Chapter 119 — Daily Life
Training, reading, ninjutsu practice.
In the days since returning, Taichi's routine had been nothing more than an endless cycle of these three things.
People often saw how effortlessly Taichi cut down his enemies in battle, dispatching them as easily as chopping vegetables. But very few realized that, aside from the hours he slept, nearly every moment of his day was devoted to strengthening himself.
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[Congratulations. After long-term study and training, your Sealing Techniques skill has increased to Lv.5 (1 / 800).]
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Days of focused practice had paid off. Sealing techniques had advanced another level—only one more remained before he could begin crafting multi-layer lantern-array sealing tags. At his current pace, that milestone would be reached in roughly two months.
Just as Taichi was happily savoring the fact that another goal was nearly complete, the door to his house—silent for days—was finally knocked.
When he opened it, the visitors turned out to be Yōhei and Saori.
The moment the door swung open, both of them visibly relaxed.
Finally—someone was actually home!
Seeing the relief on their faces, Taichi quickly invited them inside. Once everyone was seated, Yōhei immediately began venting.
"Taichi, you have no idea. We've been so idle lately we're about to lose our minds!"
As Yōhei complained, Taichi gradually pieced together what had happened. And, awkwardly enough, it did have something to do with him.
When Taichi was around, even without a squad leader, Team Eight could still take on C-rank missions. But after Taichi was assigned elsewhere, Yōhei and Saori couldn't even qualify for C-ranks anymore—they were stuck doing D-rank chores.
And honestly? D-rank missions were worse than staying home and training.
To make things worse, just as their leader Yamaguchi was finally discharged from the hospital, he was immediately pulled into another assigned mission. Team Eight was left with only the two of them—again.
Konoha was so short-handed that even a freshly discharged jōnin was thrown straight back into service. And yet, despite all this chaos, Yōhei and Saori still couldn't get approved for proper missions.
Of course they were frustrated.
Watching Yōhei's exaggerated misery—despite knowing he was hamming it up—Taichi still felt guilty. Saori's helpless smile beside him only made it worse.
He had been back for several days and hadn't even notified them. That was on him.
"You don't even know," Yōhei continued, "last time we went to the mission hall, the staff actually suggested we apply to disband the team! Can you believe that—"
Mid-complaint, Saori tugged hard on Yōhei's sleeve.
Confused, Yōhei followed her gaze—and finally noticed Taichi's deeply apologetic expression.
"Oh—uh—Taichi, I wasn't talking about you! Don't take it the wrong way!"
Unfortunately, that only made Taichi feel worse.
Seeing Yōhei flounder, Taichi cut in gently.
"Alright. I'm back now. That means we can take missions again."
He stood up decisively.
"Come on. Mission Hall. Let's go."
Yōhei and Saori exchanged a glance, then cheered in unison and jumped to their feet.
With Taichi back, Team Eight regained eligibility for C-rank missions. Even if these tasks were easy, in an environment where everyone was stretched thin, it was far better than sitting idle at home.
And so, the reunited Team Eight returned to active duty.
Perhaps it was because they'd been cooped up for too long—or because they wanted to make up for lost time—but Yōhei and Saori became exceptionally proactive.
They shortened rest periods between missions and even volunteered to shoulder Taichi's share of the workload. After a while, Taichi began to feel embarrassed instead.
Yet despite the frantic pace, their cultivation never suffered.
They could now all train with shadow clones, and since the three of them spent nearly every day together, having Taichi—their all-around prodigy—constantly sparring with them made stagnation impossible.
Yōhei's Fire Release and taijutsu, Saori's Lightning Release and sealing techniques—Taichi could exchange insights with all of it. Even when the topic fell outside his direct experience, he could still offer guidance from a higher conceptual level.
Like now.
They were currently on a C-rank mission: escorting a master swordsmith named Kritz on an inspiration-seeking journey and safely returning him to Kyoto.
Kritz was said to be a renowned master in the capital—eccentric, obsessive, and stubborn. Apparently, that was a common trait among true masters. Still, after a full day together, Taichi's group found him surprisingly kind.
The mission itself was commissioned by a Kyoto noble and had no special requirements—just ensure Kritz's safe return within ten days.
