"If it was Rin..." Obito was speechless for a moment. He imagined the scenario, and a suffocating heaviness crushed his chest. He didn't even want to think about it.
"Kakashi, what about you? Mission or comrades?" Taiichi turned to the silver-haired boy.
"I..." Kakashi hesitated. He struggled with the question, his face twisted in conflict. He couldn't give an answer immediately.
"I won't abandon Rin!" Suddenly, Obito stood up and shouted, his face red, ignoring the weird looks from the other customers.
"What about other comrades?" Taiichi pressed.
"I won't abandon them either! Missions can be done anytime, but a comrade only has one life!" Obito's eyes burned with determination. Rin's hypothetical danger had clarified his resolve.
Kakashi looked at Obito with a hint of admiration for his swift decision, but mostly with resignation. Obito was simplifying things. Some missions determined the fate of thousands. Failure wasn't always an option.
"What about you, Taiichi? How would you choose?" Rin asked.
Taiichi looked at them. Instead of answering directly, he asked, "You haven't forgotten the Will of Fire, have you?"
They nodded. Taiichi recited, "Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and the new leaves will sprout."
"It's clear, isn't it? The Will of Fire teaches us to value and protect our comrades."
"But the Will of Fire also teaches us to protect the village. The village's interests come first," Kakashi countered.
"Exactly. Both are interpretations of the Will of Fire. So which one is right?" Taiichi asked back.
Kakashi froze, unable to answer.
Obito looked confused, his brain overheating.
Rin seemed thoughtful but stayed silent.
Seeing their different reactions, Taiichi smiled. "Actually, in my opinion, there is no single correct answer. Every choice depends on the individual. If you value your comrades, then comrades are more important. If you value the mission, then the mission is paramount."
"But I believe the most important thing is this: we can only hold ourselves to our own standards. Forcing others to act according to your personal philosophy... that is the true violation of the Will of Fire," Taiichi concluded.
"That sounds like saying nothing at all," Obito muttered.
"Haha! That's because there isn't a right answer to this question. Everyone is entitled to their view. But like I said, don't force your view on others."
"Alright, alright! Enough heavy talk! We're here to eat!" Taiichi picked up a golden piece of grilled meat, dipped it in sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mmm! Delicious! Eat up, guys!"
"You're the one who started the topic!"
The tension broke, and laughter returned to the table.
Kakashi... I hope what I said today helps you a little. Sometimes, one word from family is worth ten times the effort of a stranger, Taiichi thought, glancing at Kakashi.
---
Night. Hatake Residence.
Kakashi returned home after hanging out with his friends. He saw his father, Sakumo Hatake, practicing kenjutsu in the courtyard. Remembering the conversation at the BBQ restaurant, he asked on impulse:
"Father, which is more important: the mission or the lives of your comrades?"
Sakumo stopped mid-swing. He stood up straight and looked at Kakashi in surprise.
"Of course, the lives of comrades are more important. My blade exists to protect. That is my Nindo," Sakumo answered firmly.
"What if the mission is very important?" Kakashi pressed.
"Then you work twice as hard afterward to make up for it. But a comrade only has one life," Sakumo replied. His answer was like his blade—sharp and decisive.
"I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Father." Kakashi bowed and went to his room.
---
Meanwhile, Taiichi was at home, reading the Sealing Jutsu scroll Minato gave him.
As he read deeper, he marveled at the expertise. Minato and Kushina were likely among the top sealing masters in Konoha.
The scroll started from the basics of interpreting runes, moved to the fundamental One-Element Seal, and then to the slightly more complex Two-Element Seal. It was the perfect textbook for beginners.
Taiichi was engrossed, taking notes as he read. He didn't stop until he had skimmed through the entire scroll.
He stretched and looked at the clock. 1:00 AM.
Time flies. He quickly washed up and went to bed.
