her voice filled with unspoken anticipation. She involuntarily sat up straighter, and even her hair, which hadn't been styled for days, seemed to perk up a bit.
The door was gently pushed open.
Her golden hair shimmered briefly in the sunlight streaming through the doorway, followed by an even more dazzling, fiery red.
"Lady Tsunade, excuse me."
Minato Namikaze Kushina Uzumaki, whose pregnant belly was clearly visible, into the room.
Kushina wore a gentle yet slightly shy smile, her hand instinctively protecting her stomach.
Not Taiichi.
The raging flame of "liberation" that had instantly ignited in Tsunade's eyes went out with a "poof".
It happened faster than being doused with a bucket of ice water.
She visibly slumped down again, her shoulders slumped, and her eyes became empty again, even more so than before, as if she had just experienced a huge shattering of hope.
"Oh—it's you guys." Tsunade waved her hand listlessly, her voice becoming languid again, thick with a nasal tone. "Sit down. Routine check-up?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade, I'm troubling you again." Minato helped Kushina sit down beside the examination bed, keenly sensing the intense fluctuations in Tsunade's emotions and the overwhelming resentment within her. He smiled apologetically, "You seem—very busy?"
"Busy?" Tsunade let out a cryptic chuckle, her gaze sweeping over the mountain of documents. "Ha, busy contributing to Konoha's paper industry."
She stood up resignedly, stretched her stiff neck, and made a soft cracking sound.
Although utterly disappointed, the woman before her was the village's Hokage's wife, and moreover, the extremely special Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Her prenatal checkup could not be taken lightly and was one of the "few important tasks" that she had to do personally and could not shirk.
"Getting rid of those damned documents for now is a chance to catch my breath," Tsunade consoled herself, forcing herself to cheer up.
She walked to Kushina's side, and the expression on her face that belonged to the "dejected dean" quickly faded, replaced by the focus and composure of the "medical master Princess Tsunade".
He led Kushina to a special examination room and gently and skillfully measured her abdominal circumference and fundal height, and listened to the fetal heartbeat.
When the strong, powerful "thump-thump" of her heartbeat was clearly heard through the stethoscope, Tsunade's serious face involuntarily softened slightly.
"The little guy is very lively, his heartbeat is strong." Tsunade's voice was unusually gentle.
Kushina smiled happily, while Minato stared at the receiver with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, as if trying to see through it to the little one inside.
Next comes the most crucial part.
Tsunade's expression turned extremely solemn. She placed her hands on Kushina's abdomen, her palms glowing with a soft Chakra light, and carefully probed inside, not to sense the fetus, but to feel the seal of the Nine-Tails.
The office was silent except for the faint hum of the instruments. Minato held his breath, Kushina also stopped smiling, her expression becoming solemn.
After a long while, Tsunade withdrew her hand, and the Chakra light dissipated. She let out a long sigh of relief, a truly relaxed smile appearing on her face. She nodded to the tense couple. "Very good. The seal is very stable; the Nine-Tails 'Chakra is firmly locked inside, and the effects on the fetus and the mother are within safe limits. Kushina, your physical condition is also very good; the little one is developing very healthily."
Minato and Kushina both breathed a sigh of relief, their faces beaming with bright and relieved smiles. "That's great! Thank you, Lady Tsunade!" Minato expressed his heartfelt gratitude.
"However," Tsunade resumed her usual "fierce" tone, pointing at Kushina, "You brat, don't take advantage of your good health! No strenuous exercise, no extreme emotional fluctuations, get enough rest, and maintain a balanced diet! Especially in the last few months, the pressure on the seal will increase, so be extra careful! If you feel any discomfort, even just a slight tightening in your stomach, come to me immediately! Do you hear me?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Lady Tsunade!" Kushina stuck out her tongue and quickly agreed.
After giving them a few more instructions, Tsunade finally let them leave.
The moment the door closed, Kushina's Otogakure drifted over. "Minato, could you hear the baby's heartbeat?"
"Wow, so strong! He must be a healthy child!"
The office returned to quiet.
Tsunade stood there, gazing at the closed door, a trace of the gentle warmth of a doctor still lingering on her face from the examination.
The brief sense of vitality and human warmth brought about by prenatal checkups vanished as quickly as the tide receded.
She turned around slowly and very reluctantly.
My gaze returned once more to that enormous desk, and to the mountain of documents that stood like tombstones.
The office, which had just been filled with sunshine and hope, suddenly became cold, heavy, and suffocating.
The last trace of gentleness on Tsunade's face vanished completely, replaced by a numbness even deeper than before.
She dragged her heavy steps back to the high-backed chair that symbolized "the duties of the dean," as if walking to an execution ground. Her body sank heavily into it, and she groaned as if she could not bear the weight.
The human-shaped signature machine is restarting.
Princess Tsunade's soul, trapped in a cage piled high with documents, let out a silent lament.
While Tsunade was missing Taiichi, far away in the Land of Hot Water, finally saw a turning point in his mission.
Frost Moon Village.
Taiichi's figure slowly descended, stepping onto the viscous pool of blood, yet remaining completely untouched.
He didn't even glance at the crippled people who had lost their fighting ability. His cold gaze swept over the terrified villagers and the piles of sacks, finally settling on the leader who was struggling.
"Want to die?" Taiichi's voice seemed to come from the deepest hell. "Until I finish my question, your lives are not in your own hands."
Before the words were even finished, Taiichi's figure appeared before the team leader like a ghost.
