Chapter 195: Fame, and the Aftermath
At the medical camp, Rasa stood with a dark expression, surrounded by fallen Konoha shinobi—yet there was no trace of satisfaction in his eyes.
"The ambush has failed. Break through immediately—I'll cover your retreat."
Whatever his flaws, as Kazekage, Rasa bore responsibility. His willingness to stay behind and hold the line moved the accompanying Sand shinobi deeply.
Time was running out. The Konoha forces that had just been forced back were already regrouping, closing in again. The remaining Sand shinobi quickly formed a wedge formation, using Wind Release to carve a path as they attempted to break out along their original route.
But Konoha had no intention of letting them escape. The earlier casualties had only been those caught at the center—more and more reinforcements were now converging from the outer perimeter.
Just as Rasa prepared to act and create an opening for his men, his entire body suddenly tensed.
A deadly sense of danger surged through him.
Without hesitation, he thrust his hand forward. The gold dust surrounding him responded instantly, condensing into a half-meter-thick wall in front of him.
The next instant—
A streak of blazing golden flame, shaped like a blade, slammed into it.
With a sharp tearing sound, the thick wall was sliced clean through.
Only because of that brief obstruction did the attack lose enough force to dissipate just half a meter before reaching him.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Rasa's temple.
Too close…
Since when had Konoha produced such a terrifying swordsman? And how had Sunagakure received no intelligence on him?
The answer stood before him—
Matsushita Taichi .
Against a shinobi like the Fourth Kazekage—whose large-scale Magnet Release could devastate entire battlefields—someone had to pin him down. Especially here, at Konoha's main camp, with the medical unit just nearby.
"Lord Kazekage," Taichi said lightly, stepping forward with a short blade in hand, "sneaking into Konoha's camp at this hour… isn't that a bit impolite?"
He didn't rush to attack.
This was Konoha's territory. The longer the fight dragged on, the more advantageous it became for him.
If the battle at the command center ended and Jiraiya arrived…
Sunagakure might very well be selecting a Fifth Kazekage tomorrow.
Rasa understood that perfectly.
But as he looked at the boy walking toward him—calm, composed, blade in hand—a name surfaced in his mind.
"You're Matsushita Taichi ."
Too young.
Far too young.
Yet his medical ninjutsu was top-tier—and from that strike just now, his combat strength was clearly beyond that of ordinary jonin.
In that instant, Rasa's killing intent surged to its peak.
This child must die.
If he lived, Sunagakure would never know peace again.
Without waiting for a reply, Rasa attacked.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Rain!"
This time, the attack wasn't scattered—it was focused entirely on Taichi . The density of the golden needles skyrocketed.
But Taichi didn't even bother dodging.
He opened his mouth—
And exhaled a massive golden fireball.
It surged forward, swallowing the incoming gold dust needles. The moment they entered the flames, they melted into molten droplets, losing all power.
The fireball continued forward without slowing, crashing toward Rasa.
Now Rasa was in an awkward position.
He couldn't dodge.
Behind him were his retreating men.
But he also couldn't take that attack head-on. Even his gold dust melted instantly—his own body wouldn't fare any better.
Gritting his teeth, he raised both hands.
A massive amount of gold dust surged outward. With rapid hand seals, he slammed his palms to the ground.
A thicker, taller wall of gold dust erupted upward.
Boom!
Flames exploded outward, the wall glowing red-hot as it rapidly melted from front to back.
Using that moment, Rasa immediately began forming another technique.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Grand Burial!"
The ground within dozens of meters began to ripple violently.
Konoha shinobi who recognized the technique shouted in alarm, "Stop him!"
But in that instant—
Taichi 's figure flashed past the edge of the melting wall.
His blade cut through incoming gold dust as he closed the distance in a blink, appearing directly before Rasa.
Golden flames wrapped around his short blade.
Slash after slash descended in rapid succession.
Rasa's expression changed instantly. Forced to retreat while maintaining his hand seals, he quickly realized—
He couldn't keep up.
Left with no choice, he abandoned the technique.
Gold dust surged continuously around him, forming layer after layer of defense as he struggled to block Taichi 's relentless assault.
From Taichi 's first strike to the two of them clashing at close range—
Barely more than ten seconds had passed.
Around them, the Konoha shinobi could only watch.
Those assigned to pursue the fleeing Sand ninja had already left. The rest didn't dare interfere.
They knew their limits.
The Kazekage's gold needles alone were deadly enough—let alone the stray arcs of flaming blade energy from Taichi .
One mistake, and they'd die without even knowing how.
Still, seeing Taichi single-handedly pin down the Fourth Kazekage, the leading Konoha ninja made a swift decision.
"Gekkō, Yūgao—you two stay and support Taichi . The rest of you, follow me and eliminate the retreating Sand shinobi!"
Soon, only two jonin remained nearby, standing at a distance on either side, watching for an opportunity.
Though they hadn't acted, their presence alone forced Rasa to divide his attention—lightening Taichi 's burden.
"Lord Kazekage," Taichi said casually, blade flashing without pause, "aren't you going to run? Your men won't last much longer."
Rasa was furious.
In terms of raw strength, he knew he was superior.
But from the very beginning, he'd been dragged into close-quarters combat—his weakest domain. Forced to rely on defense and experience, he couldn't break free.
What he needed was distance.
Distance meant control.
"Did you hear that?" Taichi continued, voice dripping with mockery. "Another one of your men just died. Oh—and there goes another. That scream was pretty miserable."
Veins bulged on Rasa's forehead.
This brat clung like a parasite—and his mouth was even worse.
