Chapter 142 – A Few Matters Upon Returning to the Village, and Bloodline Limits
The towering gates of Konoha cast long shadows beneath the warm spring afternoon sun.
Taichi's four-man squad stepped back onto familiar soil at last—covered in dust, dried blood stiffening the hems of their clothes, exhaustion written plainly across their faces.
Seeing the gates, Yōhei let out a long breath, as if shedding a thousand pounds.
"Finally… finally back. Just seeing this gate makes my bones feel like they're about to fall apart."
He stretched his stiff limbs, voice hoarse from weeks of strain.
Saori nodded in agreement.
This mission had been different.
Actual combat had not taken up much time—
But the constant, high-intensity vigilance had drained them far more deeply.
"The outside…" she murmured softly. "It's too tense. Only the village lets you breathe."
Kazewata Kizuna said nothing.
He simply stared at the massive Konoha emblem, eyes filled with complicated emotion.
This mission had shaken him more than any before.
From struggling to keep pace at the beginning…
To barely managing to coordinate and kill alongside the team by the end…
A month of tempering in the flames of war had sharpened him.
And yet—
It had also shown him clearly the vast gap between himself and these so-called "young monsters."
Being able to return alive…
That's because they cared about their teammate.
Taichi swept his gaze across his exhausted companions.
There was relief in his eyes.
As captain, he bore the heaviest burden.
But bringing every member home whole—
That was his definition of success.
"Let's go. Into the village."
---
Passing through the heavy gates, the bustling peace of Konoha greeted them.
Merchants called out from storefronts.
Children laughed in the streets.
It stood in stark contrast to the killing intent that lingered along the borders.
At the first fork in the main road, Taichi stopped.
"Saori. Yōhei. Kizuna."
His eyes moved across each of them.
"I'll handle the mission report."
He paused.
"You three—go home. Wash up. Sleep."
The tone left no room for argument.
They blinked in mild surprise—
Then smiled.
"Understood, Captain!"
The string that had been drawn tight for a month finally slackened.
Yōhei turned almost immediately toward home.
Saori and Kizuna exchanged nods before disappearing into the flow of villagers.
Taichi remained for a moment longer.
He inhaled deeply, the scent of cooking smoke and everyday life filling his lungs.
The fatigue weighed heavier now that tension had faded.
But his eyes sharpened once more.
The mission report.
The final responsibility of a captain.
He turned toward the Hokage Tower.
---
Hokage's Office
When he pushed open the door, he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi buried in a mountain of paperwork.
Border friction had escalated sharply in recent months.
Even the Hokage seemed unable to keep up.
The air in the office was surprisingly clean—
No lingering tobacco smoke.
Which meant he hadn't even had time to smoke.
"Taichi, wait a moment," Hiruzen said without looking up.
"Let me finish this document."
The tone was casual—almost familiar.
Yet it also conveyed the weight of a leader drowning in responsibilities.
Taichi stepped forward quietly and stood at attention.
He waited quietly.
His eyes drifted around the Hokage's office.
Each Hokage had left a slightly different mark on this room.
The Third's office, perhaps because of his age, was filled with photographs from the past.
Pictures of the First Hokage.
The Second Hokage.
More numerous still were photos of Hiruzen in his youth—alongside his teammates… and the Sannin.
Among them—
Taichi spotted a younger Tsunade.
Radiant. Confident. Brimming with vitality.
She had truly been dazzling.
"How is it?" Hiruzen's voice interrupted gently.
"Seeing your teacher's old photo—any thoughts?"
Taichi answered without hesitation:
"Sensei was really beautiful when she was young."
Hiruzen suppressed a laugh.
Who knew what embarrassing memories of Tsunade had surfaced in his mind.
Then Hiruzen's expression dimmed slightly.
"War is coming. I wonder how Tsunade is doing now."
His tone was heavy with concern.
Taichi's heart, however, was cold.
Tsunade-sensei has been gone for so long… and you never once asked me how she was.
And you, Hokage, don't know her situation?
He mocked internally.
Outwardly, he replied calmly:
"In recent correspondence, she seems to be in the Land of Demons. She hasn't expressed any intention to return yet."
Hiruzen's face darkened further.
The village desperately needed manpower.
Yet his own disciple refused to return.
It was a silent blow—both to Konoha and to himself.
Fortunately, Tsunade's current relationship with the village remained classified. Very few knew the full truth.
Hiruzen studied Taichi.
Tsunade had truly chosen well.
Medical ninjutsu inherited flawlessly.
Combat strength equally outstanding.
He thought of Jiraiya's disciple—Namikaze Minato.
The future of Konoha lay in these young hands.
But for now… I can still hold things together. Guide them a few more years.
Taichi, unaware of the Hokage's internal reflections, presented his prepared mission scroll and delivered his report.
Though the ANBU had already informed Hiruzen of the results, hearing it directly still stirred him.
One month.
Thirteen engagements.
Four enemy Jōnin eliminated.
Twenty-six Chūnin killed.
This was the best performance Konoha had achieved since the new year.
Especially the four Jōnin.
That was core military strength.
The Sand Village would feel that loss deeply.
---
Indeed—
When the lone surviving Sand Jōnin returned to base, his account alarmed Sand leadership immediately.
