Wood Leaf. Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the twisted tree branch and the Flying Thunder God kunai tangled inside it. His expression had never been this grave.
His hand trembled slightly as he placed it on the dried branch, feeling the familiar yet alien chakra signature flowing from it.
Wood Release.
It was truly Wood Release.
Besides the Hidden Leaf, there was actually another ninja in the shinobi world capable of using Wood Release.
And this ninja was an enemy of the Leaf.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and looked up at Taiichi.
"What do you make of this?"
"The enemy's concealment techniques are extremely advanced," Taiichi replied calmly. "They tracked Kakashi's team the entire way using stealth ninjutsu. Aside from the few moments they left traces, there was almost nothing to find. They went to great lengths to follow them, cut off their means of calling for help, and in the end only took Obito. I believe they were after his Mangekyō Sharingan."
"As for the Wood Release," Taiichi continued, "I don't know enough about it to comment further."
Hiruzen's face grew even darker at Taiichi's assessment.
"You're saying Obito awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan? Are you certain?"
Taiichi nodded firmly.
"According to Kakashi's account, Obito was the one who ultimately killed all the Iwa-nin. Given his usual level, he wouldn't have been capable of that unless he awakened the Mangekyō—and a particularly powerful one at that."
When it came to knowledge of the Mangekyō Sharingan, even the Uchiha clan themselves might not know more than Taiichi did at this point.
The Mangekyō was powerful, but unless it was something as bizarre as Kamui, there was no way a mere chunin could suddenly gain the strength to kill three jonin in one go.
"This truly is… a troublesome time," Hiruzen muttered. He took a long drag from his pipe and slowly exhaled a thick stream of smoke.
"Hokage-sama, I have an idea," Taiichi said suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashing in his eyes as he watched Hiruzen's worried expression.
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"Obito awakened the Mangekyō because of Rin's death. That shows how important she is to him. Right now, everyone believes Rin is dead. But we saved her. If Obito learns that she's still alive, it will become much harder for the enemy to pull him over to their side. So, in order to eliminate this hidden threat…"
Hiruzen's eyes lit up as he finished the thought.
"You're saying they'll send someone to assassinate Rin."
"Exactly." Taiichi nodded. "If we set a trap and wait, we can catch them in the act. Once we do, we'll finally know who we're really dealing with."
"Good. We'll do it that way." Hiruzen slapped his palm on the desk, making his decision. "Taiichi, I'll assign you two ANBU squads. Make sure you catch them."
"I won't fail."
---
Wood Leaf Hospital. Kakashi's Room.
When Taiichi returned three days later, he found Kakashi doing one-handed push-ups beside his hospital bed.
"503——"
"504——"
"505——"
If Taiichi hadn't trusted his own eyes, he would have thought he was looking at Guy instead of Kakashi.
The sight was strangely familiar yet completely out of place.
The sound of Taiichi's footsteps made Kakashi pause. He turned his head, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the floor. The moment he saw who it was, an excited grin spread across his face.
He dropped to one knee, struggled to his feet, and gave an awkward smile before rushing over in just a few steps.
"Taiichi! You finally came!"
Kakashi grabbed Taiichi's shoulders and shook him hard. The force was strong enough to actually hurt a little.
"How's Rin? Can I see her? And Obito—have you found him yet?"
The questions came rapid-fire, but Taiichi only met him with calm eyes.
Kakashi let go awkwardly and stepped back, then sank onto the edge of his bed with a dejected sigh.
"Sorry…"
"You should be apologizing to someone else," Taiichi said as he walked over to the bed and glanced at the sweat-soaked floor. "I heard you snapped at one of the nurses this morning."
"You should be apologizing to her."
"…I already did."
"Good. That's something, at least." Taiichi's expression finally softened into the first smile he had shown since entering the room. He tilted his head toward the door. "Come on. I'll take you to see Rin."
"Really?!"
Kakashi shot to his feet, unable to hide his excitement.
He had asked every doctor and nurse he could find, but they had all refused to give him any information, citing confidentiality. For two whole days he hadn't even known her exact condition. That was why his mood had been getting worse and worse.
They walked down the hospital corridor together.
