blogombal Chapter 342 Inquiry and Investigation
Chapter 342 Inquiry and Investigation
Chapter 342 Inquiry and Investigation
Konoha Hospital.
When Taichi announced that Rin and Kakashi were out of danger, Minato finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
I'm so tired.
Minato felt that the two-hour wait was 10 times more tiring than his previous battle against the Iwa ninja.
"Taiichi, we really owe you a lot this time, otherwise Kakashi and Rin might not have survived."
Minato took Taichi's hand and expressed his heartfelt gratitude.
"What are you saying? They are both my friends. Saving them is what I should do."
Taiyi straightened his back; the long surgery had left his back aching terribly.
"By the way, I was in such a hurry that I didn't ask them in detail what happened to them. Did the kunai I gave them not work?"
This is what Taiichi finds most puzzling. He gave Kakashi and the others a trump card just in case, but who would have thought it would be completely useless?
Minato was also helpless at this moment, and to be honest, he was also very puzzled.
"I only allowed Kakashi and the others to participate in this operation because I knew they had the Flying Thunder God kunai you gave them."
Minato spread his hands, his face full of regret.
"My shadow clones searched the scene and the surrounding area afterward and found the bodies of three Jonin and seven Chunin."
Logically, Kakashi and his crew should have called for backup immediately against a pursuer of this size, but the fact is they didn't use your Flying Thunder God Kunai the entire way they fled.
It's pretty obvious now; either there's something wrong with the Flying Thunder God kunai, or the kunai was lost for some reason along the way.
Considering that the kunai was not found at the scene, the answer becomes obvious.
"We'll have to wait until Kakashi and Rin wake up to find out the details."
Seeing the somber atmosphere, Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted.
"Taiyi, when will they wake up?"
Minato also looked up at Taiichi, which was the same question he wanted to ask. Most importantly, Obito was still missing, and there were no signs of him leaving alone at the scene or nearby.
"Kakashi will wake up soon, probably in about an hour. As for Rin—"
Taiyi gently shook his head, a hint of worry on his face.
"Not only did she suffer severe physical trauma, but she also endured severe mental torment before the injury. It's hard to say exactly when she will wake up, but it will take at least a day."
"In that case, Minato and Taichi, you two stay here. I'll head back first; there are still many things to take care of over there."
Hiruzen Sarutobi patted his lower back; he was getting old, and standing for a long time made his back feel a little uncomfortable.
"Once things are clear, Minato, come and give me a report. Also, Taichi, you don't need to come on duty today."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Minato and Taiichi bowed in response.
Only after Hiruzen Sarutobi's figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor did the two of them finally relax completely.
"Taiichi, you've joined the Anbu? That really surprised me. I was wondering where to find you, which is why I went to look for the Hokage. I didn't expect you to be there."
Minato was still shaken. Luckily, Taiichi was right there beside him. If the treatment had been delayed, the outcome might have been very different.
"Haha, actually you can find me whether you come to Konoha Hospital or my home. You know I have many clones."
Taiichi was joking on purpose. He himself had come to terms with the incident, but judging from Minato's appearance, he was clearly still feeling guilty.
Minato forced a bitter smile, his once-standing head of blond hair now drooping.
"Taiichi, do you think I'm a very incompetent Jonin instructor? Kakashi and the others have never received a few days of peaceful instruction since they started following me."
They first came with me to the southern front, but I only led them for a few days before I handed them over to your squad.
Later, they came with me to the Western Front, but I was only ever carrying out missions. During this time, I often left them behind to act alone.
No wonder they later insisted on taking on tasks on their own.
I probably haven't spent as much time teaching them as you and Yangping have!
Taiichi remained silent, quietly listening to Minato's inner thoughts.
He knew that what Minato needed right now wasn't comfort; he just needed a quiet listener to whom he could pour out his frustrations.
After talking for a long time, Minato finally stopped and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Taiyi, I'm sorry you had to see this."
"Not at all, nobody would be in a good mood after something like this."
Taiyi expressed his understanding.
However, in Taiyi's mind, this matter would not be so easily forgotten.
"Oh right, you're talking about me, but I haven't mentioned you yet. Why did you decide to join the Anbu?"
Minato turned to look at Taiichi and noticed that Taiichi was somewhat different from the one he had seen in the Hokage's office.
Despite their identical clothing and appearance, his sixth sense keenly detected that this was Taiyi's true form.
