allendalepharm Chapter 344 Clues, Assassination
Chapter 344 Clues, Assassination
Chapter 344 Clues, Assassination
Konoha, Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the branch Taiichi had brought over and the Flying Thunder God kunai that it had twisted, his expression more solemn than ever before.
His hand trembled as he gently placed it on the withered branch, feeling the familiar yet unfamiliar chakra fluctuations emanating from it.
It's Wood Release! It really is Wood Release! There are actually ninjas in the ninja world who can use Wood Release, besides Konoha.
Moreover, this ninja is an enemy of Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and looked up at Taiichi.
What do you think about this?
"The other party's concealment methods are very clever. They used escaping techniques to follow Kakashi and the others the whole way. Except for a few times when they revealed their tracks and were detected, they left no trace."
The other side went to great lengths to track Kakashi and the others, and even managed to cut off their means of seeking help, but in the end they only took Obito. I think they were probably after the Mangekyou Sharingan.
As for Wood Release, I don't know much about it, so I can't comment.
Taiichi calmly explained his point of view, and he was pleased to see the solemnity on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.
"You mean, Obito awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan? Are you sure?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened further. This was truly bad news; the loss of a pair of kaleidoscopes was a disaster for anyone.
Tai nodded and affirmed, "According to Kakashi's description, it was Obito who ultimately killed all the Iwa ninja. And Obito's level, unless he awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan and had a very powerful eye technique, would not have that kind of strength."
In Konoha, when it comes to understanding the Mangekyou Sharingan, it's fair to say that even the Uchiha clan might not know as much as Taichi.
While the Mangekyou Sharingan is powerful, it wouldn't be possible for a Chunin to instantly gain the strength to kill three Jonin without Kamui's bizarre space-time eye technique.
"These are truly turbulent times!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe and exhaled a long plume of smoke after a long while.
"Lord Hokage, I have a preliminary idea."
Looking at the worried Hiruzen Sarutobi, Taiichi suddenly felt a surge of inspiration.
"Oh, tell me about it."
"Obito awakened his Mangekyou Sharingan because of Rin's death, which shows Rin's importance in Obito's heart."
Everyone thought Lin was dead, but now we've brought her back to life.
If Obito learns of this, it will become even more difficult for the enemy to win him over.
Therefore, in order to eliminate this hidden danger—”
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up, and he said, "You mean, they're going to send someone to assassinate Rin?"
"Yes." Tai nodded. "Then we just need to wait and catch the enemy red-handed, and we'll know their true colors."
"Alright, that's settled!" Hiruzen Sarutobi clapped his hands, making a decision. "Taichi, I'll give you two teams of ANBU. Make sure you capture these guys."
"Mission accomplished!"
Konoha Hospital, Kakashi's ward.
When Taichi walked into the place again, it was the third day since Kakashi's arrival.
With the help of a top-tier medical ninja like Taichi, after two days of recovery, when Taichi saw Kakashi again, he saw him doing one-handed push-ups by the bedside in the ward.
"503————"
504——
"505——"
If he hadn't believed he couldn't be mistaken, Taiichi would have thought he was seeing Guy instead of Kakashi.
This scene felt strangely familiar yet jarring.
Taiichi's footsteps as he entered the room startled Kakashi, who was training.
He turned his head, sweat dripping from his forehead to the ground. When he saw that the person who entered the room was Taiyi, an excited smile immediately appeared on his face.
He knelt on one knee, struggled to his feet, and gave an awkward smile, but then rushed forward in a few steps.
"Taiichi, you've finally arrived!"
Kakashi grabbed Taichi's shoulder and shook him violently, the force causing Taichi some pain.
"How is Rin? Can I see her? And Obito, have you found him?"
A barrage of questions was fired at him, but he was met with Taiyi's calm eyes.
Kakashi awkwardly released his hands, took a few steps back, and slumped onto the hospital bed.
"Feel sorry----"
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Taiichi walked to the bedside, looking at the floor soaked with sweat. "I heard you yelled at the nurses this morning?"
"You should apologize to her."
"I have already apologized."
"Oh, that's not too bad." Taiichi's eyebrows relaxed, revealing the first smile he'd shown since entering the room. He turned to Kakashi and gestured, "Let's go, I'll take you to see Rin."
"real!"
Kakashi jumped up, his face beaming with undisguised joy.
