Training Ground 8, Konoha.
Guy looked up blankly at Yohei, then at Taiichi, and scratched his head a little awkwardly. "Huh? Hidden injuries? It's fine, Yohei-senpai! My body is a youth-forged vessel tempered through a thousand trials!"
Taiichi glanced at Yohei, understood exactly what he was after, and nodded. "Better to check and be sure. Guy, give me your wrist."
Guy immediately stuck out his arm without hesitation the moment Taiichi spoke.
Taiichi's fingers settled on Guy's pulse. A thread of warm, gentle Yang-nature chakra slipped into his body and carefully traveled through meridians, muscles, and bones.
A moment later Taiichi pulled his hand back. "There are a few minor strains, mostly in joints and muscle groups you've been overworking. All from high-intensity training. Lucky you're young and recover fast—nothing's become a real problem yet."
As he spoke, soft green light bloomed in his palm. He gently pressed and rubbed Guy's shoulders and knees at a few key points.
Warm, comfortable energy flooded in. Guy felt the faint lingering aches from years of training melt away almost instantly, like his whole body was soaking in a hot spring.
"Whoa! That's amazing, Taiichi! The effect is that good? My body feels so much lighter!" Guy shouted in surprise.
"From now on, balance training with rest. Stretching and recovery after a hard session are just as important." Taiichi reminded him as he withdrew his hand.
Watching the clear improvement in Guy after the treatment, a flicker of hope crossed Yohei's eyes. He looked at Taiichi without speaking, but his gaze said everything.
Taiichi understood completely. He turned to Yohei with a calm smile. "Relax, Yohei."
Under Guy's curious stare, Taiichi raised both hands, index and middle fingers together. Far denser, purer Yang-nature chakra gathered at his fingertips than what he had used on Guy. He lightly pressed the tips around Yohei's eyes.
Yohei closed his eyes and let his body and mind loosen. That impossibly pure Yang Release chakra flowed in like the gentlest warm current, seeping into the meridians around his eyes and wrapping the pair of Mangekyō Sharingan that had already begun to strain and lose vision from overuse.
Wherever the chakra passed, the tiny damage from excessive ocular power, the clogged meridians, the exhausted nerves—all of it was gently repaired, unblocked, and nourished, like parched earth drinking rain.
An indescribable comfort spread from his eyes outward, washing away the long-standing ache and blur. The world seemed to snap into sharper, brighter focus in an instant.
A few minutes later Taiichi lowered his hands, the light fading from his fingertips. Yohei slowly opened his eyes. Surprise and gratitude flashed through them. "It… feels so much better! Everything's clearer, and that heavy tiredness is a lot lighter! Taiichi—thank you!"
Taiichi nodded. "You still need to be careful with the Mangekyō. Your vision's been dropping faster lately."
His tone turned serious. "My Yang nature transformation has hit a bottleneck. I figure once I break through with Yang Release again, I should be able to fix this completely."
He paused, looking straight into Yohei's eyes, and added with quiet weight, "Of course, the best 'medicine' will always be you yourself. Keep training your body and spirit. Raise your physical strength and mental power until they can fully carry the burden of the Mangekyō. That's the real solution. A strong body and mind are the best vessel."
Yohei nodded hard, locking every word away. "I understand! I'll train even harder!"
Guy had watched the whole thing with wide eyes. He looked from Yohei to Taiichi, face full of pure amazement, but he didn't ask any complicated questions.
His mind was simple. He just thought Taiichi's medical ninjutsu was god-tier if it could even treat an Uchiha's Sharingan. No wonder they called him Konoha's White Reaper.
As for the deeper meaning? He only felt that Taiichi was willing to treat Yohei right in front of him—that meant trust. That meant he was being treated like a real friend and partner.
That trust sent a warm current through Guy's chest.
Taiichi saw Guy's reaction and understood perfectly.
He no longer worried about the ability to treat Uchiha Mangekyō leaking out.
His strength, his status, his relationship with the Hokage, and everything he had done for the village gave him more than enough footing and voice to handle it.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell across the three young men.
"Let's go," Taiichi clapped both of them on the shoulder with an easy smile. "Workout's done—time to refuel. I know a place with pretty good dango."
"Oh! Dango! Fuel for the fire of youth!" Guy immediately perked up, energy flooding back.
