Chapter 86: Gains, What Truly Matters
(Double-Length Chapter)
The next day.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Taichi knocked three times, then withdrew his hand and stood quietly before the door.
"I'm coming!"
A voice came from inside—it was Kushina.
Last time, Minato had gone out to buy groceries while Kushina cooked.
This time, Kushina herself was opening the door.
Wait… has Senior Brother Minato already made his move this early?!
"Seriously, do you ever bring your keys?" Kushina complained as the door opened.
Before she could even see who it was, a shameless greeting came flying in:
"Hello, Sister-in-law! I'm here to see Senior Brother Minato!"
No matter what he was thinking inside, Taichi delivered the sweet talk immediately.
"It's Taichi…" Kushina's face flushed bright red.
"Minato just stepped out for a bit. I'm only watching the house for him."
"Yes, yes, I know!" Taichi nodded earnestly.
"Sister-in-law, you two are completely pure, innocent friends."
He rattled on nonsense without pause, clearly determined to stick with the "sister-in-law" title.
After all—Kushina hadn't actually rejected it, had she?
"Enough! Stop talking and come in already!" Kushina said, flustered, stepping aside to let him in.
See? She said no with her mouth, but her heart was clearly enjoying it.
---
Once inside, Taichi noticed the house was spotlessly clean and neatly arranged.
He himself was someone who liked cleanliness, but Minato's place was on another level.
Whether Minato cleaned it himself or Kushina did—it was hard to say.
"Have a seat, Taichi," Kushina said.
She poured him a glass of water and handed it over.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law," Taichi said quickly, accepting it with both hands.
"So, you're here to see Minato—what's up?" Kushina asked casually as she sat down.
"Yes!" Taichi set down the cup, his expression lighting up.
"Last time, we talked about one-handed hand seals, right? I figured it out during this mission!"
"Oh? You figured it out…" Kushina replied absentmindedly.
A moment later—
"Wait—you figured it out?!"
She finally realized what Taichi meant.
"Yeah," Taichi said happily.
"I came to share my experience with Senior Brother Minato, see if it can help him."
Kushina froze.
She and Minato had been working on this for a long time with little progress—
and now this junior disciple had just… succeeded?
Her gaze toward Taichi changed entirely.
Suddenly, she understood how others had once looked at her when she learned sealing techniques.
That look of staring at a monster—
We're not even the same species.
Seeing Kushina staring blankly, Taichi asked, puzzled,
"Sister-in-law? What's wrong?"
"Ah—nothing, nothing!" Kushina snapped back to reality.
"I just didn't expect you to master it so quickly. That's amazing!"
"It was kind of luck, honestly," Taichi said modestly.
"If I had to do it again, it definitely wouldn't be this fast."
After all, he knew perfectly well—this success came from attribute points, not pure talent.
---
Just then, the sound of a key turning in the door came from outside.
Kushina's face brightened. She stood up and hurried to greet Minato.
As the door opened, she took the grocery bag from his hands.
"Minato, guess who's here?"
"Who?" Minato asked casually, then looked inside—
And immediately smiled.
"Taichi! You're back already? How did the mission go?"
"Senior Brother Minato," Taichi said warmly.
"There were a few twists, but thanks to that, I figured out one-handed seals."
Minato froze.
"…Really? That was fast. Way too fast."
"Maybe it's because of the solid foundation you and Master Jiraiya gave me," Taichi joked.
"Haha—nice one," Minato laughed.
He and Kushina sat down across from Taichi.
"Taichi came specifically to share his experience with us," Kushina explained.
"Oh?" Minato was genuinely moved.
He had taught Taichi initially mostly out of respect for Jiraiya.
Later, he'd grown fond of the kid—but still…
The fact that Taichi came to share his breakthrough immediately after succeeding?
That said a lot.
Minato's warmth toward him deepened.
After some casual chatting, Taichi suggested they discuss one-handed seals together.
Minato and Kushina both understood—Taichi was being considerate of their pride.
And that made them like him even more.
---
The three went out into the courtyard.
Taichi began demonstrating his one-handed seals.
He started with the twelve basic seals.
Compared to two-handed seals, his method was remarkably simple:
The thumb and middle finger formed the base clasp
The index, ring, and little fingers adjusted through varying bends to distinguish the seals
He demonstrated each seal, then used one-handed seals to cast:
Water Release: Water Formation Wall
Fire Release: Flame Bullet
He held nothing back, explaining every insight and detail.
By the end, Taichi's throat was dry—but the gains were worth it.
