"Kid! Surprised? What good are all those tricks when you're dead? A ninja is someone who endures!" Takagi, the green-haired Jonin, laughed sinisterly. In the end, he had won.
But a moment later, his laughter died.
Thump.
His hand hit nothing but air. His severely injured body, losing its support, stumbled through the dissipating white smoke and collapsed to the ground.
Takagi struggled to lift his head, his gaze piercing through the fading smoke.
There, standing calmly a few meters away, was Taiichi. He was smiling, his hand glowing with the green light of the Mystical Palm Technique.
"After all that... the clown was me. Clone users... truly have black hearts."
With that final thought, Takagi closed his eyes forever.
Watching the green-haired ninja breathe his last, Taiichi sighed.
As a medical ninja acknowledged by Tsunade, how could he not tell if someone was truly unconscious, faking it, or playing dead? Takagi died because of his own ignorance.
From start to finish, he never bothered to understand his enemy. Blinded by rage and relying solely on his Jonin rank, he charged in without utilizing his subordinates effectively.
A ninja is a high-attack, high-speed, but extremely fragile glass cannon. Even the Third Raikage died when overwhelmed. With that reckless mindset, if Takagi didn't die, who would?
Reflecting on the battle, Taiichi finished healing his injuries enough to restore mobility. The game of wolves hunting a rabbit had ended with the rabbit transforming into a tiger and tearing the wolves apart.
Taiichi retrieved his tanto, strapped it to his back, and found a hiding spot in a large tree overlooking the path they came from. He would wait for the two Chunin while recovering his chakra.
It took longer than expected. When the two Chunin finally pushed through the foliage and arrived at the battlefield, they were stunned by the devastation. Even more terrifying was the sight of Captain Takagi's corpse lying not far away.
In their moment of shock, a figure dropped from the tree above. Using the momentum of gravity, Taiichi smashed one Chunin away with a heavy blow before he could even raise a guard.
Taiichi used the recoil to stabilize himself. Before the second Chunin could react, Taiichi spun and slashed horizontally at his neck.
This ninja was slow on the uptake. He tried to lean back to dodge, but the real Taiichi was far faster and stronger than the Shadow Clone he had fought earlier.
Seeing the dodge, Taiichi didn't stop. He charged forward, retracting his blade slightly to build power. As he closed the distance, he thrust the tanto forward with explosive speed.
The panicked ninja, who had just pulled out his kunai, barely managed to deflect the thrust. The impact knocked him off balance.
Taiichi seized the opening. Using the deflection's force, he twisted his waist and spun, his blade following the momentum in a deadly arc.
Slash.
A clean decapitation.
From the initial ambush to the beheading, only a few seconds had passed. The first Chunin, who had been knocked flying, was just scrambling to his feet.
Seeing his comrade killed instantly by the "kid," the last Chunin's mental defenses shattered. He didn't dare fight. He turned and sprinted into the forest, desperate to escape the monster.
Watching the enemy flee in panic, completely exposing his back without even trying to cover his retreat with a Jutsu, Taiichi shook his head.
Running away like that is just asking to die.
Taiichi calmed his breathing, took a few steps to build speed, and flickered forward. His tanto pierced the ninja's heart easily from behind.
It was almost too easy.
Looking at the carnage, Taiichi finally relaxed. The long night of tracking, infiltration, pursuit, and counter-killing was over. It was the most intense battle of his life. One mistake would have meant death.
But high risk brought high rewards.
> [After an intense battle, Ninja Class EXP +1000]
> [Congratulations. Genin Class Level Up: Lv6 (824/1000)]
> [Attribute Points +1, Skill Points +1]
Name: Taiichi Matsushita
Class: Genin Lv6 (824/1000)
Talents: Hard Worker, Academic Genius, Potent
Age: 8
Constitution: 21 (1/2)
Strength: 20
Agility: 19
Spirit: 24
Chakra: 17,000 (17,200)
Attribute Points: 15
Skill Points: 16
Nature Transformation:
Fire: Lv7 (1081/1200)
Wind: Lv7 (1046/1200)
Water: Lv8 (212/1400)
Earth: Lv1 (82/100)
Lightning: Lv0 (63/100)
Yang: Lv6 (839/1000)
Yin: Lv3 (234/400)
Chakra Shape Transformation: Lv7 (124/1200)
Chakra Control: Lv6 (511/1000)
Skills: Advanced Taijutsu Lv1, Advanced Meditation Lv1, Advanced Kenjutsu Lv1
Derived Skill: Blade Momentum (Guardian)
Evaluation: You seem to have found a fast way to level up. What are you waiting for? "Eternal Genin" isn't a good title.
One battle had pushed him almost two full levels up and replenished the points he spent. His skill proficiencies had also skyrocketed.
But the point distribution confused him. He focused on Constitution.
> [Constitution: 21 (1/2)]
Does it cost two points to raise stats above 20 now? Taiichi cursed internally. Damn Panel needs a manual.
He realized he needed to prioritize his basic training (Advanced Taijutsu/Meditation) again. Fundamental stats were the foundation; without them, everything else was just a castle in the air.
