Getting a custom weapon turned out to be a huge hassle. In the back room, Taiichi was measured not just for height and weight, but even the dimensions of his palms. Worried that he would outgrow the specs too quickly with his training, he specifically requested the sword be made slightly heavier.
The whole process took a full thirty minutes. After paying the 100,000 ryo deposit and setting a pickup date, Taiichi made sure to nag the owner one last time: "Add as much Chakra Metal as possible. Seriously."
Back home, Taiichi checked his chakra reserves. Between the reckless spending in the morning and the sparring session with Jiraiya, he was running on fumes. With no sword to practice with, he picked up some Ninjutsu scrolls to study.
He went through them one by one until he reached the Medical Ninjutsu scroll left by Tsunade. He paused, remembering his promise to Jiraiya: "I will definitely bring Tsunade-sensei back."
But how?
Tsunade's ties to the village were hanging by a thread. Her clan was gone. Her brother and lover died in the war. She didn't get along with her teacher, the Third Hokage. Her teammates, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, were independent enough not to need her. The only real connection left was the village itself.
And now, maybe, her new apprentice.
If he wanted to bring her back, he had to strengthen that bond. Since he couldn't control other people, he had to start with himself.
The solution? Letters.
He couldn't leave the village to chase her, but he could certainly reach her.
Taiichi grabbed a pen and paper without hesitation.
Dearest Tsunade-sensei,
Your adorable student writes to you...
He poured out five pages of content. Some of the phrasing made his own skin crawl, it was so cheesy, but for the greater goal, a little cringe was a worthy sacrifice.
The letter was filled with how much he missed her, funny stories from his recent missions and daily life, and finally, a list of questions regarding Medical Ninjutsu.
He proofread it several times. Satisfied, he folded it into an envelope and wove the hand signs for Summoning.
Poof!
A small slug appeared on his desk.
"Taiichi-sama, this is the first time you've summoned me. Is something wrong?" Katsuyu's gentle, motherly voice asked.
"Hello, Katsuyu-sama. Could you please deliver this letter to Tsunade-sensei?" Taiichi held out the envelope, his eyes pleading.
Katsuyu wiggled her antennae, looking at Taiichi and then the letter. Sensing his earnestness, she nodded. "I can try, but I cannot guarantee Tsunade-sama will accept the reverse summons."
"Just trying is enough. I'd be very grateful," Taiichi said, placing the letter on her back. The envelope slowly sank into her body, absorbed for safekeeping. Taiichi watched with fascination.
"Is there anything else, Taiichi-sama?" Katsuyu asked politely.
"No, that's all. Thank you, Katsuyu-sama. You can go back now."
"Goodbye then, Taiichi-sama. Summon me anytime." Poof. She vanished.
Taiichi stared at his empty desk, hopeful. If he wrote regularly, updating her on his life and asking for guidance, it would reinforce their student-teacher bond naturally. It wasn't pushy, just diligent.
He hoped this would lay the groundwork for her eventual return.
Meanwhile, in the Shikkotsu Forest, the small clone merged back into the main body of Katsuyu. The massive slug began to channel chakra for a Reverse Summoning.
But a moment later, she stopped. "Rejected?"
Tsunade had blocked the summons.
"I'm sorry, Taiichi-sama. I cannot help you this time."
---
Somewhere in the Land of Hot Water, inside a gambling den.
"I'm betting BIG again!" Tsunade slammed all her chips onto the 'Big' section of the table, rolling up her sleeves.
Immediately, every other gambler in the room slammed their money on 'Small' or specific triples. No one dared to bet with the Legendary Sucker.
"You bastards! Just wait and see! It can't be 'Small' every time!" Tsunade roared, frustration boiling over.
Just then, she felt the tug of Katsuyu's summoning. But she was in the middle of a hot streak (of losing)! She didn't have time for this!
Reject.
"Dealer! Roll the dice!" she yelled.
"Alright! No more bets!" The dealer shouted, seeing no one else wanted to risk money. He lifted the cup. "1, 2, 3! That's 6, Small!"
Cheers erupted from everyone except Tsunade. She slumped in her chair, defeated. There went another two months of living expenses. Where was she going to get money next?
She completely forgot about the summons. Poor Taiichi. Who knew when his letter would actually be read?
---
Riverside Training Ground
The next morning, before dawn, Taiichi was already at the river.
After an hour of Advanced Taijutsu warm-ups, he resumed his unfinished Ninjutsu development.
This time, he was prepared. He created two Shadow Clones for protection before casting Great Water Prison Jutsu.
Unlike yesterday, the compression and turbulence phases went much smoother. But when the water prison reached the same size as yesterday, the difficulty spiked.
This was the power of "Skill Crystallization." Even though the skill wasn't finished, the progress he made yesterday was saved. He could easily replicate his previous success, allowing him to focus entirely on pushing further.
Taiichi had never developed a Jutsu before, so he hadn't realized the system worked like this. Realizing it now, he was ecstatic. He could become a Ninjutsu Development Master! Maybe even the Second Coming of Tobirama!
In his excitement, his control slipped. The highly compressed water prison destabilized instantly.
"Crap!"
Taiichi leaped back and started weaving signs. His Shadow Clones, already on high alert, flashed in front of him.