[Hand Seal Instruction Completed
One-Handed Hand Seal Skill EXP +100]
Taichi smiled inwardly.
Worth every word.
---
Looking at Minato and Kushina—
Kushina shook her head helplessly. She hadn't gained much.
Minato, on the other hand, frowned deeply, his hand unconsciously moving—
fingers flexing, adjusting, experimenting.
Taichi and Kushina stayed silent.
They could both tell—Minato was getting something.
Moments later—
Minato's hand moved in a blur. Three motions completed instantly.
Poof!
A cloud of smoke erupted, and another Minato appeared beside him.
"Minato—you did it?!" Kushina exclaimed.
Taichi stared in admiration.
I cheated with points. He earned this the hard way.
Minato dispelled the clone.
"Not quite," he said thoughtfully.
"I've only managed a three-seal one-handed sequence so far. But now that the foundation is there, the rest won't take long."
This was a zero-to-one breakthrough—and that mattered the most.
Once he fully mastered one-handed seals, Minato's combat style would be fundamentally elevated.
Looking at Taichi, Minato said sincerely:
"Thanks to you, little brother. Without your explanation, I wouldn't have grasped it this fast."
"Haha, that's because your foundation is solid," Taichi replied.
"No amount of explanation would help otherwise."
"You really know how to talk," Minato laughed, gesturing inside.
"Come on—let's continue inside."
---
Back in the house, the atmosphere was even warmer.
"Jiraiya-sensei would definitely regret leaving on a mission if he knew this happened today," Kushina said.
"Yeah," Minato nodded.
"He's always been obsessed with one-handed seals. Missing this—who knows how long he'll have to wait."
Taichi waved it off.
"That's easy. We'll write everything down and give it to him when he comes back. I'm sure Sensei will gain something too."
And with that, the conversation continued—
full of laughter, breakthroughs, and the quiet joy of shared progress.
It was obvious that Minato and Kushina were asking whether today's experience could be shared with Jiraiya.
After all, this method was essentially Taichi's own creation—passing it on required his consent. Neither of them had expected Taichi to be so generous.
But in Taichi's heart, the weight of Jiraiya, Minato, and Kushina far exceeded that of any insight into one-handed hand seals.
Seeing how selfless Taichi was, Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance. After Kushina gave a small nod, Minato spoke:
"Taichi, no matter what, today we owe you a great deal. We also have some new insights of our own—take this. It should be useful to you."
As he spoke, Minato took a storage scroll from his ninja pouch, unsealed it, and handed Taichi a large scroll about a foot long.
Taichi glanced at it—and froze.
Written clearly on the scroll were the words:
"Comprehensive Fundamentals of Sealing Techniques (Annotated Edition)"
"Senior Brother Minato, this is far too valuable. I can't accept it," Taichi said hurriedly, waving his hands.
"Take it."
Minato's expression hardened as he forcefully stuffed the scroll into Taichi's arms. Kushina, watching from the side, smiled brightly.
"Just take it, Taichi," Kushina added gently.
"The sealing techniques inside can all be exchanged from the village with contribution points anyway. The only special thing about this scroll is that Minato and I added our notes and insights, so you don't need to feel pressured."
How could Taichi not understand?
Kushina was deliberately downplaying the value of their annotations.
The techniques themselves might be common, but their personal notes were the real treasure. Otherwise, if sealing techniques were so easy to learn, why were there still so few true sealing masters in Konoha?
"All right then—thank you, Senior Brother and Sister-in-law," Taichi said sincerely.
Seeing him accept the scroll, Minato and Kushina were both genuinely pleased. Having one's goodwill understood and accepted was always gratifying.
The three chatted for a while longer, and it wasn't until noon that Taichi finally took his leave.
Watching Taichi's retreating figure, Minato sighed softly.
"If that kid grows up smoothly… he'll definitely become a great ninja one day."
---
After leaving Minato's house, Taichi headed toward the weapon shop.
Today was the day to pick up the short blade he had commissioned. He should've come a couple of days earlier, but the mission had delayed him.
As he walked, Taichi reflected on today's gains.
He had originally come just to return a favor and strengthen relationships.
He never expected Minato to be so generous—handing him such a valuable gift in return.
It felt like he'd taken advantage again.
But then he thought—that's Senior Brother Minato.
Taking advantage of your senior brother wasn't really taking advantage at all.
---
At the shop entrance, a clerk immediately recognized him—the young ninja who had once seen through the boss's tricks.
"You're here to pick up your blade, right?" the clerk asked enthusiastically.
