Chapter 201: Countermeasures and Rewards
Inside the vast hall, voices echoed back and forth, amplifying the emptiness of the space.
Seated upon a massive throne carved from withered wood, Madara Uchiha slowly opened his eyes. Within them spun a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan, quietly rotating even at rest—as if they had no intention of ever closing.
His gaze lowered, settling on the figure before him.
That being was Black Zetsu—a creation born after Madara awakened the Rinnegan, formed through Yin–Yang Release fused with his own will. Though its exact origin remained unclear—perhaps even accidental—every test confirmed it was indeed his derivative, utterly loyal and secure.
"Zetsu… how are things outside?" Madara's voice rasped, dry and cracked from long disuse.
"Lord Madara, just as you predicted—the shinobi world has begun to fall into chaos. Konoha and Sunagakure are at war. Iwagakure has recently declared war on Konoha as well. Kumogakure has clashed with Konoha in the Land of Hot Water. Aside from Kirigakure, which remains distant and uninvolved, the other four great villages are all engaged in conflict to varying degrees."
"…Good," Madara replied, his voice gradually regaining a low, heavy tone—yet still devoid of vitality. "But it's not enough. Find a way to draw Kirigakure into the conflict as well. Only by weakening all nations as much as possible can our final plan proceed smoothly."
"As you wish, Lord Madara. I will see to it immediately."
Madara gave a faint nod, then seemed to recall something and forced himself to remain alert.
"That Uchiha child… Obito, was it? How is he progressing?"
"Yes, Lord Madara. Obito Uchiha is currently fighting alongside his team in the Land of Rivers against Sunagakure. His strength has improved rapidly. Though he has yet to awaken the Sharingan, he is already approaching chūnin level."
"…Still hasn't awakened it," Madara muttered, falling into thought. "It seems the world has been too kind to him. He hasn't suffered enough."
He fell silent for a long moment while Black Zetsu waited patiently.
"…No matter. The timing isn't right yet. Let him grow a little longer. But keep a close watch on him—especially during missions. Do not let him slip from your sight."
"Understood, Lord Madara."
Zetsu hesitated slightly before speaking again.
"Is there something else?" Madara asked, impatience creeping into his tone. He needed rest—every moment of life he had left was precious, and rest was the only way to preserve it.
"…Recently, two of our White Zetsu units sent out for reconnaissance were destroyed."
"Destroyed?" Madara's expression sharpened instantly. "Are you certain? Were we discovered?"
At this stage, he could not afford exposure. His strength was no longer what it once was; everything depended on secrecy.
"It appears they were caught in the aftermath of a battle. From the traces at the scene, one combatant used Fire Release, the other Wind Release. The range of their techniques was extensive. The White Zetsu were incinerated by the flames."
"…That convenient?" Madara narrowed his eyes. He was not one to trust coincidences. Even if White Zetsu were not particularly strong, they shouldn't be wiped out so easily by mere collateral damage.
Black Zetsu paused, then reluctantly added:
"…They were the two who used to argue about… experiencing defecation."
The hall fell into complete silence.
Even the faint sound of breathing seemed to vanish.
Those two White Zetsu were… infamous. Even Madara remembered them clearly. If not for how difficult they were to produce, he would have long since recycled them.
If it was those two…
Then perhaps… just perhaps… such an absurd death wasn't entirely impossible.
"…Investigate further," Madara said at last. "See if there are any related reports circulating in the shinobi world."
"Yes, Lord Madara."
With that, Black Zetsu sank back into the ground, disappearing completely. The hall returned to silence, and Madara's heavy eyelids slowly closed once more.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Rivers—Sunagakure's frontline camp, central command tent—
After hearing the report from the ninja responsible for escorting the supply convoy, an uneasy silence settled over the room.
At last, the Kazekage spoke.
"Again, it's this Matsushita Taichi… and that space-time ninjutsu. Does no one have a solution?"
"I've looked into it," Ebizo said, picking up the thread calmly. "The technique is called the Flying Thunder God. It was created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Because of its extreme difficulty, no one has mastered it since—until now."
He paused, his expression growing more serious.
"And yet, after lying dormant for so long, Konoha not only brought it back… but now there are two users."
He stopped there.
Because when it came to solutions—
Even he had none to offer.
It was true—Flying Thunder God Technique was simply too rare. The lack of countermeasures across the shinobi world was understandable.
But the real problem was this:
There were only two known users of it—
And both were currently fighting Sunagakure.
That alone was enough to drive anyone mad.
"Matsushita Taichi and Minato Namikaze… these two have been the ones wreaking havoc in our rear lines," Ebizo said gravely. "Even without the Flying Thunder God, they're already among the strongest jōnin. Any small unit we send against them is basically walking to its death."
"…Should we transfer Pakura to the front?" Ebizō suggested cautiously, though his gaze drifted toward the man seated at the head—
Rasa.
Pakura was one of the most prominent talents of Sunagakure's younger generation—once even surpassing Rasa in both fame and strength before he mastered Magnet Release. Even now, among the higher-ups who opposed Rasa, many still supported her.
