Chapter 208 — A Slap to the Face, A Rising Name
In the forest clearing, surrounded on all sides by Sand shinobi, Rasa unleashed a relentless storm of attacks against Taichi.
Golden sand surged, twisted, struck from every angle.
Taichi's defense was strained—but never broken.
He held.
And every so often—
He struck back, sharp and sudden, forcing even the Kazekage to adjust.
"Everyone—use wide-area jutsu!" Rasa ordered coldly. "Don't worry about hitting me. Today, Matsushita Taichi dies here."
He was done waiting.
Even if he had to endure friendly fire—
Taichi had to fall.
After all, his gold dust defense was absolute. There was no way Taichi's simple blade could compare.
Around them, the Sand shinobi began forming seals.
Fast.
But Taichi—
Was faster.
The moment Rasa finished speaking, Taichi's free left hand had already begun moving.
One-handed seals.
Rasa's pupils shrank.
Water Release… and a big one.
"Careful—!"
Too late.
Water Release: Great Waterfall Crash Wave.
A roaring mass of water erupted around Taichi, spiraling upward, swelling—
Within a single breath, it towered over ten meters high.
The incoming jutsu struck it—
And vanished into splashes.
Then—
The wall collapsed forward.
A tidal wave.
It surged outward, swallowing everything in its path.
Sand shinobi who reacted too slowly were dragged under instantly—caught in violent currents, struggling uselessly.
Given time—
They would drown.
But Taichi knew better.
Sunagakure wouldn't give him that time.
As the water began to settle—
Rasa and the others reformed their encirclement.
Taichi glanced once at the struggling figures in the water.
A flicker of regret crossed his eyes.
So close.
But staying longer would be suicide.
Not without revealing deeper cards.
"Thank you for the hospitality, Kazekage-sama," Taichi said lightly. "I hope you enjoy the return gift."
Before Rasa could respond—
He vanished.
Silence fell.
Only the sound of flowing water and rustling leaves remained.
Then Rasa's expression changed.
"Not good—! The unit chasing that Konoha squad—he's going to reinforce them!"
Realization hit instantly.
"Move!"
Without another word, he led his forces in pursuit.
But deep down—
He already knew.
They were too late.
Because—
The moment Taichi reappeared beside Yōhei—
The battle had already turned.
Three Sand shinobi had them pinned down.
Two jōnin. One special jōnin
Yōhei's group could barely defend.
Their chakra was still low.
Under normal conditions, Yōhei alone—with his Mangekyō—could have matched them.
But not now.
And then—
Taichi appeared.
Instantly.
The jōnin facing Yōhei barely had time to register it—
Before Taichi's blade pierced straight through his chest.
At the same time—
Yōhei seized the opening.
A clean slash across the throat.
Kill confirmed.
The remaining two Sand shinobi froze—
Then immediately disengaged and fled.
Kakashi and Saori moved to pursue—
"Don't."
Taichi stopped them.
"More are coming. We leave. Now."
All eyes turned to him.
Obito spoke first, unable to hold back.
"…Can your Flying Thunder God take people?"
Taichi glanced at him—
And paused.
Sharingan.
Single tomoe in each eye, slowly rotating.
"You awakened it."
A brief flicker of surprise.
Then gone.
"Yes," Taichi said calmly. "But only one person at a time."
Relief flooded Kakashi and Rin.
No more running.
No more desperate survival.
Even Kakashi—who rarely showed it—felt the weight lift slightly.
Yōhei and Saori, however, remained steady.
They already knew.
This was Taichi.
"Alright," Taichi said. "No time. I'll take Rin first. You head north—buy me time."
His hand landed on Rin's shoulder.
Seal.
They vanished.
Yōhei didn't hesitate.
"Move!"
The group dashed north immediately.
Thirty seconds later—
Taichi returned.
"Keep running."
He grabbed Obito—
Gone again.
Another minute—
He returned once more.
This time—
With Kakashi.
Then vanished.
When Kakashi opened his eyes—
He was already inside the Konoha camp.
Rin sat nearby, pale, dizzy—still reeling from spatial displacement.
Obito stood beside her.
Taichi—
Was drenched in sweat.
Long-distance transport wasn't cheap.
"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked.
Taichi exhaled slowly, wiping his forehead.
Then grinned.
"When has a man ever said he can't?"
Before Kakashi could reply—
Taichi formed a seal.
"Release."
A faint blue glow burst across his forehead.
Intricate markings spread outward—across his face, down his arms.
Power surged.
Overflowing.
Then—
Stabilized.
Kakashi stared.
"…What is that?"
"Strength of a Hundred Seal. Tsunade-sensei's technique," Taichi said simply. "Keep it quiet."
Then—
Gone again.
Back on the battlefield—
Yōhei and Saori had been waiting.
Longer this time.
Two minutes.
They could already tell—
This was taking a toll.
But when Taichi reappeared—
Something had changed.
