The Fright Minato Gave Him

The Land of Water, the Kirigakure.

Two Mist Ninja stood guard on either side of the entrance to a rest room, completely ignoring the noise and commotion outside, their eyes fixed on Taichi Matsushita inside, not daring to relax for a moment.

Inside, Taiichi was leisurely sipping tea, completely ignoring the gazes directed at him from the doorway.

Kirigakure suffered, and his coincident appearance here, it's no wonder the other party is suspicious.

Of course, none of these are the reasons why Taiichi can stay here obediently.

He can stay here simply because, even without going out, he can have a complete view of most of Kirigakure.

Of course, he wouldn't admit that he had tricked and killed Karatachi Yagura, ruining Akatsuki's plot. He was in a great mood at the moment and didn't care much about these things.

Just as Taiichi finished his third cup of tea and was about to call for the fourth, he sensed that the Mist Village Genji had finally finished dealing with everything and was walking towards them with a female ninja.

Taiichi quickly withdrew his senses, even straightening his posture, his serious demeanor showing respect to Mist Village.

Not long after, footsteps and greetings from two guards came from the doorway. The next moment, Elder Genji appeared at the door.

Taiichi stood up as a sign of respect for the elder, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two got straight to the point.

"Taichi Matsushita, as you've seen, Mist Village in a terrible state right now. What brings you here? Please get to the point."

"Elder Genshi, I've come here regarding the Akatsuki."

Taiichi, and spoke in a low voice, but to Genji and the others it sounded like thunder.

However, Genji was a cunning old fox after all. Although he was shocked inside, he remained outwardly calm.

Meanwhile Mei Terumi, being young and lacking in cunning, maintained a calm demeanor on her face, but her muscles tensed unconsciously.

Taiichi's gaze was instantly drawn to her: reddish-brown hair, fair skin, and pale pink lips. Apart from not yet possessing the allure she would later become, everything else matched perfectly.

"This little girl looks very kind!"

"Hmph, who's friendly to you? Watch out, or I'll melt you down."

Taiichi smiled and didn't refute. That's right, the one who could say such a thing must be the future Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi. I didn't expect her to be following Genji at this time. She's really being carefully nurtured.

Mei Terumi Taiichi inexplicably irritated. Thinking of the miserable state of her village, she saw him as a jinx. If she weren't outmatched, she would have attacked him immediately.

Genji sensed the fluctuation in Mei Terumi's emotions. Although he didn't know the reason, he still reached out and gently patted her before looking at her again.

Xiang Taiichi's expression also turned serious.

"Please elaborate, Your Excellency Taiichi."

Taiichi didn't keep them in suspense and stated quite frankly, "Our Konoha has received reliable intelligence that the Akatsuki, which disappeared for two years, has re-emerged active in the Ninja World, and this time, they seem to be planning something big—"

"Cough cough cough----"

Genji bent over and coughed violently, startling Mei Terumi, who kept patting his back.

After a long while, with the help of Mei Terumi, Genji finally calmed down.

When he straightened up again, Taiichi saw that Genji's eyes were full of tears, whether from coughing or some other reason, he didn't know.

"Your Excellency Taiichi, please continue!" Genji's voice trembled.

"The Akatsuki is a notorious terrorist organization in the Ninja World. In response to their recent actions, Konoha will share some intelligence about the Akatsuki. We also hope that all villages will work together to eradicate this Akatsuki in future operations against them."

As Taiichi spoke, Genji felt his heart bleeding. If Mist Village had known this information earlier, would today's calamity have been avoided? Unfortunately, there are no "ifs."

"Taiichi, to be honest, the calamity that Mist Village is facing today was caused by the Akatsuki."

"Oh!" Taiichi asked, feigning surprise, "Could it be that the one who used Genjutsu to control the Fourth Mizukage was a member of Akatsuki?"

The Genji nodded heavily, and then recounted some information that Karatachi Yagura had revealed before his death.

"Taiichi, this can be considered Mist Village's sincerity. However, we hope that our village will be informed of any new information regarding Akatsuki in the future. Akatsuki should not exist."

Taiichi nodded in understanding; even though he already knew this information, it didn't prevent him from affirming Genji's performance.

Mist Village was probably the ninja village, besides Konoha, that most wanted Akatsuki to be destroyed, without exception.

