Ambush in the Shadows

The Land of Frost, Blackstone Canyon.

The Cloud Village Camp was built against the mountain, and the black tents, like the scales of a giant beast, covered the valley floor in dense rows.

In the center of the Camp, a huge Thundercloud Fan Flag fluttered in the wind. The air was thick with the restless atmosphere characteristic of warmongers.

Darui, the Elite Jonin Cloud Village of Kumogakure who shone brightly in the Third Shinobi World War, was standing on a lookout post at the edge of the Camp. His short, golden-white hair was being blown by the wind, and his sharp eyes were scanning the direction of the Land of Fire to the south.

He held the latest investigation report in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

So far, there has been no sign of reinforcements from Konoha, and this unusual behavior has raised a suspicion in his mind.

Just then, a Cloud Village Chunin guard duty, as if he'd seen a ghost, scrambled up to the lookout post, his voice trembling. "Lord Dai-dai! Something's happened! Konoha -- Konoha --someone's coming!"

"What's the panic!" Darui snapped, looking in the direction the Chunin was pointing.

On the open plains to the south, a figure was walking unhurriedly toward the Cloud Village Earth Flow.

Without stealth or concealment, they openly and honestly trod upon the land of the Land of Frost, approaching step by step, facing the hostile and scrutinizing gazes of thousands of Cloud Village elites.

The man was dressed in a dark-colored Konoha standard combat uniform, casually covered by a short gray cloak. He was tall and upright, with a composed gait, as if he were not heading towards the enemy camp, but taking a stroll in his own courtyard.

Most strikingly, he seemed to be holding something—a fluffy, orange-red thing—in his arms?

"Alone?" Samui, a rare fair-skinned beauty Jonin from Darui, who was Cloud Village's adjutant, narrowed her eyes, her tone filled with strong suspicion and a hint of annoyance at being slighted.

"Is Konoha out of people? Did they send this guy to his death? Or is he here to surrender?"

"Shut up, Samui." Darui's voice was unusually calm, but his pupils suddenly contracted, locking onto the face of the approaching figure. "Look closely at his face!"

Samui and the other Jonin who had gathered around stared Jonin. When the distance closed enough to see the newcomer's face clearly, everyone involuntarily gasped!

"It's him—it's him! That 'White Reaper' of Konoha! Taichi Matsushita!"

A Jonin Cloud Village who had participated in the Third Shinobi World War and narrowly escaped from the enemy's Water Style cried out, his voice filled with uncontrollable fear.

"That's the monster who single-handedly suppressed the rampaging Nine-Tails!" another voice added, trembling.

Konoha still be covering up the details of that earth-shattering battle, the fact that the Nine-Tails was suppressed and the core area of Konoha was destroyed has already been spread by spies from various countries at top speed.

The name Taichi Matsushita, along with terms like "suppressing the Nine-Tails" and "beyond standard," quickly spread throughout the Ninja World once again!

In the intelligence assessment of all ninja villages, the danger level of this name has been raised to an unprecedented level.

Now, he's come to the Cloud Village's thousand-man Camp all by himself!

A chill instantly shot from the soles of Darui's feet to the top of his head!

Taichi Matsushita stopped about 100 meters from the Cloud Village camp 'Camp cordon.

This distance is instantaneous for a ninja, and enough for most people in the Camp to see him clearly.

He glanced around at the Cloud Ninja, whose weapons were drawn, a mocking smile on his face. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the noisy Camp, as if whispering in everyone's ears, "Konoha Jonin, Taichi Matsushita."

He announced his name in a calm tone, as if introducing himself, "I've heard that the masters of Cloud Village have traveled a long way to be stationed here, which must indicate their strong desire to exchange skills. I am unworthy, but I have come to seek your guidance."

He paused, his gaze sweeping Jonin the Cloud Village Jonin whose expressions were filled with surprise and uncertainty, and continued, "The rules are simple: stop when you've made a move, and don't kill anyone. After all, Konoha and Cloud Village have an agreement, and it wouldn't be good to damage our relationship."

"Of course." Taiichi's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "If anyone feels that punches and kicks have no limits, or fears they might not be able to control their strength, they can choose—not to make a move."

"Boom!!!"

The entire Cloud Village Camp was like a powder keg that had been lit, instantly erupting into chaos!

Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!

A single person walked right up to the gates of their elite Cloud Village Camp, openly challenging all the masters?

They even said things like "stop when it's too late" and "don't kill anyone."

This is utterly humiliating! It's a complete disgrace to the Kumogakure, a disgrace to the Fourth Raikage, and a complete disgrace to the dignity of every Cloud Ninja present!

Immediately, the entire Cloud Village Camp exploded like a powder keg dropped onto Mars!

"You bastard!"