If she were transferred to the front and gained significant achievements…
Rasa's position as Kazekage could very well be shaken again.
And that was something neither Rasa nor most of the leadership wanted to see.
"Let's wait," Chiyo interjected, offering a compromise. "Iwagakure has already declared war on Konoha. Let's observe how Konoha responds—perhaps they'll redeploy those two away from this battlefield."
It was, admittedly, a passive approach.
But alternatives were scarce.
Rasa's expression remained cold as he spoke again.
"Bring the jinchūriki to the front. We'll launch a large-scale assault—release Shukaku and hit Konoha hard."
Both elders turned toward him at once.
After a long silence—
They nodded.
This wasn't just desperation—it was inevitability.
At the current pace, Sunagakure was being slowly bled dry. What they needed now was a decisive victory to turn the tide.
And a jinchūriki was their best weapon.
Soon, a messenger hawk took flight from the camp, heading straight for Sunagakure village.
Since the death of the monk Bunpuku, Shukaku's hosts had changed repeatedly. Unlike him, none of the subsequent vessels possessed the willpower to suppress the beast completely. Combined with Sunagakure's imperfect sealing techniques, the jinchūriki were often on the verge of losing control.
Transporting one safely to the frontlines was no simple matter.
By Rasa and the elders' estimation, the preparations alone would take at least a month.
Until then—
They would have to hold the line on their own.
That same night, when Taichi returned to camp, he immediately heard the news spreading across the shinobi world—
Iwagakure had officially declared war on Konoha.
Now that a second great village had joined the conflict, it was only a matter of time before Kumogakure followed. And sooner or later, even Kirigakure—isolated across the sea—would be drawn in.
Konoha's true hardship was only just beginning.
For Taichi, there was only one path forward—
Grow stronger. As quickly as possible.
Walking through the camp, he noticed that while everyone was discussing Iwagakure's declaration, morale remained high. After all, that battlefield was still far away.
Right now—
Sunagakure was the enemy in front of them.
And in recent days, Konoha had been firmly on the offensive.
Without realizing it, Taichi wandered near the central command tent. His relaxed demeanor immediately caught the attention of Jiraiya inside.
"Taichi! Get in here—I was just about to send someone to find you!"
Startled, Taichi glanced around before realizing where he'd ended up. Hearing the call, he hurried inside.
Inside the tent, aside from Jiraiya, there were Shikaku and two other advisors appointed by the Hokage.
They were gathered around a massive sand-table map of the Land of Rivers, discussing troop placements and strategic points.
With just a glance, Taichi noticed—
More than half of the territory was now under Konoha's control.
A stark contrast to earlier in the war, when Jiraiya had been forced to retreat and abandon large swathes of land.
Now, not only had they reclaimed everything—
They had pushed the front line into enemy territory.
The advantage was undeniable.
"Sensei, you needed me?" Taichi asked, puzzled.
Jiraiya shot him a sideways glance, flipping through reports as he spoke with mock annoyance.
"What, getting cocky now? Can't I call you if I feel like it?"
"Of course you can!" Taichi immediately grinned. "You're my teacher—I'm always on standby! Even if I'm out on a mission, just send a shadow clone and I'll be back instantly!"
Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh at the exaggerated flattery.
"Alright, enough nonsense. Your reward from the village has arrived. I called you here so you could choose."
"Oh? That fast?" Taichi rubbed his hands eagerly. "What is it this time?"
"Knowing you, I already picked something suitable," Jiraiya said confidently. "Another technique from the Scroll of Sealing. How about that?"
He knew Taichi well—he didn't lack money, didn't care much for power or status. What he wanted was strength.
And ordinary jutsu wouldn't satisfy him.
Only the forbidden techniques within the Scroll of Sealing would.
Sure enough—
Taichi's eyes lit up immediately.
"Sensei, I want the Spirit Transformation Technique. Is that okay?"
"…That one?" Jiraiya was surprised by how quickly Taichi decided. "That's a soul-based technique. Both training and usage are extremely dangerous. Are you sure?"
He knew it well—it had been the signature ability of Dan Kato.
That technique had brought Dan both fame—
And death.
"I understand the risks," Taichi said firmly. "I've thought it through. That's the one I want."
Jiraiya studied him for a long moment, then finally nodded.
"Alright."
Reaching into a storage scroll, he performed a series of seals. With a puff of smoke, several scrolls appeared on the table—
Each containing powerful forbidden techniques.
Without hesitation, he selected the Spirit Transformation Technique scroll and performed another long sequence of seals—108 in total—before handing it over.
"I won't tell you to destroy it after reading," Jiraiya said, "but you know the rules. Without the village's permission, you are not to teach this technique to anyone."
Taichi nodded—though his attention had already drifted to the other scrolls on the table.
Jiraiya noticed and chuckled.
"Don't even think about it. Those are sealed for one-time access. Open them without authorization, and the village will know instantly."
He smirked.
"…You're not planning to become a rogue ninja, are you?"