chsdbacks Chapter 203 Learning, Cloud Hidden
Chapter 203 Learning, Cloud Hidden
Chapter 203 Learning, Hidden Clouds (Seeking monthly votes and rewards)
"A rogue ninja? Forget about it. It's not like I'll never get it again. I'll have it sooner or later, so why become a rogue ninja?"
Taiyi shook his head, retracting the yearning light from the scroll and placing it back onto the Spirit Transformation Technique scroll in his hand. This was the one that truly belonged to him; if the location weren't inappropriate, he would have already opened it to learn it.
"You seem quite confident," Jiraiya couldn't help but tease, but then he thought about it and realized that Taichi was right. Taichi was a legitimate member of the Hokage's faction, and his contributions during this wartime were certainly not lacking.
At this rate, he might actually be able to exchange for all the ninjutsu he wants from the Book of Seals before the war ends.
Thinking of this, a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead. He didn't know if it was from shock or from feeling embarrassed about the Third Hokage's future situation. Having such a powerful grand-disciple was indeed a headache.
"What has Taiichi been doing these past two days? He hasn't even come here to give me a mission report since he got back." Jiraiya collected his thoughts and asked in a serious tone.
Taiyi's mind was completely focused on the scroll at this moment, so he instinctively replied, "A sneak attack on Sunagakure's supplies? Today they attacked the supplies of a hundred-man squad, killed a Jonin, and burned a batch of supplies."
Unfortunately, their supply teams are now growing larger, with teams consisting of hundreds of ninjas traveling to and from the area, making surprise attacks increasingly difficult.
Then he recounted in detail how he had ambushed Sunagakure during this period.
Little did he know that his Versailles-like remarks left Jiraiya speechless. Although he had suspected something, he was still quite surprised after Taiichi confirmed it.
Even before today, ninjas who went to the rear of Sunagakure to cause trouble had returned with reports that Sunagakure's supply teams had recently changed; small-team supplies had disappeared, and those that came out were at least a company-sized or larger ninja team.
This made it impossible for these small teams to find suitable targets for ambush; the culprit behind all this was right in front of them.
However, according to Taiichi, the reason why Sunagakure had to expand its supply teams to prevent Konoha from launching a sneak attack was not solely due to Taiichi, but also because Minato had been carrying out sabotage operations behind Sunagakure's lines.
Minato's fighting style is probably similar to Taichi's: fight if he can win, and run if he can't, moving freely.
Having figured all this out, and knowing that the subsequent task assignments would need to be adjusted accordingly, he looked up at Taiichi, who was still looking at the scroll, and said impatiently, "You'd better get out of here and go study your ninjutsu. Don't get in my way!"
Upon hearing this, Taiyi immediately became happy, greeted them, and then disappeared from the spot.
Jiraiya was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"This brat, is he in such a hurry?!"
In the resting tent.
Taiyi sat cross-legged on the bed, the scroll already unrolled, and he was studying the contents of the scroll word by word.
Compared to ordinary elemental ninjutsu, the Spirit Transformation Technique, which involves the soul, is far more complex and difficult than ordinary ninjutsu.
Many of the novel uses and understandings of chakra presented here were things that Taiyi had never encountered before, let alone even considered.
This spiritualization technique was like a key, opening a completely new door to the secrets of the soul for Taiyi, giving him many unique and novel insights into chakra and the soul.
As he delved deeper into his studies, more and more ideas began to emerge. Without realizing it, Taiyi took out a pen and paper and started writing down those unique thoughts.
As time passed, one sheet of manuscript paper after another gradually piled up on Taiyi's right side, until Taiyi could no longer reach out and take out a single sheet of manuscript paper. Only then did he recover from this state of complete absorption.
I glanced at the time and it was already past 10 p.m. I didn't realize it was so late.
But looking at the thick stack of manuscripts, Taiyi felt so satisfied, like someone who hadn't eaten for three days, filling his stomach in one go, feeling fulfilled both physically and mentally.
His gaze fell upon the void, upon the invisible panel.
[Studying diligently, Spirit Transformation Technique Lv0 (42/100)]
[Diligent study and research will increase the Yin attribute's change by 200.]
