On a small hillside far from the capital of the Land of Hot Water.
Space twisted and rotated. Obito, Zetsu, and a pitch-black, half-dead cult leader of the Jashin faith squeezed out of the dimensional rift.
"Haha, that was exciting!" White Zetsu's punchable voice rang out the moment they fully materialized. "We actually snatched this guy right under Matsushita Taiichi's nose!"
As he spoke he kicked the "trophy" at his feet. The intense pain made the charred Blood Raven thrash uncontrollably.
"Enough, Zetsu. Kick him again and he'll actually die."
Obito deliberately lowered his voice. In front of outsiders he had already fallen into the habit of playing Uchiha Madara.
"Can this guy even be saved? I don't want to go through all that trouble just to drag back a useless corpse!"
"Relax, Lord Madara!" Black Zetsu's hoarse voice rushed to answer first, terrified that the loud-mouthed White Zetsu would say something inappropriate. "Apart from the burned skin that can't regenerate, with this guy's vitality and our techniques, restoring him to his former state is no problem."
"Good. At least this trip wasn't a complete waste. His strength is still decent. For now he can fill a slot." Obito spoke as if it were the most casual thing in the world.
Throughout the entire conversation none of them ever asked the opinion of the person being discussed, as if it was completely irrelevant and utterly unworthy of their attention.
Lying on the ground, Blood Raven trembled from head to toe, fists clenched tightly—whether from pain or pure rage was impossible to tell. Either way, his life had been temporarily preserved.
"Who… the hell are you people… What… do you want?"
Blood Raven rasped the question. His throat had clearly been damaged in the battle with Taiichi as well.
"Oh? Remarkable vitality. You already have the strength to talk."
Obito walked over and looked down at Blood Raven, who currently resembled a dead dog.
"It's far too early to talk about anything right now. You'll only be qualified to know more once you've fully recovered. For now, just understand two things: we are the ones who saved your life, and we share a common enemy."
"A… com… mon… ene… my… Matsushita Taiichi… Fine… fine… As long as it's his enemy… that's good enough."
Blood Raven forced the words out through the agony wracking his entire body, voice filled with pure hatred. Just listening to it made one's scalp tingle.
Obito and Zetsu exchanged a glance and both wore meaningful smiles.
This kind of man was exactly the perfect blade to use against Konoha.
---
On the other side, only after watching Taiichi end the rebellion as easily as chopping vegetables did the Daimyo and the Crown Prince finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The Crown Prince especially. The moment the iron will he had been forcing himself to maintain loosened, his entire body went soft. He staggered several steps backward.
If the guards beside him hadn't reacted quickly, the Crown Prince would have fallen flat on his face.
That would have been a massive blow to his prestige.
But just as one wave settled, another rose.
The cult leader they had only just captured had been rescued right under their noses. Taiichi had personally handed the man over, and in the short time it took for him to go out and finish the fight, the prisoner had vanished.
"What the hell happened? He was right here a moment ago! Search the area! The bastard has to still be here!"
After this string of blows, the Crown Prince finally lost emotional control and roared at the guards around him.
Just as the bewildered guards were about to rush out and search in random chaos, Taiichi, who had finished examining the scene, spoke up to stop them.
"Please calm yourself, Your Highness. Searching now is already too late. The enemy used space-time ninjutsu. By now they have almost certainly left the capital."
"Then… then what should we do, Lord Taiichi? Could they be my second brother's allies? Will they come back for revenge?"
That was what the Crown Prince truly cared about. Snatching away the Jashin cult leader looked exactly like the work of conspirators.
"Your Highness, judging from the scene, the enemy and the Second Prince should not be working together. Otherwise they wouldn't have only taken the cult leader while completely ignoring the Second Prince."
Taiichi's words made both the Daimyo and the Crown Prince exhale in relief. As long as they weren't accomplices of that traitor, it was fine.
But before they could enjoy the relief for long, Taiichi's next words hit them like a bucket of ice water.
"However… the Jashin cult leader suffered such a massive loss this time and was still rescued. Once his injuries heal, there's a high chance he will come seeking revenge."
"Th-this…" The Crown Prince no longer knew what to say. The mere memory of those terrifying Immortal Warriors made his legs go soft again.
The old Daimyo, however, forced himself to rally. He looked at Taiichi with hope-filled eyes and asked in a trembling voice, "Lord Taiichi… is there any chance you could wipe them out completely?"
"I'm sorry, Lord Daimyo." Taiichi firmly shook his head, cutting off the old man's unrealistic fantasy.
"First, the enemy has already escaped using space-time ninjutsu. I have no clues left to track them.
Second, my mission this time was only to resolve the disappearance cases within the Land of Hot Water. Helping put down the rebellion already went beyond the scope of the original assignment. Any further action would require orders from the village."
Taiichi was clearly fishing for future business. He had recognized at a glance that Blood Raven had been rescued by Obito.