"Obito is still missing," Taiichi said quietly. "But all the evidence suggests he's alive. He was taken away after losing consciousness."
Kakashi was sharp. Even from Taiichi's brief explanation, he quickly picked out the important part.
"There was a third party involved. We were set up?"
"Most likely. Whoever it was, they're extremely skilled. Their concealment techniques left almost no useful traces at the scene. But we did confirm that the Flying Thunder God kunai was taken from Obito."
"Why? What do we have that's worth this much planning?"
Kakashi's fists were clenched tight as they walked, and a cold aura was beginning to radiate from him.
"Probably because of Obito. He should have awakened the Uchiha clan's Mangekyō Sharingan."
Kakashi's steps froze. He stared at Taiichi in shock.
"Mangekyō Sharingan?! Like Yohei's eyes?!"
Having once been on the same team as Yohei, Kakashi knew exactly what the Mangekyō was.
He never would have imagined that someone like Obito—the so-called "dead-last"—could awaken the eyes that even the Uchiha clan only produced in pairs.
Taiichi stopped and turned to look at Kakashi, who had fallen a few steps behind. His expression was calm, as if he had already expected this reaction.
"Surprised? Obito's personality made him an easy target. The enemy probably noticed him a long time ago."
He turned back around and continued walking.
Kakashi's face twisted with complicated emotions, but after a moment he caught up.
---
Rin's Room.
Various monitoring devices were connected to Rin's body. She was surrounded by a faint green glow.
This was the highest-grade life-support barrier the Wood Leaf Hospital had to offer. Taiichi had used his influence to arrange it for her treatment.
Kakashi looked at Rin inside the barrier. Even though her physical wounds had been healed, her face was still completely bloodless.
The readings on the machines beside her were far below normal levels. She was barely being kept alive.
"Taiichi, what's going on? I thought you said her injuries were fully treated."
Kakashi's voice was anxious, and there was an unintentional edge of accusation in it.
"Physical wounds are easy to heal. Mental wounds are not." Taiichi didn't get angry. He simply looked at Rin with quiet pity.
"Before the battle, she suffered severe mental trauma. Then she chose to sacrifice herself rather than hurt anyone else. Right now, her consciousness is stuck in a state where she believes she deserves to die. That's why her body is still in such poor condition. Her will to live has collapsed, and it's dragging her body down with it. Without this life-support barrier, she would have already broken down."
"How could this happen…" Kakashi murmured.
Memories of the moments before Rin was stabbed flashed through his mind. So even back then, she had already wanted to die.
He had been so focused on escaping that he hadn't noticed at all.
"You don't need to worry too much," Taiichi said. "Once her body has fully recovered tomorrow, you should come here often and talk to her. If you can reawaken her will to live, everything should be fine."
Kakashi's eyes suddenly lit up with fierce determination.
"That's all it takes? Can I start now?"
Taiichi gave him a knowing smile, completely unmoved by his urgency.
"I said after her body recovers. Don't rush. And if this doesn't work, the only other option will be to have a Yamanaka ninja invade her mind. But that's a last resort."
Taiichi turned and looked at Kakashi seriously.
"Besides, your own body still needs time to heal. If I hear any more complaints from the nurses, you won't be allowed to see Rin again."
Kakashi's mouth twitched. He had thought the earlier incident was already forgotten. Apparently not.
He opened his mouth to argue, but in the end only let out a long sigh.
"…I understand."
"Good. Visiting hours are over for today. Go back to your room. I still need to perform follow-up treatment on Rin."
Kakashi gave Rin one last look, then glanced at Taiichi before slowly turning and leaving the room.
Once Kakashi's figure disappeared through the doorway, Taiichi allowed himself a small smile.
He hoped this arrangement would make Black Zetsu realize that Rin was still alive.
He was really looking forward to crossing paths with them.
Taiichi opened his status panel.
[Flying Thunder God Lv10 (221/2000)]
He hadn't wanted to waste skill points on this, but in order to catch someone using the Mayfly Technique, he needed to use them when necessary.
With a thought, the panel changed.
[Flying Thunder God Lv10 (Maxed)]
A massive amount of Flying Thunder God experience flooded into the depths of his mind.
