Chapter 216 — When Narrow Paths Meet, the Brave Win? Not Quite
By the time the sun climbed high, Konoha's army was already advancing in steady formation.
Because they were moving as a structured battle array, their speed wasn't fast—but it was unwavering.
Towering trees couldn't slow them in the slightest. They didn't need to "split mountains or bridge rivers"—the entire force simply cut forward in a straight line, pressing directly toward the Sand Village camp.
Morale was high.
As time passed, the initial anxiety in many shinobi gradually faded under the influence of the collective atmosphere. That unease turned into excitement—then into confidence.
It was only natural.
Since the start of the southern front, Konoha had known nothing but victory after victory. Even a mediocre force would develop an aura of invincibility under such momentum—let alone Konoha's already formidable shinobi.
---
Within the massive formation, in one corner—
Taichi stood alongside Yōhei Kakashi, and the others.
The earlier roar of "Victory!" had long faded, replaced by silent marching. Gradually, the group settled into calm.
Still—
Obito couldn't hold back.
"Taichi, why are you here?" he asked, glancing ahead. "I saw Sensei at the front earlier."
The others also turned toward Taichi.
Given his current standing, he really shouldn't be positioned with them.
Taichi glanced toward the front, where Jiraiya and the command group were already obscured by the forest.
Then he shot Obito a long, slightly resentful look—enough to make Obito's skin crawl.
Only then did he reply slowly:
"Minato-Senpai was worried about you guys. He asked me to keep an eye on you. And since I was thinking the same thing… here I am."
"What?!" Obito exploded instantly. "We're not kids anymore! Didn't we survive the last battle just fine?"
Taichi didn't bother arguing.
He understood that feeling well—he'd had the same mindset when he first let Yōhei and Saori operate independently.
"Talk less," Taichi said flatly. "You should be grateful. The opening phase of battle is the most dangerous—and where casualties are highest. I'll stay with you through that stage. After things stabilize… you're on your own."
Yōhei and Kakashi nodded.
That explanation made sense.
Around mid-morning, when the sun reached its peak—
Taichi's eyes narrowed.
Far in the distance, above the treetops, flocks of birds circled restlessly.
"That's them," he murmured.
The Sand Village army.
Contact was imminent.
Moments later—
The forest suddenly opened up.
The trees vanished, revealing a vast open plain. A river cut through the middle, dividing the land into north and south.
On opposite sides—
Konoha and Sunagakure faced each other across a distance of about one kilometer.
Orders rang out.
The previously tight formation shifted rapidly, reorganizing according to pre-assigned roles.
Several earth-style specialists stepped forward and formed seals simultaneously.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!"
Towering walls—over ten meters high and stretching just as far—rose from the ground.
The purpose was clear:
To provide a commanding view for battlefield coordination
To offer elevated defensive advantage
As the walls rose, Jiraiya and dozens of elite shinobi leapt atop them.
They were the commanders—and the final line of control.
As long as the enemy's commander, Rasa, didn't act—
Jiraiya wouldn't either.
And if either of them did step in—
It meant the battle had already turned unfavorable.
Below the wall, over a thousand Konoha shinobi stood in formation.
Taichi's squad was positioned directly at the front.
Across the river—
Sunagakure mirrored the setup almost perfectly.
Another wall rose.
Another formation assembled.
The symmetry was almost uncanny.
Still—
A closer look revealed a subtle difference:
Konoha's wall was noticeably taller.
That gap spoke volumes.
Konoha, as the strongest village, had a wide range of jutsu expertise.
Sunagakure, on the other hand, heavily specialized in Wind Release—its other elemental proficiencies lagged behind.
Taichi looked across the river and muttered:
"…Honestly, I like this battlefield."
The river wasn't wide—around twenty meters—but it was enough.
For most shinobi, it was trivial to cross.
For Taichi?
It was a gift.
If he dared say it out loud—
Among everyone present, his Water Release would rank second to none.
---
Kakashi glanced sideways.
He had seen Taichi's Fire Release countless times—devastating, overwhelming.
But Water Release?
That was new.
Sensing his curiosity, Taichi grinned and held up his hand, pinching his fingers slightly apart.
"My Water Release… is only this much weaker than my fire."
Kakashi's expression stiffened.
He decided not to respond.
Some things weren't worth acknowledging.
Taichi's tone turned serious again.
"Once the battle starts, we'll advance as an assault unit. Formation will break—that's normal. But one thing must not break: our squad."
He looked each of them in the eye.
"If we lose our small-team cohesion, we're as good as dead. On a battlefield like this, without teammates covering you, your survival chances drop drastically."
He paused.
"Stay excited if you want—but don't lose control. Charging blindly into enemy lines is suicide."
This wasn't advice.
It was survival.
Obito immediately grinned.
"Don't worry! I'll keep an eye on Kakashi so he doesn't go berserk again!"
Kakashi didn't even bother reacting.
Yōhei, however, smacked Obito on the head.
"Have some self-awareness. That was clearly meant for you."
---
Time dragged on.
