Ninja Academy, Classroom.
As soon as Taiichi scanned the room upon entering, he spotted Kakashi and Obito locked in their usual competition, with a helpless-looking Rin standing by their side.
Taiichi found it amusing. Kakashi maintained his cool, aloof demeanor with everyone else; if you didn't initiate a conversation, he might not say a word all day. But with Obito, it was like they were born to be arch-enemies. Obito would take every opportunity to jab at Kakashi, and Kakashi, in turn, could make Obito explode with anger using just a single sentence.
Thinking this, Taiichi approached the trio. The bickering duo hadn't noticed him yet, but Rin Nohara spotted him first.
Seeing Taiichi walking toward them, she asked, "Taiichi? Do you need something?"
"Hey Rin. I'm looking for Kakashi, but it seems he's too busy to pay attention to me right now," Taiichi laughed, looking at Kakashi.
Rin covered her mouth and giggled.
At that moment, Kakashi noticed Taiichi. Knowing why Taiichi was there, he instantly switched from "Combat Mode" back to his cool persona. Seeing the sudden shift, Taiichi couldn't help but laugh again, recalling his earlier thoughts.
"Sorry, I just thought of something funny." Realizing his rudeness, Taiichi apologized immediately.
Kakashi was baffled by the laughter but didn't suspect anything else. He pulled a scroll from the ninja tool pouch strapped to his leg and handed it to Taiichi.
Taiichi took the scroll without thinking much, but upon glancing at it, shock washed over his face. Did Kakashi sneak this out?
Kakashi seemed to read Taiichi's mind. "Don't overthink it. My father personally asked me to give this to you." He then relayed his father's words about "people being the foundation" to Taiichi.
Hearing this, Taiichi felt a surge of respect. As expected of the man who would abandon a mission to save his comrades. In Sakumo's heart, people truly were the most important thing. This was a massive favor Taiichi owed now. How was he ever going to repay it? Thinking of the future "White Fang Suicide Incident," Taiichi wondered if he could change anything. Could he help the White Fang avoid that tragic ending?
"Taiichi, what are you thinking about? You're spacing out," Kakashi asked, seeing Taiichi silent for a long time.
"Oh, I was just thinking that I must not fail Senior Sakumo's expectations. Kakashi, after training today, come with me to buy a sword. I could use your advice." Taiichi put aside his thoughts for now. The White Fang incident was still expected to be three years away; it was too early to worry about it. For now, he needed to get stronger. Otherwise, when the time came, he wouldn't even have the ability to help.
"Sure, I can give you some advice on that," Kakashi agreed readily.
"Hey, Taiichi! You're learning Kenjutsu? Our Uchiha style Kenjutsu is famous in the ninja world!" Obito chimed in, listening to their conversation.
"Idiot. Can you teach your Uchiha sword techniques to outsiders?" Kakashi couldn't help but retort.
"Argh! Stuck-up Kakashi! Who are you calling an idiot?!" Obito realized his suggestion was unrealistic and used the insult as an excuse to change the subject.
"Whoever asks is the idiot." Kakashi showed no mercy.
That sent Obito into a rage, completely forgetting anyone else was there as he started fighting with Kakashi again.
Taiichi watched helplessly from the side. What a comedy duo.
"Rin, I'm heading off. Class is about to start," Taiichi said to Rin Nohara.
"Okay."
...
A peaceful day passed.
During breaks, Taiichi skimmed through the scroll. It was indeed a comprehensive guide to basic Kenjutsu, emphasizing speed, precision, and lethality—perfectly matching the characteristics of the White Fang's style. As far as basic Kenjutsu went, there probably wasn't a better scroll in the entire Leaf Village.
> [You read Hatake Style Basic Kenjutsu. Your comprehension has improved.]
> [You learned Hatake Style Kenjutsu Lv0 (1/10)]
> [You focused on learning Hatake Style Kenjutsu. Apprentice Ninja Class Experience +1]
Seeing the notification on the panel, Taiichi felt the pressure mount. Another skill that required constant practice. It was a painful kind of happiness.
...
Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage, engrossed in his peeping, was startled by a sudden Bang! and hurriedly hid his crystal ball under the desk.
Walking into the office, Tsunade saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's guilty movements and knew exactly what he was up to. She curled her lip in disdain. If it had been Jiraiya, she would have already sent him flying with a punch.
"I say, Tsunade, you should at least show some respect for your teacher. I am the Hokage, after all," Hiruzen said helplessly. Honestly, he felt guilty toward his student. The deaths of Nawaki and Dan still had many suspicious points. It wasn't that the village didn't want to investigate, but that they didn't dare to.
This had led to the current situation where Tsunade was civil but distant, and Jiraiya had left the village for three years under the pretext of gathering intel.
