The Next Day.
Knock, knock, knock.
Taiichi knocked three times and waited.
"Coming!"
The voice from inside was Kushina.
Taiichi blinked. Last time Minato bought groceries and Kushina cooked. This time Kushina was answering the door. Had Minato already sealed the deal?
"Why do you never bring your keys?" Kushina grumbled as she opened the door.
Before she could even see who it was, a sweet voice hit her ears. "Hello, Sister-in-law! I'm looking for Minato-senpai!"
Taiichi didn't care about the truth; he was sticking to the "Sister-in-law" strategy. It worked every time.
"Oh! Taiichi!" Kushina turned bright red. "Minato just went out, he'll be right back. I'm just watching the house."
"Right, right. I understand completely. Just pure, innocent friends," Taiichi said with a knowing grin.
"Oh, stop it! Come in!" Kushina stepped aside, pretending to be annoyed but clearly pleased.
Taiichi entered. The house was spotless. He wondered if Minato cleaned it or if Kushina did.
"Sit down, Taiichi." Kushina poured him a glass of water.
"Thanks, Sister-in-law."
"So, what brings you here?" she asked, sitting across from him.
"Well," Taiichi put down the glass, his expression turning excited. "Remember we talked about one-handed seals last time? During my last mission, I figured it out."
"Oh, you figured it out... Wait." Kushina paused, then her eyes widened. "You figured it out yourself?"
"Yeah! I came to share my findings with Minato-senpai. Maybe it can help him."
Kushina stared at him, stunned. She and Minato had been researching this for ages with no luck. Taiichi, this "part-time disciple," cracked it in a few days?
She finally understood how other people felt when they watched her learn sealing jutsu. It was like looking at a monster.
"Sister-in-law? You okay?" Taiichi asked, seeing her zoning out.
"Ah! I'm fine! Just... surprised you learned it so fast. That's amazing, Taiichi!"
"Just a bit of luck, really. I probably couldn't do it again so quickly," Taiichi said modestly. It was technically true; he relied on skill points.
Just then, the sound of keys jiggling in the lock came from the door.
Kushina jumped up happily to greet Minato.
"Minato, look who's here!"
Minato walked in, carrying a bag. "Who is it?" He saw Taiichi standing up and smiled. "Taiichi! You're back from your mission? Did it go well?"
"Minato-senpai!" Taiichi greeted him warmly. "The mission had some bumps, but thanks to that, I managed to figure out the one-handed seals."
Minato froze. "Really? Already?"
"Maybe you and Jiraiya-sensei just laid a really good foundation for me!" Taiichi joked.
"Haha, you're too kind." Minato laughed and sat down.
"Taiichi came to share his experience with us," Kushina explained.
Minato looked moved. He had originally taught Taiichi as a favor to Jiraiya. He liked the kid, sure, but he didn't expect Taiichi to come running back the moment he had a breakthrough.
It confirmed that Taiichi was someone worth investing in.
After some pleasantries, Taiichi suggested they go to the courtyard for a demonstration.
Taiichi broke it down. "First, the twelve basic hand seals. For one-handed seals, pressing the thumb and middle finger together acts as the base. The other fingers flex or extend to differentiate the twelve seals."
He demonstrated each one-handed seal corresponding to the standard two-handed version. Then, he performed Water Style: Water Wall and Fire Style: Flame Bullet using only one hand.
He held nothing back, explaining every nuance of chakra flow and finger positioning.
> [Teaching Hand Seals. Skill One-Handed Seals EXP +100]
Taiichi smiled internally. The lecture was worth the dry throat.
He looked at his audience. Kushina shook her head, clearly not getting it. But Minato was deep in thought, his fingers twitching as he mimicked the movements.
Suddenly, Minato's hand moved in a blur, completing three seals instantly.
POOF.
A clone of Minato appeared next to him.
"Minato! You did it!" Kushina cheered.
Taiichi looked at Minato with genuine admiration. He had used system points. Minato used pure talent.
Poof. Minato dispelled the clone. "Almost. I've only figured out the flow for three seals. But with this foundation, the rest will follow quickly."
He smiled at Taiichi. "Thanks to your explanation, Little Brother. I wouldn't have grasped the key point so fast without you."
"Haha, it's only because your foundation is solid, Senpai. Otherwise, my words would be useless," Taiichi replied.