The simplicity of the task gave them plenty of free time.
During breaks, the three immediately split off shadow clones and vanished into nearby woods, turning every rest period into a training session.
This had become routine—using every spare moment to cultivate.
Not just Yōhei and Saori, but Taichi himself had made significant progress in Fire Release, taijutsu, Lightning Release, and sealing techniques. Each had gained over a hundred experience points beyond what solo training would normally yield.
Perhaps this was the power of revisiting fundamentals—or maybe collaboration truly did accelerate growth.
Unfortunately, they soon realized they had underestimated the warning listed plainly in the mission brief:
Kritz's personality is eccentric and obsessive.
On the third day after leaving Konoha, that eccentricity fully surfaced.
During the morning assembly, instead of choosing the usual flat trade road, the white-haired swordsmith pointed decisively at a winding mountain path on the map.
"We'll take this route today," Kritz said, tracing an arc through the mountains. "I've heard the maple leaves there have begun to turn red. That rust-like hue—that is the inspiration for my next blade."
"…Master," Yōhei muttered under his breath, "you're a swordsmith. Why does that sound like something a painter would say?"
"You know nothing," Kritz replied dreamily. "At the highest level, all crafts seek inspiration from nature."
His gaze drifted into the distance, as if the crimson forest already lay before him.
And just like that, their easy escort mission began to look a lot less predictable.
He shot them another look and fixed his gaze squarely on Yōhei.
"And you ninjas—aren't you the same?" Kritz said pointedly. "I often see you sitting cross-legged in high mountains and perilous places, surrounded by strange landscapes!"
"I–is that so?" Yōhei scratched the back of his head, trying hard to recall. "Why do I have absolutely no memory of that?"
"Most of those are jōnin, or ninjas who've reached a bottleneck," Taichi explained calmly. "They're sensing nature, using it to gain insight into chakra nature transformation."
"Ohhh!" Yōhei suddenly understood. "Like when you were comprehending fire before, Taichi!"
"But Master," Saori frowned as she studied the route on the map, circling a dense section of forest, "this area is deep wilderness. There are lots of wild beasts and venomous insects. You—"
"Wild beasts? Poisonous bugs?" Kritz snorted disdainfully. Beneath his thick white brows, stubborn light flickered in his eyes. "I started hammering iron at ten, forging swords at thirteen. I've been doing this for over forty years. If I feared such trivial danger, I wouldn't deserve the title of 'master'!"
Yōhei quietly tugged on Saori's sleeve and whispered, "No wonder the mission description said he's eccentric and stubborn. Turns out he's just not afraid of dying."
Taichi sighed. He'd thought this would be a simple escort mission. Turns out the difficulty wasn't potential enemies—but their escort target.
Eccentric master-level clients often made the most unreasonable demands. All things considered, they were only slightly better than spoiled brats.
"Since you insist, we'll ensure your safety," Taichi said firmly. "But please follow our instructions. If danger appears, you must retreat immediately."
"Now that's more like it!" Kritz said smugly, casting a triumphant glance at Saori. "That young one speaks sensibly."
Ignoring Saori's reddening face, he waved his hand and strode toward the secluded mountain path. Tools clattered noisily from the pack on his back—shovels, picks, metal ringing against metal.
Taichi stepped forward and discreetly patted Saori's clenched fist, murmuring softly, "Don't take it personally. Just treat him like any other mission target."
"Yōhei, let's move." With that, he led the way, following Kritz as the old man wandered about, peering at everything.
No one noticed that Saori, walking at the rear, had grown even redder—though this time, it wasn't from anger, but from Taichi's brief, reassuring touch.
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The mountain trail was even more treacherous than expected.
When the afternoon sun filtered through crimson maple leaves, casting dappled shadows, Kritz suddenly veered off the path toward a steep slope.
"Master, that's danger—"
Yōhei's warning was cut short as Kritz stepped on loose ground and slid straight down the hillside.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
Taichi formed seals instantly, carefully controlling the technique so every rock along Kritz's path liquefied into mud.
Fortunately, the slope wasn't very high. By the time Kritz slid to the bottom, he was covered in mud and looked utterly miserable—but uninjured.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Yōhei muttered as he sidled up to Taichi. "At that distance, you could've used Body Flicker and grabbed him."
