radicalducati Chapter 152 Fame Spreads Far and Wide
Chapter 152 Fame Spreads Far and Wide
Chapter 152 Fame Spreads Far and Wide
The following day at noon, the three members of the team finally returned to the camp, covered in dust from their journey.
The first thing they did upon arriving at the camp was to report their encounter to Commander Orochimaru.
Of course, before returning, Taiichi had already discussed it with Yohei and Saori, in order to conceal the strength of the team members, especially Taiichi and Yohei.
The enemy that ambushed them consisted of only 3 Jonin and 6 Chunin. Even so, Orochimaru was still extremely surprised when he learned of Taichi and the others' achievements.
He had some suspicions about that wind and catkins before, but at the time Orochimaru thought that they might just be Danzo's pawns.
I never expected that he was a spy.
It's unclear whether Danzo was aware of Kazekazu's spy identity, or if this was merely another of his maneuvers.
"I already know what happened, and I will report the details to the village. It's a stroke of luck that you all returned safely!" Orochimaru looked at the three disheveled boys, his eyes still full of admiration. "This mission will be rated S-rank, as my personal compensation to you!"
Good heavens, as expected of Orochimaru, he's completely generous with the village's resources, without spending a single penny of his own money, and even gains favors in return.
Sure enough, Yangping was already feeling grateful. "Ah~ Haha, thank you so much, Lord Orochimaru! I thought the mission was over!"
Taiichi wanted to cover his face, so he grabbed Yangping, who was about to speak, and pulled him behind him. "Lord Orochimaru, our team only has three people left now. I wonder how the village usually handles this situation?"
Orochimaru looked at Taiichi with great interest. Compared to the straightforward Yangping, this little guy was much harder to fool.
"Usually, the village will transfer a new person over, but if you have any requests, as long as you're still in the northern camp, I can try my best to meet them!"
This statement is quite magnanimous and reflects Orochimaru's leadership charisma at this stage; he is capable and willing to take responsibility.
"Thank you so much, Lord Orochimaru. However, we don't want to take on any new team members right now. We hope to continue the mission as it is."
This was all discussed on the way back. The team has too many secrets, and it's really not suitable to add new members at this stage, especially since it's uncertain whether this new member is friend or foe. After all, even espionage has happened, so what else is impossible?
"Okay, no problem!" Seeing that it was such a simple request, Orochimaru agreed without even thinking.
Once Taiyi saw that his goal had been achieved, he took the opportunity to say goodbye.
Orochimaru was extremely busy, and seeing that he had appeased Taiichi and his team, he let them go.
But after Taiyi and the others left, he picked up Taiyi's mission report and read it carefully.
After reading it carefully several times, he finally revealed a meaningful smile, having discovered the flaws in the report.
They must have killed more enemies than that, but why would Taiyi's squad conceal their results? Was it because they distrusted the village, or did they have some other secret?
Orochimaru's vertical pupils gleamed with a sense of exploration, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth like a venomous snake discovering a delicious meal.
He wouldn't tell anyone about something so interesting; he wanted to savor it all by himself and see if Taiyi and the others could bring him even more fun.
But as the commander, he still had to do his job, such as sending a letter back to the village, denouncing the village's intelligence department for its dereliction of duty. One spy incident was one thing, but to have another one happening in such a short time was unacceptable. Just how many spies were still in the village?
He believed that Sarutobi-sensei would take the letter seriously, not only because the victim was his good grand-disciple, but also because he could use it as an opportunity to further consolidate his power within the Root organization.
At the same time, at the Cloud Hidden Frontline Camp.
The Jonin who went to scout the island returned to camp around the same time as Taichi and the other two. What was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission turned into a devastating piece of bad news.
"Reporting, sir!" The Jonin captain nodded in greeting, but his voice was unusually hoarse. "No of our personnel were found at the scene. The warehouse area has been completely reduced to ruins, and the island is covered with signs of fire and flooding. The barrier was also forcibly destroyed."
The ninja paused for a moment, then gave his final, albeit with difficulty: "Based on the various traces at the scene, we conclude that the ambush team is completely dead, with no survivors!"
The chilling report struck like a hammer blow to the hearts of all the high-ranking officers in the command tent. A deathly silence fell over the tent, broken only by the occasional crackling of the brazier.
"Five people! A full five Jonin! And ten Chunin!" A middle-aged man wearing a Kumogakure uniform vest suddenly stood up, his face ashen. "That's not 15 cats, that's one-tenth of the camp's Jonin strength."
You're telling me they just died silently like that!
His voice trembled with anger and disbelief. The ambush team was incredibly well-equipped, with water-style ninjas specifically assigned to them. It should have been a foolproof crushing victory, but instead, they ended up like this.