Yohei stood with a grin. "My treat this time. Payment for the 'miracle doctor's' services."
The three of them laughed and talked as their figures slowly melted into Konoha's warm sunlight and everyday bustle.
Land of Earth. Iwagakure.
Deep inside the village, a residence far larger and more complex than any ordinary civilian home belonged to one of Iwagakure's elders—Toki Kengo.
Right now the old man who usually carried a sharp gaze and held real weight in the village sat on a heavy wooden chair with completely empty eyes, posture stiff as a soulless stone statue.
A ripple passed through the air. Space twisted and spun like water after a stone is dropped. A figure silently emerged from the spatial vortex.
He wore an orange spiral mask, only a single deep, icy Sharingan exposed. The scarlet pupil looked especially piercing in the dim light. It was Uchiha Obito.
He slowly scanned the sealed chamber that belonged to an Iwagakure elder. His eye swept across the tapestry hanging on the wall that symbolized the Will of Stone, then finally settled on Toki Kengo.
There was not the slightest satisfaction in that Sharingan at controlling an elder—only cold, bone-deep hatred.
"Hmph. Iwagakure…" Obito's voice was low and hoarse from behind the mask, carrying a metallic edge. Every syllable sounded like he was chewing on pure hatred. "This nauseating stench of earth."
"Oh my, oh my, here we go again."
A playful voice suddenly bubbled up from the ground right beside Obito's feet. White clay-like matter rapidly rose and formed into the familiar pitcher-plant head of White Zetsu, half black and half white.
He swayed cheerfully. "Every single time we come here you complain about the air smelling bad, the rocks hurting your feet, even the wind carrying that sandy stink. Obito-san, are you really here to hide and execute the plan, or are you just here for revenge?"
"Personal grudge! Total personal grudge!"
Obito's brow under the mask furrowed hard. The Sharingan coldly flicked toward White Zetsu. "Shut up, White Zetsu. What do you know?"
"I know plenty!" White Zetsu completely ignored the cold glare and started counting on his fingers. "Look, look—last time you came you could only hide in some random civilian house, chewing rock-hard rations, listening to the neighbor's kid cry all night, so frustrated you nearly exploded.
"This time? Heh, you straight-up controlled an Iwagakure elder and moved into his big mansion. That upgrade only happened because you hate Iwagakure so much your teeth itch, and you just had to cause some real trouble to feel better!"
"White Zetsu isn't entirely wrong," a steadier voice cut in. White Zetsu's will was suppressed as Black Zetsu took control of the body.
"Obito, your hatred burns too hot. It can bring destruction, but it can also burn you and expose us. Rin's tragedy did happen on a battlefield led by Iwagakure, but clinging to it will interfere with the greater goal of the Eye of the Moon Plan."
"Interfere?" Obito spun around. A flash of embarrassment at being seen through rose inside him, but he quickly locked it down. The Sharingan locked onto Zetsu.
"How is this interference? This is preparation." His voice carried a twisted obsession. "Capturing the Tailed Beasts is the core of the plan, isn't it? The jinchūriki of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails are right here in Iwagakure! Controlling this old man is so I can get the most critical intel, find the perfect timing, and pave the way for seizing those beasts later! Isn't that the most efficient method? Or should I just run around Iwagakure like a headless fly?"
He spoke faster and faster, as if trying to convince someone—maybe himself—with the sheer force of the words. "How to make a jinchūriki go berserk inside Iwagakure? Heh, isn't that one of the best ways to weaken the village, create chaos, and make our future operations easier? Two birds with one stone! How the hell is that a personal grudge?!"
The last few words were squeezed out through gritted teeth, carrying the anger of someone whose true motives had almost been completely exposed.
White Zetsu clapped both hands over his mouth in exaggerated shock. "Whoa! Such powerful aura! Such righteous reasons! Obito-san is totally right—we're all doing this for the Eye of the Moon, for world peace! It's not because of some girl that we want to blow this dump of a village sky-high! Absolutely~ not!"
His tone dripped with mockery.
The moment White Zetsu's teasing words ended, Black Zetsu's heavy voice followed. He didn't argue further, only said lowly, "I hope so. But remember—Tsuchikage Ōnoki is no pushover. His strength and cunning are not to be underestimated. This elder's value lies in his position and information network. Use him carefully."
