Chapter 11 — Countless Little Coins Come Flying In
Training Grounds, Hidden Leaf Village
Two figures clashed across the open field—fists, kicks, and steel flashing with every movement. Each blow was fierce, each step measured.
It was Taichi against Might Guy. Ever since they'd started sparring together, the two had made a habit of meeting daily for a bout. With each match, their combat experience grew sharper.
Today's fight had a different rhythm. Taichi flicked his wrist and sent three shuriken flying in a triangular spread toward Guy, sprinting forward right behind them.
Guy moved with calm precision, sidestepping two of the blades and knocking the third aside with a kunai. Taichi was already in close, a kunai gripped in his hand.
Steel rang against steel—ding, ding, ding—as they exchanged rapid thrusts and parries.
Another flurry of blows, and when neither could gain the upper hand, they abandoned their kunai and switched to barehanded strikes. The sound of fist meeting flesh echoed across the field.
Then Taichi spotted an opening—he hooked Guy's arm, pivoted, and sent him flying with a clean over-the-shoulder throw.
Before Guy could recover, still in midair and facing away, Taichi's hands flashed through seals: Boar → Snake → Tiger. With a puff of smoke, two identical copies of him appeared.
The three Taichis rushed in from different angles. Guy, unable to tell which was real, defended against each in turn. His first block met only air—the clone vanished. He spun to intercept the second—another clone! But the delay was enough for the real Taichi to land a solid punch to his shoulder, followed by a relentless combo ending in a flying kick that knocked Guy to the ground.
Taichi stepped forward, offering a hand. "You okay?"
Guy grinned. "Haha, I'm fine. You've gotten stronger again—I might not be able to keep up much longer."
"That was just because it was your first time against my Clone Technique. Next time, you won't fall for it."
Guy only scratched his head and laughed. Both knew they were pushing each other to improve.
"Let's call it here. Time to head back."
"Alright. See you tomorrow, Taichi."
They parted ways.
---
At Taichi's Home
Dragging his tired body back, Taichi brightened when he saw Tsunade and Yakushi Nonō waiting at his door.
"Ah, sorry! I'm late—you must have been waiting a while." He hurried to unlock the door and ushered them inside.
Tsunade eyed his disheveled appearance. "Training hard, huh, kid?"
Nonō stepped forward to straighten his clothes.
"I have to. My whole class is full of geniuses—I can't afford to fall behind."
Thinking of Hiruzen's praise for Taichi earlier, Tsunade smiled. "You're modest."
"Alright, no need for small talk—you probably already guessed why I'm here."
"I did, Tsunade-sama. I just don't know what kind of cooperation the village has in mind."
Tsunade laid out the agreement Hiruzen had approved—twenty million ryō up front, plus a small share of profits.
Taichi and Nonō were stunned—not because it was bad, but because it was better than they'd dared hope. They'd intentionally set their asking price high to avoid being undercut, expecting the village to bargain them down. Instead, while the share percentage was smaller, the lump sum more than made up for it. It was exactly what they needed—for the orphanage and for Taichi's own training.
Neither of them were the type to haggle unnecessarily, so they accepted on the spot.
Tsunade, pleased with their decisiveness, drew up the agreement and had them sign it immediately.
"Now that it's official," she said, "I assume you can tell me the recipe for this medicine?"
Taichi went to his study and returned with a neatly written sheet detailing the preparation steps and key precautions.
Tsunade glanced at it—and froze. "Garlic? You're saying this is made from garlic?"
"That's right," Taichi replied innocently.
Nonō couldn't help a wry smile. She knew exactly how much extra work Taichi had put into masking the odor with all sorts of other ingredients.
Thinking of garlic's pungent smell, Tsunade's expression turned wry. "You really went to some lengths."
Taichi only smiled. Best not to say too much—trust between them was still a delicate thing.
"By the way, Tsunade-sama," he asked casually, "why did it take over a week? The tests shouldn't have needed that long… was it held up in discussions?"
Tsunade stiffened. She couldn't very well admit she'd simply forgotten. In truth, Hiruzen had approved it the moment she reported back.
"There were… a lot of tests to run. It's medicine—you can't just rush it through," she said weakly.
"That's true," Taichi nodded, not suspecting a thing.
Eager to change the subject, Tsunade made to leave—but Taichi wasn't about to let such an opportunity to bond slip away.
"Tsunade-sama, it's already late. You must not have eaten yet, waiting outside with Nonō-neesan. Why not stay and try my cooking?"
"Yes," Nonō chimed in, catching his intent. "You've done so much for us—it's the least we can do."
"…Alright," Tsunade relented, smiling at their warmth.
"Nonō-neesan, please keep Tsunade-sama company. I'll get dinner started."
---
In the kitchen, Taichi worked quickly—fortunately, he'd gone grocery shopping the day before, so the pantry was well stocked. From the living room came bursts of laughter—Nonō, it turned out, was telling Tsunade embarrassing stories from Taichi's childhood.
Within the hour, five dishes and a soup were set on the table.
Tsunade stared, genuinely impressed. Even before tasting it, the colors and aroma alone were enough to tempt anyone.
The three sat down, joined their hands, and said together, "Itadakimasu!"
They say you don't know until you try—well, one bite and Tsunade was floored.
The taste was simply divine. Compared to this, everything she'd eaten in the first half of her life might as well have been garbage.
The problem was… how was she supposed to go back to her old meals after this?
---
After the meal.
"Tsunade-sama, did today's hospitality meet your expectations?"
"What's with the 'Tsunade-sama'? You call Nonō 'big sister,' so you can call me 'big sister' too!" Tsunade waved her small hand with domineering flair.
Well now—that was some upgrade. One meal and even the way she addressed him had changed. Taichi, of course, was more than happy to play along. He seized the opportunity and said warmly, "Tsunade-neesan."
"Alright then. It's getting late, I should head back."
"In that case, Tsunade-neesan, safe travels."
Taichi and Nonō watched as Tsunade's figure disappeared down the road before turning and heading back inside.
The moment they stepped in, Taichi could no longer contain his excitement—he grabbed Nonō and spun her around wildly.
Nonō didn't resist his antics. After all, she was just as happy—now the orphanage would never have to worry about funding again.
They chatted a bit about their plans for the future before Nonō stood up to leave. There was still a mountain of work waiting for her back at the orphanage.
Once Taichi was alone, his emotions finally settled. He began thinking about what came next. Now that he had money, he could afford to train more boldly—perhaps even buy some medicinal aids to enhance his cultivation. And with a solid connection to Tsunade, his future—whether in life or in training—was bound to benefit greatly.
After sorting his thoughts, Taichi resumed his routine practice.
A day without practicing forms, and the mouth stiffens. A day without practicing strikes, and the hands slow.
Training was like sailing against the current—if you don't move forward, you fall behind.