This is quite a leap forward. As expected of knowledge he's never encountered before, it has been of immense help to Taiyi. I estimate that once he fully masters this ninjutsu, the feedback he receives will be even greater.
The following day, Taiyi left behind three shadow clones. Two were sent to the medical camp, while the third remained in the tent to learn the art of spirit transformation.
As a ninjutsu involving the soul, Shadow Clone Technique cannot be used alone, but it is perfectly fine for learning.
Taiichi's true form, on the other hand, used the Flying Thunder God Technique to arrive at the laboratory located on the border of the Land of Wind.
The laboratory is now very different from what it used to be. After this period of expansion and a large investment of money, it is now fully equipped with all kinds of basic research equipment.
Taiyi's research on White Zetsu also officially began not long ago. Compared to normal human beings, White Zetsu, a special life form that combines the characteristics of both plants and animals, has indeed brought Taiyi many novel discoveries.
Take his energy intake as an example. White Zetsu does not need to replenish energy by eating like ordinary people. He can transform himself into a plant and draw nutrients from the earth and sunlight.
They can also use the Spore Technique to absorb chakra by parasitizing their own bodies and then transfer the pure energy to themselves or other White Zetsu.
In short, there are many things about this creature that are worth exploring, but unfortunately, there is only one White Zetsu alive, so he must study it carefully, otherwise his research methods could be even more unrestrained.
After checking the progress in the laboratory, Taiyi left behind another clone, while his main body used the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel to the heart of the Land of Wind, the place he had left yesterday.
He hadn't forgotten his original job: to cause trouble behind Sunagakure's lines.
A massive city came into Taiyi's view ahead. It was one of the few cities in the Wind Kingdom built on a great oasis—Mingsha City.
According to the tacit understanding formed during the great war between the ninja nations, ninjas are not allowed to cause damage in such large cities.
This is easy to understand. What ninjas are fighting for is nothing more than resources and mission assignments, and a large portion of those who issue missions often live in these large cities.
Although they are located in the Land of Wind, the missions they issue are not limited to Sunagakure. Even now, Konoha is accepting their mission orders.
If you destroy this city now, you might end up killing your current or future employer.
Taiyi's purpose in coming here was not to cause destruction, but to gather intelligence. Large cities like this are often hubs for various kinds of intelligence.
When Taiyi disguised himself and entered the city, the security was not as strict as he had imagined.
The city's well-arranged streets divide the entire city into various functional districts. Taiyi had previously visited cities in the Land of Fire, and this was his first time visiting a city in the Land of Wind.
This urban landscape, so different from that of the Land of Fire, truly broadened Taiyi's horizons. The earthy yellow color everywhere and the unique round house design were things Taiyi had never seen before.
The streets were bustling with people, though not as busy as Konoha, but still comparable to some cities in the Land of Rivers.
As Taiyi walked along the wide street, he noticed from the conversations and actions of the people passing by that the war did not seem to have a significant impact on the area. Apart from rising prices, no one seemed to feel any urgency about the impending war.
However, it's understandable. This isn't a war zone or a ninja village, and the passing ninjas all follow the unspoken agreement not to fight here. No wonder everyone doesn't feel any tension about war.
Taiichi arrived at a bustling izakaya. Although it was still early, there were already quite a few customers sitting there, indicating that the business must be booming during mealtimes.
Tai ordered a few local desert delicacies, eating them idly while simultaneously using his chakra perception to gather any useful information.
"I heard that food prices are going up again today —"
"I heard that the lord of Wind-Eroded City was assassinated for opposing the daimyo's imposition of war taxes—"
"Loulan is becoming more and more prosperous; it doesn't seem like a city in the desert at all—"
"Remember that caravan that came a couple of days ago? I found out, it was a caravan from the Land of Lightning, and they were probably escorting people from the Hidden Cloud Village. They were all so arrogant—"
Each conversation and each scene appeared in Taiyi's perception. He carefully collected this information, afraid of missing any useful intelligence.
The Land of Lightning, the Hidden Clouds—why are they so openly appearing in the Land of Wind at this time?
Thinking back to the original work, it seems that Kumogakure did send someone to attack Sunagakure after the death of the Third Kazekage, but in this timeline, no such incident has occurred so far.
Could this be a prelude to the Cloud Village's sneak attack?