Both he and Tsunade knew in their hearts that Danzo was likely involved, but what could be done? He couldn't bring himself to deal with Danzo. It wasn't just personal feelings; it was also a matter of Konoha's political structure.
He didn't possess the overwhelming power and prestige of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, or the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. He couldn't suppress the entire village with personal ability alone. He had to rely on a system of checks and balances to secure his position in the early days. Now, changing it would require major surgery, and he simply couldn't make up his mind to do it.
Tsunade didn't waste words with him. She directly pulled out an internship certificate for Hiruzen to sign. She naturally couldn't let Taiichi go to the Konoha Hospital as just a random helper—that would be embarrassing for her. She had to get him an official position. Hence, this internship certificate, the kind that came with a salary.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took the document, glanced at it, and asked in surprise, "Are you planning to take a disciple?"
It wasn't strange for Hiruzen to think that. Who would go to the trouble of bringing a request like this to the Hokage for someone they weren't related to?
"I don't have that intention. In my current state, what could I teach him?" Tsunade said helplessly, thinking of her hemophobia.
"He's a talent worth molding. I've tested him. His medical ninjutsu and knowledge are solid. What he lacks now is practice. Sending him to the hospital for training will help him improve even more."
Hearing this, Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly, and he stopped asking questions.
"Since you've tested him, I won't say more. Taiichi Matsushita is indeed a good child; I've been watching him for a while too. Have him report to Biwako at the hospital later."
Although Tsunade claimed she wasn't taking a disciple, seeing her run errands for Taiichi proved their relationship wasn't shallow. After all, she was the one who introduced the miracle drug.
As long as Tsunade was willing to do things and form bonds with people in the village, rather than haunting gambling dens or getting drunk all day, Hiruzen was happy. In the end, this was also a teacher trying to make it up to his student.
Tsunade took the signed certificate without another word and turned to leave the Hokage's office.
Once outside, she looked at the certificate in her hand. "I don't eat your food for free. Now that I got this for you, let's see how you thank me." Thinking this, she tucked the certificate into her robe.
...
Konoha's Small Woods.
After school, the trio gathered again for training.
Gai was punching a large tree on one side. The tree trembled with every strike. He shouted the count for every punch, currently at 583.
"Today I will punch 2,000 times! If I fail, I will run 5 laps around Konoha!" His passionate shouts never ceased.
On the other side, Kakashi was teaching Taiichi basic Kenjutsu.
Kakashi held his short sword, standing on a blue stone. The light reflecting off the blade danced across Taiichi's tense fingertips. Taiichi was gripping the hilt in an awkward posture, sweat dripping from his chin onto the handguard. The sword in his hand was a practice blade Kakashi had brought from home.
"The web of your thumb and index finger needs to lock against the tsuba (guard). Press your thumb here." Kakashi's kunai handle suddenly tapped Taiichi's white-knuckled fingers. "Gripping too tight kills flexibility; too loose and the enemy will knock it away." Taiichi adjusted his grip as if electrocuted, finding that the diamond pattern on the hilt fit the curve of his fingers perfectly. In the distance, the thumping of Gai hitting the tree trunk wove a unique rhythm with the sound of the blade slicing through the wind.
"Now try a diagonal slash." Kakashi took three steps back. As Taiichi swung the blade, the silver-haired boy suddenly threw three shuriken. The moment the blade clashed with the projectiles, Taiichi felt his hand go numb—but the adjusted grip distributed the impact evenly across his palm.
As dusk deepened, Kakashi picked up a branch and drew in the dirt. "There are seven variations of gripping in Hatake Style Kenjutsu. This is the foundation of foundations." The lines in the dirt gradually formed a figure holding a sword. "Remember, the sword is an extension of your limb. Your center of gravity when holding the sword should flow as naturally as your breath."
With Kakashi's guidance, the panel notifications kept popping up.
> [You practiced Hatake Style Kenjutsu. Your comprehension has improved.]
> [Your skill Hatake Style Kenjutsu has leveled up. Experience +1]
> [Congratulations, your skill Hatake Style Kenjutsu has reached Lv1 (0/100)]
> [You focused on Hatake Style Kenjutsu practice. Apprentice Ninja Class Experience +1]
With the skill level up, a wave of understanding about Hatake Style Kenjutsu integrated into Taiichi's body.
Taiichi stared at the red marks pressed into his palm by the hilt, then suddenly flipped his wrist, twirling the sword in a flourish. A flash of surprise passed through Kakashi's eyes. That move was something one usually wouldn't touch until three weeks of practice, yet Taiichi had grasped it on his own through his understanding of the center of gravity. The evening breeze swept up the fallen maple leaves, and the afterimages of the two long swords gradually merged amidst the flying red leaves.