The pressure around him—
Sharper. Heavier.
No time to ask.
He grabbed Saori.
Nodded at Yōhei.
Gone.
A moment later—
Yōhei heard it.
Movement.
The enemy was close.
Very close.
Good thing they hadn't stayed still—
Or they'd already be surrounded.
Yōhei ran at full speed, yet still forced himself to glance back.
At the far edge of his vision—
The Sand pursuers had appeared.
At the front of them—
Rasa.
And judging by the fury on his face, it was obvious—he hadn't come out of his clash with Taichi unscathed.
Yōhei gritted his teeth and pushed himself faster.
He absolutely could not be caught.
Not now.
Not when he barely had the strength left to fight back.
Taichi… hurry…
He prayed silently, even as his legs burned and his lungs screamed.
But no matter how hard he ran—
The distance kept shrinking.
Just as Rasa was about to enter attack range—
Taichi appeared.
Right beside him.
At the same time, Taichi's gaze swept backward—locking onto the Kazekage and the pursuing forces.
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
"Kazekage-sama, no need to see us off—we'll be taking our leave."
His hand dropped onto Yōhei's shoulder.
And in the next instant—
They vanished.
Rasa stopped.
Completely still.
Behind him, the Sand shinobi arrived one after another, forming up silently, waiting for orders.
But for a long moment—
He said nothing.
Then—
Coldly:
"From now on… if you encounter Matsushita Taichi during a mission, you are permitted to abandon it. The village will not hold you accountable."
The reaction was immediate.
Shock. Outrage. Disbelief.
"Kazekage-sama, that's too much!"
"We can't afford this kind of humiliation!"
"Kazekage-sama—!"
Voices rose one after another.
But none of them swayed him.
Because they hadn't fought Taichi.
They didn't understand.
A shinobi with no real weaknesses—
Combined with space-time mobility—
Without a proper counter, such a person was almost impossible to kill.
This time—
Had been the best opportunity.
And they missed it.
Next time?
There might not be one.
Rasa's gaze hardened.
"Also… spread this."
"Not just within Sunagakure."
"Let Konoha know. Let the entire shinobi world know."
"Make sure everyone hears the name—Matsushita Taichi."
A faint, calculating smile appeared on his face.
Some of the sharper Sand shinobi immediately understood.
This was no praise.
It was a trap.
If they couldn't kill him—
They would make sure others tried.
In a war where Konohagakure stood against multiple nations, any rising elite would become a target.
And once Taichi's name spread—
He wouldn't just be Sunagakure's problem.
He would become everyone's.
Even within Konoha—
Fame could be dangerous.
After all, prodigies there…
Didn't always live long.
Back at the Konoha camp—
When Taichi reappeared with Yōhei—
The others let out a collective breath.
The sound was so synchronized that they all froze—
Then burst into laughter.
It had been too close.
Too close.
Another step, another moment—
And they might not have made it back at all.
But now—
They were alive.
Together.
The tension broke—
And exhaustion flooded in like a tidal wave.
Two days of running, fighting, surviving.
They hadn't felt it before—
Because they couldn't afford to.
Now?
It hit all at once.
"Taichi… we're done…" Yōhei muttered, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Let us sleep first… we'll talk later…"
He staggered to a bed—
Didn't even bother taking off his clothes—
And collapsed.
Taichi nodded slightly.
"Kakashi, all of you rest. I'll handle your injuries."
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin didn't argue.
They were beyond that point.
They lay down wherever they could—
Beds, floor—
Didn't matter.
Within moments—
The tent filled with uneven breathing…
And loud snoring.
(Especially Obito.)
Meanwhile, Taichi quietly resealed the Strength of a Hundred Seal. The intricate markings faded back into the seal on his forehead.
He kept enough chakra ready.
There was still work to do.
One by one—
He checked them.
Most injuries were superficial.
Nothing that the Mystical Palm Technique couldn't fix completely.
By the time they woke—
There might not even be scars.
Only Yōhei—
Was different.
During those two days—
He had pushed his Mangekyō too far.
Even in sleep—
Taichi could feel the unstable ocular power surging inside him.
The neural strain in his eyes was severe.
Without hesitation—
Taichi increased his chakra output, gently stabilizing the turbulent power while repairing the damage.
Slowly—
Yōhei's tightly furrowed brow relaxed.
After a long while—
Taichi withdrew his hands.
He stood there, looking at the exhausted group scattered across the tent.
And finally—
Let out a long breath.
That had been close.
Too close.
If not for the Flying Thunder God…
If not for the sealing techniques he had prepared—
They wouldn't be here.
Not all of them.
He fell silent for a moment.
The ripple effects were becoming obvious.
The death of Sasori.
Obito awakening his Sharingan ahead of time.
Kakashi nearly dying today.
The world—
Was already changing.
The original story he knew…
Was no longer reliable.
From here on—
He would have to rely on himself.