Chapter 127 — Growth in Strength
After clearing the battlefield, Captain Yamaguchi reorganized the patrol rotations.
This battle had wiped out most of the Sand Village ninja involved. Aside from a single puppet master who escaped, the enemy force had been effectively neutralized. As a result, the burden of the remaining guard duty became significantly lighter for Team Eight.
As expected, over the following five days, neither Sand Village ninja nor the usual bounty hunters appeared again.
All the way until February 15th, the mining area remained completely peaceful.
That evening, a messenger from the Tokugawa family finally arrived at the mine, informing Tokugawa Saku and Team Eight that they could return to the estate.
However, the man's expression held none of the joy one would expect from having secured the mining rights. That alone cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.
Upon returning to Matsudaira Castle, Tokugawa Yasuharu was still warm and hospitable. He clasped Captain Yamaguchi's hand enthusiastically and personally led the team into the banquet hall, showering them with praise along the way.
After all, he had been receiving daily reports from Tokugawa Saku and knew exactly how well the mission had been carried out.
More than twenty enemy ninja had been killed—among them a Sand Village jōnin. That level of contribution far exceeded what their mission payment covered.
Yet despite the constant compliments at the banquet, the smiles around the table were forced at best.
Finally, Captain Yamaguchi voiced the question weighing on everyone's mind.
"Lord Tokugawa… did something go wrong with the mining rights? We guarded the mine exceptionally well during this period."
Tokugawa Yasuharu paused, chopsticks suspended midair. After a long silence, he let out a weary sigh.
"So you noticed after all…"
He drained his cup in one go, then poured himself another before continuing.
"This has nothing to do with your team. You performed flawlessly—Tokugawa Saku reported everything in detail."
He took another drink, his expression darkening.
"This morning, the city lord's office issued a new decree. The bidding for the mining rights has been postponed—by two months. Until then, the Tokugawa family will continue operating the mine."
The members of Team Eight exchanged glances.
This was blatant favoritism toward the Kawada family. Even a fixed bidding date could be delayed at will.
"We paid dearly to learn the truth," Tokugawa Yasuharu said bitterly. "It was the second prince behind the Kawada family who pressured the city lord into postponing the auction."
Only then did the full picture emerge.
The daimyō of the Land of Rivers had long been bedridden, and rumors said his death was imminent. His two sons were now locked in a vicious struggle for succession.
The Tokugawa family supported the eldest prince, who—like the old daimyō—maintained close ties with the Land of Fire. By all rights, he should have been the natural successor.
But the second prince had gained the backing of Sand Village and entered the contest as well.
At present, the second prince held the upper hand.
As a result, the nobles of the Land of Rivers began hedging their bets, shifting allegiances. The lord of Matsudaira City was one of those who had already started leaning toward the second prince.
After hearing the full explanation, Taichi and the others finally understood the situation.
Unfortunately, this political struggle lay far beyond Team Eight's mission scope.
All they could do… was acknowledge it—and step aside.
Captain Yamaguchi also stated that he would report the situation to the Hokage. As for how it would be handled afterward, that would be a decision for the village's higher-ups.
Once the banquet concluded, the Tokugawa family head deliberately added an extra sum to the mission payment as compensation for the unforeseen developments.
Because the mission had ultimately involved matters affecting Konoha itself, the team did not linger after completing the final confirmation procedures. They immediately set out for home.
Without civilians slowing them down, ninja travel was exceptionally fast. In just three days, Team Eight returned to Konoha.
After disbanding the team, Captain Yamaguchi went alone to report the mission's complications to the Hokage, while Taichi and the other two returned to their respective homes.
This had been a long-term garrison mission—constant harassment, little rest, and finally a forced overnight march due to intelligence concerns. Everyone was utterly exhausted.
Back in his new home, Taichi took a long, hot bath, washing away the fatigue from both body and mind. Then he lay comfortably on his bed and reviewed the gains from this mission.
[Congratulations! Your Genin Profession Level has increased to Lv.10 (0/2000)]
[Attribute Points +1, Skill Points +1]
[Fire Attribute Nature Transformation Lv.10 (1562/2000)]
At this pace, there was no doubt he would accumulate the required 2,000 experience points before this year's Chūnin Exams. As long as he passed the village's assessment, both his official ninja rank and his system rank would advance together.
This year.
He would finally stop being a genin.
His eyes drifted to the final line on the panel.
[Evaluation: Being a genin makes you "proud"… but how long do you plan to stay that way? Don't tell me you want to be an Eternal Genin?]
"Proud… my ass."
Taichi's eye twitched.
What kind of nonsense evaluation was that? The system was clearly dissatisfied with him now—openly mocking him with that "eternal genin" jab.
He shut the panel with a thought. Out of sight, out of mind.
Then his attention turned to his Fire Nature Transformation. With only a little over four hundred points left until the cap, he had a strong intuition that something special awaited him beyond Lv.10.
That anticipation filled him with quiet excitement.
Before long, Taichi closed his eyes and sank into deep, dreamless sleep.
