Chapter 89: Pursuit (Double Length Chapter)
While Taichi and his team were busy entering the Land of the Moon to search for Hatake Sakumo's trail, Sakumo himself had only just managed to escape the Land of Lightning, dragging along a body grievously wounded.
Thinking back on this mission, even someone as even-tempered as Hatake Sakumo couldn't help but curse under his breath.
What was supposed to be a straightforward assassination had gone smoothly at first. Every target listed in the mission scroll had been eliminated cleanly, one by one.
Until the last man.
Ishai—the person in charge of the bloodline abduction operation.
---
Six Days Earlier
That night, Sakumo received fresh intelligence from a ROOT agent:
Ishai would be returning from Yunko Gorge to Kumogakure to report in. His escort consisted of nothing more than a handful of ordinary chūnin.
To Sakumo, this was a perfect opportunity.
As a ninja who specialized in swordsmanship and taijutsu—relying on speed, precision, and lethal bursts of power—this kind of surprise assassination was exactly his forte.
Everything unfolded just as expected.
Hidden near the road, Sakumo caught sight of Ishai approaching out of the corner of his eye.
Better yet, Ishai was alone.
Perhaps he felt safe so close to Kumogakure. Perhaps he believed no one would dare act here.
Either way, it made Sakumo's job much easier.
When Ishai stepped into range, Sakumo didn't hesitate.
He burst from behind a massive boulder, Body Flicker Technique unleashed at full force. In the blink of an eye, he streaked past Ishai, a short blade flashing at his side.
The blade sliced cleanly across Ishai's throat.
Blood erupted from the severed artery just as Ishai's arm—kunai still in hand—rose halfway.
That was as far as he got.
The blood draining from his body stole his strength… and then his life.
Had it ended there, the mission would have been flawless.
But perfection is rare in this world.
The instant Ishai collapsed, a squad of ninjas rushed in from the direction of Yunko Gorge.
At their head—
The Raikage, accompanied by his personal guard.
Sakumo's face went pale.
If there were any ninjas he least wanted to encounter in the world, the Raikage ranked at the very top.
Overwhelming offense.
Explosive speed.
Terrifying defense.
Aside from chakra consumption, the man was nearly without weakness—a natural nemesis to someone like Sakumo.
And this time, he wasn't alone.
The moment Sakumo recognized the Raikage, the Raikage recognized him as well.
White hair.
Short blade.
That lightning-fast assassination.
There was no mistaking it.
Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo.
A surge of humiliation and rage flooded the Raikage's chest.
This was the outskirts of Kumogakure.
For Hatake Sakumo to kill someone here wasn't just murder—it was a blatant insult, a deliberate act of trampling Kumogakure's pride into the dirt and grinding it down with his heel.
Fury erupted.
Without a moment's hesitation, the Raikage cloaked himself in Lightning Release Armor and vanished in a blur, four fingers thrust forward.
Hell Stab: Four-Finger Thrust!
Facing the enraged Raikage head-on, Sakumo had no choice but to defend.
He poured every drop of chakra into his blade and slashed downward with all his might.
Lightning exploded outward as their chakra collided.
Sakumo managed to block the strike—
But in doing so, he lost his best chance to escape.
Raikage guards swarmed in from all sides, sealing every route of retreat.
Sakumo was trapped.
Though his strength was fearsome, even he couldn't withstand so many enemies at once. Wounds piled up across his body as the fight dragged on.
Watching from the side, the Third Raikage saw Sakumo still fighting desperately, even cutting down Cloud ninjas one after another despite being surrounded.
The fire in his chest flared again.
"Get out of my way!" he roared.
Lightning armor blazing, he charged once more—this time reducing one finger, condensing his power further.
Hell Stab: Three-Finger Thrust!
As the Cloud ninja formation parted, Sakumo knew instantly—
This was his only chance.
He raised his blade defensively, abandoning any thought of counterattacking. Instead, he gathered his chakra and took the attack head-on, willingly accepting catastrophic injury.
The immense force blasted him clear of the encirclement.
Blood scattered through the air as Sakumo was hurled away.
He twisted midair, barely stabilizing himself before crashing to the ground and tumbling more than ten meters before finally regaining his footing.
Then—
Without looking back—
He fled.
The Raikage stared in disbelief.
He hadn't expected Sakumo to use his own attack to escape.
Watching the White Fang run, blood pouring from his wounds, the Raikage snorted coldly.
"Send an ANBU platoon after him," he ordered.
"Leave his life in the Land of Lightning."
"Yes!"
---
Sakumo fled relentlessly, eventually shaking off his pursuers—at least for the moment.
At a prearranged contact point, he recorded confirmation of mission completion and attached it, along with his planned escape route, to the leg of a ninja hawk.
As the hawk vanished into the distance, Sakumo frowned.
He could already hear pursuit closing in again.
They were moving fast—far too fast.
Damn it…
In his haste earlier, he hadn't mentioned his injuries in the message.