"Were there any traces of other ninjas found at the scene?" the commander-in-chief in the main seat asked. "Is it that Matsushita Taichi's squad is too strong, or does the enemy have other supporting teams? Do we know that?"
Faced with the commander's cold gaze, the Jonin captain could only grit his teeth and say, "The entire island was submerged by seawater, and most traces have disappeared. It's simply—impossible to make a judgment!"
Upon hearing this, the commander was completely disheartened. He didn't blame the reconnaissance team; it was clear that the other side had done it intentionally, so the intelligence they could gather was naturally limited.
"Regardless, based on the available intelligence, this kid from Konoha, Matsushita Taichi—his value..."
His threat far exceeds any of our previous assessments! The commander-in-chief's eyes flashed with a cold and wary light.
"Possessing top-tier medical ninjutsu, powerful fire-style techniques, and superb swordsmanship, he can only be described as a true all-rounder! We absolutely cannot allow someone like him to continue growing!"
Another staff officer's voice was hoarse: "But—the consecutive losses of Senior Ziina and the ambush team's 5..."
The presence of a high-ranking ninja has dealt a huge blow to the morale of our frontline forces. We are currently facing a significant shortage of high-level combat power, especially with the recent appearance of a mysterious blond ninja on the front lines.
The strategist's words were both a reminder and a concern; the balance of power between the two sides was now unbalanced. If Konoha changed its strategy and stopped defending, instead launching an offensive, then they would be in serious trouble.
"Suspend all proactive attacks and probing actions." The commander-in-chief made a decisive decision. "From this moment on, retreat across the board and strengthen the defenses within the territory. I will request reinforcements from the villages."
"Furthermore, spreading information about Matsushita Taichi's squad shouldn't just be a headache for us. Sunagakure and Iwagakure would probably prefer this kind of dangerous mission."
"yes!"
As the Cloud Village began to tighten its defenses, the pressure on the previously tense northern front dropped sharply.
From frontline troops to ninjas providing support from the rear, everyone clearly felt this change: harassment and sabotage from the Hidden Cloud Village had almost disappeared, and even small-scale conflicts had decreased significantly.
This unusually calm state, like the calm before a storm, not only fails to reassure people but also exudes an unsettling atmosphere.
In the command tent, Orochimaru tapped the latest battle report with his fingertips, a cold light flashing in his golden vertical pupils.
His intelligence was far superior to that of ordinary ninjas. Combining the scattered information brought back by ninjas who had penetrated deep into enemy territory with this unusual strategic retreat, he quickly pieced together the most likely truth in his mind.
"Hmph, it seems that Yunyin has suffered quite a few losses at Taiyi's hands, and has had to withdraw its outstretched claws."
Orochimaru's hoarse whispers echoed in the tent, a mocking smile appearing on his face.
"I never expected you barbarians to be afraid. It's truly rare—"
But then he keenly sensed the fleeting opportunity that existed here.
With the Cloud Village's frontline forces weakened and morale shaken, it is time to launch a decisive attack to expand the gains, push the front line forward, and further destroy the Cloud Village's supply points and war potential on the border.
However, when Orochimaru inadvertently caught a glimpse of the recent instructions from the village's higher-ups, his excitement was immediately dampened.
His primary mission at this moment remains "to hold the northern defense line" and ensure that the northern part of the Land of Fire is not invaded by the Hidden Cloud Village. A large-scale, unauthorized offensive would clearly be a violation of his orders.
It will also touch the sensitive nerve of the village's leadership regarding "disobedience."
"How can we let this opportunity go to waste!" Orochimaru sneered. Without further hesitation, he quickly summoned his trusted confidants, and soon, a meticulously analyzed and urgently worded official letter, encrypted at the highest level, was sent to the Hokage's office in Konoha through an emergency channel.
In his official letter, Orochimaru provided a detailed analysis of the situation at the front lines, clearly pointing out that Kumogakure was forced to adopt a strategic defensive posture due to the successive losses of Jonin. This presented Konoha with the best opportunity to launch a tactical counterattack while Kumogakure was weakened.
Not only could it compress the strategic space of the Hidden Cloud Village and damage the enemy's morale, but it could also force the Hidden Cloud Village, which had entered the Land of Hot Water, back into the Land of the Moon. He even attached a preliminary, controllable outline of a small-scale raid plan.
As the official letter, carrying his urgent hopes, disappeared before his eyes, Orochimaru felt a rare ripple of emotion. If things went well, the pressure Konoha would face, at least on the northern front, would be greatly reduced.
Three days have passed since we returned from the last mission, and we haven't carried out any field missions except at the medical camp.
Yangping and Saori were the same; whenever they had free time, the three of them would gather together to practice and refine their skills, or find a secluded spot to train alone and familiarize themselves with their newly acquired powers.