Remembering that Taiichi had just mentioned that he had many clones, Minato understood, but just smiled and didn't say anything.
"Sigh, I'm just a brick in Konoha, I'll be moved wherever I'm needed." Taichi laughed, looking completely unconcerned. "The Hokage was worried I'd be bored, so he recruited me into the Anbu to give me something to do."
Taiichi spoke casually, but Minato seemed a little embarrassed. The Hokage's actions clearly had the implication of paving the way for him.
In order to diminish Taiichi's reputation, he was directly transferred to the Anbu, completely disappearing from the public eye. Hiruzen Sarutobi went to great lengths for him.
Seemingly sensing Minato's apology, Taichi laughed heartily.
"Minato, you don't need to care so much. The position of Hokage was never in my consideration anyway."
"You have no idea how much I've been protecting the Hokage lately, watching him busy with official duties all day long, without a single moment for himself. That kind of life is torture for me; I don't want to live like that even for a single day."
As Taichi was speaking, he described in detail Hiruzen Sarutobi's daily work schedule to Minato, but as he spoke, Taichi noticed something was wrong. Why was Minato's face getting paler and paler?
Oh no, I hope I didn't scare Minato.
If I scare away the Fourth Hokage, I hope Hiruzen Sarutobi won't make me take his place.
At this moment, not only Minato, but Taiichi's own face also paled.
We need to remedy this, we need to remedy it quickly.
This is Taiyi's truest thought at this moment.
"However, this is also because the Hokage has a heart dedicated to the village; not everyone has such selflessness."
The position of Hokage is not only an honor but also a responsibility. There are very few people in the village who can take on this responsibility now.
"Minato, I absolutely support you becoming Hokage. But if it were anyone else, I wouldn't have any confidence in them having that selfless Will of Fire."
Taiichi then became shameless, saying all sorts of noble things, afraid that Minato might give up his dream of becoming Hokage because of his criticism.
In fact, this was entirely Taiichi's wishful thinking. Minato's long-held dream could not be swayed by a few words from him.
People were only initially shocked by his exaggerated description.
Minato was a veteran Jonin with many years of experience, and his knowledge was far superior to that of a rookie Jonin like Taiichi.
As a veteran Jonin, he naturally had some understanding of what the Hokage's job was and what he did every day.
It's just that unlike Taiichi, they can see everything all day long.
But it was precisely because of this that Minato was certain that Taiichi truly had no desire for the Hokage position.
In this way, he was able to let go of the guilt in his heart.
Just as the two were about to continue their conversation, a nurse hurriedly walked out of the intensive care unit.
She looked around and immediately spotted the two people talking against the corner of the wall. Her face lit up with joy, and she quickly walked up to them.
"Lord Taiichi, Lord Minato, the patient has woken up."
Taiichi and Minato exchanged a glance, their faces also showing joy.
Without further ado, the two, led by Taiyi, headed straight for the ward.
in the ward.
Kakashi, who was fast asleep, felt like he was having a terrible nightmare.
In her dream, Rin died tragically from the enemy's kunai while trying to save Obito;
He fought against three Jonin, but eventually collapsed from exhaustion, his fate unknown.
And then there's Obito. It seems that in the end, Obito unleashed his inner power and killed all the enemies, but he also collapsed from exhaustion.
In his dazed state, Kakashi found it amusing that it really was a dream. Otherwise, how could Obito have been so powerful that he had killed all the enemies?
But thankfully it was just a dream!
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and Kakashi opened his eyes with relief.
But the next moment, the snow-white ceiling and the excruciating pain throughout his body reminded him that the "dream" he had experienced might actually be the real reality.
The smile on her face vanished, and tears silently streamed down her cheeks. The physical pain paled in comparison to the agony in her heart.
Memories of the battle surged through his mind, and the scene of Rin's death replayed before his eyes. Kakashi's tears flowed more and more, gradually soaking the pillowcase under his head.
Footsteps approached, and Kakashi turned his head with difficulty. What came into view was Taichi walking quickly towards him, and Minato-sensei with a worried expression.
Taiichi was the first to enter the ward and saw Kakashi with tears in his eyes. He paused slightly before continuing to the bedside.
A green light shone from his hand, which he pressed directly against Kakashi's chest.
The chakra flowed smoothly through Kakashi's body, and Taichi nodded slightly, sensing the feedback brought back by the chakra.