And Obito's group's next target was never going to be a place like the Land of Hot Water that only had hot springs. Even if Blood Raven recovered, he would almost certainly set his sights on Taiichi and Konoha.
When that happened, Konoha could conveniently use the Land of Hot Water as a pretext to hunt down Blood Raven and the forces behind him. It would be killing two birds with one stone.
"Yes, yes! We'll head to Konoha right after this and issue a new mission. Not only do we want the Jashin cult leader captured, we also want Konoha to send people to protect our safety."
The Crown Prince finally woke up as if from a dream. Right now, only a major shinobi village like Konoha could protect them.
---
The next day.
The daimyo's mansion was still wrapped in the atmosphere of survivors. The rebellion had been crushed. The Second Prince was under heavy lock and key, waiting for final judgment.
Although the Jashin cult leader Blood Raven had been snatched away by a mysterious force right under their noses—like a blade hanging over their heads—at least the immediate crisis was over. Basic order had returned to the mansion.
The Daimyo and the Crown Prince personally escorted Matsushita Taiichi to the main gate. Sunlight poured onto the ancient stone steps, illuminating the genuine gratitude on both men's faces.
"Lord Taiichi." The Crown Prince bowed deeply, voice sincere. "That the Land of Hot Water was able to survive this calamity is entirely thanks to Your Lordship's divine might. This life-saving grace is beyond our ability to repay. For any earlier rudeness within the mansion, please forgive us."
He was referring to the staged reprimand they had put on to mislead the internal traitor.
The frail old Daimyo, supported by attendants, also cupped his hands with trembling arms. "The title of White Reaper is well deserved. Without Your Lordship, these old bones of mine and the foundation of the Land of Hot Water would have long since turned to dust. Your Lordship's grace will be remembered by everyone in this country."
Taiichi's expression remained calm. He simply nodded slightly in return. "You both overstate it, Lord Daimyo, Your Highness. This is simply the duty of a Konoha shinobi. Although the mission was not completed in full, the mastermind behind the disappearances—the Jashin cult—has been destroyed. Their core strength no longer exists. The hidden danger has been eliminated.
As for what comes next, please handle it with caution, especially in guarding against possible retaliation from Blood Raven and the forces behind him."
This was Taiichi openly fishing for clients. He was one step short of telling the Daimyo outright to go to Konoha and issue a formal commission.
And the Daimyo and Crown Prince completely fell for it. After all, it was Konoha that had saved them this time.
"Your Lordship is absolutely right." The Crown Prince said solemnly. "I have already selected capable confidants. They will depart for Konoha Village within the next few days."
"That is for the best." Taiichi nodded in approval of the arrangement.
---
Konoha Village. Hokage's Office.
After leaving the Land of Hot Water, Taiichi didn't waste a single moment. Combining Flying Thunder God with aerial flight, he made it back to Konoha in less than half a day.
After listening to Taiichi's detailed report—from accepting the mission in the Land of Hot Water all the way to putting down the rebellion and destroying the Jashin cult—Minato's fingers lightly tapped the desktop.
"You did extremely well, Taiichi." Minato's voice carried clear praise. "Destroying the Jashin cult, resolving the disappearance crisis, quelling the internal rebellion, protecting the core figures of the daimyo's mansion—every single one of those results exceeded expectations."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Taiichi bowed slightly, already knowing this was only the opening.
"However—" Minato's tone suddenly turned serious. A sharp light flashed through his green eyes. "You mentioned at the end that the mysterious person who rescued Blood Raven is suspected to be Uchiha Madara, and that he used extremely sophisticated space-time ninjutsu?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Taiichi's expression also grew heavy. "Although I never saw him with my own eyes, the residual space-time ninjutsu fluctuations left at the scene cannot be mistaken."
He paused, carefully choosing his words. "In the shinobi world, apart from the Flying Thunder God, the only ones who can use space-time ninjutsu are them. And being able to snatch the Jashin cult leader right under my sensory net… I can't think of anyone other than Uchiha Madara."
The atmosphere in the office instantly became heavy. Minato leaned back in his chair, hands crossed, sinking into thought.
Sunlight filtered through the blinds and cast alternating light and dark stripes across his face.
"Uchiha Madara… space-time ninjutsu… snatching a prisoner…" Minato quietly repeated the key words, worry clouding his brows. "They were originally just making small moves from the shadows. Are they preparing to start operating in the open now?"
He lifted his head, eyes like torches as he looked at Taiichi. "Taiichi, your intelligence is extremely valuable. We need to accelerate our actions against them."
Minato's voice was decisive. "The priority of investigating this force is hereby raised to the highest level! I will immediately convene a high-level meeting, re-evaluate every clue, and strengthen the village's defensive systems—especially the space-sensing barriers.
At the same time, Orochimaru's research on Hashirama cells and the concept of reforming the ninja academy must both be accelerated. We need stronger power and more complete systems if we are going to protect Konoha—and the entire shinobi world—when the coming storm arrives!"