It felt as if he had spent years practicing and studying the technique. All kinds of previously unreachable knowledge integrated into his existing system.
This included the second-stage Flying Thunder God technique he had been longing for—the ability to place seals with a casual hand gesture.
It was strange. He and Minato often discussed Flying Thunder God techniques with each other.
Unfortunately, their versions of the jutsu seemed to have taken completely different paths. For example, the technique of placing seals mid-combat was something Minato had already mastered and freely shared with Taiichi.
Yet Taiichi had never been able to grasp it on his own—just like Minato had never been able to learn Taiichi's version that allowed people to call him directly.
Now, by spending the points, Taiichi had finally obtained the technique. It was the final piece he needed for his plan.
---
Land of Earth. Madara's Hidden Base.
The dim cave shut out the sunlight and noise of the outside world. The massive Demonic Statue of the Outer Path cast a grotesque shadow across the hall.
In the center of the chamber, Uchiha Madara stood silently, gazing into the void as if deep in thought—or perhaps simply emptying his mind.
At one point, Black Zetsu entered with two White Zetsu. Their hurried footsteps carried a sense of urgency.
"Lord Madara, there's been… a development on the Wood Leaf side."
Madara didn't even blink. He maintained his usual imposing demeanor as he spoke in a low voice.
"Speak."
"Rin…" Black Zetsu's voice dropped slightly. "That girl named Rin… she didn't die."
The air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly. Madara's previously calm chakra surged violently.
A wave of killing intent spread outward, lowering the temperature of the entire chamber.
He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto Black Zetsu with deadly focus.
"Useless."
Rage boiled in his chest. If Black Zetsu weren't currently his only usable limbs, Madara might have killed him on the spot.
"Obito's Mangekyō awakened because of that girl. Only her death can push him into the darkness and make him embrace the Infinite Tsukuyomi. And now you're telling me that key is gone?!"
Madara's voice rumbled with suppressed thunder.
"The arrangements at Kannabi Bridge—were they meant to let her live and become an anchor pulling Obito back to the Hidden Leaf? Did you not even confirm whether she was truly dead before leaving?!"
Black Zetsu trembled under the immense pressure.
It wasn't just because of Madara's fury. It was also genuine regret for his own failure.
"It was my mistake," Black Zetsu admitted, his voice filled with frustration. "I never imagined someone could survive with a destroyed heart." He continued his report anyway. "The White Zetsu hidden in the Hidden Leaf sent word. It was Matsushita Taiichi who ultimately saved her."
"Matsushita Taiichi… again."
Madara repeated the name slowly, as if chewing on it. He had been so careful, yet at the very end, this one person had created a crack in his plan.
"Obito's resolve is currently like a candle in the wind. Rin's existence is the last light in his heart. At any moment, she could pull him back to that false reality."
Madara's voice turned even colder than usual.
"She cannot be allowed to keep living. That light must be extinguished completely."
He looked at Black Zetsu, his command absolute.
"You will go. Kill this potential threat with your own hands. The Hidden Leaf's barriers and guards mean nothing to you. I want you to watch her heart stop beating. Confirm that her soul has completely vanished. This time, there can be no mistakes."
"Yes!"
Black Zetsu accepted the order and left the hall in a hurry, followed by the two already impatient White Zetsu.
---
Wood Leaf Hospital. Late at night.
Rin's intensive care room was brightly lit but unnervingly quiet.
In the corridor outside, two squads of elite ANBU wearing animal masks stood silently in the shadows, their presence completely restrained.
They had been assigned by Taiichi to guard Rin around the clock.
A figure dressed in a white medical-nin uniform and wearing a mask pushed a medicine cart steadily toward Rin's room.
She was the nurse who had been specifically assigned to care for Rin during this period. Even so, the ANBU didn't relax their vigilance for even a second.
Following standard procedure, the "nurse" removed the mask, confirmed their face, presented their identification card, and exchanged the correct password. Only after passing every check were they finally allowed through.
The "nurse" pushed open the door to the hospital room and stepped into the area covered by the life-support barrier. The green light flowed across their body but didn't seem to detect anything unusual.
They gently closed the door behind them with one hand, cutting off all outside view.