The southern Leaf camp was still buzzing from the night's ambush and counter-trap. Barely fifteen minutes had passed, and the sky hadn't even fully lightened yet.
Ninja fights always moved at that brutal pace—one solid opening and it was usually over. Battles that lasted three days and three nights, like the legendary clashes between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, were the real exceptions.
Inside the newly rebuilt command tent, Moonlight was recounting every detail of the fight near the medical camp. Jiraiya, Shikaku, and several jonin who had rushed over sat listening intently. The rest of the forces were already out cleaning the battlefield.
As Moonlight spoke, the expressions around the table shifted from disbelief to outright shock. No one had expected Taiichi to perform at that level.
When he finally finished, the tent fell into stunned silence.
Jiraiya broke it first with a loud, unrestrained laugh. "That's my student! Hah! Let's see if that cocky Kazekage tries anything like this again. Sneaking into our camp for a raid? He's got some nerve. Next time he won't even make it out alive!"
The other shinobi smiled. If any of them had a disciple who could single-handedly stall the Fourth Kazekage, they'd be laughing even harder.
"All right," Jiraiya said, clapping his hands. "Finish cleaning up, tally the casualties, and everyone gather here at nine for a full briefing." He took two steps toward the exit, then paused. "Make sure Taiichi's there too."
He walked out with his hands clasped behind his back, still chuckling. A few sharp-eared jonin caught his muttered words: "Too bad Minato's out on a mission. That Kazekage would've died here for sure."
Far away, Rasa was still flying through the sky with the five surviving Sand jonin. Carrying others with his gold sand took a heavy toll, even on him. Once he was certain they were clear of Leaf pursuit, he descended and they continued on foot in silence.
They eventually reached a sheer cliff face. Rasa formed a quick series of seals. The rock rippled, revealing a hidden cave entrance—his pre-arranged fallback point for any survivors of the raid.
Rasa led the way inside. The others followed, supporting their wounded. Once everyone was in, the entrance sealed itself again.
Inside the dim cave, Rasa stared at the five remaining jonin. One had lost his right arm at the shoulder. His face cycled between pale and flushed with rage.
Fifty men had left Sand territory. Now only five were left. Even though they were all jonin, the losses were catastrophic. And that didn't even count the separate strike force that had hit the command tent—without a single Kage-level fighter to back them up.
Rasa checked the time. They still had an hour before the latest possible rendezvous. If no one else showed by then…
His expression turned grim. How was he supposed to explain this disaster to the village? Especially since he had personally led the mission. If the blame fell on him, the voices opposing his rule that he had barely suppressed would explode again. His position as Kazekage could be shaken.
The five surviving jonin stayed quiet, treating their wounds in heavy silence. Even the strongest among them felt the weight of what they had just survived. The one who had lost his arm moved slowly, his future suddenly uncertain. After this, he would likely be forced into retirement or a desk job. The thought left him hollow.
Rasa noticed the gloomy atmosphere and the defeated look on the injured jonin's face. He realized his own dark mood was dragging everyone down.
He was the Kazekage. Even in defeat, he had to show strength and leadership. Self-pity helped no one.
After a quiet moment of self-reproach, Rasa straightened up.
"It's just one loss," he said firmly. "Wars aren't won forever. Remember this hatred. Next time we meet them on the battlefield, we'll pay it back tenfold and slaughter every last Leaf dog!"
His words were rough, but they landed. The survivors lifted their heads slightly.
Rasa walked over to the one-armed jonin and placed a hand on his good shoulder. "Masha, don't worry about your future. You lost that arm for the village. The village won't forget you—and neither will I. Once we're back, rest and recover. When you're healed, tell me where you want to go. I won't let any brother who followed me suffer."
Masha's eyes glistened. Even knowing Rasa was trying to win loyalty, the promise gave him real hope. At least he wouldn't be tossed aside like damaged goods.
The other four jonin looked moved as well. Their Kazekage was still willing to stand up for them.
An hour passed. No one else arrived. Rasa finally accepted the truth.
The raid had been a total failure. Not only had they failed to inflict serious damage on Leaf, they had suffered devastating losses.
"Let's go," he said, forcing strength into his voice. "We're not waiting any longer. We need to get everyone's wounds treated as soon as possible."
The others rose without a word and followed him out of the cave, heading back toward their forward base.
Back at the Leaf camp, Jiraiya's mood was the complete opposite—bright and triumphant.
