Life returned to its peaceful rhythm. Although Taiichi wanted another real battle with a ninja, the current Konoha didn't exactly offer such opportunities on a platter. Taiichi's life settled back into the routine he had planned: internship at the Konoha Hospital in the morning, Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu training in the afternoon, and Basic Taijutsu and Basic Meditation at home in the evening.
His schedule was packed almost every day. Sometimes, he would run into Gai or Rin and Obito on the road, and they would agree to train together. During these sessions, he asked about the other classmates. According to Obito, they were all being held captive at home by their clans for special training. Apparently, Taiichi had provoked them—losing to the Uchiha or Hyuga was one thing, but now they were lagging behind a civilian ninja.
Hearing this, Taiichi could only chuckle. It must be nice to be a clan kid; if your grades are bad, the family steps in to tutor you.
In one month, Taiichi had made tremendous progress. If he encountered that spy again today, he dared to say that while he couldn't guarantee a solo victory, he could definitely stall the spy without getting injured himself. Just look at his current stats.
> Name: Taiichi Matsushita
> Class: Apprentice Ninja Lv8 (123/1200)
> Talents: Diligence, Academic Genius
> Age: 6
> Constitution: 14
> Strength: 16
> Agility: 13
> Spirit: 20
> Chakra: 4000 (5500)
> Attribute Points: 10
> Skill Points: 11
> Nature Transformation:
> Fire Nature Transformation Lv2 (156/200)
> Wind Nature Transformation Lv2 (110/200)
> Yang Nature Transformation Lv3 (53/400)
> Skills: Basic Taijutsu Lv9 (1114/1600), Basic Meditation Lv9 (1023/1600), Chakra Refining Technique Lv9 (1075/1600), Ninja Tool Throwing Lv8 (123/1400), Three Basic Jutsu Lv8 (162/1400), Fire Style: Flame Bullet Lv7 (263/1200), Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu Lv8 (243/1400), Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Lv7 (120/1200), Healing Jutsu Lv9 (463/1600), Hatake Style Kenjutsu Lv5 (243/800), Mystical Palm Jutsu Lv5 (258/800), Delicate Illness Extraction Technique Lv3 (142/400)
> Evaluation: You have escaped the fate of cannon fodder. But take note: on the battlefield, you are still just a small bug.
His Class Level increased by one, and everything else progressed steadily. The biggest improvement was in medical ninjutsu. Based on Taiichi's current level, if you ignored his age, people would believe he was a Medical Chunin. This was why Taiichi was getting along so well at the Konoha Hospital. Not only was he a sweet-talking kid, but he was genuinely helpful. Any normal person would like him.
Just today, while Taiichi was restocking medical supplies in the morning, a nurse stopped him. A child had been injured and brought in by friends. All the other doctors were busy and couldn't spare a moment, so Taiichi had to step in.
The smell of disinfectant filled the corridor as Taiichi followed the nurse briskly toward the treatment room, his white coat fluttering in the draft. The moment he pushed the door open, he saw silver hair flash in the sunlight, and Obito's signature goggles still had grass clippings stuck to them.
"How is it you guys?" Taiichi's gaze fell on Rin's rolled-up pant leg. Three claw marks wound from her knee to her ankle, blood beads seeping from the torn flesh. Obito was squatting in the corner, clutching his hair, his goggles hanging askew around his neck. "It's all my fault for chasing that squirrel..."
Kakashi suddenly reached out and pressed down on Obito's head, his voice muffled under the mask. "It was my fault. I didn't pay attention to the movement in the bushes." Rin forced a smile on her pale face, reaching for the gauze on the table. "It just looks scary, actually... hiss..." Her sharp intake of breath made both boys freeze.
"Nobody move." Taiichi pulled a pair of rubber gloves from the cart. The sound of metal instruments clinking made the three straighten their backs instinctively. As he knelt on one knee to examine the wound, Obito noticed the internship badge reflecting light on his chest.
"You actually work at the hospital?!" Obito's exclamation nearly knocked over the alcohol bottle. Kakashi's gaze swept over Taiichi's fingers as he skillfully cut the gauze, then suddenly spoke: "There's sand in the wound."
Sunlight filtered through the frosted glass, dappling the treatment bed. Taiichi held the tweezers, picking up a cotton ball. "Rin, this might hurt a bit." As the alcohol touched the wound, Rin gripped the sheets tightly. Obito immediately offered his own arm: "Bite me if you want!"