He had asked other doctors and nurses, but they all declined to answer Kakashi's questions, citing confidentiality, leaving him unaware of Rin's specific condition for the past two days.
This is why he became increasingly agitated.
In the hospital corridor.
"Obito is still missing, but all the evidence suggests that he is still alive and was taken away by others after he fell into a coma."
Taichi's voice slowly rang out as he recounted his investigation into Obito to Kakashi.
Kakashi truly deserves his reputation as a top-tier ninja; he extracted key information from Taiichi's simple description.
"Were we set up by a third-party ninja?"
"That should be right. He's a very powerful person with extremely sophisticated concealment skills. We didn't find any useful traces at the scene. However, we've confirmed that he took my Flying Thunder God Kunai from Obito."
"Why? What do we have that would make them plot against us like this?"
Kakashi clenched his fists, his steps never faltering, yet he exuded a chilling aura.
"Probably for Obito, he must have awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan of the Uchiha clan."
Kakashi froze, staring at Taiichi with a look of utter shock.
"The Mangekyou Sharingan! Eyes like Yohei's?"
Kakashi, who had been teammates with Yohei, naturally knew what the Mangekyou Sharingan was.
He never imagined that someone like Obito, a "loser," could awaken the eyes that the Uchiha clan only has one pair of eyes for.
Taiichi stopped and turned to look at Kakashi, who was behind him, his face showing a calm indifference, as if he had known all along.
"Surprised? But that's just how Obito's personality is; the enemy probably noticed him a long time ago."
Taiyi turned around and continued walking forward.
Kakashi's facial muscles contorted, and after a moment of hesitation, he followed Taichi's footsteps.
Lin's hospital room.
Various testing devices were connected to Lin's body, and she was enveloped in a faint green light.
This is the highest-level life-preserving barrier in Konoha Hospital. Taiichi also used his influence to treat Rin.
Kakashi looked at Rin inside the barrier; even though the treatment was complete, her face was still completely bloodless.
On the instruments next to him, all vital signs were significantly lower than those of a normal person, indicating that he was barely alive.
"Taiyi, what happened? Didn't you say Rin's injuries had been completely healed?"
Kakashi's face was full of anxiety, and his questioning tone unconsciously carried a hint of accusation.
"Physical wounds are easy to heal, but emotional wounds are difficult to heal." Taiyi wasn't angry; his eyes were filled with pity as he looked at Lin.
"She had suffered severe mental torment before, and chose to sacrifice herself in order not to harm others. Now, Lin's mental state is such that she thinks she deserves to die."
This is the real reason why her physical condition is so poor. The destructive tendencies of her will have hampered her body's functions. If it weren't for this life-preserving barrier, her body would have collapsed long ago.
"How could this happen—" Kakashi muttered to himself, as a series of scenes flashed through his mind before Rin was stabbed. It turned out that Rin had already had the thought of dying back then.
It's hateful that he was so focused on escaping that he didn't notice anything amiss.
"You don't need to worry too much. Once Lin has fully recovered by tomorrow, you can come here often and talk to her more. Maybe that will awaken her will to live, and then everything will be fine."
Upon hearing this, Kakashi's eyes suddenly lit up with a dazzling light.
"Is this okay? Can I do it now?"
Taiichi smiled knowingly, unmoved by Kakashi's urgency.
"Didn't we say we had to wait for Rin's body to recover? Don't rush it. And if this method doesn't work, then we'll have to find a ninja from the Yamanaka clan to invade Rin's brain, but that's a last resort."
Taichi turned around and looked at Kakashi solemnly.
"Besides, your own body needs time to recover. If I hear the nurses complaining to me again, then you can forget about seeing Lin again."
Kakashi's lips twitched. He thought the previous matter was over, but he didn't expect to be waiting for him here.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something in his defense, but in the end, all he could do was sigh.
"I see!"
"Alright, visiting hours are over for today. Go back to your room now. I still need to give Lin follow-up treatment."
Kakashi glanced at Rin one last time, then at Taichi, before turning and slowly leaving the ward.
As Kakashi's figure disappeared through the doorway, Taichi smiled, hoping that this arrangement would make Zetsu realize that Rin was still alive.
Taiichi really wanted to spar with them.
Take a look at your panel.
【Flying Thunder God Lv10 (221/2000)】
I didn't want to waste skill points on this, but in order to catch Jue who has the Mayfly Technique, I have to use these skill points when necessary.
With a thought, the panel immediately changed.