"You've got a great memory—still remember me after all this time," Taichi replied with a smile, handing over the purchase voucher.
"How could we forget a valued customer like you?"
After checking the voucher, the clerk nodded. "Please wait a moment. I'll fetch your blade."
He disappeared into the back room.
Soon after, he returned carrying an exquisite box. Carefully setting it on the counter, he opened it and reverently took out the short blade.
"Please inspect it. Are you satisfied?"
Taichi accepted the blade, his fingers brushing across the cold metal. The edge gleamed with a chilling light. He flicked it lightly with his finger—hummm—a clear, lingering ring echoed through the air.
The grip fit his hand perfectly. The balance was flawless, with no drag whatsoever.
Then he infused chakra into the blade.
A sensation of unprecedented smoothness flowed back to him. Chakra circulated through the blade without the slightest resistance—clearly, a large amount of chakra-conductive metal had been used in its forging.
Taichi nodded in satisfaction and sheathed the blade. The seamless fit made the corners of his mouth lift slightly.
"This is excellent. I'm very satisfied."
He paid the remaining balance without hesitation, slung the blade over his back, and turned to leave—
Only to see three familiar figures entering the shop.
Kakashi. Obito. Rin.
"Oh! It's Taichi!" Obito spotted him first, excitedly calling out to Kakashi and Rin.
"What a coincidence," Taichi greeted them warmly.
"I ran into you guys when I bought the blade, and now I meet you again when I'm picking it up. Must be fate!"
"Yeah, yeah," Obito nodded enthusiastically. "That really is a coincidence!"
"What are you guys here for?" Taichi asked.
"We ran into Kakashi on the way," Rin explained.
"He was coming to buy ninja tools, so we came along. We were planning to eat together at noon—want to join us, Taichi?"
Kakashi and Obito both looked over expectantly.
Taichi thought for a moment. He had nothing planned, so he smiled.
"Sure. It's been a while since we all got together. Have you decided where to eat? My treat—how about barbecue?"
"Awesome!" Obito agreed instantly.
Rin and Kakashi nodded as well.
After finishing Kakashi's shopping, the four headed straight to a barbecue restaurant.
"Boss, give us a large barbecue set!" Taichi called out.
"Oh, by the way—Kakashi, I heard you're already a chūnin," Taichi said casually.
"What?!"
Obito practically jumped out of his seat, drawing surprised looks from nearby diners.
Rin hurriedly grabbed him and forced him back down.
"Wait—Kakashi, you haven't even graduated that long ago, and you're already a chūnin?" Obito whispered loudly.
Kakashi rolled his eyes.
"…I actually got promoted about half a year ago."
Obito froze completely, the words half a year echoing endlessly in his mind.
Seeing the damage was done, Kakashi continued calmly:
"I was assigned to a veteran team right after graduation, so I started taking real missions immediately—unlike Taichi's rookie team, which could only do D-rank missions at first."
"My mission frequency was higher. Once my records, performance, and strength met the requirements, I passed the assessment."
He said it lightly—but no one doubted the hardship behind it.
Rin, sensing that weight, asked softly, "That must have been really hard, right?"
Kakashi fell silent.
Everyone else understood—there was a story there.
They ate quietly for a while.
After a long pause, Kakashi spoke in a low voice.
"This is my third team."
"What?!" Rin and Obito exclaimed.
Taichi paused briefly, then continued eating.
"The first team lost its captain during a mission and was disbanded."
"The second team lost two members during a mission. It was disbanded too."
Kakashi's voice carried a quiet sorrow.
"All paid for with lives," Taichi said quietly.
Sensing the atmosphere had grown too heavy, Kakashi forced a smile.
"Enough about me. Taichi—how about you? Tell us about your missions."
"Yes, yes!" Rin chimed in. "Let us learn something too."
"Alright," Taichi said.
"I'll talk about my most recent mission."
He shared the parts he could—focusing on the intense and thrilling moments.
They listened intently. Obito constantly chimed in, saying what he would've done.
When Taichi described staying behind alone so the intelligence could be delivered safely, Obito launched into another passionate speech.
"Taichi did the right thing! Missions come first! A ninja's duty is to complete the mission—otherwise, what kind of ninja are you?"
Taichi suddenly interrupted him.
"Then what if it were Rin?"
"If Rin were the one staying behind—or more extremely, if Rin's life conflicted with mission success… Obito, which comes first?"
Obito froze.
So did Rin.
So did Kakashi.
The question hung in the air—heavy, unavoidable.
---