During this time, Yangping and the other person naturally learned about Taiyi's latest power—Ice Release.
When Taiichi first used Ice Release during a sparring match, Yohei and Saori's reactions were truly unforgettable.
The shift in their expressions—from surprise to doubt to anger—still makes them feel ashamed, even now.
Having just experienced a spy incident, they were extremely sensitive. Their first reaction upon seeing the Ice Release technique was that Taiichi had been assassinated and kidnapped by a ninja from the Minazuki clan.
Yangping's Sharingan instantly activated to the Mangekyou Sharingan, and Saori's body crackled with electricity—a sign of Lightning Release activating her physical form. Their stance suggested they were ready to fight at any moment.
While Taichi was touched, he also felt a urge to tease them and test his newly acquired Ice Release technique. The battle ensued in that instant.
To avoid arousing suspicion from the two, Taiichi did not use physical techniques or swordsmanship, but instead used ninjutsu to fight his enemies.
Ice Release: Thousand Kill Water Flight - Countless ice needles condensed out of thin air and shot swiftly toward Yohei and Saori.
While attacking, he retreated rapidly, his hands forming hand seals at lightning speed.
Ice Release: Ice World is a terrain skill that creates a suitable environment for Ice Release to exert its power.
A large amount of cold air was blown out by Taiyi, and instantly, a large amount of frost spread rapidly in all directions from Taiyi's center. Ice gradually covered the entire land with Taiyi's footsteps.
Faced with the sudden drop in temperature to below 0 degrees Celsius, Yang Ping showed no weakness and unleashed Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation, whose power and scale far exceeded that of the time on the small island.
Wherever the flames reached, the ice melted rapidly, but Taiyi's icy world was clearly not simple either. With the continuous support of his chakra, frost pressed down on Yangping from all directions.
Judging from the clash between ice and fire, Taiyi clearly has the upper hand, but Yangping is not the only one present.
Under the cover of the flames, Saori had already circled around to Taiichi's side. Several flashing lightning balls flew towards Taiichi, and Saori followed closely behind, her legs and arms also wrapped in lightning, rushing towards Taiichi at an unprecedented speed.
Taichi dodged the lightning balls with a few quick movements, but after exchanging a single blow with Saori who was close behind, he decisively retreated.
It turns out that the electric current wrapped around Saori's hands not only activated her body, but also had the paralyzing effect unique to lightning. Just one contact and Taiichi, who was unprotected, was paralyzed by the lightning. If it weren't for his high physical strength, the battle would probably be over.
As Taiyi retreated, he waved his hands continuously, causing ice pillars to grow and form ice walls on the ground covered with ice crystals, hindering Saori's pursuit.
This is not ninjutsu, but a high-level application of nature transformation. For Taiyi, whose chakra control is as high as Lv11, this method is quick and easy, and can be used at will without much consumption.
The only drawback is that it's not sturdy enough and can be easily broken, but it's still very effective as an obstacle.
Once Taiyi retreated a sufficient distance, he began preparing for the next Ice Release attack: Ice Release: Ice Dragon Strangulation.
Three ice dragons shot up from the ground, intertwined and rushing towards Saori. If she were to be entangled, her body would be instantly crushed into a pulp.
Just as Saori was about to be entangled, a powerful fireball rose from the side and rushed towards the dragon's head.
However, in Taiichi's view, although the fireball was powerful, it could not melt Saori before the ice dragon hit her. Just as Taiichi was about to stop, an accident occurred.
The originally orange-red flames seemed to have been injected with new fuel, suddenly increasing in power and rapidly changing color from orange-red to brilliant gold. The intense heat instantly melted the ice dragon.
This change caught not only Taiichi off guard, but also Saori, who thought it was a fire jutsu released by Taiichi.
But Yangping didn't give Taiyi a chance to catch his breath. Seizing Taiyi's momentary lapse in concentration, he rained down punches on Taiyi like a storm.
The moment they made contact, a soft "crack" sounded from the arm that was defending—it was broken.
"Damn, what's going on? Every single one of these attacks is comparable to my own superhuman strength punch."
Taiichi managed to withstand a few blows before retreating repeatedly. While cursing the attacker as a monster in his heart, he knew that he couldn't continue fighting with just Ice Release. All he could do was shout, "Stop! Stop! Stop! I really am Taiichi!"
Seeing that Yangping and Saori were still charging towards him regardless of the consequences, Taiichi stopped hiding. A bright golden light flashed around him, and his severed hand was restored to its original state. At the same time, the high temperature forced back Yangping who was chasing him.
"Damn it, you really are Taiyi!" Yangping cursed, a trickle of blood flowing from his right eye.
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