Taiichi raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and then revealed an expression of great interest. Anyway, at this time of year, whether it's Sunagakure or...
Both Iwagakure and Kumogakure are enemies of Konoha, so Taiichi needs to go and take a good look at this group of ninjas from Kumogakure.
Having made up his mind, Taiyi finished the "delicacies" on the table in a few bites. To be honest, they were too "unique" and did not suit Taiyi's taste. If it were an ordinary civilian from the Land of Fire, they definitely wouldn't be able to eat this kind of food.
Taiichi left the izakaya and began to wander around the city using his chakra senses. Based on the information he had heard before, the caravan should still be in the city, so Taiichi wasn't in a hurry and leisurely searched for it.
Sure enough, after Taiyi had traversed half the city, he found the caravan near the city's south gate around noon. It seemed they were preparing to leave.
Why were we so sure it was them? It was because they were so conspicuous, wearing the distinctive clothing of the Land of Lightning, completely out of place with their surroundings.
Having found his target, Taiyi stopped wandering and found a teahouse a short distance away to sit down, constantly observing the movements of the group through his chakra perception.
Taiyi didn't need to keep an eye on them for long; with just a simple observation, he knew that this was not a caravan at all. The entire group consisted of ninjas, and Taiyi could even spot two Jonin among them.
"Hehe, they really are here to cause trouble. It seems I need to get involved too."
Before long, the caravan left Mingsha City. Judging from the direction, it seemed to be heading towards the capital of the Wind Kingdom. Taiyi didn't care about anything else and just stayed far behind the caravan.
Once they were far from the city, something unusual happened. The caravan, which originally consisted of more than thirty people, immediately split into two groups and dispersed, leaving only ten people in the original group continuing on their way.
Taiyi decisively created two shadow clones, sending each of them to follow a caravan, while his main body continued to follow the reduced caravan.
He's not in a hurry to cause trouble for this team; instead, he wants to see what their purpose is.
They followed until evening, and the teams that had dispersed during the day gradually returned, along with Taiyi's shadow clones.
With the dissolution of the shadow clones, Taiichi's memories returned, and he finally learned about their origins.
It seems that Kumogakure does indeed have a plan to attack Sunagakure. This Kumogakure group disguised as a merchant caravan is a Sunagakure outpost that came specifically to gather intelligence, including information on various mineral mining sites and other related matters.
And if they encounter a Sand Ninja that they can handle, they will not hesitate to take action.
It truly has the domineering style of the Hidden Cloud Village.
However, an interesting plan then came to Taiyi's mind: using someone else to do the dirty work, substituting one thing for another, and sowing discord. Thinking about the whole plan, it seemed quite feasible.
Taiichi immediately became excited, looking at this "caravan" from the Land of Lightning with the same gaze a cat has for a mouse, showing both a desire for food and an interest in toys.
Now, all that's missing is the right opportunity.
The caravan in the distance had already begun to set up camp, and it seemed they wouldn't be leaving today. Taiyi left a shadow clone to continue monitoring, while his main body used Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the Konoha camp.
As soon as he appeared, Taiyi immediately ran towards the central army camp.
It was still necessary to report his plans to Jiraiya, since this could be an action that could cause conflict between the two countries, and it was important to prepare the higher-ups.
Upon entering the tent, they found only Jiraiya and Shikaku inside, which was perfect, allowing Taichi to give his report alone.
Sure enough, when Taiichi told the two of them his plan, not only Jiraiya but also Shikaku felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If the plan succeeds, it will be extremely beneficial to Konoha's current situation!
"Taiichi, go ahead and do it, but be careful not to reveal your identity." Jiraiya didn't forget to give his final instructions.
Taiyi nodded hastily, indicating that he understood. The feeling of secretly doing things behind the scenes excited every nerve in his body. No wonder so many people like to hide behind the scenes; it feels so good.
Back in his tent, he found that Yangping and Saori hadn't returned yet. It seemed that the camp's missions had been quite heavy lately, but since they all had their own Flying Thunder God kunai, he wasn't too worried.
After studying the Spirit Transformation Technique with his shadow clones, Taiyi released all the shadow clones in the camp and fell into a deep sleep, conserving his energy for the battle the next day.