A resolute glint flashed in the leader's eyes. He puffed out his cheeks, about to bite open the poison capsule hidden in his teeth. Once it was broken, it would be a fatal blow!
However, he didn't have time to forcefully close his teeth.
Snap!
A crisp cracking sound rang out!
Taiichi's fingers moved with lightning speed, precisely pinching his chin and crushing his entire jawbone with a slight exertion!
The excruciating pain caused the leader to let out a muffled scream, as venom sacs mixed with broken teeth and blood fell from his unable-to-close mouth.
Taiichi's eyes showed no pity. With his other hand, he pointed his fingers like a sword, a hint of dark blue, and instantly touched Taiyi's brow.
Genjutsu: The Hell Viewing Technique.
The team leader began to convulse violently, his Byakugan rolled back, and he made strange hoarse noises from his throat.
The Genjutsu that Taiichi used was different from the ordinary Naraku illusion. It was a technique he developed specifically for punishment and torture, to deal with this kind of situation.
After a long while, the Genjutsu ended.
The leader of the cultists collapsed to the ground as if all his bones had been removed, foaming at the mouth, his eyes completely glazed over, his spirit utterly broken, turning him into a complete idiot who could only drool.
Taiichi withdrew his finger, his eyes as cold as ice. Even with his resilient spirit forged through countless battles, the scene he had just witnessed in the leader's mind ignited a burning rage within him!
That was no longer the human world, but a complete and utter hellhole!
"Jashin Cult —must be exterminated!"
The cold words were squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling killing intent that seemed to lower the already frigid air even further.
He ignored the crippled people on the ground and quickly Hand Seals.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Bang! Two Shadow Clone appeared.
"I'm leaving this to you. One of you is responsible for escorting these villagers to the nearest town for shelter, contacting local officials, identifying yourself, and ensuring they provide proper accommodation and protection. The other, immediately go to the Capital of Hot Water's Daimyo's Mansion, find the Eldest Young Master, and tell him to make all preparations and await my news!"
"Understood!" the two Shadow Clone replied crisply and immediately split up to carry out their tasks.
One went to comfort the terrified villagers and release them from their restraints; the other transformed into a streak of light and sped off towards the Capital of Hot Water.
Taiichi himself took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging anger.
He looked up towards the Northern Front, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of mountains, locking onto the abyss of sin hidden within the cave.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique activated, Taiichi's figure vanished from the spot!
The next second!
Deep in the mountains of northeastern China, more than ten kilometers away from the place where the Jashin Cult's lair was hidden, in a secluded mountain valley, space fluctuated once again, and Taiichi's figure appeared out of thin air.
This was one of the Flying Thunder God he set up during his previous Scout, just to be on the safe side.
Without pausing, the wings of light on his back unfolded once more! This time, Taiichi did not soar high, but instead flew silently along the steep mountain wall like a ghost, hurtling towards the coordinates he remembered.
The roar of the waterfall grew closer and closer, deafening. A huge curtain of water cascaded down from the hundred-meter-high cliff, crashing into the bottomless pool below, stirring up a mist that formed a hazy rainbow in the morning light.
Taiichi hovered in the shadow of the cliff opposite the waterfall, his sharp gaze piercing through the mist, carefully scanning behind the waterfall.
Sure enough, with his mental energy highly focused, he discovered a clue: about one-third of the way up behind the water curtain, there was an area where the rock texture appeared too "regular," and the sound of the water hitting the rocks had a very subtle "hollow" echo.
Unless one knows in advance and deliberately Scout, it is extremely difficult to discover this cave entrance hidden by the Barrier.
This is it.
Taiichi quickly Hand Seals, channeling the Chakra within his body.
Earth Style: Rock Concealment Technique.
His body seemed to melt into the rock beneath his feet, his aura merging perfectly with the rock before disappearing without a trace.
Underground, Taiichi invisible ghost, silently penetrated the Barrier that maintained the Genjutsu and officially entered the territory of the Jashin Cult's lair.
Upon entering, a pungent, viscous liquid-like stench of blood and rotting corpses assaulted the senses!
The aura was far more intense and foul than anything he had sensed in Frost Moon Village!
Even through the rocks, Taiichi felt a strong physical discomfort, and the anger in his chest was instantly ignited to its extreme!
He suppressed his nausea and cautiously extended his senses.
The bloody altar was covered with fresh bloodstains and unidentified fragments.
The cramped cages held countless dying "sacrifices."
Although the huge crematorium had been extinguished, it still emitted a nauseating smell of burning flesh.
The base has a complex internal structure with interconnected passageways and even larger spaces deeper inside.
There were quite a few cult members patrolling, but most of them had blank expressions and moved with a mechanical quality, as if they had been brainwashed. Their core areas showed a stronger Chakra response.
Taiichi's senses expanded, imprinting the entire base's situation into his mind. A ruthless and efficient elimination plan instantly took shape in his mind.
"As expected—there's no one left to save."
The offerings had been exhausted; only the perpetrators and a few soulless remains remained. The last shred of restraint vanished.
"Then—" Taiichi's eyes turned completely icy, "Begin the purge."
He was like Death God lurking underground, his hands Hand Seals, and a vast amount of Chakra gathering underground!
Earth Style: Earth Style: Rock Lodging Collapse!
Rumble!
The ground in the selected area was as if it had been violently torn apart and lifted by an invisible giant hand! The hard rock shattered and collapsed like fragile biscuits! A huge roar and violent tremors instantly swept through the entire underground cavern!