"That's incredibly arrogant!"

"How dare a mere individual so disrespect my Kumogakure?!"

"Kill him! Let him know the price of insulting Cloud Village!"

The furious roar nearly overturned the canyon.

The Cloud Ninja, renowned throughout the Ninja World for their fierce courage and unyielding spirit, had never suffered such a humiliating disgrace.

These barbarians have never suffered such humiliation!

"I'll teach this arrogant Konoha a lesson!" A hot-tempered, muscular Cloud Village Jonin the first to lose his temper and roared as he charged out from the crowd.

His body crackled with lightning, and he moved with incredible speed, like a blue bolt of lightning, instantly traversing a hundred meters. His fist, as big as a casserole dish, was wrapped in violent Lightning Style Chakra and, with a piercing shriek that tore through the air, slammed straight into Taiichi's gate!

Their ambition is commendable, and their bravery is unparalleled! This is precisely the fighting style that Cloud Village is proud of!

However, their abilities did not match their ambition.

Faced with this ferocious attack capable of splitting rocks and shattering monuments, Taiichi didn't even put down the Little Nine-Tails in his arms.

He merely turned slightly to the side, his movement so small that he didn't even move his feet, and the iron fist crackling with lightning grazed his nose and slammed into empty air.

At the same time, Taiichi's free left hand shot out with ghostly speed, his index and middle fingers joined together, a sharp Chakra light gathering at the fingertips, and he precisely placed it on an extremely hidden acupoint under the opponent's ribs.

"Uh!" The Jonin's ferocious aura froze instantly. The momentum of his forward charge caused him to stumble, and the Lightning Style Chakra surging through his body suddenly went out as if its source had been cut off.

He felt a sharp, numbing sensation spread through half of his body in an instant, his vision went black, and his massive body crashed to the ground like a mountain collapsing, kicking up a cloud of dust. He twitched a few times and then completely lost consciousness.

The whole process took only a moment.

"The first one." Taiichi's voice remained calm.

"Damn it!" Seeing his companion taken down in a single, bizarre move, the second Jonin turned bloodshot. He drew his Ninja Blade, the blade instantly crackling with blinding lightning. He transformed into a streak of sword light, slashing straight at Taiichi's shoulder! The Blade Momentum was swift and the angle was tricky.

Taiichi didn't move his feet, but simply raised the arm holding the Little Nine-Tails fox slightly. Clang! A crisp metallic clang rang out!

The Ninja Blade struck Taiichi's arm, producing a sound like it had struck steel! The swirling lightning was instantly dispersed by an invisible force. Taiichi's wrist flicked, his fingers hooking like hooks, and he swiftly gripped the wrist of the sword-wielding opponent.

The Jonin felt an irresistible force surge through him, his wrist groaning under the strain, and his Ninja Blade flew out of his hand.

Immediately afterwards, Taiichi lifted his foot and seemingly casually tapped his lower abdomen.

"Pfft!" The second Jonin's eyes bulged out, and he spat out a mixture of gastric juice and blood. His body was thrown backwards like a shrimp after being hit by a high-speed train, flying dozens of meters before crashing into a pile of debris and falling silent.

"The second one."

Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, began to creep into the hearts of some Cloud Ninja. But even more so, there was a burning rage and defiance!

"Attack together! Don't give him a chance to breathe!"

The third and fourth Jonin rushed out simultaneously. One used Earth Style: Hardening Jutsu, covering his body with rock armor, and charged forward like a humanoid chariot. The other quickly Hand Seals in the distance and spat out several sharp Wind Blade, blocking Taiichi's escape space.

Taiichi finally moved. His figure, carrying the Little Nine-Tails, vanished from the spot like a ghost, easily avoiding the Wind Blades.

When he reappeared, he was already beside the Jonin the Hardening Technique. Facing the hard rock armor, Taiichi unleashed his Chakra Enhanced Strength Fist, slamming it into the opponent's shoulder blade.

Click!

A sickening cracking sound rang out.

The Jonin a miserable howl as his hard rock armor shattered like paper. Half of his body went limp instantly, and Taiichi kicked him in the side of his supporting leg's knee, sending him crashing to his knees. He clutched his twisted knee and wailed in pain.

The third one.

At the same time, the Jonin who released the Wind Style Jonin a blur before his eyes as his target vanished. Immediately afterward, a sharp pain shot through the back of his neck, and everything went black before his eyes, following in the footsteps of the previous two.

The fourth one.

The battle, or rather, the one-sided crushing defeat, was proceeding at an astonishing speed.

The fifth one attempted to use Lightning Style Clone to confuse the enemy, but Taiichi Water Style, sending both the clone and the original body flying.