Taichi stared at him in surprise—this kid's observational skills were improving. Still, he denied it calmly.
"How could I? Protecting the client is my top priority."
Ignoring Yōhei's I don't believe you at all look, Taichi leapt down the slope, leaving behind Yōhei enjoying the spectacle and Saori quietly counting on her fingers.
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At the bottom, Kritz was struggling in the mud when his collar suddenly tightened. A powerful force yanked him upward, and before he could react, he was hauled onto solid ground.
"Master Kritz," Taichi said kindly, "places like this require caution. If that had been a cliff, we wouldn't have reached you in time."
"L–let go of me!" Kritz struggled violently, splattering mud everywhere—but his face was glowing with excitement. "I just saw an exceptional ore vein! Perfect as an auxiliary material for forging weapons!"
Taichi released him helplessly as the old man rushed toward an exposed rock, tapping it with a small hammer and listening intently.
Perhaps this obsessive focus was exactly why Kritz had become a master—total immersion, reckless devotion to his craft.
Before Taichi could finish that thought—
"Ah!"
They rushed over to find a green snake slithering away from beneath Kritz. It darted toward the grass.
Taichi flicked a kunai, pinning the snake's body halfway into the brush, then crouched to inspect Kritz's wound.
"It's a five-step viper," Yōhei reported after examining the dead snake. "Highly venomous."
Kritz trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale. Even so, he clutched the ore tightly.
"Little brother… am I going to survive?"
Earlier it was kid, now it was little brother. Taichi almost laughed.
Instead, he maintained a serious expression, studying Kritz's complexion in silence—long enough that the old man began shaking in terror—before finally examining the bitten leg.
The wound had already blackened, numb to the touch. Just as fear threatened to overwhelm Kritz, Saori quietly nudged Taichi with her knee, signaling him to stop scaring the man.
Caught, Taichi dropped the act.
He pulled an antidote pill from his pouch and handed it over.
"Master, this is a custom antidote of mine. Take it."
Kritz didn't hesitate—he shoved it into his mouth immediately. Two chews later, his face twisted in horror.
He tried to vomit, but Taichi clamped a hand over his mouth and whispered like a devil in his ear,
"Swallow it. If you spit it out, you'll have to eat another."
Defeated, Kritz gulped it down.
Miraculously, the pain vanished. Even the ore slipped from his grip. He looked almost… transcendent.
Perhaps this was what 'bitterness before sweetness' truly meant.
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Taichi's expression turned professional.
"Yōhei, open the canteen."
Hands flying through seals, Taichi used Delicate Illness Extraction, guiding clean water into the wound. The flowing water slowly drew out venom and damaged blood cells.
After a full minute, Taichi extracted the water sphere—now thick with black-red impurities.
He repeated the process three times. The final extraction held only faint traces of blood.
Treatment complete.
Taichi bandaged the wound skillfully. When he reached out to help Kritz stand, he found the old man completely absorbed in the ore again, utterly unconcerned about his injury.
The three ninjas exchanged helpless looks.
At least after this incident, Kritz finally learned restraint, no longer charging headlong into danger.
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From then on, things settled into a rhythm.
Yōhei would fire a flame bullet to scare off wild boars.
Saori would unleash lightning nets to disperse hornet swarms.
And Taichi would critique their techniques afterward, helping them correct flaws and improve speed and power.
They toured rust-red maple forests, rowed across vast lakes, walked through endless fields, and climbed sheer cliffs—finally standing atop towering heights to watch the sunrise.
When the crimson sun broke the horizon, Kritz laughed like a child.
"Found it… found it! This is it!"
Afraid the inspiration might vanish, he urged them to hurry. Taichi, however, deliberately slowed their pace for the old man's health.
After all, if the client collapsed before reaching Kyoto, did the mission count as complete—or failed?
Even so, they reached Kyoto on the seventh day.
The moment they entered the city, Kritz rushed into his forge, dismissed everyone, and declared himself in closed-door sword forging.
Leaving Taichi, Yōhei, and Saori standing outside the workshop, mission scrolls in hand—
Staring at one another.
With absolutely no idea who they were supposed to report to.