pertwk Chapter 158 Witnessing, Setting Off
Chapter 158 Witnessing, Setting Off
Chapter 158 Witnessing, Setting Off
Minato led the group toward the seventh training ground.
Along the way, Obito was chatting and laughing. It was clear that being able to be in the same team as Rin after graduation was something that made him very happy!
You can't believe it! He's still not out of his excited state, and he's still pulling Kakashi and Taichi along, talking nonstop!
When everyone arrived at the seventh training ground, as is customary, this was where each member of the team would introduce themselves.
At this moment, Obito seemed to have thought of something.
"No, Taichi, this is our team's first meeting. What are you still doing here?" Obito looked puzzled and expressed his dissatisfaction to Taichi, then turned to the other side, "And you, Kakashi, are you all free? Don't you have any missions to do?"
With only him and Rin left in the team, Obito was now eager to get rid of Taichi and Kakashi, as these two were potential "enemies" of his.
Taiichi suppressed a laugh, glanced at Kakashi beside him who looked completely speechless, and said, "Well, I'm really just here to join in the fun today. Besides, we're old friends, so it's not unreasonable for me to be here to witness your graduation, right?"
As he spoke, Taiichi's gaze went straight past Obito and landed on Rin.
"Of course, I'm very happy that you came to see us, Taichi." Rin isn't as unreliable as Obito. Not only are they friends, but Taichi also taught her her medical ninjutsu.
Taiichi looked at Obito with a strange expression and said with a malicious smile, "However, I'm not the only one here—"
Obito was taken aback when he heard this, and only then did he realize that the team couldn't possibly have only two members. It's no wonder that Obito didn't think of this; even Taiichi himself initially thought that Kakashi had his own team.
"Kakashi, you—you wouldn't happen to be the third member, would you?!" Obito stared blankly at Kakashi, his voice filled with disbelief.
Seeing Kakashi nod expressionlessly, Obito seemed to lose his soul, and his whole demeanor turned ashen.
Lin, on the other hand, was overjoyed and very enthusiastic about becoming Kakashi's teammate.
Minato finally stepped in, interrupting the farce among them. Pointing at Kakashi, he said to Obito and Rin, "I don't need to introduce him; you all know him. He's the last member of our team. From now on, we all need to look after each other!"
Seeing Obito completely dejected, as if abandoned by the whole world, Taichi could no longer hold back and burst into loud laughter.
Seeing this, the others were also influenced by Taiichi and chuckled softly. In the end, Rin couldn't bear to watch any longer and went over to comfort Obito.
Rin was just the right medicine for Obito. In just a few words, he was full of fighting spirit again, and his eyes were full of provocation when he looked at Kakashi.
Next came the usual introductions and bell-grabbing game.
Taiichi had witnessed the current level of Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, and it could be said that they were all much stronger than at the same time in the original story, especially Kakashi, whose strength had reached the level of a Special Jonin.
He was quite skilled in using lightning-style ninjutsu, especially his self-created Lightning Blade, which had amazing sound and light effects and was incredibly powerful. When he used it, he caught Minato completely off guard.
While the three of them didn't exactly have perfect teamwork, their coordination was still far superior to Kakashi's solo fighting style in the original work.
With the three working together, Minato was in a sorry state, and they almost managed to snatch the bell.
Looking at the constant roars coming from afar, the explosive tags, fire release, lightning release, and even the changing terrain, Taiyi was secretly amazed.
"Senior Brother Minato, you really don't hold back at all. Look at the mess you've made of this place. Those guys in the logistics department are probably going to go crazy."
Behind a large tree, a Minato emerged, his gaze fixed on the distant battlefield. "Holding back won't reveal their true strength, especially since that was just one of my shadow clones."
"What are your plans next, senior? The village is graduating a batch of promising new recruits from the Ninja Academy so early, probably hoping they can familiarize themselves with the battlefield sooner. You Jonin leading this batch are going to have a tough time!"
Taiichi said jokingly, but there was a hint of complaint in his tone.
Minato glanced at Taiichi beside him and said helplessly, "The village has no choice. Letting them graduate early is a way to help them adapt. When the war officially begins, the students who graduate then will probably be going straight to the battlefield."
Taiichi sighed. Minato's words made sense, but thinking about how Konoha could suppress the four great nations during World War I, could only hold back during World War II, and now World War III was about to begin, with even the students of the Ninja Academy having to go to the battlefield ahead of time.
This only shows that Konoha's strength is getting worse and worse. If it weren't for the solid foundation laid by the First and Second Hokage, Konoha would probably have been besieged by the other four great ninja villages long ago.
"Does Minato want to become Hokage?"
Taiichi suddenly asked a question that startled Minato.
He turned his head and looked at Taiyi in surprise, only to find Taiyi staring intently at him. His awkward smile disappeared.
"I definitely want to become Hokage, after all, that's my dream!" As he spoke, a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips, as if he were recalling the scene of telling Kushina about his ideal.
However, he then thought of his teacher and Orochimaru, who were the strongest candidates for Hokage. He was not even in the running yet, so he felt a little discouraged.
