Chapter 133: Damage Control
Hatake Sakumo… why is he here?
And that injured companion beside him—
A powerful sense of déjà vu surged through Taichi's mind.
But no matter what, the priority right now was clear: link up with Sakumo and save the wounded man.
When the distance between them closed to about a hundred meters, Hatake Sakumo clearly sensed Taichi's approach. In Taichi's perception, Sakumo had already drawn his blade and entered a combat stance.
Taichi immediately slowed his advance.
When the distance dropped to fifty meters, he spoke first—he had no desire to personally test how sharp the White Fang's short blade really was.
"Senior Sakumo—it's me. Matsushita Taichi!"
Sakumo paused, visibly startled by the voice, but he did not relax his guard, his blade still fixed on Taichi's direction.
Only when Taichi stepped out from the forest shadows did Sakumo finally exhale in relief. The tension drained from his body, replaced instantly by unmistakable joy.
"Taichi—quick! There's a critically injured man here. He needs treatment immediately!"
Without waiting for a reply, Sakumo flashed forward, reaching out to grab Taichi.
Taichi deftly slipped out of his grasp and said calmly, under Sakumo's confused gaze,
"Senior, be careful. I'm just a shadow clone. If you drag me into a Body Flicker, I might pop on the spot."
Sakumo looked him up and down in surprise. At such close range, he could clearly sense the dense chakra within Taichi—far more than any ordinary shadow clone should possess.
Has this kid really grown that much already…?
But Sakumo wasn't the type to pry into others' secrets. Saving a life came first.
Following Sakumo, Taichi entered a makeshift cave. The injured man inside had surprisingly few external wounds—the worst being a penetrating injury through the shoulder. Judging by the blood loss alone, it shouldn't have been fatal.
Green chakra flared to life in Taichi's palm as he began a deeper inspection.
Internal organs—displaced.
Severe internal bleeding.
Caused by violent explosive shock.
If treatment was delayed, even survival would come at the cost of ever being a ninja again.
Before beginning full treatment, Taichi suddenly remembered something important. He quickly explained to Sakumo that he had been trailed by two Sand shinobi. What had started as an attempt to draw attention away from allies had ended up leading the enemy straight to them instead.
Seeing Taichi's embarrassed expression, Sakumo waved it off without a care.
"Focus on treating Yūsuke," he said firmly. "I'll take care of the tails."
Before Taichi could respond, Sakumo turned and strode straight out of the cave.
"…What a straightforward man," Taichi muttered.
He then looked back at the wounded ninja lying on the stone slab. Based on his attire, the man was a special jōnin.
And if Taichi's guess was correct—
This was that mission.
That teammate.
The one whose fate would eventually push the White Fang to suicide.
Taichi stared at Yūsuke. His fingers trembled slightly.
The man's face was growing steadily paler from blood loss. Without Sakumo's protection—and if Taichi chose to do nothing—death would come soon enough on its own.
He wouldn't even have to lift a finger.
After a long silence, green light finally bloomed in Taichi's hands as he pressed his palm against Yūsuke's chest.
Taichi wasn't a saint—but he wasn't someone who could murder a man over events that hadn't happened yet.
If that logic were acceptable, then people like Uchiha Obito would've been killed countless times over.
The Mystical Palm Technique stabilized the bleeding.
Delicate chakra threads drew out the pooled blood.
Every step precise, controlled, and methodical.
Not long after, before the treatment was complete, a blur of movement crossed the cave entrance.
Hatake Sakumo had already returned—his pursuers eliminated.
Without lifting his head, Taichi asked casually, as if nothing were amiss,
"Senior… what kind of mission were you on to end up in such a sorry state?"
"A classified mission," Hatake Sakumo replied with a sigh. "We ran into a troublesome opponent. Yūsuke was critically wounded, so we had no choice but to retreat."
Who would've thought that an assassination attempt would run straight into Chiyo of the Sand? The old woman might be advanced in years, but her sensory ability was still terrifyingly sharp—sharp enough to detect him.
