Chapter 9 – Worries and Hopes
Ninja Academy, Classroom
On the podium, Teacher Yamada droned on about the finer points of chakra refinement, hoping the few remaining students who still couldn't extract chakra would finally manage to do so soon.
Meanwhile, over half the class was busy with their own affairs. Yamada didn't mind. For the ninja clan kids—and even for the ordinary students who had already extracted chakra—this lecture was nothing but a waste of time. As long as they didn't disrupt others, he let them be.
Among those tuning out was Matsushita Taichi. No longer in need of supervision, chakra extraction had become second nature to him. At the moment, he was practicing ninja hand seals.
After all, memorizing a jutsu wasn't enough to perform it. Practice was essential.
Step one: memorize the sequence.
Step two: execute the seals with speed and precision.
Step three: channel chakra while sealing—after all, the purpose of the hand seals was to guide chakra flow for proper jutsu release.
Only by completing all three could one truly perform a jutsu. As for speed, that could only be honed through endless repetition until muscle memory took over.
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By 11:30 a.m., the morning classes ended.
Once the teacher left, the classroom erupted into chatter.
Those living nearby headed home for lunch, while others stayed to eat the bento they had brought from home. Taichi, along with Might Guy and Kakashi, were in the latter group.
After yesterday's sparring, the three had grown closer, and now shared lunch together while chatting.
But a gentle voice suddenly cut in.
"Taichi-kun, I brought some sushi. Would you like to try?"
All three looked up in unison, their eyes turning toward the source.
It was Shizune, blushing under their combined gaze. Taichi was momentarily surprised, but recalling their previous encounter, he smiled easily and accepted.
"Thanks, Shizune. I'll gladly take some."
Just like that, their trio became a quartet—though clearly split into two pairs: Guy and Kakashi sat together, while Shizune and Taichi formed the other.
Shizune offered her sushi, and Taichi returned the favor.
"Here, try this braised pork I made myself."
"What? You made this yourself, Taichi-kun?!"
Shizune's eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to be able to cook something so complex. One bite later, her expression melted into bliss—it was a flavor she'd never experienced before.
"Well? Isn't Taichi's cooking divine?" Guy butted in.
Taichi shot him a look but, seeing his obvious anticipation, pushed the lunchbox toward him.
"Here, you two try some too."
Guy and Kakashi didn't hesitate, each taking a piece. Guy was already familiar with Taichi's cooking, but for Kakashi, it was a first—and he wore the same astonished look as Shizune.
They, in turn, shared some of their food with Taichi, and soon all the dishes were sampled.
Fifteen minutes later, Shizune's sushi was gone—courtesy of Taichi—and lunchtime gave way to the hour-long break. While Guy snored and Kakashi disappeared somewhere, Taichi read Basic Ninjutsu Theory and practiced sealing with one hand. Shizune, watching him, eventually drifted off to sleep.
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1:30 p.m. – Afternoon Classes
The first was theory again, and the class split into the usual groups: sleepers, snack-eaters, daydreamers… and the few serious students—Taichi, Shizune, and Rin Nohara among them. Everyone managed their time according to their own goals; in the ninja world, neglecting your studies was basically gambling with your life.
After theory came shurikenjutsu. Days of practice had brought visible improvement—most could now at least hit the target. But for students like Kakashi, Taichi, and Asuma, bullseyes were the norm.
[You have practiced ninja tool throwing. Relevant insights increased!]
[Skill: Ninja Tool Throwing – EXP +1]
[Focused training as a Ninja Apprentice – EXP +1]
…
[Congratulations! Skill "Ninja Tool Throwing" has reached Lv3 (0/400)]
With the skill-up came a rush of fine motor control ingrained into his muscles.
Taichi picked up a kunai, flicked his wrist, and struck the bullseye with ease. Grinning, he took two more, gripping them between his fingers, and sent them flying.
Thunk! Thunk!—both hit the target, slightly off-center, but impressive nonetheless.
Guy's jaw dropped. Even Kakashi was surprised; reaching that level had taken him far longer.
"Taichi, do you have some kind of secret technique?!" Shizune asked.