Taiichi cleaned up the scene, sealing the Jonin's corpse into a scroll for intel.
Finished, he headed back. I wonder how Yohei is doing? He looked like he was attending my funeral when he left. Taiichi smiled warmly at the thought.
---
At the site where they separated, the wall of fire had died down to smoldering embers.
Whoosh!
Four figures appeared—Yohei and the rescue team.
Seeing the ashes, Yohei panicked. The fire had hidden Taiichi's trail but also made finding him harder.
Without hesitation, Yohei charged into the smoking debris, activating his Sharingan to find any trace of his friend.
Captain Yamaguchi and the Yuka brothers silently fanned out to help.
"Captain! Over here!" Yohei shouted.
They gathered around him. Yamaguchi inspected the three charred corpses on the ground.
"Two died from Fire Style, one from a blade wound. All Taiichi's work," Yamaguchi deduced quickly.
He scanned the area, reconstructing the battle in his mind. He found the tree where Taiichi had hidden and the tracks leading away.
"This way!" Yamaguchi took the lead, diving into the dense forest.
Now that there were clear tracks, Yamaguchi's tracking skills far surpassed Yohei's.
Yohei followed excitedly. The faster they found Taiichi, the safer he would be.
They tracked the trail to another clearing, discovering the second battle site.
"Who's there?!" Yamaguchi shouted suddenly.
Yohei and the Yuka brothers immediately assumed combat stances, facing the direction Yamaguchi indicated.
Rustle.
"Captain! It's me!"
Taiichi's voice drifted out. For Yohei, it was the sound of salvation. He sprinted forward before Yamaguchi could even speak.
Taiichi stepped out of the bushes. He looked rough—scratches on his face, clothes torn by kunai, his left arm hanging stiffly, and occasionally coughing while holding his chest.
Yohei rushed over, frantically checking him for injuries, his Sharingan spinning wildly to scan for internal damage.
"I'm fine, Yohei. Really," Taiichi said, touched but awkward as Yohei patted him down.
Seeing Yohei's two-tomoe Sharingan, Taiichi felt a surge of emotion. Yohei had evolved his eyes purely out of worry for him. For an 11-year-old Uchiha to awaken the two-tomoe Sharingan this fast... Konoha's higher-ups might take notice.
"Easy, Yohei! Easy! My arm and ribs were just set. Don't break them again!" Taiichi joked.
Yohei froze and pulled his hands back instantly.
Yamaguchi and the brothers approached, looking at Taiichi with awe.
"Taiichi, report. Are you okay?" Yamaguchi asked.
"I'm fine. Just some injuries. The enemy Jonin underestimated me, so I set a trap and killed him. These wounds are his parting gift." Taiichi handed over the scroll. "Here's his corpse. Hopefully, Intel can get something out of it."
Yamaguchi took the scroll, looking at Taiichi with a complex expression. Every mission, this kid takes a massive leap forward. He's practically a Jonin already.
"Good work. Let's head back."
---
Two Hours Later
The remaining enemy Jonin and their subordinates arrived at the scene.
"Find Takagi?"
"No. But we found the corpses of the five Chunin who went with him. He's probably dead too."
"Damn it. I told you not to get involved in Great Village politics. Now we lost a Jonin for nothing."
"Want to back out? You took the deposit. Finish the mission or retire."
"ARGH!" The man punched a tree, snapping it in half.
"Vent all you want. Then let's go report."
---
Outpost No. 7
Team 8 returned to a hero's welcome. Saori burst into tears when she saw Taiichi alive.
In the command tent, Taiichi debriefed Chiba and Yamaguchi. The story of wits, courage, and luck left everyone amazed.
"Taiichi, thank you. Your intel saved us from another ambush," Chiba said sincerely. "I'll make sure the village knows about your exceptional performance."
Team 8 stayed at the outpost for a few more days, running patrols. Perhaps due to the heavy losses inflicted on the bounty hunters, no further attacks came.
When reinforcements arrived, Team 8 was finally relieved.
As they left, Yohei looked back at the outpost with lingering attachment.
"What? Don't want to go home?" Taiichi teased.
"It's not that," Yohei mumbled, blushing under everyone's gaze. "It's just... this is where my eyes evolved. It's a lucky place."
"Lucky? For you, maybe. For everyone else, your crow's beak made it a nightmare," Taiichi laughed.
Saori giggled.
"Alright, enough," Yamaguchi said. "It's normal to feel attached to the place where you fought alongside comrades. You'll get used to it."
"Captain, that doesn't sound very comforting," Yohei grumbled.
The team laughed, a mix of relief and melancholy in the air.
The return trip was peaceful. However, upon arrival, Yamaguchi didn't give them a break. He ordered them to reassemble in two days for another mission and left immediately.
Taiichi, Yohei, and Saori stood there, confused. Why the rush? Is the war heating up?
They speculated but came up with nothing.
Walking home, Taiichi thought about his gains, specifically the One-Handed Seals mastery. He remembered Minato was still researching it.
I should go see Minato-senpai tomorrow. Share what I learned. He helped me get started, after all.