Before sleeping, he glanced at his Panel:
> [Learning Sealing Jutsu. Skill Sealing Jutsu Lv0 (12/100)]
---
In the days that followed, Team 8 finally settled into a normal mission routine. No more C-Rank missions spiraling into A-Rank disasters.
While the intense missions were exciting, constantly risking death was exhausting.
They spent their days doing missions, resting, and training. Occasionally, they had team dinners or met up with old classmates.
Their high efficiency and frequent mission completion began to earn Team 8 a reputation in Konoha's ninja circles. A rookie team performing like veterans was noteworthy.
They even started taking B-Rank missions, a testament to their rapid growth.
During this time, something significant happened: Tsunade finally replied to Taiichi's second letter.
When Taiichi felt the tug of the summoning contract, he was confused at first, then realized it was a Reverse Summoning from Katsuyu.
He accepted. Poof.
He vanished from his room and appeared in the legendary Shikkotsu Forest.
It was his first time there. The forest looked bizarre—bone-white trees instead of green, shrouded in thick mist. Puddles dotted the uneven ground, making the air heavy with moisture.
Slugs of all sizes were everywhere, crawling on trees or resting on the ground.
"Taiichi-sama, over here." A small, gentle voice called out from a nearby tree.
"Hello, Katsuyu-sama. Why did you summon me?" Taiichi asked.
"Tsunade-sama sent a reply. The letter is up ahead. I'll take you."
Suddenly, slugs from all directions converged on the small speaker, merging into it. In seconds, the fist-sized slug grew to the size of a human.
"Follow me, Taiichi-sama."
"Whoa... okay." Taiichi was impressed. Seeing the clone merger in person was startling.
He followed Katsuyu to an even larger slug body. The giant slug lowered its head, and a thick envelope emerged from its body.
"Taiichi-sama, this is Tsunade-sama's letter. Do you want to read it here or take it back?"
"Uh, I'll take it back!" Taiichi looked around at the damp, misty environment. Not exactly a reading room. Plus, the letter was thick.
"Alright. Goodbye, Taiichi-sama."
Poof.
Back in his room, Taiichi opened the letter.
It started with a "friendly" greeting: Brat, why are you writing to me? Let me tell you, I don't have anything left to give you...
Eight pages. Most of it was her complaining about losing money or dodging debt collectors. But reading between the lines, Taiichi got a good picture of her current state.
At the end, she answered all his questions about Medical Ninjutsu and Chakra Enhanced Strength (怪力 - Kai).
Taiichi smiled. The first step of the Long March was taken. Bringing her back didn't seem so impossible now.
---
The Next Day. Riverside.
CRACK.
A thick tree snapped in half. The splintered wood radiated outward from the impact point, showing it had been punched apart.
Around it, over thirty trees lay broken in a hundred-meter radius.
Taiichi looked at his fist with satisfaction. He had finally mastered Chakra Enhanced Strength.
Thanks to Tsunade's guidance via letter, his progress in Taijutsu had skyrocketed. He could now use the technique effectively in combat.
Over the last two months, he had also grasped the basics of the Earth and Lightning Jutsu he exchanged for. They weren't masterful, but he could cast them reliably.
> [Through long-term training, Strength +1, Agility +1]
> [Through long-term training, Skill Chakra Enhanced Strength improved to Lv5 (0/800)]
> [Congratulations. Genin Class Level Up: Lv7 (0/1200)]
> [Attribute Points +1, Skill Points +1]
Meeting certain conditions triggered a new notification:
> [Notice: Physical attributes met. Class Advancement Conditions Triggered:]
> 1. Genin Class Level 10.
> 2. Constitution or Spirit at 15 points. (Completed)
> 3. Strength at 20 points. (Completed)
> 4. Agility at 20 points. (Completed)
> 5. Pass the Village Chunin Exam.
Taiichi was thrilled. Knowing the conditions gave him a clear goal. He just needed to level up his class and pass the Chunin Exam.
The fastest way to do both was missions.
