69novels Chapter 163 Naked, Alone
Chapter 163 Naked, Alone
Chapter 163 Naked, Alone
In the lush forest, two ninjas were running at breakneck speed, their faces contorted with anxiety and fear, glancing back frequently as if something terrifying was chasing them.
In the distance, the spaces between the trees, resembling doorways, suddenly brightened. That was the end of the forest; once they passed through there, they could escape the forest and enter the territory controlled by their own people.
The light grew brighter and brighter before my eyes, shining through the trees like a gateway to heaven. I was about to burst out of the forest when more than ten kunai shot out from different angles from deep within the woods.
The two ninjas staggered to a stop at the edge of the forest, looking down at the kunai that had pierced their chests. In the end, they could only collapse helplessly to the ground, their right hands, which they had stretched out before dying, finally touched the light outside the forest.
At that moment, three more young ninjas appeared instantly beside the two dead men. They quickly cleaned up the scene, retrieved the kunai they had just used, and left without looking back after making sure the victims were dead.
This is Kakashi's trio, and eight days have passed since their first mission.
In these eight days, they have undergone a complete transformation, from making numerous mistakes at the beginning to now being able to handle things with ease. They are making rapid progress.
However, it must be said that the battlefield is the best catalyst. With two to three real battles every day, and the constant need to be aware of traps, these ever-present dangers constantly force the three of them to make continuous progress.
Fortunately, they had Taiichi's team with them. Even when they encountered enemies they couldn't defeat, Taiichi and his team could step in in time, providing them with ample training while rescuing them from danger.
Even so, crises are still impossible to prevent.
On this day, Obito was preparing to finish off a dying enemy when, just as he got close, the enemy detonated all the explosive tags on his body. The violent explosion sent Obito flying more than ten meters away.
The explosion came so suddenly; no one had anticipated that the enemy's desperate counterattack would be so ferocious. Rin's eyes instantly turned red, and she lunged at the fallen Obito like a madwoman.
But Taiichi was faster than him, and was the first to arrive in front of Obito in a flash. Without saying a word, he activated his full chakra perception, and the green light on his hand surged and instantly enveloped Obito's entire body.
At this moment, the others also rushed over. Yangping grabbed Lin, who was in tears. In her current state, she could not help and would only make things worse. It would be better to let Taiyi treat her alone.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright. Trust Taiyi. Can't you see how calm he is?" Yangping comforted everyone and pointed to Taiyi, who was calmly treating the patient, to encourage them.
It's no wonder Rin lost her composure; even Kakashi's eyes were bloodshot. Obito's appearance was so pitiful that he was completely unrecognizable.
He suffered burns to half of his body, with displaced internal organs and massive bleeding.
With an injury of this severity, even if it only delayed him for two or three minutes, Obito would have been certain to die. But what could he do when Taichi was right there beside him?
With chakra scalpels in both hands, he peeled away the burned clothes from Obito's body. Then, with his right hand, he used Sage Mode to reposition his internal organs and stop the bleeding, while his left hand converted a large amount of Yang-attribute chakra to protect the activity of Obito's cells and ensure that he would not die during the treatment.
It took Taiyi more than 20 minutes to finish treating Obito's internal injuries. He then turned to the burns on Obito's body. Compared to the injuries to his internal organs, the burns on his body were more serious but easier to treat.
The Palm Healing Technique promotes cell division, while the Yang-attribute chakra nourishes the newly formed cells. With both working in tandem, by the time Taiyi withdrew his hands, Obito was completely unharmed, except for his pale face and naked body.
Lin immediately knelt down and carefully cleaned the stains on Obito's body, as well as the small scratches that Taiichi had not yet healed.
Not long after, Obito, who had been unconscious, gradually regained consciousness. In his hazy memory, he recalled being blown away by explosive tags. Could he now be in the Netherworld?
Thinking of Rin, he realized he hadn't confessed his feelings to her yet. Then he thought of his grandmother, who was getting old and had no one to care for her. Tears streamed down Obito's face.
This scene caused everyone to exchange worried glances, wondering what was wrong with Obito. Was he crying tears of joy?
While everyone was still confused about the situation, Obito finally regained full consciousness.
When he turned around and saw his worried companions, he realized he was still alive. But when he saw Lin's concerned eyes, he felt that even if he died now, it would be worth it.
But when he felt a cool sensation on his body and looked down to see that he was completely naked, a crimson flush instantly rose to his pale face.
"Ah!" A scream echoed through the forest. Obito curled up like a submissive wife, looking pitiful and bullied. "Clothes, damn it, Kakashi, get me some clothes!"
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Obito still had the energy to care about his clothes. It seemed that the treatment was very effective and there were no aftereffects.
"Kakashi!" Obito called out again, but Kakashi still didn't respond.
Looking up, he saw him awkwardly scratching his head, and facing Obito's murderous glare, he could only innocently say, "I don't have any clothes either!"
"Haha!" Everyone chuckled softly again.
