Chapter 27 – The Final Sparring Session and Growth Over the Holiday
Jiraiya was, without question, a great teacher. He had the rare ability to tailor his guidance to the unique strengths of each student, helping them draw out their full potential. That's why all of his disciples went on to achieve extraordinary things—whether it was Konoha's Minato Namikaze, or Amegakure's Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.
For the past half month, Taichi Matsushita had made it a habit to seek Jiraiya out every afternoon for training—sometimes practicing together until dusk. For Taichi, this was not only a rare opportunity for rapid growth, but also the forging of a deep bond. Although Jiraiya never officially accepted him as a disciple, in Taichi's heart, he already regarded the man as his true master.
Tsunade, too, had taught him—though far less responsibly. She had barely trained him for a few days before vanishing without a trace. Still, Taichi would never forget the effort and kindness she had shown him in that short time.
Today was the final day of summer break. In the morning, Taichi had already wrapped up his work at the hospital, handing over his responsibilities to Director Biwako and Fujita, and collecting his pay for the past few months. It wasn't much, but it was the first money he had ever earned through his own efforts, and that alone filled him with pride.
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That afternoon, at Training Ground 11—
The shrill chorus of cicadas mixed with the oppressive summer heat, rolling over the riverbank. Standing on the pebbled shore, sweat dripped from Taichi's jaw, sizzling into faint wisps of steam upon the scorching rocks. Across the river, Jiraiya sat cross-legged on a tree stump, lazily tossing three shuriken in one hand, their cold metallic glint flashing between his fingers.
"This will be our final real-combat lesson. Show me how much you've grown over the past half month."
With a sudden flick of his wrist, the shuriken whistled through the air, slicing apart the heat. Taichi leaned back to evade, and in the same instant his short blade cleared its sheath, striking the remaining two projectiles in a shower of sparks.
The blade sang sharply as it cut the air, his figure blurring into afterimages over the water. A faint blue glow shimmered along the chakra-hardened edge. Jiraiya, caught mid-hand sign, paused—Taichi was already closing in far too quickly. The Sannin drew a kunai from his pouch to meet the strike.
Clang!
Steel locked against steel, the force of the clash whipping Jiraiya's headband askew. He stepped back into the river, the ripples barely spreading before Taichi finished his last seal.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A roaring gust, thick with sand from the riverbank, surged forward. Jiraiya squinted against the storm, but his pupils contracted sharply when he saw flashes of silver within the grit—thin, invisible wind blades riding the gale. Half a month ago, Taichi's Great Breakthrough was nothing more than raw wind force; at worst, it would blow someone away. But now, hidden within, were cutting edges that could tear flesh open.
Jiraiya chose not to take it head-on. He leapt back, swiftly formed seals, and slammed a palm to the water's surface.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A wall of water rose, only to shatter under the wind blades into a thousand glittering droplets, refracting rainbow light.
"Fire Release: Flame Dragon Bullet!"
The boy's voice rang out from behind the water curtain. A crimson streak burst through the rainbow spray, swelling mid-flight into a three-meter-long dragon of fire. Jiraiya arched back to evade, the smell of singed hair brushing his nose. Supporting himself with one hand on the ground, he swung his chakra-charged right leg in a sweeping kick toward Taichi's midsection.
Splash!
Water exploded as Taichi's figure was sent flying—only to vanish into a puff of smoke, replaced by a wooden log. Jiraiya turned, but a sharp whistle from above triggered his instincts.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Stone rose just in time, but wind blade-laced shuriken sheared away half of it.
"Good timing… but—"
Before he could finish, the river beneath his feet began to boil. Jiraiya sprang upward just as a two-meter-wide water cyclone erupted, swallowing him whole.
Kneeling in the river, Taichi's hands trembled as he maintained the Ram seal—this was a modified application of the Water Formation Wall, lifting the water from beneath an opponent rather than in front, catching them off-guard.
The cyclone burst apart, leaving a soaked Jiraiya standing on the rocky shore. Shaking water from his white hair, he looked at the boy still kneeling in the shallows, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun. The soaked fabric of Taichi's ninja garb clung to his thin frame, his chakra flow ragged yet still being forced into shape.
"That last Water Formation Wall…" Jiraiya wiped water from his face. "Not in the scrolls."
He noticed Taichi's pale lips—the sign of chakra exhaustion. Yet the scale and precision of that water cyclone far exceeded what most chūnin could manage.
Leaning on his sword for support, Taichi caught his breath. "You said Water Release should adapt to the environment…"
He didn't finish. Three shuriken, each bound with an explosive tag, landed in a triangle around him.
Boom!
Flames roared upward, engulfing his silhouette—only to reveal, when the smoke cleared, a dome of pale-blue water protecting him like an inverted bowl. Ripples shimmered across its surface as his trembling fingers maintained the seal. Still, he managed a grin.