An elite unit, specifically assembled to hunt down Konoha's rear suppression squads—
Had instead been annihilated.
Irony at its finest.
It also explained why Taichi's later operations encountered fewer enemies.
Word had spread.
There was something dangerous in that sector.
So they avoided it.
---
"You've worked hard, Taichi," Hiruzen said solemnly.
"Because of your squad, the Wind Country front has stabilized considerably. We can now redeploy excess forces elsewhere."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. It was my teammates risking their lives."
And that was true.
In this pre-war phase, Sand couldn't escalate further without triggering full conflict.
Remaining infiltrators could now be handled by ANBU and outposts.
Had that elite squad been allowed to rampage in Konoha's rear—
The consequences would have been disastrous.
Their destruction was the squad's true achievement.
After a moment's thought, Hiruzen made a decision.
"Your squad's performance warrants recognition. This mission will be recorded as one S-rank and four A-rank completions."
Taichi's brows lifted.
"An S-rank as well? Thank you, Hokage-sama."
An S-rank plus four A-ranks—
Even split four ways, each member would receive two to three million ryō.
Not insignificant.
But money wasn't the true reward.
The mission record was.
With an S-rank logged, access to higher-tier A-rank ninjutsu became available.
After leaving the Hokage's office, fatigue washed over Taichi.
Missions were exhausting.
Meeting the Hokage was exhausting.
Ever since the White Fang incident, the thin thread connecting him to Hiruzen through Tsunade had grown faint.
Only those who experienced that incident firsthand could grasp its danger.
The Third's handling of it had made one thing clear:
Konoha's future did not lie in the hands of its current leadership.
No wonder Tsunade refused to return.
You couldn't fix Konoha by standing among insects.
In the end—
He could only rely on himself.
But he was still growing.
He would wait.
Wait for his era.
---
As he turned a corner below the Hokage Tower—
He encountered two unexpected figures.
"Jiraiya-sensei. Orochimaru-sama."
Both wore combat gear.
Taichi's gaze briefly lingered on Orochimaru before settling on Jiraiya.
Orochimaru gave a slight nod.
Jiraiya laughed heartily.
"Yo, Taichi! Just back from a mission?"
"Yes, Sensei. Just reported to Hokage-sama. You're heading out?"
Jiraiya slapped his shoulder casually.
"Stopping by to greet the old man. Then we're off to the front."
"So it's reached this stage…"
War.
More deaths.
Taichi suppressed the darker thoughts and smiled.
"Then I wish Sensei and Orochimaru-sama great martial fortune. You're both heading as commanders, I assume?"
Jiraiya laughed proudly.
"You sure know how to talk, kid!"
Orochimaru smiled faintly—confident.
Frontline command meant prestige.
Credentials.
Orochimaru still aspired to the Hokage seat.
Taichi knew how that would end.
But he could only offer silent condolences.
Hiruzen did not relinquish power easily.
Trouble lay ahead.
---
At home at last—
Taichi sealed off outside noise and headed straight to the bath.
One month of wind, blood, and exhaustion.
Only hot water could cleanse it.
He filled the tub.
Removed blood-stiffened clothing.
Submerged.
"Haah…"
Heat enveloped him.
Muscles loosened.
Nerves finally relaxed.
True safety.
A luxury unknown at the border.
Eyes closed—
His attention shifted inward.
To the panel.
---
[Congratulations: Chūnin Profession Level increased to Lv5]
[+1 Attribute Point, +1 Skill Point]
A month of battle had leveled him up.
But the greater harvest lay elsewhere.
Several long-trained techniques had finally reached max level.
[Fire Dragon Flame Bullet Lv10 – Maxed | +1000 Fire Nature Experience]
[Water Wall Lv10 – Maxed | +1000 Water Nature Experience]
[Mystical Palm Technique Lv10 – Maxed | +1000 Yang Nature Experience | +1000 Chakra Control Experience]
Chakra Control had broken into Lv11.
Lv11 (1243/3000)
The difference was tangible.
At least 10% reduced chakra consumption.
At least 10% increased power.
Combined—
His combat endurance and lethality had risen dramatically.
But that wasn't the most important part.
Now—
For the first time—
He felt something else.
A faint, instinctive sense.
The long-awaited Bloodline Limit.
The mastery over chakra felt—
Flexible.
Fluid.
As though merging two elements might actually be possible.
Of course—
Thinking it was easy and actually doing it were two different matters.
But now he had direction.
He couldn't stay in the bath any longer.
He finished quickly and rushed to the training ground.
The Bloodline Limit.
He had waited too long.
---
He activated protective barriers to block observation.
Closed his eyes.
Reviewed his nature transformations:
Fire Nature Lv12
Wind Nature Lv10
Water Nature Lv10
Earth Lv6
Lightning Lv6
Yang Lv9
Yin Lv7
Lower levels were excluded.
Remaining—
Fire, Wind, Water.
Fire + Wind → Scorch Release.
Fire + Water → Boil Release.
Wind + Water → Ice Release.
Scorch and Boil were devastating offensively.
But his Fire Release already rivaled them.
Ice Release—
Balanced offense, defense, and utility.
That—
Was what he truly wanted.
And now—
For the first time—
He would attempt to reach for it.