He wanted to grab Yohei and Saori immediately to take another mission, but they were still on mandatory rest from the last one.
Calming down, he analyzed his stats. All his attributes were now at 20 or higher.
If raising Constitution from 21 to 22 cost 2 points, then other stats would follow the same pattern. The cost would likely increase further at higher levels.
Attribute points were going to be scarce.
Taiichi decided: from now on, attribute points would only be used for Constitution and Spirit (the hardest to train) and only when absolutely necessary.
For Strength and Agility, he would rely on training Advanced Taijutsu and Chakra Enhanced Strength.
As for Skill Points, they were even more precious given the number of skills. He would save them for emergencies or bottlenecks.
He realized his overall capabilities were now roughly equivalent to a Jonin—a "technical" Jonin, lacking in raw physical stats compared to veterans, but skilled enough.
With that thought, he resumed his stance to train Advanced Taijutsu. He needed to build his hardware to match his software.
---
Hokage's Office
The Konoha high command was gathered for a secret meeting.
"Sakumo sent word. He has eliminated the planners and executioners listed in the Cloud Village Abduction Report. He needs extraction," Hiruzen Sarutobi informed the group.
"That's good news. But why bring it up now? Is there a complication?" Koharu Utatane asked.
"This came this morning. A letter of protest from the Raikage, claiming Konoha sent assassins to kill their high-ranking officials. Take a look." Hiruzen passed a paper to Homura Mitokado.
After reading it, Danzo scoffed. "Does Cloud have no shame? Demanding we hand over the killer? Who gave them the audacity?"
"Hiruzen, send the Abduction Report directly to the Raikage. See what he says then. If they pursue this, we publish it to all nations. Let the other villages get involved," Homura suggested.
"Agreed. Every village has bloodlines to protect. No one wants Cloud poaching their children," Koharu added. "We agreed on this contingency before."
"Fine. It's decided," Hiruzen puffed on his pipe. "Danzo, Root is best at this. Have someone deliver the report to the Raikage immediately."
"Why the rush? Is Sakumo in trouble?" Koharu noticed Hiruzen's urgency.
"Yes. Sakumo's tracks were found. He is currently being hunted by Cloud hunter-nin," Hiruzen admitted calmly, though his smoking pace quickened.
"You want to use this to pressure the Raikage into calling off the pursuit?" Danzo asked, hiding a glint in his eyes.
"That's the idea. Even if they keep chasing, it won't be as blatant as it is now."
"I'll handle the delivery after the meeting," Danzo agreed.
"Hiruzen, that's not enough. We need to send a team to extract him, just in case Cloud gets desperate," Homura added.
"Yes." Hiruzen nodded, considering who to send. Jonin were stretched thin.
He thought of the Yamaguchi Squad, who had been very active recently. Maybe it was time to give them more responsibility. If all went well, the extraction shouldn't be too hard.
"We'll send Minato Namikaze's squad and Masasuke Yamaguchi's squad for the extraction," Hiruzen decided.
"Minato is fine; his team is competent. But isn't it too early for Yamaguchi's squad? His members are Genin," Homura argued.
"Homura, your intel is outdated. Yamaguchi's Genin aren't normal. especially Taiichi Matsushita. His strength is already comparable to a Special Jonin," Hiruzen stated confidently.
"If you say so, I have no objections."
Danzo's eye twitched. Hearing praise for Taiichi reminded him of his failure to recruit the boy (and the Hokage position). He lowered his head to hide his hatred.
"Next topic. Koharu, how is the supply procurement going?" Hiruzen asked.
"Since receiving the intel from Sand, I've been buying quietly to avoid spiking prices. We have enough to support a medium-scale war," Koharu reported with a smile, clearly proud of her work.
"Increase the volume. Root received intel that Sand is also stockpiling. The Ninja World is about to get chaotic again."
Homura and Koharu's expressions changed instantly. The news hit them hard. War was coming.