The sixth one was skilled in quick Taijutsu, but Taiichi struck first and intercepted each move before he could exert his power, dislocating his joints within a few moves;

The seventh one tried to create distance and bombard the enemy with Ninjutsu, but Taiichi countered with the same Ninjutsu, blasting him to a crisp.

The eighth was an experienced tactical Jonin attempted to set a trap using the location of his fallen comrade, but Taiichi saw through his plan. He stomped on the ground, causing a small collapse that trapped Taiichi instead, and then delivered a precise chop to Taiichi's hand.

Eight!

Eight Cloud Village Jonin, representing the Kumogakure's elite fighting force, couldn't even last three moves on average against Taichi Matsushita!

Their pride in speed, strength, Ninjutsu, and teamwork seemed utterly pale and powerless in the face of that absolute gap in strength.

Taiichi's attacks were extremely measured, taking no lives, but each strike precisely hit vulnerable points such as joints, pressure points, or internal organs. While the injuries were not fatal, they were enough to keep these Jonin in bed for at least ten days before they could barely regain their mobility.

The entire Cloud Village Camp fell into a deathly silence.

Every Cloud Ninja, whether a regular Chunin or the remaining Jonin, stood frozen in place as if under a spell, their faces filled with disbelief, horror, and a deep-seated sense of defeat.

Morale plummeted to rock bottom.

Looking at the young man who was still clutching the orange-red fur ball, with not even the Kakuzu disheveled, a chill ran from the soles of all the Cloud Ninja straight to the top of their heads.

At this moment, the invasion of the Land of Hot Water, the reclaiming of mission quotas, and the display of Cloud Village's strength to Konoha all became a huge and ironic joke.

Cloud Village died before he could even begin his mission.

Darui gripped the hilt of the Short Sword behind his back tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, but he did not move.

The Cloud Village cannot afford to lose any more. If its Commander is defeated, the army will lose all morale.

"Is there anyone else who would like to ask a question?" Taiichi's voice rang out again, breaking the silence.

This time, no one dared to answer. Only heavy breathing and overwhelming fear filled the Camp.

Darui took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and humiliation, and his dry voice came through the loudspeaker. "Enough! Taichi Matsushita, your instruction... Cloud Village, have learned my lesson! This was merely a routine shift change, with no other intentions. Please do not misunderstand, Konoha."

He uttered the last few words with difficulty, as if he had used up all his strength.

All schemes are utterly vulnerable in the face of absolute power.

At the outpost on the outpost of Konoha, the campfire leaped stubbornly in the night wind. Taiichi sat cross-legged beside the fire, a whetstone steadily gliding across the blade of a Short Sword in his hand, producing a rhythmic "swish-swish" sound.

Several days have passed since he Jonin defeated eight elite Cloud Village from Kumogakure, forcing the formidable Cloud Village force to retreat in disarray.

The battle was fleeting yet chillingly brief, lasting only the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, but its consequences were unforgettable.

The news, like a winged ghost, spread quietly throughout the Ninja World at an astonishing speed.

Taiichi's name, along with his terrifying feat of Elite Jonin Cloud Village from Kumogakure, was immediately placed on the desks of the intelligence chiefs of various ninja villages.

Taiichi naturally knew whose handiwork this was.

Aside from its own high-ranking members, Cloud Village had no intention of publicizing Taiichi's power, especially since the villains involved were Cloud Village's own people.

Body.

The higher-ups' intentions were also obvious: to use this newly revealed sharp blade to intimidate the entire Ninja World and warn those wolves and tigers who were stirring up trouble after the Night of the Nine-Tails: Konoha still has fangs strong enough to crush any provocation!

He neither confirmed nor denied it. Since he had chosen to stay on the Northern Front to guard against possible Cloud Village Kumogakure, then becoming a deterrent flag planted by Konoha in the Northern Front would be making the best use of his abilities.

Deep within a tower in the distant Land of Rain, perpetually shrouded in cold, damp rain.

Nagato was reviewing the various intelligence reports submitted by his subordinates, a task he performed daily.

Even with Konan's help, he insisted on completing the task himself.

Managing such a large Amegakure is not easy. Nagato is not a heartless person who kills without burying the dead; he is a god determined to lead the Land of Rain to prosperity.

However, this intelligence led him to discover the existence he had been searching for.

Looking at the record in his hand detailing the battle that took place in the Land of Frost two days prior, Nagato forced a stiff smile.

Soon, an order reached Jue through various channels.

"Taichi Matsushita has left Konoha and is currently stationed on the northern border of the Land of Fire. Find him as soon as possible."

Zetsu looked at the order in his hand, a strange smile spreading across his half-white face, "Hehe--What a golden opportunity. He's been holed up in Konoha, making it really difficult for us to make a move. Now that he's come out on his own, he's practically prey delivered right to our mouths."