With Yūsuke gravely injured by explosive tags, Sakumo had been forced to abandon the kill and withdraw.
"Abandoned the mission…"
Taichi couldn't help thinking that Sakumo hadn't grasped how dangerous his current situation really was.
Under normal circumstances, abandoning a mission merely meant a failed record. Konoha had countless shinobi—how many truly had a 100% completion rate?
But that didn't stop certain people from using this as ammunition.
Taichi glanced up at Sakumo, who still seemed oblivious, and continued treating Yūsuke while speaking evenly.
"The Sand is conducting a widespread search for you. That target you were after—his defenses must be thin right now. Senior… have you considered striking back?"
Sakumo froze.
That thought genuinely hadn't crossed his mind. At the time, he had a severely wounded comrade to protect. But now—
His gaze shifted to Taichi, who was calmly performing medical ninjutsu.
"How long can this shadow clone last?" Sakumo asked quietly.
A faint smile curved Taichi's lips.
"If I don't fight, then after I finish treatment… about half a day."
"…Good."
Sakumo made his decision almost instantly.
Of course he wanted to complete the mission. But his comrades mattered more. Now that there was a chance to salvage the situation, hesitation had no place.
Before leaving, Sakumo created a shadow clone and left it behind.
Sand shinobi had just been killed nearby—this location was no longer safe. Once Taichi finished treatment, they would need to relocate. The clone would relay their new position to the real body.
As Sakumo disappeared into the forest, Taichi's worry did not lessen in the slightest.
Sakumo's eventual suicide wasn't caused solely by village rumors—it was rooted in the collapse of his own beliefs. That was the real danger.
All Taichi could do now was take things one step at a time, doing everything in his power to change the outcome.
After all, when he had been weak, the Hatake household had taught him without reservation.
---
Half an hour later, the treatment was complete.
Thanks to timely intervention, Yūsuke's ninja career had been saved.
That realization made Taichi pause.
So… was it because his career was ruined, and the mission failed because Sakumo chose to save him… that he eventually blamed Sakumo?
Taichi shook his head, banishing the thought.
"Senior Sakumo, let's move."
Two shadow clones, carrying one injured man, raced through the dense forest. About two hours later, they finally found a new hiding place.
Once everything was settled, Sakumo's shadow clone dispersed, its memories flowing back to the original body through an unseen channel. The real Sakumo, already en route, felt immediate relief—now he could act without concern.
Taichi's shadow clone, meanwhile, tended to the wounded man when necessary, otherwise sitting cross-legged in meditation, conserving chakra to last as long as possible.
Another half hour passed.
A soft groan broke the silence, followed by a hoarse whisper.
"…Water."
Taichi rose and brought the prepared water to Yūsuke's lips.
After a few careful sips, Yūsuke regained consciousness. Upon realizing his surroundings and seeing the ninja before him, he startled and tried to sit up—only to collapse again as pain surged through his body.
"There's no need to panic," Taichi said calmly. "I'm also a Konoha shinobi."
After a long moment, Yūsuke steadied himself and turned to look at Taichi, his voice heavy.
"Who are you…?
What condition am I in?"
Given his understanding of his own injuries, the despair in his tone was unmistakable.
"Matsushita Taichi. Your injuries are under control. With proper recovery, you'll be fine."
"…You're Matsushita Taichi?!"
The joy in his voice was unmistakable.
"You know me?" Taichi asked, mildly surprised. Am I really that famous now?
"I've heard the captain mention you—said your medical ninjutsu is exceptional," Yūsuke said, eyes shining. "This is wonderful… I thought I was—"
His voice choked.
"No matter what… thank you. Truly."
Honorifics already, Taichi noted inwardly.
"By the way—where's Captain Sakumo? Why isn't he here?"
"He went to finish the mission. He should be back in a day or two."
"That's good… that's really good," Yūsuke said, guilt written across his face. "It was because of me that the captain abandoned the mission before. Now… now it's fine."
A faint smile appeared on his face, as if a burden had finally been lifted.
They chatted intermittently after that. Taichi asked about the mission, but Yūsuke shut him down with a single phrase—classified mission—a model shinobi through and through.