Taiichi nodded solemnly. "Understood, Hokage-sama. I will give my full cooperation."
"Mm. You've worked hard. Go rest first. I'll arrange specialists to handle the follow-up mission coordination with the Land of Hot Water."
Minato waved a hand. A gentle smile returned to his face, but the gravity in his eyes never faded.
Taiichi bowed and took his leave, turning to push open the heavy door of the Hokage's office. The corridor outside was bright and quiet. He had just let out a breath and was preparing to head home to organize his thoughts when—
"You damn brat!"
A female voice packed with massive resentment, loud enough to shake the entire Hokage building, exploded beside his ear like a thunderclap.
Every hair on Taiichi's body stood on end. Before he could react, an abnormally powerful hand clamped down on his wrist with bone-crushing force!
He stiffly turned his head. What entered his vision was Tsunade's face—extremely impactful.
The usually radiant and heroic Princess Tsunade now had her golden hair carelessly tied into a messy ponytail. Several strands stuck to her sweat-damp temples.
Her normally elegant medical coat was wrinkled and rumpled. There were even a few suspicious ink stains on the collar.
That face that should have been dazzlingly beautiful was currently covered in dark clouds of exhaustion. The bags under her eyes were so heavy it looked like someone had punched her twice.
Yet within all that extreme "slovenliness" and "fatigue," Tsunade's eyes shone with terrifying brightness!
It wasn't the sharpness of battle. It was the look of someone who had been trudging through a desert for three days and three nights and finally saw an oasis—a mixture of wild joy and extreme grievance!
"You… you actually know how to come back?!" Tsunade's voice was filled with gritted-teeth accusation, but even more with the excitement of pure liberation. "Sneaking out of the village without a single word and dumping this entire mess on me! Do you have any idea how I've been living these past few days?! Huh?!"
Taiichi was so startled by the overly "bright" emotion in her eyes that he instinctively tried to step back, but his wrist was locked tight. He couldn't move an inch.
"Tsu—Tsunade-sensei, I—" he tried to explain.
"Shut up! Come with me!" Tsunade didn't give him any chance to speak. She simply dragged him toward the hospital with such force that even the powerful "White Reaper" could only stagger along after her.
Along the way her complaints poured out like a machine gun: "Mountains of documents! Signing all day! Signing all night! Signing until I saw stars!"
"Difficult cases, budget requests, equipment purchases, personnel arrangements—never-ending!"
"Shizune collapsed from exhaustion! The entire hospital was held up by me alone!"
"And you, my so-called chief assistant, were out there fighting like a god of war having the time of your life while leaving me here to work like a beast of burden!"
"Do you know how long it's been since I touched a pair of dice?! How long since I had a single proper drink?! Huh?!"
"Taiichi, you are shameless! You are officially the worst assistant I've ever trained!"
Tsunade's voice was packed with the "grief and indignation" and "wild joy" of someone who had finally seen the light of salvation. That aggressive ranting wasn't so much blame as it was the release of long-suppressed resentment—more like a declaration: The savior has arrived! This lady can finally be free!
Taiichi was dragged along the entire way, listening to the machine-gun-like accusations while watching her half-mad appearance. Cold sweat silently slid down his temples.
The two of them stormed into the director's office of Konoha Hospital like a whirlwind. The door slammed open with a bang.
Without a word, Tsunade released Taiichi's hand, spread her arms, and with a motion that was almost like a hug, violently shoved the tallest, most precarious mountain of documents on the desk straight into Taiichi's arms!
Rustle rustle rustle.
Papers flew like snowflakes and instantly buried his vision.
"Here!" Tsunade planted her hands on her hips and pointed at the now half-empty desk. An extremely brilliant—borderline ferocious—smile bloomed on her face. It was the pure ecstasy of a beast of burden that had been worked to the absolute limit and suddenly gained freedom.
"These! These! And those over there! They're all yours now! New equipment import evaluations, next quarter's budget draft, and that damned intern rotation plan—I've already sorted and labeled everything! You have three days to finish processing them all! Oh, and there's a Medical Department regular meeting at three this afternoon. You're chairing it!"
She rattled off the instructions at lightning speed, then stretched her entire body with a long, incredibly satisfying groan, as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her bones even cracked lightly.
"Ahhh—!"
She let out a deep, contented sigh, then didn't even glance at Taiichi who was still buried under the mountain of paper. Her footsteps turned light as she headed for the door, humming an off-key little tune.
"Tsunade-sensei! Where are you going?!" Taiichi struggled to poke his head out of the document pile.
"Home!" Tsunade's voice floated back from the corridor. "Sleep! Then casino! Drinking! Nobody better come looking for me! Even if the sky falls, don't call me! From this moment on, you're the director!"
Before the words finished, her figure had already vanished at the end of the corridor, leaving behind only a string of footsteps so light they almost seemed ready to take flight.