"Idiot, you'll get in the way." Kakashi held Obito's shoulder down but kept his eyes glued to Taiichi's hands. The iodine-soaked cotton ball drew concentric circles around the wound; the young doctor's wrist was as steady as if he were forming hand seals.
"Wildcat-type ninja beast?" Taiichi rotated Rin's lower leg. The three claw marks had an unnatural bluish-purple hue under the sunlight. Kakashi nodded. "Poisoned claws?"
"Just ordinary inflammation." Taiichi pulled a pale green ointment from the bottom shelf of the cart. "Big Sister Nono taught me to identify two hundred kinds of beast poisons." The coolness of the ointment on her skin made Rin relax. Obito's nose was almost touching Taiichi's working hands. "Your technique is more professional than the Medical Corps!"
The cart's wheels suddenly screeched as Director Fujita appeared at the door holding a clipboard. "Taiichi, Bed 3 needs..." Her voice cut off abruptly as her gaze swept over the three children in Ninja Academy uniforms. "Come get new suture threads when you're done."
The moment the door closed, Obito jumped up. "That was the Director of Trauma, right? My uncle said she's scolded Chunin to tears!" Kakashi's pupils dilated slightly—recognition from a medical squad leader carried far more weight than exam scores.
"Starting treatment." Taiichi's hands glowed with emerald green Chakra. The blood beads seeping from Rin's wound suddenly suspended in the air. Obito gaped as the torn flesh seemed to be smoothed out by invisible hands, while Kakashi subconsciously clenched his fists.
As the Chakra light faded, Rin tentatively bent and extended her knee. "It doesn't hurt at all!" The moment she jumped off the bed, Obito's red-rimmed eyes finally overflowed with tears. "That's great..."
"Change the dressing twice a day." Taiichi tore open a sterile dressing package. "No strenuous exercise for three days." As he lowered his head to write the medical instructions, Kakashi suddenly asked, "When did you learn the Mystical Palm Jutsu?"
"Not long after break started." Taiichi took some fruit candy from his lab coat pocket and shared it with everyone. "An ANBU uncle was burned by explosive tags. Director Fujita let me try reconnecting the nerves." Obito's hand holding the candy wrapper trembled, and Rin noticed a faint burn scar on Taiichi's right index finger.
The lunch break bell rang outside the window, the scent of rice balls mixing into the disinfectant smell. Taiichi asked while cleaning up the instruments, "Want to try the miso soup from the hospital cafeteria?" Obito was about to nod when his stomach growled loudly first.
As the four squeezed onto a bench in the staff break room, sunlight shone directly on the internship badge on Taiichi's chest. Kakashi stared at the pickled plum in his bento box. "The Medical Corps allows students to intern?"
"Lady Tsunade recommended me," Taiichi said, breaking apart disposable chopsticks. "Special approval from the Lord Hokage." Obito choked on his rice ball, and Rin hurriedly handed him barley tea. Through the steam rising from the glass, Taiichi recounted his experience going on an emergency call with the first aid squad at 4:00 AM.
"Last week, an old lady had an asthma attack. I ran seven blocks carrying an oxygen tank." Taiichi pointed to his bruised knee. "More tiring than special Taijutsu training." Rin suddenly reached out and poked his arm. "There's still some iodine here you didn't wipe off."
Kakashi silently placed the fried shrimp from his bento into Taiichi's bowl—a way of saying thanks he learned from his father's lunches. Obito rummaged through all his pockets and finally pulled out a treasured ninja card. "This is for you! It's a rare First Hokage card!"
When the afternoon cicadas began chirping through the screen window, Director Fujita's footsteps echoed in the hallway. The three kids scrambled to pack up their lunch boxes. Rin stuffed the last piece of pickled radish into Taiichi's mouth. Obito grabbed the doorframe, looked back, and shouted, "We're doing special training on the back mountain next week! You have to come!"
Sunlight slanted into the empty treatment room. Taiichi bent down to pick up the goggles Obito had dropped. The indicator light on the sterilizer turned from red to green, and the instruments in the metal tray gleamed coldly. He suddenly remembered how clumsy he had been the first time he helped Nono bandage a wound.
Cloud shadows swept across the hospital's outer wall. Taiichi adjusted his crooked internship badge in the reflection of the glass window. The wind lifted the hem of his white coat, revealing the short sword tucked at his waist.
Ever since the spy incident revealed his shortcomings in Kenjutsu, Taiichi would find a place to practice drawing his sword whenever he had a spare moment, even at the hospital.