About six hours later, Taichi suddenly said,
"My time's up. Wait here for Senior Sakumo."
He set down supplies he had prepared earlier beside Yūsuke, then—
Poof.
The shadow clone vanished in a cloud of smoke.
Yūsuke stared blankly at the dissipating white mist.
"…That was a shadow clone?"
A chill ran down his spine.
So the one who treated me… that too…?
He swallowed hard and muttered,
"Kids these days… are they all monsters?"
---
As the shadow clone dispersed, its memories finally returned to Taichi's real body.
A small smile formed on Taichi's lips.
So far, everything was proceeding smoothly. He had done all he could. The rest was beyond his reach.
Now all that remained was to complete the mission at hand and return to Konoha as soon as possible.
His smile didn't go unnoticed. His teammates quickly gathered around him.
Before they could ask, Taichi explained everything—from Sakumo abandoning the mission to save a comrade, to being hunted by Sand shinobi.
Yōhei and Saori saw no issue at all. To them, Sakumo's choice embodied loyalty, compassion, and the Will of Fire.
But Captain Yamaguchi frowned.
A mission important enough for Sakumo to handle alone could not be trivial. Abandoning it—even temporarily—carried consequences.
Even if Sakumo later completed it, damage control was never as effective as a flawless execution.
Still, Yamaguchi kept his concerns to himself.
After the brief excitement, everyone resumed their patrol, and the envoy continued its journey.
---
At the same time—
The capital of the Land of Rivers.
Alone, Hatake Sakumo infiltrated the city with ease.
His mission was simple: assassinate ten trusted aides of the newly crowned daimyo.
The reason?
Betrayal.
After ascending the throne, the former first prince had turned his back on Konoha, secretly courting Sunagakure instead.
Konoha would never tolerate that.
Compared to enemies, traitors were far more detestable.
Thus came Sakumo's assassination mission—both a warning and a purge, clearing space for officials still loyal to the Land of Fire.
Ideally, it would all be done silently. Assassinating foreign nobles was not something to flaunt.
But circumstances had forced Sakumo's hand.
One target had been meeting with Chiyo of the Sand, who effortlessly detected Sakumo's presence. When Sand reinforcements arrived, Sakumo chose his comrade over the mission.
Thankfully… he had met Taichi.
Thinking of that, Sakumo smiled faintly.
Now, executing a surprise counterattack, he found the targets' defenses weaker than ever.
This was the final one.
Using his speed, Sakumo slipped behind the target—one hand over the mouth, the other across the throat. Clean. Silent.
Only after Sakumo had left the city did the first body get discovered.
Soon after, panic engulfed the capital.
The city was sealed. Searches were ordered—but it was all for show.
The daimyo understood perfectly: this was Konoha's warning.
And he was afraid.
---
Elsewhere in the capital, at a relay station—
Chiyo stood with several jōnin, gazing toward the daimyo's estate.
"We miscalculated," one jōnin admitted. "I didn't expect Hatake Sakumo to strike again."
"What now?" another asked anxiously. "The daimyo will likely retreat."
Chiyo's eyes burned with suppressed fury.
"Once you board a ship, you don't get to choose when to disembark. Konoha kills—do you think Sunagakure's blades are dull?"
She clenched her fist.
"Spread the word. Let everyone know Konoha assassinated foreign nobles. Tear off their mask and see how they respond."
"Yes!"
The jōnin exchanged excited glances. Without spilling blood, they could damage Konoha's reputation—and perhaps redirect future commissions to Sunagakure.
---
Sakumo returned to Yūsuke the next day.
Seeing Yūsuke already able to move somewhat, Sakumo once again marveled at Taichi's skill—and thanked fortune for letting them cross paths.
After exchanging information, Sakumo carried Yūsuke on his back and headed toward Konoha.
It wasn't safe here.
Along the way, Sakumo explained the mission's outcome.
When Yūsuke learned that every target had been eliminated, he finally exhaled in relief.
At last—
there was nothing left to fear.