"The treatment is very effective, and with a period of rest, you will make a full recovery."
After Taichi finished his examination, Minato approached him and, seeing Kakashi still immersed in grief, forced himself to ask him a question.
"Kakashi, tell me, what happened to you? Why didn't you call for backup? And what happened to Obito? I couldn't find him at the scene."
Kakashi was shocked, staring at Minato with disbelief.
"Obito is gone? How could that be? He was the one who killed all the Iwa ninja in the end. And Rin, Rin—she's dead!"
Minato was inexplicably surprised when he heard this.
Obito? Killed all the Iwa ninja? That sounds so surreal.
"Lin, don't worry, Taiyi has pulled her back from the brink of death. Now tell us what happened in detail."
Upon hearing that Rin was not dead, Kakashi finally smiled through his mournful expression.
"To be alive, to still be alive, that's—wonderful."
It took Kakashi a while to recover from his surprise.
Then, he recounted, bit by bit, how he vaguely saw Obito kill all the Iwa ninja before he lost consciousness, from the time he left Kannabi Bridge until he finally lost consciousness.
Minato and Taichi listened quietly, without interrupting or questioning.
They believed Kakashi wouldn't hide anything, and that he would speak of every detail at this time.
By the time Kakashi finished speaking, he was already panting heavily. After all, this was his first time waking up after a serious surgery, and the fact that he had the energy to say so much was a testament to his good ninja physique.
Taiichi and Minato exchanged a glance, and finally Taiichi spoke up: "We understand what happened. You get some rest, and we need to discuss how to proceed."
"No, Taichi."
Kakashi struggled to get up, but Taiichi grabbed him and held him down. Still unwilling to give up, he looked at Taiichi and said.
"Let me go see Lin. I can't rest easy until I see her."
"No, you need to rest now. Besides, Lin's condition is much more serious than yours. She's still in critical condition and needs to be cared for in a special ward. You can't see her for the time being."
Hearing Taiichi's words, Kakashi finally gave up, but then he immediately looked at Minato.
"Teacher, what about Obito? Is he really missing?"
Minato nodded. "That's how it is for now. I'll search the surrounding area again based on what you've said. Don't worry, as long as he's not dead, we'll definitely find him."
"Okay—alright."
Kakashi lay down on the bed, exhausted, and slowly closed his eyes.
Seeing this, Minato and Taichi also left the ward and headed towards the Hokage's office.
"What do you think?"
On the way, Minato suddenly asked Taiichi a question.
"Something's strange. Kakashi, being in the thick of it, might not have noticed, but to us, it all sounds unusual."
"That's right. Although Obito is somewhat arrogant, he wouldn't be so reckless as to try to show off at a time like that. More importantly, Kakashi and Rin are both cautious people, and they actually agreed with Obito's idea."
Minato nodded, his steps continuing, but his face darkened.
"And the ninja tool pouches, they're made of special fabric that's hard to damage even with ordinary weapons. How could they be so easily damaged? It's obvious someone did it on purpose."
"Besides, I sensed it before; I can't detect the Flying Thunder God kunai anymore. It must have been destroyed by someone."
Taiyi naturally knew who did it, but he couldn't say it directly. He could only guide everyone step by step to discover the truth.
Minato nodded and added, "In other words, besides the Iwa ninja and Kakashi's group, there was another group of people present at the scene."
As Minato spoke, his brow furrowed deeper: This was truly not good news. Who on earth possessed such power? And what was their purpose in doing this?
As the two were talking, they arrived at the Hokage Building.
"Minato, how is Kakashi? Have you found out what happened?"
When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the two arrive, he stopped what he was doing and asked about Kakashi.
Minato, with a solemn expression, reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi, combining Kakashi's account with his and Taichi's conjectures.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to the report, his initially relaxed expression gradually turned serious.
Who exactly is this hidden force? There aren't many in the ninja world that can influence someone like Kakashi, who has the strength of a Jonin, without anyone noticing.
Is it the Hidden Clouds? Or the Hidden Mist? Or perhaps some other force?
"Lord Hokage, I request permission to go to the scene to conduct an investigation."
Taiyi volunteered at this time, and this job was really suitable for him given his current status. Isn't this what the Dark Guard does?
After a moment's thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed. This kind of hidden force needed to be investigated by a sufficiently strong person.
For an ordinary person, it's quite possible that they would never return.
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