Obito's chest rose and fell once as he forced the surging emotions down. He stopped paying attention to White Zetsu's noise and turned back to Toki Kengo.
The scarlet Sharingan suddenly flared with eerie light. Three tomoe slowly spun.
"Toki Kengo." Obito's voice carried absolute will as it sank straight into the depths of the elder's genjutsu-controlled mind.
The empty eyes showed the faintest, weakest reaction. Toki's body sat a little straighter, but still looked completely lifeless.
"Tell me everything you know about the two jinchūriki. What's their relationship with Ōnoki? Any recent movements?" Obito's questions cut straight to the core.
Toki Kengo's lips moved slightly. His voice was dry and flat, like a broken record player. "Han… Steam Ninja… responsible… loyal to the village… no special feelings toward Ōnoki."
"Roshi… powerful… stubborn personality, free and rebellious… hates being restricted… loyal to the village… but holds a grudge against the Tsuchikage…" His words came in broken fragments, clearly digging deep into buried memories under control.
"Grudge? Exact reason?" Obito pressed.
"Roshi… thinks… the Tsuchikage is too conservative… holding back his power… earlier… planned action against Konoha… he wanted to fight… was… forcibly suppressed… for the sake of stability… dissatisfaction… building up…"
Toki's voice carried a note of uncertainty. Clearly this information wasn't fully public—just what he had pieced together from observation and private channels.
The corner of Obito's mouth under the mask curved into a cold arc. Dissatisfaction? Building up? Conflict between conservative and radical? This was a heaven-sent opportunity!
"Good." Obito's voice carried a cruel excitement. "Then use your position and channels. Carefully feed some… interesting information to Roshi. And casually make sure the Tsuchikage's side hears about it too."
He stepped closer. The light of the Sharingan almost stabbed into Toki's soul. "For example— the Tsuchikage believes the power of the jinchūriki is too dangerous and hard to control, and is secretly evaluating whether to restrict their movements.
Or— Roshi has privately expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Tsuchikage's decisions… even showing signs of slipping out of control…
Keep the wording vague. Keep the sources hidden. Make it feel like it's everywhere, yet no one can pin down where it started."
"Yes…" Toki Kengo answered woodenly. His mind was already completely dominated by Obito's genjutsu—a perfect mouthpiece and conspiracy-sowing machine.
"Also," Obito added, voice colder still, "keep close watch on every move Roshi makes. Especially his emotional swings and chakra fluctuations. Look for any chance he might leave the village on a mission… or the moment his emotions are most unstable."
A vicious light flashed through his eye. "If that burning monster can break its own cage right inside the village… the show will be very 'spectacular.'"
White Zetsu twisted excitedly beside him. "Whoa! Stirring up trouble and pouring oil on the fire! Obito-san, that's so evil! But I love it! Letting Iwagakure tear itself apart is way easier than us doing the work!"
Black Zetsu remained cool and pragmatic. "The risk is still there. If it goes wrong, the Tsuchikage can follow the trail of the rumors straight back to you. That would put the enemy on guard early and hurt our later plans."
"Risk and reward always walk together." Obito's voice was ice-cold. He walked to the only small window in the chamber and stared out through the narrow stone slit at the gray, dusty Iwagakure outside.
"We can't keep standing still just because of a little risk. How else are we supposed to carry out the plan?" A flash of scarlet pride crossed his Sharingan. "Besides, he's a sharp blade. Used well, he can cripple Iwagakure. Even if the plan isn't perfect, it'll still tear a crack inside the village and create an opening for taking the Five-Tails later.
And even if Ōnoki sees through it, Toki Kengo makes the perfect shield. Everyone will just think it's another internal power struggle inside Iwagakure."
Black Zetsu fell silent. Obito's plan was rushed, but exactly as he said—there was no such thing as a perfect plan.
As long as there was even a slim chance of success and little real danger to themselves, then move. Action always brought results.
Just like the earlier operation in the Land of Hot Water—they had at least picked up Blood Raven as a useful blade.
While Obito prepared his schemes, Nagato and Konan were not idle either.
Right now Nagato only had the single Pain outer-path puppet. That severely limited his combat power. The Rinnegan could create six outer-path puppets. He too was working hard to raise his strength.