"Yesterday… when you were eating your fifth bowl of tonkotsu ramen… cough… you said in real combat, anything can happen…"
Jiraiya burst into laughter, startling the birds from the nearby trees. He stepped up to the boy slumped in the shallows, casting a long shadow over his pale face.
"Chakra bottomed out, yet you still hold the Water Formation Wall?" A rough hand ruffled Taichi's wet hair. "Still… the way you turn a defensive technique into a trap—adaptability like that is worth more than the jutsu itself."
The forest on the training field's edge filled with the calls of returning birds as dusk settled in. Jiraiya pulled out his frog-shaped wallet, letting three discount coupons drift down into Taichi's lap with a faint chakra hum.
"As your graduation gift, tonight I'm buying you double char siu." He started toward the village, the sunset casting his tall shadow over the boy. "And when you see Tsunade… tell her the trouble she tossed my way—" his white hair fluttered in the evening breeze—"turned out to be a surprise."
"Jiraiya-sensei! You're leaving?" Taichi called after him.
"Got a mission. Been putting it off for half a month—if I wait any longer, someone's gonna get mad." His voice faded into the wind.
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After parting ways with Jiraiya, Taichi made his way alone to Ichiraku Ramen, handing the owner one of the coupons. Before long, a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen was placed before him.
As he looked at the heaping bowl, a pang of loneliness hit him. Just days ago, there had always been a boisterous, sharp-tongued man sitting beside him. Now, it was just him.
He finished the ramen quickly, then straightened his mood and headed home. He was eager to sum up everything he'd gained this summer—something he could hardly wait to do.
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At home, Taichi stared at his newly updated attribute panel, a sense of accomplishment swelling in his chest.
Name: Taichi Matsushita
Profession: Ninja Apprentice Lv.8 (1024/1400)
Talent: Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent, Scholar
Age: 6
Constitution: 15
Strength: 17
Agility: 15
Spirit: 20
Chakra: 5000 (5800)
Attribute Points: 10
Skill Points: 11
Elemental Affinity:
Fire Nature Transformation Lv.3 (356/400)
Wind Nature Transformation Lv.3 (373/400)
Water Nature Transformation Lv.3 (173/400)
Yang Nature Transformation Lv.4 (537/600)
Skills:
Basic Taijutsu Lv.10 (463/2000)
Basic Meditation Lv.10 (634/2000)
Chakra Refinement Lv.10 (944/2000)
Ninja Tool Throwing Lv.9 (345/1600)
Body Split Technique Lv.9 (12/1600)
Hatake Swordsmanship Lv.7 (53/1200)
Ninjutsu:
Fire Release: Fire Bullet Lv.8 (356/1400), Phoenix Fire Lv.9 (124/1600), Fire Dragon Bullet Lv.4 (302/600)
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Lv.8 (36/1400), Gale Palm Lv.4 (352/600)
Water Release: Water Formation Wall Lv.4 (257/600)
Medical Ninjutsu: Healing Technique Lv.10 (1467/2000), Mystical Palm Technique Lv.6 (935/1000), Delicate Illness Extraction Lv.6 (467/1000), Chakra Scalpel Lv.5 (312/800)
Evaluation: As a normal human, your lack of chakra is your fatal weakness.
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Thanks to rigorous training over the summer, Taichi's physical attributes had all increased—agility had risen by 2 points. With just his physical stats alone, he had reached the level of a standard genin. On top of that, his constitution and spirit were still far above average.
The most remarkable progress, however, was in his skills. Several had reached Lv.10, and observing the massive leap in experience points required at this level, Taichi estimated that reaching max level would yield unexpected bonuses on his panel.
The only thing slightly frustrating, as the evaluation pointed out, was his chakra. While the assessment was blunt, it was also painfully accurate—Taichi simply didn't have enough chakra. At present, his 5000 points barely qualified him for the entry-level chakra capacity of a chūnin. Considering that a basic C-rank jutsu costs roughly 500 points and a B-rank jutsu around 1000, he could currently cast about ten Fire Bullets or five Fire Dragon Bullets.
This calculation assumed the simplest usage. If he attempted more complex techniques—extending duration or increasing power—the number of jutsu he could perform would drop further.
According to Jiraiya, ninja experience rapid chakra growth only after turning ten, coinciding with physical development. This growth follows a parabolic trajectory spanning a typical ninja's ages of 10 to 35, while earlier years are purely for laying the foundation.
He advised Taichi not to stress over chakra quantity. For his age, Taichi's chakra reserves were already exceptional. Over-refining chakra would harm his physical potential.
Taichi understood Jiraiya's caution and promised not to overstrain himself. Yet whenever he thought of those with massive chakra reserves, envy inevitably bubbled up. At that moment, Taichi made a firm decision: in the future, he would deeply study chakra nature transformation and strive to synthesize his own Kekkei Genkai, ultimately breaking through the limits of his chakra.
Overall, though, Taichi knew this version of himself could easily outmatch the pre-summer Taichi. Facing two or even three opponents at once would be no problem at all.
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