"However, there are still many competitors, such as the teacher, Orochimaru, and even Lady Tsunade. They are the disciples of the Third Hokage."
"Tsunade-sensei, let's forget about it. She can't be Hokage for the time being for some reasons. As for Jiraiya-sensei, needless to say, he's too carefree to handle the Hokage's duties. And Orochimaru-sama—"
This was the first time Minato had heard such inside information about the higher-ups, especially about the Hokage candidates. He was completely absorbed until Taichi stopped talking, at which point he unconsciously asked, "How is Lord Orochimaru?"
"It's hard to say right now, but I feel that Lord Orochimaru is unlikely to be involved." Taiichi didn't dare to be too certain, after all, everything has changed. Tsunade is still in contact with the village, and Hatake Sakumo is still alive. There's no guarantee that Orochimaru's side won't be affected in any way.
"Oh, why do I feel this way?" Minato was also puzzled. Orochimaru is currently the commander-in-chief of the northern front. If he makes a contribution, given that the other two Legendary Sannin have no interest in the Hokage position, Orochimaru should be the most likely candidate.
"Lord Orochimaru is more interested in the research of ninjutsu than the position of Hokage. Besides, our Hokage isn't at the age where he can retire right now!"
Taiichi's words were vague, but he believed that Minato would definitely understand the deeper meaning behind them.
As expected, Minato stared intently at Taiichi, clearly stunned by his last words.
"And you, Taichi, do you want to become Hokage?" Minato asked directly after regaining his composure.
"Me! I'm not cut out for being Hokage. I just want to protect the people I care about, and then pursue the strongest power," Taichi said frankly. "But if Minato-senpai wants to become Hokage, I'll definitely support you!"
As he spoke, Taiichi gave Minato a thumbs-up, "After all, if someone as sunny as Minato were Hokage, the kids at the Ninja Academy probably wouldn't have to go straight to the battlefield!"
Minato smiled but did not answer. However, the confidence in his eyes made it clear that he had the idea and the ability to achieve this goal.
By this time, the commotion in the distance had gradually subsided, indicating that the competition over there had ended. However, Taiichi no longer wanted to stay; his objective had been achieved, and the outcome was already known. What remained was for Minato's team to do their own thing.
"Senior Brother Minato, I'll be going now. I'm still a little worried about things at the hospital!"
After saying that, without waiting for Minato's reply, he instantly disappeared from the scene.
Not long after, Obito's laughter echoed from afar, "Minato-sensei, how about it? We're pretty awesome, aren't we? We managed to snatch that bell, didn't we?"
Not only Obito, but Kakashi and Rin also had smiles on their faces. They knew that Minato was an elite Jonin of the village, whose strength was far beyond that of ordinary Jonin. Being able to snatch the bell from him was indeed something to be happy about.
But before they could celebrate for long, Minato's true form appeared right in front of them. They stared blankly at each other, until Minato, who had fought them earlier, suddenly vanished into white smoke with a "pop."
"Shadow... Shadow Clone, so the one we've been fighting all along was just a shadow clone!" Obito muttered to himself.
Kakashi clenched his fist inwardly, realizing the vast difference between himself and a Jonin like Minato. He resolved to train even harder from now on.
Thinking back to how Taichi had often worked on high-level missions with Jonin like Minato, one can't help but wonder just how big the gap is between the two now.
"Minato-sensei, where is Taichi?"
Thinking of Taiichi, Kakashi searched around but couldn't find him, so he asked curiously.
"He went back to the hospital. He's at the hospital every morning now."
One sentence silenced Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, leaving them speechless, unsure whether to marvel at Tai's diligence or admire his hard work.
Regardless, the Water Gate Squad was officially established, and from this moment on, they could take on missions for the village and for themselves!
At this time, Taiyi had returned to the hospital and, after receiving the memories of the shadow clone, officially began his work at the hospital.
Days passed by one by one, and from that day on, Taiichi would occasionally run into those newly graduated genin on his way to and from the hospital.
Sometimes it's Minato's team that's busy catching cats and dogs everywhere, while poor Kakashi, a Chunin, can only accompany Obito and Rin on these D-rank missions.
Sometimes you can see Kai. His team is quite funny. Not to mention that Kai himself is an enthusiastic and impulsive young man, Ebisu is also a complete goofball.
Therefore, we often see them encountering setbacks in their missions due to some inexplicable problems. Fortunately, their instructor, Jonin Choza Akimichi, is a typical magnanimous and easy-going person who can tolerate these troublesome students.
Such fulfilling and leisurely days lasted for a month, which is quite a luxury at this time.
But it was precisely during this period of consolidation and improvement that the team members were able to fully integrate the various new abilities they had suddenly acquired into their own combat system, thus completing a transformation in their strength.
On this day, the Taiyi Squad reappeared in the mission hall. While long-term training at home was good, for them who had just experienced the sharpness of the battlefield, too much comfort was unsettling.
The village did indeed begin urging capable squads to return to the mission, after all, the shadow of World War III had not yet dissipated.