"Elder Genshi, there's something I need to remind you of again: the Akatsuki's intelligence capabilities are extremely strong, and the Three-Tails and Six-Tails that your village possesses are their targets. Please make sure to prioritize their protection."

"Don't worry, Mist Village won't make the same mistake again."

Seeing the solemn expression on Genji's face, Taiichi could only offer his blessings, hoping that they could truly protect the two Tailed Beasts.

Next, the two sides negotiated some details, including the transmission of intelligence and assistance in special circumstances.

Taiichi didn't leave Kirigakure until that evening.

The journey back to Konoha was simple, with familiar coordinates. Taiichi Flying Thunder God and returned to Konoha the next morning, including his rest time.

The Hokage's Office.

There were only Minato and Taiichi.

Taiichi then let loose, leaning against the desk and reporting his experiences along the way to Minato.

"So, you've really managed to kill the Fourth Mizukage through your scheme!"

"That's right. I noticed something was off about him during the last crisis with the Moryo, but unfortunately I didn't have the chance. This time, I happened to be caught in their internal strife, so I did something sneaky, and I didn't expect he actually had something to do with me."

Taiichi no longer concealed his smugness; his face was full of pride. Today, he had both weakened Mist Village and thwarted Akatsuki's plot, achieving two goals at once.

Minato crossed his arms, resting them on his chin, his face showing deep thought.

"The Akatsuki is not to be underestimated. Just when we think we understand them, they always manage to surprise us again. This time, the Mist Village incident was a case in point."

Taiichi, however, was unconcerned about Minato's concerns.

He has fought against all the current members of the Akatsuki.

Whether it was Nagato's Rinnegan or Obito's Mangekyo, he was determined to win.

The only thing giving him a headache right now is that these guys are too slippery, giving him absolutely no chance to fight them head-on.

Most importantly, the key to their plan is now not inside Naruto's body as it was in the original story.

The Akatsuki's attempt to seize the Nine-Tails is utterly delusional.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing you don't know!"

Minato patted his head, and a smile returned to his face.

"Just before you returned, our intelligence agents indeed discovered traces of Akatsuki members, and they really began their operation."

Taiichi's eyes lit up; he was now truly interested.

He never imagined that the excuse he gave to deal with the accusations from the four great ninja villages would become the truth.

Where were they found? Are they still around?

"In the Land of Hot Water, the other side was very cautious and is no longer there."

Taiichi's eyes visibly dimmed; he really wanted to capture someone alive, hoping to find out the location of their headquarters through interrogation.

"However, judging from the direction they're heading, it seems they're heading towards the Land of Lightning?"

Minato then revealed another piece of information, before looking at Taiichi with a broad smile.

"Oh!"

Taiichi's eyes lit up again, but he quickly realized what was happening.

You're just messing with me!

Taiichi looked at Minato with ill intent, his fists clenched so tightly they made a "crackling" sound.

"Come on, let's go outside and practice. It's been a long time since we've sparred."

"Haha, no problem, I'd be happy to. But let's talk about that after we've finished." Minato's eyes also lit up with fighting spirit. He hadn't First Shinobi World War to his full potential in a long time, and his body was a little sore.

Taiichi looked at Minato and nodded, but his thoughts returned to the information Minato had just given him.

"Do you think the Akatsuki are planning to capture the Tailed Beast?"

"Oh, why do you say that?" Minato looked interested; this was an idea he hadn't considered before.

"Don't you think the timing is too coincidental?" Taiichi asked excitedly. "The Kirigakure was just exposed, and soon after, they took action here."

"They must have known they had been exposed and that a lot of their intelligence had been leaked, which is why they had no choice but to arrest the villagers before they could prepare for defense."

Act quickly.

You said that was the Fourth Mizukage, and they controlled him with Genjutsu. With that kind of power, how could those Jinchuriki possibly resist?

Minato nodded in agreement, as this coincided with his own thoughts.

"So what do you think we should do next?"

Taiichi grinned mischievously and held up two fingers.

"Two options. First, we immediately send ninja hawks to inform the other Three Great Shinobi Villages of our speculations and Mist Village's encounter, so that they can be on high alert."

Secondly, if we delay sending the intelligence for a couple of days, the Akatsuki might be able to inflict mutual damage on them, which would be a good thing for the entire Konoha.