Both sides waited.
Commands occasionally came down from the walls, adjusting formations.
But no one moved.
Finally, Kakashi leaned toward Taichi.
"When does this start? Just standing here… what's the point?"
The others subtly leaned in as well.
The tension was suffocating.
Taichi glanced at the commanders above.
Even he wasn't entirely sure.
"…Maybe they're waiting for the other side to slip," he said quietly. "This kind of standoff eats away at patience. The first side to grow restless loses the edge."
That made sense.
So they waited.
Silently.
But not everyone could endure it.
After a while—
A voice from nearby snapped:
"When is this fight actually starting? This dragging around is unbearable!"
The man who shouted had clearly lost his patience.
Taichi glanced sideways. It was a middle-aged shinobi he didn't recognize—judging by his outfit, just a genin.
Taichi shook his head faintly.
Limited skill, oversized temper.
On a battlefield like this, someone who couldn't even control their nerves… survival would already be a miracle.
He didn't bother responding.
Instead, he looked ahead.
Across the field, Sunagakure's forces stood just as disciplined, their formation tight, their killing intent no weaker than Konoha's.
Then—
A series of sharp whistles pierced the air from atop the wall behind them.
The signal rippled outward, spreading from the center of the formation to both flanks.
Taichi's eyes sharpened.
"…It's starting."
In that instant—
His pulse spiked.
Adrenaline surged through his body. Heat spread across his skin, a thin sheen of sweat forming almost instantly.
No warm-up needed.
His entire body was already primed for battle.
Under the command signals, the Konoha army began advancing in coordinated formation.
They were still nearly a kilometer away—outside effective attack range.
But as the distance closed—
The formation began to loosen.
From the rear, squads peeled away from the main force, flanking outward along both wings.
These were the special assault units—tasked with eliminating high-value targets, harassing the enemy's edges, and countering similar Sand squads.
At the center—
Taichi led his team forward at a controlled jog.
Even so, he deliberately held back their pace, one hand extended to block Kakashi and Obito from rushing ahead.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves. It's not time yet."
---
As they neared the river—
Smoke bombs suddenly arced overhead from Konoha's rear lines.
Within seconds, they exploded across the river's midpoint—blanketing the Sand side in thick smoke.
At the same moment—
Sunagakure responded.
Their smoke bombs burst across Konoha's side—
Except theirs were a sickly green.
Poison.
"Shameless bastards!"
"Filthy cowards!"
Angry curses erupted across Konoha's ranks.
But just as quickly—
Orders cut through the noise:
"Take antidotes!"
The shouting died instantly.
Shinobi pulled out pills from their pouches, swallowing them with visible reluctance.
Judging by their expressions—
The taste was atrocious.
This was, of course, Taichi and the medical unit's handiwork.
Konoha knew Sunagakure too well.
Poison was inevitable.
Preparation was non-negotiable.
With both sides' vision obscured—
Konoha moved first.
Over twenty earth-style specialists leapt forward to the riverbank, forming seals in unison.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!"
A massive wall—hundreds of meters long—erupted from the ground.
Konoha shinobi surged up onto it.
Meanwhile—
Sunagakure forces pushed across the river, emerging onto Konoha's side—
Only to face enemies already holding the high ground.
This exchange—
Konoha had the advantage.
"Fire Release units—prepare… FIRE!"
At the command—
Hundreds of fire-style users stepped forward.
A storm of flames erupted:
Fireballs
Flame bullets
Fire dragons
Massive infernos
The battlefield lit up as blazing jutsu rained down.
"Wind Release units—prepare… FIRE!"
Before the flames even faded—
A violent gale descended.
Wind blades tore through the air, feeding the fire.
Flames surged higher, stronger—
Wind fueled fire. Fire rode the wind.
The combined attack dwarfed the previous barrage.
The first wave of Sand shinobi—
Was crushed.
Even if not all were killed—
Their momentum shattered.
---
"Assault units—CHARGE!"
Now—
It was Taichi's turn.
He led the team forward in formation—two on the left, three on the right—rushing down from the wall.
Before his feet even touched the ground—
Countless sparks ignited around him.
Phoenix Sage Fire.
Like a blazing rainstorm—
Dozens of fireballs rained down upon the enemy.
The sheer scale—
Rivaled coordinated multi-user techniques.
But Sunagakure wasn't passive.
Their reinforcements surged forward.
And with them—
Came the counterattack.
Wind blades. Fireballs. Lightning arcs.
Kunai. Shuriken. Explosive tags.
An overwhelming barrage descended from all directions.
Taichi moved with precision.
But even he—
Could only defend a limited radius around himself.
Beyond that—
There was nothing he could do.
Then—
The first scream rang out from Konoha's side.
And another.
And another.
On a battlefield like this—
A scream meant only one thing.
Death.
Casualties began to rise.
At the front—
Taichi gripped his short blade.
Charging straight into the fiercest storm of attacks—
He became the spearhead of the assault.
And in the next moment—
He collided head-on with Sunagakure's forces.