"You really know how to talk." Minato laughed and led them back inside.
"If Jiraiya-sensei knew about this, he'd regret taking that mission so early," Kushina laughed.
"Yeah. He's been wanting to learn this forever," Minato agreed.
"We can write down today's notes and give them to him when he gets back," Taiichi suggested casually.
Minato and Kushina exchanged a look. They had been wondering if they could share Taiichi's technique with Jiraiya, but Taiichi offered it freely before they could even ask.
To Taiichi, the value of his bond with Jiraiya, Minato, and Kushina far outweighed the value of a single technique.
Seeing Taiichi's generosity, Minato nodded to Kushina. He turned to Taiichi. "Taiichi, we owe you for today. Here. This contains some new insights from Kushina and me. It should be useful to you."
He pulled a large scroll from a storage scroll and handed it to Taiichi.
Taiichi looked at the label: [Complete Guide to Basic Sealing Jutsu - Annotated].
"Senpai, this is too valuable. I can't take it." Taiichi waved his hands.
"Take it!" Minato insisted, shoving it into Taiichi's arms.
"Just take it, Taiichi," Kushina added. "The Jutsu inside are standard; you could buy them with contribution points. The only special thing is our notes."
"Alright. Thank you, Senpai, Sister-in-law."
Taiichi knew Kushina was downplaying it. The "notes" from the future Fourth Hokage and the Uzumaki clan heiress were priceless. That was why Konoha had so few Sealing Masters despite the Jutsu being available.
Taiichi stayed until noon, then left.
Walking away, Minato sighed. "If he grows up safely, he's going to be a great ninja."
---
Taiichi headed to the weapon shop to pick up his custom tanto.
The clerk recognized him immediately. "Here for your blade?"
"You have a good memory."
"How could I forget a big customer like you?" The clerk went to the back and returned with an exquisite box.
He opened it to reveal the black tanto.
Taiichi picked it up. The blade felt cold and sharp. He flicked it, and it hummed with a clear, long-lasting ring. The grip was perfect.
He channeled chakra into it. It flowed smoothly, with almost zero resistance. They had definitely used a lot of Chakra Metal.
"Excellent. I'm very satisfied." Taiichi paid the remaining balance and strapped the sword to his back.
As he turned to leave, three people walked in.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin.
"Ah! Taiichi!" Obito shouted.
"What a coincidence! Meeting you guys here again," Taiichi smiled.
"We ran into Kakashi buying gear, so we tagged along. We're grabbing lunch after. Want to join?" Rin asked.
Taiichi agreed. "Sure. My treat. Let's go for BBQ."
---
BBQ Restaurant
"By the way, Kakashi, I heard you're already a Chunin?" Taiichi asked while ordering.
"WHAT?!" Obito jumped up, attracting stares from the whole restaurant.
Rin pulled him back down.
"Seriously? How long have you been graduated? And you're already a Chunin?" Obito whispered, shocked.
Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I've been a Chunin for almost six months."
Obito turned to stone.
"I joined an active squad right after graduation," Kakashi explained. "I didn't do D-Ranks like you guys. I went straight to C and B-Ranks. With my mission record and skills, promotion was natural."
It sounded easy, but everyone knew it wasn't.
"Must have been hard," Rin said softly.
Kakashi fell silent. The atmosphere grew heavy.
"This is my third squad," Kakashi whispered after a long pause.
"Huh?"
"My first captain died in action. Squad disbanded."
"My second squad lost two members. Disbanded."
Kakashi's voice was devoid of emotion, but the weight was crushing.
"Rank bought with blood," Taiichi murmured.
Trying to break the mood, Kakashi smiled—his eyes curving into crescents. "Enough about me. Taiichi, tell us about your missions."
"Yeah! Tell us!" Rin encouraged.
Taiichi recounted his latest mission, picking the exciting parts. Obito listened intently, constantly interjecting with what he would have done.
When Taiichi mentioned staying behind to let Yohei escape with the intel, Obito nodded sagely.
"You did the right thing, Taiichi. The mission comes first. If a ninja can't complete the mission, they're scum."
Taiichi looked at him. "What if it was Rin?"
"What?"
"If the person staying behind to die was Rin... or if you had to choose between the mission and Rin's life... Obito, is it Mission First, or Comrades First?"
Obito froze. Rin and Kakashi froze too.