Now, listening to the Cloud ninjas drawing closer, regret gnawed at him.
I hope the village sends strong reinforcements…
What followed was exactly as he feared.
For six straight days, Sakumo fled while clashing intermittently with Kumogakure ANBU. Already grievously wounded, he had no chance to receive proper treatment.
His condition deteriorated with each encounter.
Still, he forced himself onward toward the rendezvous point.
Eventually, blood loss and accumulated injuries overwhelmed even his iron will.
With his last remaining strength, Sakumo piled debris over himself, hoping to conceal his presence and buy time to recover.
Meanwhile, Taichi and the others had been searching toward the Land of Lightning for nearly an entire day.
By now, panic had begun to set in.
There was no doubt anymore—
Hatake Sakumo had encountered serious trouble.
If he hadn't, they would have received word by now.
And the longer the silence stretched on…
the worse the outcome was likely to be.
They could only hope the situation hadn't already spiraled into the worst possible outcome—and that they would still be in time to intercept Hatake Sakumo.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Suddenly, Kuromaru, who had been resting quietly atop Inuzuka Makoto's head, let out a series of sharp, urgent barks.
"What is it, Kuromaru? Did you find something?" Taichi asked immediately.
Though they hadn't been together long, Taichi could already tell—Kuromaru was a highly trained ninja hound. If it was barking now, it meant something important had been discovered.
Makoto lifted Kuromaru down from his head. After a brief, low exchange between man and dog, Makoto turned to Taichi and said,
"Kuromaru says there's a very strong scent of blood about five hundred meters ahead, to the right."
The moment Taichi heard that, a chill ran through him.
"Let's go. Now. We need to check it immediately."
"Got it."
Makoto placed Kuromaru back on his head, and the two of them moved swiftly in the indicated direction.
---
They hadn't even reached the site when they saw it.
In the distance, two ANBU-clad ninjas were pulling a human body out from beneath a pile of debris. That unmistakable white hair—
It was Hatake Sakumo.
Worse still, the leading ANBU ninja had already raised his short blade, its cold gleam aimed straight at Sakumo's throat.
"STOP!"
Taichi roared, abandoning all concealment. At the same instant, he pushed his Body Flicker Technique to its absolute limit.
His leg muscles screamed in agony from the overload—tearing pain surged through them—but Taichi ignored it completely.
The ANBU leader froze for a split second upon hearing the shout. When he saw who was coming, the killing intent in his eyes only intensified. Instead of stopping, he accelerated his downward strike, determined to finish Sakumo immediately.
But that brief hesitation was all Taichi needed.
Clenching his teeth through the pain, Taichi forced a second explosive burst of movement, crossing the distance in an instant. He didn't even have time to draw his blade—
He drove a straight punch directly at the man's face.
The ANBU ninja hadn't expected Taichi's speed to be so terrifying. Forced to abandon his strike mid-swing, he barely managed to raise his arms to block.
BOOM—CRACK!
The instant Taichi's fist connected, the ANBU's expression twisted in horror. An overwhelming force smashed through his defense like rotten wood. The punch crushed through his arms and slammed into his face.
The man was sent flying.
His body spun a full three hundred sixty degrees in midair. Blood sprayed violently from his mouth, his mask shattering under the impact. Before he even hit the ground, he was already unconscious.
That earth-shattering punch stunned not only the enemy—but Makoto as well.
What kind of monstrous strength is that?!
A full-grown ninja had been launched more than ten meters with a single blow. If not for crashing into a tree, he would've flown even farther.
This was Monster Strength—a technique Taichi had only recently mastered.
His natural physical power wasn't that great, but when reinforced by Monster Strength, smashing a careless chūnin with one punch was effortless.
---
Without pausing for even a breath, Taichi charged straight toward the second ANBU ninja.
Anyone who tried to kill Sakumo—regardless of identity—was an enemy. And enemies deserved no mercy.
The remaining ANBU reacted quickly. Instead of engaging Taichi directly, he retreated while pulling a signal flare from his pouch and firing it into the sky.
SHRIII—BOOM!
A green flare streaked upward, leaving a long, blazing tail behind it.
Taichi's heart sank.
Reinforcements.
They couldn't afford to waste another second.
Ignoring the strain in his legs from repeated bursts of speed, Taichi surged forward again, this time drawing his short blade mid-motion.
Seeing Taichi already within striking distance, the ANBU had no choice but to draw his own weapon to defend himself. But his mindset was already compromised—his thoughts focused entirely on retreat.
His presence weakened.
Taichi pressed the advantage relentlessly.
His blade became a storm—fast, heavy, merciless. Every strike aimed directly at vital points, each blow forcing the enemy back step by step.
At that moment, Makoto finally caught up.
Seeing yet another Konoha ninja arrive, the ANBU's composure cracked. His defense faltered—no longer airtight.
Taichi seized that opening instantly.