In front of the mission office, the three looked at the dazzling array of mission scrolls, some from other villages, but most of them were various war missions.
Considering the purpose of this mission, which is to test the results of our individual cultivation over this period of time, we must have a sufficient number of strong enemies.
These ordinary tasks seemed too mundane to them.
"Strength can only be honed in actual combat!" Saori softly expressed everyone's thoughts, and also represented everyone's final mission choice.
Looking at the mission scroll in their hands—stationed in the Southern Theater Command, with a two-month time limit—this was the mission that Taiyi Squad had been assigned.
Why choose the Southern Theater Command instead of the more familiar Northern Theater Command? That depends on the frontline commanders on both sides. Compared to Orochimaru in the North, the frontline commander of the Southern Theater Command was Jiraiya.
This is someone even Taiichi formally calls "teacher." Working under him is much more reassuring than working under Orochimaru.
The squad packed their belongings and arrived at the southern camp in just two days. Compared to the northern camp, which was stationed in the Land of Fire, the southern camp was now located directly in the Land of Rivers.
Although the incident involving the daimyo of Kawano Province last year has been resolved, the trust between the two sides has been completely destroyed.
As tensions escalated between Konoha and Sunagakure, Konoha simply offered a perfunctory greeting as a courtesy, and without waiting for the Land of Rivers' consent, directly advanced their frontline camp into the Land of Rivers.
Naturally, Sunagakure wouldn't be polite to the Land of Rivers either. Seeing Konoha's actions, they followed suit and also stationed their frontline camp in the Land of Rivers.
Thus, the forces of the two major ninja villages were all crammed into the already small Land of Rivers. Although the two sides had not yet officially started fighting, the daily conflicts were more intense than those on the northern battlefield.
The central command tent of the southern camp.
"Lord Jiraiya, Taichi Squad reporting for duty!" Taichi said solemnly to Jiraiya at the head of the tent as he entered, handing over the squad's mission assignment.
Jiraiya, being a free spirit, saw Taichi's state and exaggeratedly added, "Matsushita Taichi, Chunin, you've arrived just in time! The entire camp is in dire need of manpower right now. Not to mention talents like you, even some Tom, Dick, or Harry could be of use!"
Yangping and Saori were behind Taiichi. They were wondering why Taiichi was talking to Jiraiya in that tone, but now they realized that the two of them were just joking around because they were close friends.
Seeing this, and finding Jiraiya's words amusing, the two couldn't help but laugh out loud.
As Yangping and Saori laughed, Taichi stopped pretending. "Jiraiya-sensei, how can you describe people like that? We're not just some Tom, Dick, or Harry!"
After catching up, the conversation finally got down to business. "Taiyi, what I said before was indeed true. There is a shortage of manpower in the camp right now, especially in the medical camp—"
The more Taiyi listened, the more something seemed wrong. It seemed to be the same situation as Orochimaru's side. Wasn't it said that the supplies in the southern camp were much more plentiful than those in the northern camp?
When Taiichi raised his question, Jiraiya could only smile wryly, "We do have more manpower and supplies than over there, but we can't keep up with the more frequent battles here. In particular, the Sand Village has a puppeteer unit, and they are all skilled in using poison, which makes logistics and medical care even more difficult."
Upon hearing this, Taiichi felt a heavy responsibility. In truth, Tsunade should have been the most suitable person to take over as commander-in-chief in Sunagakure; her strength, prestige, and medical ninjutsu made her the best candidate. But alas—
Konoha is currently fighting on two fronts, while Iwagakure and Kirigakure haven't made any clear moves yet. This shows how difficult things are for them. It's unclear whether the village is deliberately reducing its frontline forces to lull Kumogakure and Sunagakure into a false sense of security. If not—
"Don't worry, Jiraiya-sensei. My medical ninjutsu has improved recently, and I'm sure it will be of great help to the camp. Besides, Yohei and Saori are not ordinary Chunin."
Jiraiya laughed heartily, "Of course! Orochimaru told me everything about you guys in his letter. Your team is full of talented people!"
As he spoke, he winked at Taiyi and said mysteriously, "Also, there's a surprise waiting for you to discover in the camp."
Taiichi was completely bewildered, but since it was a pleasant surprise, he couldn't ask too many questions. He could only accept the task assigned by Jiraiya with a heart full of confusion.
After leaving the central command tent, Taiyi led Yangping and Saori to familiarize themselves with the camp. This was where they would live for the next two months. They needed to know exactly where to hand over missions, where to collect supplies, where to rest, and where to train.
After a round trip, Taiyi also discovered that the southern camp had more manpower and supplies than the northern camp. In just a short time, Taiyi and his group found that the number of ninjas entering and leaving the camp was nearly twice as frequent as that of the northern camp.
This shows just how intense the fighting has become; they're probably just waiting for an excuse to start.
After wandering around, when Taichi and the others arrived at their resting camp, they finally discovered what the surprise Jiraiya had mentioned was. To be honest, they didn't feel much joy, but they were definitely surprised!
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