"Don't get cocky, Matsushita Taichi . Do you really think you can trap me like this?"
Taichi frowned slightly, increasing the speed of his strikes.
But the gold dust seemed endless—no matter how much he cut, more surged forth. Even his close-range fireballs were extinguished before fully forming.
The two fought in constant motion, shifting positions rapidly.
Then—
Rasa suddenly erupted with chakra.
A massive surge of gold dust gathered, condensing once more into a dense storm of needles aimed at Taichi .
"Still using that trick?" Taichi scoffed.
With a casual motion, he launched another fireball, burning through the frontal attack and ignoring the rest.
He was about to press forward again—
When a shout rang out.
"Not good—the medical camp!"
Taichi 's expression changed.
His perception swept outward—and he realized the truth instantly.
Their battle had drifted dangerously close to the medical camp.
And that last attack—
Hadn't been aimed at him at all.
It was aimed at the camp.
If that technique landed, the wounded and medical staff inside would be slaughtered.
"Despicable!"
"Right back at you."
Taichi shot Rasa a cold glare.
And in the next instant—
He vanished.
Rasa was startled at first. The gold dust around him instantly began to spin, forming a defensive storm in anticipation of Matsushita Taichi 's next strike. But in the very next moment, he sensed something wrong—his gaze snapped toward the medical camp.
There, three Taichi s stood dozens of meters apart, facing the incoming storm of golden needles. Their chakra erupted simultaneously.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Three massive walls of water surged upward, then linked together, forming a thick, towering barrier that completely sealed off the medical camp.
The rain of gold needles slammed into the water wall, but before even penetrating halfway, they were stripped of all force by the violent currents, reduced to drifting debris within the surging water.
Rasa's eyes narrowed.
"This brat… not only is his Fire Release monstrous, even his Water Release is this powerful? And in a place with no water source… And that technique just now—was it pure speed, or…?"
He didn't have time to dwell on it. If he didn't go save his men now, they would be wiped out completely.
In a series of rapid flickers, Rasa crossed the battlefield in seconds.
By the time he arrived, the original fifty-man squad had been reduced to just five.
Fortunately, all five were jonin. Though each was injured to varying degrees, they were still alive.
Rasa wasted no time. A burst of gold dust forced back the surrounding Konoha shinobi, then more gathered beneath his feet, forming a floating platform large enough for all six of them.
The platform rose instantly and shot into the sky.
Konoha ninjutsu followed in pursuit, but every attack was blocked by layers of gold dust.
Within moments, the golden mass rose higher and higher—then vanished into the distance.
Only then did Taichi reappear among the Konoha forces. He looked up at the retreating figures and let out a soft sigh.
"Not perfect… a few still got away."
He kept his eyes on the sky, unaware of the strange looks gathering around him.
Before today, people respected him for his medical skill.
After today, they respected him for his strength.
Holding back the Fourth Kazekage alone—no matter the circumstances—that was no feat an ordinary jonin could achieve.
Everyone had seen it.
Twice, Rasa had unleashed large-scale attacks at the battlefield, and not a single jonin had been able to counter—only defend themselves.
If Taichi hadn't appeared in time, tonight's ambush might have turned into a massacre led by the Kazekage himself.
And Konoha's losses would have been devastating.
Taichi lowered his gaze and looked around the battlefield. Though they had fought with superior numbers, the Sand shinobi's desperate resistance had still left quite a few Konoha ninja injured.
"Alright, clean up the battlefield. Get the wounded to the medical camp as quickly as possible—I'll be waiting there."
"Yes, Lord Taichi !"
The response came instantly, without hesitation.
Taichi paused for a moment, slightly surprised—then continued walking.
So this was what strength meant.
Before, only medical ninja and those he had personally saved addressed him with such respect.
Now, after one battle with the Kazekage, everyone had seen his true power—and their attitudes had changed immediately.
Before he even reached the medical camp, he saw Jiraiya and Nara Shikaku leading a group of ninja rushing toward him.
But when they saw Taichi walking back unharmed—and the battlefield already being cleared—their pace slowed.
Instead, they began examining the surroundings.
Water still covered the ground, deep enough to reach the ankles—clear evidence of a large-scale Water Release.
The earth had turned glass-like in places, scorched black from extreme heat.
And scattered everywhere—
Gold dust.
Jiraiya's expression shifted immediately.
"The Fourth Kazekage was here too?"
His disbelief was obvious. For a Kage to personally risk himself in such a mission—it was almost unthinkable.
Taichi nodded, about to explain—
But Jiraiya cut him off.
"How bad are the casualties? It's not too severe… right?"
There was clear concern in his voice. His understanding of Taichi 's strength was still incomplete—he knew the boy was stronger than most jonin, but not how much stronger.
Taichi scratched his head.
"Well… not too bad. There were some casualties, but as long as they're not dead, I can treat them."
There was quiet confidence in his tone.
Not too bad?
Jiraiya blinked, clearly unconvinced. The others looked the same—they had all seen the Kazekage's destructive power before.
And now Taichi was saying the losses weren't serious?
Just then, the cleanup teams began bringing in the wounded.
Seeing that, Taichi quickly grabbed Gekkō Hayate and said to Jiraiya, "Sensei, if you have questions, ask him. I'm going to treat the injured."
Jiraiya watched the wounded being carried over.
Many could barely stand—but every single one of them wore a relieved, even satisfied expression.
Clearly, the outcome of that battle had exceeded expectations.
Only then did Jiraiya relax.
"Alright. Go on. I'll handle things here."