"No secret. I just kept practicing, and suddenly it clicked. Tried it, and—well, here we are."
Everyone rolled their eyes.
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5:00 p.m. – End of Class
Taichi waved goodbye to Guy and Kakashi, then hurried toward the orphanage. He needed to ask Nonō if there had been any word from Tsunade.
When he arrived, dinner preparations were underway. He joined in, to the delight of the younger kids, who cheered at the news that "Big Brother Taichi" was cooking again. Their excitement seemed to make the whole kitchen livelier.
Taichi set aside his impatience and helped with the meal, deciding to enjoy the moment with everyone.
After everyone had finished dinner and tidied up, Taichi pulled Nonō aside into the office.
"Big Sister Nonō, did we get any word from Lady Tsunade today?" Taichi asked directly.
"No, nothing yet." Nonō didn't seem worried. After all, this was nothing new—she'd been through this many times before and was far calmer than Taichi.
"That's strange… verification should be quick. Why hasn't there been any news?" Taichi frowned. But thinking about Tsunade's personality and her recent state, he felt less certain.
"You don't think Lady Tsunade… forgot, do you?"
"Taichi, don't get so anxious. Maybe Lady Tsunade was just held up with something else," Nonō reassured him.
"…You're right. I'm just being impatient. This isn't something we can control—right now, all we can do is wait for her reply," Taichi said, forcing himself to calm down.
They chatted for a while about his school life, and then Taichi left the orphanage. Before he went, Nonō reminded him again not to worry so much.
When he got home, Taichi followed his usual routine: he unrolled a scroll and began practicing. Today's focus was the Three Basic Ninja Techniques. After so many days of groundwork, his chakra control and basic knowledge had reached a decent level—time to move on to actual ninjutsu training, even if it was only the basics.
First up—Clone Technique.
Standing still, Taichi felt the chakra flow through his body. Slowly, he formed the seals for the clone: Ram → Snake → Tiger, paying close attention to how each sign shifted his chakra.
Seven or eight slow runs later, he felt ready. His hands moved in a blur—Ram! Snake! Tiger!—and he called out:
"Clone Technique!"
He felt his chakra surge along a set path, then sharply drop. A puff of white smoke appeared beside him—another "Taichi" stood there.
"Yes! First try success!" Taichi grinned, and the familiar panel notification appeared:
[Congratulations, you have learned Clone Technique Lv1 (0/100)]
Examining the clone, he spotted plenty of flaws—the most obvious being that it was shorter than him by a fair bit. An obvious giveaway. But for a first attempt, that was fine. With more training, fooling the eye would just be a matter of time.
Noting how little chakra the clone consumed, he moved on to Transformation Technique.
Same process—study, test, refine—then Ram → Monkey → Boar → Dog → Snake. A burst of smoke later, Might Guy stood where Taichi had been.
Next, Substitution Technique. Ram → Boar → Ox → Dog → Tiger. The prepared wooden log instantly took on Taichi's appearance, while the real Taichi could slip away unnoticed.
As expected, Taichi thought with satisfaction—he really did have a knack for ninjutsu. All three basic techniques had clicked on the first try. From here, it was just a matter of refining them. Feeling his chakra, he saw it had only dropped slightly and was already recovering—perfect for more practice.
Status
Name: Matsushita Taichi
Profession: Ninja Apprentice Lv2 (184/200)
Talents: Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent, Scholar
Age: 6
Constitution: 10
Strength: 11
Agility: 10
Spirit: 18
Chakra: 785 / 4200
Attribute Points: 5
Skill Points: 5
Skills:
Basic Taijutsu Lv6 (465/1000)
Basic Meditation Lv6 (895/1000)
Chakra Refinement Lv2 (145/200)
Ninja Tool Throwing Lv3 (35/400)
Transformation Technique Lv1 (15/100)
Clone Technique Lv1 (12/100)
Substitution Technique Lv1 (16/100)
Evaluation: You've learned the Three Basic Techniques. Congratulations—you're now a standard-issue battlefield cannon fodder.
Looking at the plain but steadily improving panel, Taichi could almost see himself growing stronger. Excitement bubbled in his chest, and fresh energy surged through his body, driving him to keep training.
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