At that moment, a set of clothes was thrown at Obito. It turned out that Yohei couldn't bear to watch anymore and took out his spare clothes.
Obito, suppressing his embarrassment and anger, quickly put on his clothes. Just as he was about to complain, Taiichi spoke up, "Obito, how are you feeling? Is there anything else that's uncomfortable?"
Obito was stunned for a moment, then remembered that he had been blown up head-on by the explosive tags, and a sense of lingering fear welled up inside him.
He carefully examined himself all over, then jumped up and down a few times to make sure he was really alright.
A tear slid down her cheek involuntarily; this time, it was truly tears of joy.
"Remember, never underestimate any enemy on the battlefield, and never let your guard down with anyone. For things like finishing off someone, you could have just thrown a kunai. Why risk doing it yourself?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, especially Obito, who nodded particularly hard. This experience was truly unforgettable for him!
Just as everyone finished packing up and was about to leave, Taiyi suddenly drew his sword quickly and unleashed a fiery slash at a large tree not far away. Instantly, a bright golden flame sword aura shot out from the sword, splitting the tree in two in the blink of an eye, leaving both sides of the cut charred black.
Everyone was startled by Taiyi's actions, thinking they had encountered some kind of enemy, and they all assumed defensive stances.
However, everyone looked in the direction of the big tree and there was no movement for a long time, which made them wonder.
"Taichi, did you discover something?" Saori asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
"There seemed to be something there just now, but it's gone now!"
Taiyi spoke, but he already had a guess in his heart. Hidden in the trees, he was able to get so close silently. If it weren't for the slight aura that had just been leaked, Taiyi would not have noticed.
This must be the White Zetsu who used the Mayfly Technique. He glanced at Obito beside him; this guy was probably after Obito.
Yangping and Saori, who were familiar with Taiichi, seemed thoughtful, but since Taiichi was unwilling to say more, they did not ask any further questions.
"Let's head back to camp. We've been out long enough; it's time to go back and rest and resupply!"
"Okay!" *5
Shortly after everyone left, two white heads emerged from the soil.
"Ah, that was close! We almost got discovered!"
"Yes, yes, that's a really keen sense. I just breathed a sigh of relief and he sensed it."
"Luckily I ran fast, otherwise that slash would have really killed me. I've never even experienced what it feels like to take a dump!"
"How can you have such a thought about the feeling of pooping? You don't even poop."
"That's why I want to know what it feels like to poop!"
The argument between the two White Zetsu in the forest lasted for a long time, until one White Zetsu disappeared and the other White Zetsu went back underground and followed the direction Tai and the others had left in.
Upon returning to the Konoha camp, Taichi and his group found the atmosphere filled with a sense of dejection and anxiety, with everyone appearing listless. More importantly, many ninjas were dismantling the camp.
Taiyi winked at Yangping.
He immediately understood and stepped forward, grabbing a passing ninja and asking, "Senior, what's going on at the camp? Are we moving?"
The older Chunin was about to get angry when he saw that someone had suddenly grabbed him, but then he noticed that a group of ninjas were staring at him, and the leader was someone he recognized. He quickly suppressed his temper and bowed to greet them.
"Hello, Taiichi!"
Taiyi was surprised that this person recognized him, but he responded politely and then inquired about the camp.
"Sigh, the camp can't be held anymore. Yesterday, the Sand Village's outposts even reached the camp gates. We can't stay here any longer. Lord Jiraiya has already ordered a retreat to consolidate our defenses. We need to retreat back to the Land of Fire and redeploy our defenses!"
So that's how it is; the plan has already progressed to this stage.
Taiichi thanked the senior Chunin once again, then led everyone to the mission site to hand over the mission.
"Taiichi, are we really going to retreat? Weren't we doing quite well?" Obito was puzzled. They had killed quite a few Sand Village ninjas these past few days, so why were they told to retreat as soon as they returned?
Tai glanced at Obito, then at the busy crowd around him, and chose to remain silent.
Kakashi then provided the answer: "What you see is only the situation we are facing. In reality, overall, Konoha is at a disadvantage."
Obito looked at Kakashi, then at the others who remained silent, his expression clearly downcast.
At this moment, Taiyi had already led everyone to the mission site. After registering everyone, he made a mission record for them.
"You all go and rest first. I'm going to the central command tent to inquire about the situation at the camp."
Everyone knew about Taichi's relationship with Commander-in-Chief Jiraiya, so they watched him leave with anticipation, hoping he would get some new information.
After going through layers of notification, Taiyi was finally allowed to enter the central command tent.
The moment he entered, he saw more than ten Jonin sitting on both sides of the tent. Among them were Captain Yamaguchi, Chief Fujita, and Senior Brother Minato, whom he recognized, as well as some Jonin he had treated before, but most of them were ninjas he did not recognize.
Judging from the situation, they are having a meeting.
No wonder it was so troublesome to get in just now; usually, it's straightforward to come in.