[Flying Thunder God Lv10 Max Level]
A wealth of experience using the Flying Thunder God technique surfaced deep within Taiyi's mind.
It was as if he had practiced and studied the Flying Thunder God technique for many years, integrating various previously unexplored knowledge into the original system.
Here lies the Flying Thunder God Technique, the second stage that Taiyi has longed for but has never mastered, a technique for casually imprinting talismans.
Strangely enough, Taichi and Minato often exchanged tips on using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Unfortunately, the two seemed to have gone down two different paths with their Flying Thunder God techniques. For example, Minato had already mastered the technique of casually placing and placing talismans, and he had passed it on to Taichi without reservation.
Taiichi simply couldn't comprehend it on his own, just as Minato couldn't learn Taiichi's Flying Thunder God Technique, which allowed others to summon him.
Now, by adding points, Taiyi has mastered this skill, completing the final piece of the puzzle for this plan.
The Land of Earth, Madara's secret base.
The dim cave blocked out the sunlight and noise from the outside world, and the huge golem cast a hideous shadow.
In the center of the hall, Madara Uchiha stood quietly, his gaze fixed on the void, as if he were thinking, or perhaps he was emptying his mind of all his complex thoughts.
At one point, Black Zetsu led two White Zetsu out of the cave, their hurried footsteps revealing a hint of impatience.
"Lord Madara, there has been some change in Konoha."
Ban's eyelids didn't even twitch; he maintained the demeanor of a master, and his calm words echoed in the cave.
"explain."
"Lin—" Black Zetsu's voice was even lower, "That girl named Lin, she didn't die."
The air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly, and Madara's previously dormant chakra surged suddenly.
A chilling killing intent spread out, causing the temperature in the entire hall to drop several degrees.
He turned around, his eyes fixed intently on Black Zetsu.
"waste!"
Anger was brewing in his chest. If he didn't know that Black Zetsu was his only remaining limbs, Madara would have wanted to kill someone.
"The trigger for Obito's Mangekyou Sharingan awakening was Rin. Only Rin's death was the key for Obito to hide in the darkness and embrace the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Tell me now, this key is gone!
Ban's voice contained suppressed thunder.
"Was the arrangement of Kannabi Bridge intended to keep her alive and make her an anchor point for Obito's return to Konoha? Didn't you even bother to check if she was really dead before you left?"
Black Zetsu was under immense pressure, and his body trembled slightly.
This was not only due to Ban's anger, but also a reflection on his own dereliction of duty.
"It was my mistake. I never thought that someone with a broken heart could be saved." Black Zetsu's words were full of regret, but he still continued to report, "The White Zetsu hiding in Konoha sent word that it was Matsushita Taichi who ultimately saved Rin."
"Matsushita Taichi, it's Matsushita Taichi again."
Ban carefully pondered the name. Despite all the precautions he had taken, he never expected that in the end, his plan would still be flawed because of this person.
"Obito's beliefs are like a candle flickering in the wind. Rin's existence is the last light in his heart, which may pull him back to that false reality at any moment."
Ban's voice returned to its usual coldness, even colder than before, "We can't let her continue living. This glimmer of light must be extinguished completely."
He looked at Black Zetsu, his command leaving no room for argument: "Go. Eliminate this potential threat with your own hands. Konoha's barriers and guards are meaningless to you. I want you to watch her heart stop beating and confirm that her soul has completely dissipated. This time, there can be no failure."
"Yes!" Black Zetsu accepted the order and hurriedly left the cave hall with the two White Zetsu who were already impatient.
Konoha Hospital, late at night.
The intensive care unit where Lin was located was brightly lit but unusually quiet.
In the corridor, two teams of elite members of the Dark Guard, wearing animal masks, stood silently in the shadows, their aura restrained, like statues.
As arranged by Taiyi, they were always there to watch over Lin in the ward.
A nurse dressed in a white medical ninja uniform and wearing a mask pushed a medicine cart and walked steadily toward Rin's ward.
She was Lin's full-time nurse during this period, but even with her arrival, the Anbu did not relax their vigilance in the slightest.
Following the procedure, I had to remove my mask, have my face verified, have my ID card checked, and have my password verified. Only after this series of verifications was I finally allowed to pass.
The nurse pushed open the ward door and entered the area shrouded by the barrier. The light of the barrier flowed around him, seemingly unaware of anything amiss. He gently closed the door behind him, cutting off any outside view.