"Water Style: Water Wall!" x3
Three walls of water rose up.
Then came the chaotic symphony of destruction: Thwack-thwack-thwack (water piercing water), Splash-splash (water hitting mud), Thud-thud (wood being perforated), and Poof-Poof (clones dying).
Cold sweat dripped down Taiichi's forehead. Because he had compressed it further this time, the explosion was even stronger. Three Water Walls and two clones had barely stopped it. He needed better defenses next time.
He steadied his nerves, created three new Shadow Clones, and started again.
Thwack-thwack-thwack. Splash-splash. Thud-thud. Poof-poof-poof.
He kept going until his chakra was nearly drained again. The Jutsu was still unfinished.
But looking at the results, Taiichi was satisfied.
> [S-Rank Water Style: Great Water Prison Jutsu (Modified) Lv0 (82/100)]
> [S-Rank Water Style: Wild Water Dance Lv0 (94/100)]
> [Ninjutsu Development: Skill Chakra Control +100]
> [Ninjutsu Development: Skill Chakra Shape Transformation +100]
> [Ninjutsu Development: Skill Water Nature Transformation +100]
> [Ninjutsu Development: Skill Water Shape Transformation +100]
> [Ninjutsu Development: Ninja Apprentice Class EXP +100]
The EXP gain from developing Jutsu was incredible. He had been worried about leveling up slower recently, but this opened a new fast lane for growth.
Knowledge really was power. A ninja who only trained blindly without understanding the theory would never reach the top.
Taiichi surveyed the site. The fifty-meter radius was destroyed. Trees looked like Swiss cheese. If he did this one more day, he'd clear the forest and create a new flat training ground by accident.
He packed up and headed home for breakfast. He had an appointment at Training Ground 3.
---
Training Ground 3
When Taiichi arrived, Rin and Obito were already sparring.
They were fighting with kunai. It looked intense, but to Taiichi's eyes, Obito was clearly going easy on her. He missed opportunities to strike and deliberately aimed wide.
When they took a break, Obito noticed Taiichi.
"How was it, Taiichi? Did I improve?" Obito asked excitedly.
"You improved, sure. But not by much," Taiichi said, deliberately provoking him. "At this rate, Kakashi is leaving you in the dust."
"Bastard! No way! I've been training extra hard!" Obito yelled defensively.
"Telling me is useless. From what I saw, you weren't even trying against Rin. Your attacks were hesitant and sloppy. You're not just hurting your own training; you're hurting Rin by giving her a false sense of her own strength," Taiichi said ruthlessly.
In the Ninja World, people who didn't know their own limits died first. Taiichi didn't want Rin to die because Obito coddled her.
Obito looked ashamed. If Taiichi had just insulted him, he would have argued. But bringing Rin's safety into it shut him up.
"Rin, I..." Obito looked at her apologetically.
"It's okay, Obito. I know you were trying to be nice," Rin smiled gently. "Let's train seriously from now on."
Taiichi watched them. Their bond was genuine. Though Obito's feelings were definitely... more than friendly.
"How about a sparring match with me? Let's see where you really stand," Taiichi suggested.
"You're on!" both said in unison, smiling at each other.
---
They took their positions.
Since his sword was broken, Taiichi grabbed a kunai. Obito and Rin flanked him in a pincer formation.
They acted simultaneously, throwing shuriken for cover while charging in.
Taiichi didn't panic. A casual flick of his kunai deflected the incoming projectiles.
Rin reached him first, thrusting her kunai. Taiichi didn't block; he sidestepped to her right and gave her a light shove on the shoulder, sending her stumbling off balance.
Then Obito arrived. His strike was heavier than Rin's, but still full of holes to Taiichi's experienced eyes.
Taiichi barely moved. He dodged sideways and stuck his foot out. Obito tripped and ate dirt.
One exchange. That was all it took for them to realize the gap.
Obito scrambled up, angry now. He started weaving signs rapidly. Rin saw this and rushed Taiichi again to buy him time.
Good teamwork, Taiichi thought. But too weak.
He parried Rin's attack, his superior strength knocking her weapon out of her hand. A quick punch to the gut sent her to the ground.
Obito finished his signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A two-meter fireball roared toward Taiichi.
Taiichi calmly wove his own signs. "Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!"
Multiple small fireballs shot out, intercepting the large one. Five small fireballs were enough to detonate Obito's attack. The remaining fireballs continued toward Obito under Taiichi's control.
Obito shrieked, dodging frantically as fireballs exploded around him. His face turned pale.
Just as he finished dodging and sighed in relief, Taiichi flickered next to him and punched him to the ground.
"You knew I was stronger than you, yet you relaxed just because you dodged one Jutsu?" Taiichi scolded, standing over him.
Battle over.
As the two of them picked themselves up, Taiichi lectured them. "I used only basic Taijutsu, and look at you."
"Obito. Rin is aiming to be a Medical Ninja. Her combat weakness is somewhat excusable. But you? If you don't work harder, when Rin is in danger, are you going to be this helpless again?"
Obito stayed silent, clenching his fists. He heard it. Loud and clear. Rin comforted him softly.
Once they settled down, Taiichi stepped forward. "Alright. Class is in session. Obito, do you want to listen in, or go train by yourself?" Taiichi asked with a smirk.