Minato looked at Taiichi's two raised fingers and pondered in his mind.

The four great ninja villages and Konoha don't have a good relationship. During the three Ninja World Wars, which of them didn't have the blood of Konoha Ninja on their hands?

Even now, battles still occasionally occur on the border.

Thinking of all this, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Minato's eyes.

"Taiichi, let's choose the first option. Our enemies aren't just the Akatsuki. The more power the Ninja World preserves, the better our chances will be when facing a truly formidable foe in the future."

Taiichi looked into Minato's eyes and saw only unwavering resolve.

"Okay, whatever you say!"

Taiichi didn't say much, besides, this was more like the Minato he knew.

After finishing their business, Minato tidied up his desk, and the two walked out one after the other.

Throughout the entire process, neither side mentioned a faster method of communication.

Even the fastest ninja hawk would take two days to fly from Konoha to Kumogakure, if all goes well.

These next two days are a test from heaven. If they can't even get through these two days, then it just means they deserve their bad luck.

This was also the last act of defiance by Minato and Taiichi as Konoha Ninja.

The great forest behind Hokage Rock.

Minato and Taiichi arrived at this place, which was vast and sparsely populated. It was the only place in Konoha suitable for Minato and Taiichi to spar at their current state.

The two men stood facing each other twenty meters apart, both with excited expressions on their faces, clearly anticipating the battle to come.

We can't wait.

A white cloud drifted across the sky, blocking out the sunlight and plunging the entire area into darkness.

At that very moment, Minato and Taiichi simultaneously activated their Body Flicker, covering the twenty-meter distance in the blink of an eye.

Bang bang bang.

The sounds of fists and feet clashing rang out continuously. The two men's moves were precise and rapid, each strike aimed at the other's vital points, yet each move was parried by the other.

In just a few breaths, the two sides had already clashed hundreds of times.

"Boom!"

A gust of air flashed by, and the two fists collided violently, causing them to stagger backward.

However, Taiichi retreated seven or eight steps before stopping, while Minato retreated twenty steps before finally coming to a stop.

"Good lad, your physical abilities have become so strong? You're practically inhuman."

"Haha, Minato, you're not bad either. You haven't slacked off in your Senjutsu training, and your physical abilities have improved a lot."

The two exchanged a few words of flattery, and the warm-up was over; the real battle had just begun.

Minato drew his "Sword of Ninja Love" with his right hand, and Taiichi also made a grabbing motion in the air, condensing Chakra Light Blade into shape.

The two charged at each other again, weapons in hand. Before they could even get close, Taiichi threw out a Vacuum Blade from each side, like scissors, aiming to sever Minato.

Just as the Vacuum Blade was about to strike, Minato's figure suddenly vanished, and the Flying Thunder God appeared behind Taiichi. At the same time, a Rasengan had already taken shape in his left hand.

At the critical moment, Taiichi's figure also disappeared, and the next instant he appeared above Minato's head, his Light Blade already poised to strike, and he slashed down fiercely at Minato.

With a loud "boom".

Taiichi's sword struck the ground, creating a large crater.

Unfortunately, there was no trace of the Minato in the pit.

Taiichi looked to his left and saw Minato covering his face with one hand, shielding himself from the flying dirt and grass clippings.

Indeed, fighting someone who Flying Thunder God technique is a very annoying thing.

You don't realize it when you're using it normally, but it's really disgusting when you're actually in a battle. You can't hit anything, and you can't run away.

"Taiichi, your Flying Thunder God and mine have developed into two completely different paths."

"That's right. Our fighting styles are different. I don't have your reflexes, so I naturally need to leave myself more room for error."

"Indeed, if we keep fighting like this, it'll never end." Minato straightened his robes, his gaze towards Taiichi hardening. "Next up is a new technique I've mastered, so you'd better be careful."

After saying that, Minato took a step forward, and his body suddenly glowed with a golden light.

Taiichi's eyes widened suddenly, filled with disbelief.

Holy crap, what am I seeing? Is this some kind of Kurama Mode?

Taiichi instantly retreated, creating a safe distance before carefully observing the situation again.

Thank goodness, it's not Kurama Mode; it's just the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode at most.

That makes sense. Given Minato's approachability and Nine-Tails's current state, achieving this pattern is quite reasonable.