"Taiichi, you're also in the know, and everyone surely acknowledges your strength." Jiraiya glanced around, and seeing no one object, continued, "Why don't you find a seat in the back and listen to the meeting?"
Taiyi glanced at the assembled Jonin and, seeing that everyone was giving him friendly looks, he stopped refusing and found a seat at the very back of the right row.
"Shikaku, you continue." Seeing that Taichi had already taken his seat, Jiraiya, who was sitting at the head of the table, said to Shikaku, who was sitting next to him.
"Everyone, as I've explained the plan to you before, your primary task tomorrow is to hold off the Sand Village's pursuit, stabilize the situation, and prevent the retreat from turning into a rout. Once we reach the designated ambush zone, that will be our opportunity to counterattack."
"Shikaku, the plan is good, but a counterattack requires manpower. With so few people, we can barely defend, let alone launch a counterattack. Has the village's reinforcement arrived yet?" The speaker was a Jonin from the Inu clan. Beside him lay a black dog the size of a calf, which looked exceptionally majestic.
The question posed by the Inu clan Jonin was also the question posed by most of the Jonin present. They had been suppressed for quite some time and had wanted to retaliate long ago, but unfortunately, they didn't have enough manpower or strength!
Damn Sand Ninja, a bunch of despicable villains who only know how to use poison! This was the sentiment of all the Jonin present.
"There are no reinforcements!" Shikaku's words shattered everyone's expectations, but before the Jonin could speak again, he continued, "However, Taiichi has taken care of the troop situation for us."
Shikaku is keeping everyone in suspense, while also giving Taiichi face by letting him reveal his secrets in front of everyone.
Everyone's eyes turned to Taiyi, some with curiosity, some with surprise, but mostly with confusion.
However, there are also people who understand Taiyi's medical skills, such as Captain Yamaguchi, who showed a look of sudden realization.
At this moment, Shikaku no longer concealed anything and said, "More than 20 days ago, on the day Taiichi first arrived here, he had already developed the antidote. So, those ninjas who retreated to the rear due to poisoning were actually hidden away, waiting for a decisive blow at the crucial moment."
With a "boom," the central command tent instantly erupted into a lively atmosphere.
Some were incredulous, some shouted "Long live!", and some even let out loud laughter. In short, they were all venting their emotions to the fullest. It was because everyone had been suppressing their feelings for so long that many of the Jonin present even considered sacrificing themselves for the village.
After everyone had vented their frustrations, Jiraiya, who was sitting in the head seat, stood up and gave his final summary: "Gentlemen, tomorrow's battle is of paramount importance. If we win, it will severely weaken Sunagakure's fighting force and lay a solid foundation for victory in the future great war."
But all of this is on the premise that tomorrow's retreat must be carried out in a way that is not chaotic or disorganized; otherwise, no matter how many troops we have, it will be of no use.
Therefore, I implore you all, tomorrow, to stabilize the situation and absolutely prevent a collapse!
"Yes!" All the Jonin present stood up and solemnly replied.
As the meeting ended and all the Jonin left one by one, they all walked past Taiichi, some nodding to him, some patting his arm, all showing him great goodwill.
This is not only because of Taiyi's abilities, but also because it acknowledges the contributions made by Hu Taiyi.
If anyone looked down on him when he first entered the tent, at this moment, everyone acknowledged that Taiichi was also one of their Jonin, even though he was only holding the title of Chunin.
After most people left, only Jiraiya, Minato, and Taichi remained in the tent.
"Jiraiya-sensei, is there any special plan for me tomorrow?" Taichi asked excitedly, already eager to try it out.
"Of course, it's to stop the enemy's pursuit together with your squad!" Jiraiya was puzzled. Taiichi's squad was quite strong and would be a formidable force in tomorrow's battle.
"What, do you have some other ideas?"
"I want to act alone, just like my senior plumber!" Taiyi Manheng said firmly, expressing the request that Hu had been thinking about for a long time.
"What?" Jiraiya and Mizukami exclaimed simultaneously. Although they had some understanding of Taiichi, they were not clear about his full strength. In their view, Taiichi was at most a senior Jonin, and there was still a certain gap between him and an elite.
In this respect, they probably don't understand Taiichi as well as Orochimaru does.
"Teacher, please believe me. Since I made this request, I must have the ability to do so."
"What about your team? Is it still Kakashi and the others?" The water engineer was still a little worried, especially about his team members, who were all novices.
"Yohei also has the strength of a Jonin, Saori and Kakashi also have the strength of a Special Jonin, and Obito and Rin have also changed a lot after this long period of training. I have the same confidence in them."
Jiraiya and the waterworker exchanged a glance and remained silent for a long time. Taichi also remained silent, only looking at them with a determined gaze.
In the end, Jiraiya thought about Taiichi's performance and made up his mind: "Alright, since you insist, you will act alone tomorrow."
But Taiyi, you must remember, safety must always come first, and you must never take risks!
"yes!"