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Konoha. Hokage's office.
A thin haze of smoke drifted through the room as Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled steadily on his pipe. The two advisors across from him sat with blank stares, their thoughts clearly elsewhere. Taiichi, however, looked perfectly at ease, not a trace of worry on his face.
Maybe the old man finally had enough of Taiichi's calm. Hiruzen tapped the pipe against his palm and pointed it at him, a mix of irritation and reluctant amusement in his eyes.
"You little bastard. You're still holding something back, aren't you?"
The sharp words snapped Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado out of their daze. They turned to Taiichi, realization dawning that they'd jumped the gun before he finished speaking.
"Uchiha Madara is definitely still alive," Taiichi said, cutting through the tension before anyone could spiral again. "But during our fight I noticed he's using some kind of secret technique to restore his body's youth. That's burning through what little life force he has left. I doubt he has much time remaining."
The three elders visibly relaxed. Taiichi's medical skill was legendary in Konoha. If he said Madara's days were numbered, that carried real weight. A dying man was a very different threat than one with decades left to scheme.
Taiichi continued, laying out the fight in clear detail—Madara's complete Susanoo, the Wood Release, the desperate escape with a Wood Clone. When he reached the part about Madara using a Wood Clone to slip away, the tension returned in full force.
"Wood Release… and the Mangekyo Sharingan," Homura muttered. "If Madara is still alive, the Uchiha clan could turn at any moment."
Koharu nodded, her expression grim. "We need to monitor them closely."
Taiichi's gaze sharpened, but Hiruzen spoke first, rubbing his temples.
"Taiichi, you know the Uchiha situation better than anyone right now. What's your take?"
Taiichi didn't hesitate. "Surveillance is necessary—for the village's safety and the Uchiha's own protection. But full-scale monitoring? That's a mistake. The Uchiha have never been this close to the village before. Treating them like enemies will only push them away. The First and Second Hokage both wanted them integrated, not isolated. We can't throw that away over a shadow."
Hiruzen and Koharu nodded. Homura looked less convinced, but he stayed quiet.
"Take the White Zetsu corpse to the Intelligence Division," Hiruzen ordered. "See if they can pull anything else from it. And keep protecting Rin. As long as Obito is missing, she's our best link to him. That Mangekyo he awakened is clearly something special."
Taiichi sealed the corpse again, bowed to Hiruzen and Koharu, and left the office. He dropped the body off with Intelligence, then headed for the hidden medical room beneath the hospital.
Kakashi sat beside Rin's bed, eyes fixed on her pale, sleeping face. The monitors were gone. The life-support barrier was gone. She looked peaceful now, like she was simply resting.
"Any change?" Taiichi asked from the doorway.
Kakashi didn't turn. "Her eyes move sometimes. That's it."
Taiichi leaned against the wall, short blade spinning idly in his hand. "I went after the people who set you up. Followed them all the way to the Land of Earth. Fought them hard. They still got away."
Kakashi's head snapped up. "Did you see Obito?"
"No. But I felt his chakra. They moved him before I arrived." Taiichi pushed off the wall and walked closer. "Rin's here. She's stable. But Obito's still out there with them. If we want him back in one piece, we need people who are actually ready to fight."
He looked Kakashi up and down—pale, thinner than he should be, the spark gone from his eyes.
"You're not ready. Not like this. Get your body back in shape. When you can stand without shaking, come find me. We'll go after him together."
Kakashi's fists clenched. Taiichi didn't wait for an answer. He turned and walked out, leaving the words hanging in the air.
Outside the room, he paused, listening. After a moment he heard movement—Kakashi getting up, starting simple recovery exercises on the floor. The sound of someone choosing to fight instead of giving up.
Taiichi allowed himself a small, satisfied smile and headed home.
Far away, in one of Madara's hidden bases, Black Zetsu stood over Obito's unconscious form. Half of the boy's body was still fused with White Zetsu tissue, healing slowly. Black Zetsu's expression was tight with frustration.
He had underestimated Matsushita Taiichi. Badly. That seal on his body was a constant reminder.
Madara's other base was quiet. The ancient man sat on his throne, tubes pulsing faint green light into his veins. His eyes were closed, but the slight tension in his jaw showed he was listening.
Black Zetsu reported everything—the failed mission, Taiichi's pursuit, the seal. Madara didn't speak for a long time.
When he finally did, his voice was weak but steady.
"Obito's darkness is still buried. When it surfaces, he will be ready. Until then… focus on him. The Uchiha with the Mangekyo—leave him be. Forcing control now would cost too much."
Black Zetsu bowed his head.
"As you command, Lord Madara."
Outside, the night was quiet. Inside the hidden cave, the long game continued.