His style shifted.
Instead of wide, forceful strikes, he slid inward, cutting into the enemy's blind spot on the right. His short blade wedged against the front section of the opponent's weapon, and with a sharp twist and precise leverage—
He knocked the enemy blade aside.
In the same motion, Taichi pulled his weapon back and, as they crossed paths, slashed cleanly across the ANBU's throat.
The man collapsed, clutching his neck in a futile attempt to stem the bleeding.
Taichi stepped forward without hesitation and drove his blade straight into the man's heart, ending his life instantly.
That was the only mercy he would grant.
---
Makoto finally reached Taichi's side, staring at him in disbelief.
Two enemies—both eliminated almost the moment they made contact.
"Let's check on Sakumo-senpai," Taichi said decisively.
"Right."
Makoto didn't hesitate.
In this world, strength spoke louder than words—and Taichi's display had completely earned his trust.
Kneeling beside Sakumo, Taichi performed a quick examination and immediately frowned.
Severe blood loss. Multiple wounds across the body.
Worst of all was a piercing injury through the shoulder. If it hadn't narrowly avoided major blood vessels and bone, Sakumo would already be dead.
How did he even survive this long…?
"Makoto, did you notify the captains?" Taichi asked, glancing toward him.
"Yes. I sent the signal the moment we found him."
"Good. Let's regroup with them first, then find a secure place to treat Sakumo-senpai. This area is too dangerous."
"Got it. Follow me."
Makoto turned to lead the way using his connection with the ninja hounds—
Only to be stopped.
"…You carry Sakumo-senpai," Taichi said helplessly.
Makoto turned back, looking at Taichi's small frame with a strange expression. Only now did he remember Taichi's age—his earlier ferocity had made him forget entirely.
Without another word, Makoto lifted Sakumo onto his back.
Taichi formed hand seals, creating a shadow clone to erase all remaining traces behind them. The two then withdrew rapidly.
BOOM!
Roaring flames engulfed the area, burning away every trace of blood and battle.
---
After half an hour of hard running, they finally regrouped with Minato.
Only then did Taichi truly breathe a sigh of relief. With Minato present, the crushing pressure eased at last.
They found a concealed hiding spot. Just as Taichi prepared to begin treatment, a surge of memories returned to him—
His shadow clone.
It had remained behind after destroying the evidence, monitoring the area until its chakra ran out. Before dispersing, it had seen more ANBU drawn in by the signal flare.
"Minato-senpai," Taichi said gravely.
"The Cloud ANBU have arrived at the location where Sakumo-senpai was found. Fifteen of them. Their exact strength is unknown."
Minato's expression darkened.
"ANBU… fifteen people. Including the two you eliminated, that's a full platoon. Which means at least five jōnin-level combatants."
"This is bad."
He looked at Taichi. "How is Sakumo-senpai's condition? How long will treatment take?"
Taichi shook his head slowly.
"It's not good. Massive blood loss, untreated injuries for too long. Just stabilizing the external wounds will take at least an hour. Whether he wakes up at all… that depends on fate."
Minato fell silent.
This shouldn't have happened. By all logic, the Raikage should've recalled the pursuit already.
"Taichi," Minato said firmly, "focus entirely on treating Sakumo-senpai. We'll buy you the time you need."
"…Understood."
---
Meanwhile, back at the original site.
Fifteen Cloud ANBU stood amid scorched earth and lingering blood scent.
"Captain, the entire area was destroyed by Fire Release. Aside from our two fallen, we found nothing else."
"Captain, what do we do now? Are we just letting this go?" another squad leader asked angrily.
"Captain, we've found the enemy's withdrawal route."
The platoon captain raised a hand, silencing them.
"How did the two die? Even if ambushed, they shouldn't have gone down without warning."
"One was killed by a single punch. Enormous force. Defensive posture confirmed—neck broken anyway."
"The other had his carotid artery severed, then was stabbed through the heart."
"Both were killed extremely fast. No prolonged combat."
The captain's eyes narrowed.
"With their skill, anyone who could do this that quickly is at least jōnin-level."
"Possibly one taijutsu specialist and one swordsman… or more likely, two special jōnin."
Another leader spoke up, frustration thick in his voice.
"Captain, what does the village want now? If we hadn't been delayed by orders, we wouldn't be this late."
"The Raikage wants one final test of Konoha's rescue team," the captain said coldly.
"If we can kill them, we do. If not, we withdraw."
"Then our people died for nothing!" the angry leader snapped.
"That's an order."
The captain exhaled slowly.
"Konoha has already lodged formal protests. The Raikage bought us one extra day. But we failed to kill Hatake Sakumo while he was injured—and now Konoha reinforcements have arrived."
"If this continues, and Konoha exposes the earlier operations to other villages, our position will become untenable."
Everyone present understood the implications.
After calming his subordinates, the captain issued the final command—
Advance.
One last attempt.
Kill Hatake Sakumo.
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