Inside the new command tent, the remaining high-ranking officers had gathered. Among them were the jonin who had fought alongside Taiichi.
Jiraiya sat at the head of the table, grinning openly. Once everyone was seated, he clapped his hands.
"Everyone. You all know what happened this morning. There were some surprises, but in the end we scored a major victory!"
He tried to keep a serious face, but lasted only a few seconds before laughing again. The others couldn't help smiling too. The results really were that good.
Jiraiya finally gave up trying to look stern and turned to Shikaku. "Shikaku, give everyone the full report."
Shikaku stood, bowed to Jiraiya, then faced the group.
"Sand sent two waves. The first was eighty shinobi, including fifteen jonin. They targeted the command tent and were completely wiped out in our trap. The second wave was fifty shinobi, including nine jonin—plus the Fourth Kazekage himself hiding among them. Thanks to Taiichi holding off Rasa at the critical moment, we were able to eliminate the rest. Only five jonin escaped, including the Kazekage.
On our side, we lost twenty-four chunin. Many others were wounded, but with Taiichi's treatment they'll be back on their feet quickly."
The tent went quiet for a moment. Two mentions of Taiichi in one report, and not a single person objected. His performance had been that decisive.
The command-tent fight had been easy—Jiraiya was there, and they had overwhelming numbers. But the medical-camp side had been a different story. No one had expected the Fourth Kazekage to personally lead a raid on their main base. If Taiichi hadn't rushed in and kept Rasa busy, the gold sand techniques could have turned the camp into a slaughterhouse.
Everyone understood that Taiichi's contribution was the real reason they were celebrating instead of mourning. Even Jiraiya acknowledged it.
All eyes turned toward Taiichi, who was sitting quietly beside Director Fujita. The looks ranged from admiration to slight disbelief.
You're already that strong, and you're still sitting with the medical ninjas? they thought. That's just playing the pig to eat the tiger… Wait, no—he really is the strongest medical ninja here. Never mind.
Taiichi felt the stares and scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. He didn't think he'd done anything that special.
Jiraiya smiled at the scene, then continued. "If there's nothing else to add, I'll report these results to the village and request the appropriate rewards."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Good. Now let's talk about our next moves."
The atmosphere sharpened. Every officer sat up straighter.
"Sand took heavy losses—nineteen jonin dead in one night. This is a rare opportunity. Starting tomorrow, we increase the pressure. I want to hit them hard before their next wave of reinforcements arrives and wipe out as many of their fighting forces as possible."
Heads nodded around the table. The victory had lit a fire under everyone. The coming battles were going to feel very different.
Jiraiya and Shikaku began assigning tasks. As expected, Taiichi was sent back to the medical camp.
No one questioned it. His healing skills were too valuable. Sand had even launched a special operation just to target him. Keeping him where he could save lives was clearly the smarter play for the village.
When the meeting ended and everyone else filed out, Taiichi stayed behind.
Jiraiya and Shikaku were about to discuss troop movements when they noticed him still seated.
"What is it, Taiichi?" Jiraiya asked directly. "Something on your mind?"
"Sensei… could I also take some field missions?" Taiichi asked carefully.
Jiraiya's brow furrowed. Hadn't he just explained why Taiichi needed to stay at the medical camp?
"Taiichi, I know you're strong. But your medical ninjutsu is the backbone of our entire camp's morale. As long as people know they can get patched up, they fight harder. That's more important than you running around solo right now."
He kept his tone patient. He didn't want Taiichi feeling slighted.
"I understand that, Sensei. But I have Flying Thunder God. The medical camp doesn't need me physically present every second. I can leave two shadow clones there to handle routine treatment. If anything urgent happens, I can teleport back instantly."
Jiraiya stared at him.
Shikaku stared too.
They both ran through the logic in their heads. It… actually made sense.
Jiraiya glanced at Shikaku. The Nara looked equally stunned. Neither of them had considered using Flying Thunder God and shadow clones that way before. There just weren't many people who could pull it off.
Minato used Flying Thunder God, but he was a dedicated combat specialist who stayed in the field full-time. Taiichi was different—he was both an elite healer and a frontline fighter. Normally they could only use half his talent. But with this method…
It was completely viable.
Jiraiya was a man of action. The moment he saw the possibility, he didn't hesitate. He turned, rummaged through the scrolls on the table, and tossed one to Taiichi.
"This mission is perfect for you. No strict requirements. Maximum freedom."
Taiichi caught the scroll and smiled. Finally—he could fight and heal.