---
Earlier that day, after Captain Yamaguchi finished his report—
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the mission scroll on his desk and sighed inwardly. What was bound to happen had arrived. The New Year had barely passed, and Sunagakure was already making aggressive moves.
"Summon Danzō Shimura, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura," Hiruzen said quietly.
"Yes."
From the shadows of the office, an ANBU operative appeared, acknowledged the order, and vanished with a soft poof.
Half an hour later, Danzō, Koharu, and Homura arrived one after another. Konoha's top four leadership figures gathered, and the meeting began.
"Take a look," Hiruzen said, handing the mission scroll to Koharu.
After the three elders finished reading, the scroll returned to Hiruzen's hands.
Silence filled the office. Only the faint tap-tap of Hiruzen's pipe could be heard as smoke slowly curled around him, obscuring his face.
At length, his voice emerged from the haze.
"Why did Root fail to provide early warning about the Land of Rivers' daimyō falling critically ill? I only learned of this after a field team brought back intelligence.
"Now the second prince has seized the upper hand with Sunagakure's backing. This is extremely unfavorable for Konoha."
Danzō leaned on his cane, his single eye flashing coldly.
Again it was Team Eight. Somehow, every time the old monkey made a move, those brats were involved.
Damn Matsushita Taichi. Damn Uchiha Yōhei.
Suppressing his irritation, Danzō answered in a low voice, "Root did acquire intelligence regarding the daimyō's condition. However, the eldest prince deliberately kept his distance from Konoha and refused contact.
"This was not an intelligence failure—it was intentional on his part."
Koharu frowned. "Even so, the Land of Rivers is a vital buffer state. We cannot allow it to fall entirely into Sunagakure's hands. The eldest prince's actions are… unwise."
Homura adjusted his glasses. "The problem is that overt intervention would alarm the River Country's nobility. What we need now is subtlety."
Danzō snorted. "Sunagakure is openly supporting the second prince. What are we hesitating for? Root should act immediately—support the eldest prince from the shadows."
"Unless the situation is more complicated than it appears," Koharu countered. "The eldest prince has already shown signs of wanting to break free of our influence."
"A brat who hasn't even secured the throne yet wants independence?" Danzō sneered. "Ambition without strength. If necessary, we can simply support another candidate. The River Country doesn't have only two princes."
"No." Hiruzen cut him off sharply. "There isn't enough time, and such a move would provoke suspicion from other noble families—and neighboring small nations as well."
He turned to Danzō. "Our priority is to rebuild trust with the eldest prince. Root must correct this oversight immediately—gather intelligence on his faction and establish reliable channels."
Danzō narrowed his eye. "I'll handle it personally. But if he continues to refuse cooperation, we must prepare alternatives."
The room fell silent once more.
Finally, Hiruzen sighed. "Proceed with diplomacy, but strengthen border defenses. If the Land of Rivers falls, Sunagakure will directly threaten the Fire Country's frontier."
When the meeting ended, all four wore grim expressions.
The great-power struggle unfolding in the Land of Rivers had only just begun—and Konoha was already a step behind.
---
In the days that followed, Konoha visibly reinforced its defenses along the Wind Country border. Outposts were ordered to heighten vigilance, and missions involving supply escorts, garrison duty, and border patrols surged in number.
Team Eight took advantage of this opportunity to accept many such assignments, steadily accumulating experience.
---
June 23rd, Konoha Year 45.
Taichi's Private Training Ground.
Taichi was practicing his blade techniques.
Notably, his short blade was now sheathed in a layer of brilliant golden flame.
The fire clung to the blade like flowing water—docile in appearance, yet the heat-distorted air around it told a very different story.
With each swing, sparks occasionally escaped the blade and scattered across the ground—or farther still.
Where a spark touched earth, it ignited instantly, swelling into a fireball and leaving behind a molten crater.
Sparks that flew farther collided with an invisible barrier, bursting into starlike flames and sending ripples across the transparent surface.
With a powerful downward slash, a torrent of flame surged from the blade and slammed into the barrier. The seal trembled violently before shattering with a crisp sound, dissolving into countless motes of light.
Taichi lowered his blade.
Surveying the scorched, cratered ground—and the vanished barrier in the distance—he shook his head.
"My sealing techniques are still too weak. This barrier can't withstand sustained firepower."
He glanced down at the short blade in his hand. The metal still gleamed coldly, showing no signs of warping or discoloration from heat.
A smile tugged at his lips.
At least now, using Flame Blade no longer risked destroying his weapon.
Thinking of the number of blades he'd ruined over the past two months just to practice this technique made even Taichi wince.
This progress came not only from improved chakra control, but from a qualitative leap in his understanding of fire after breaking through Lv.10 in Fire Nature Transformation.
[Fire Nature Transformation Lv.11 (523/3000)]
[Chakra Control Lv.10 (357/2000)]
[Sealing Techniques Lv.6 (836/1000)]
After reviewing his key skills, Taichi focused on the most important one.
Since surpassing Lv.10, his control over fire had become almost instinctive.
To put it bluntly—within Konoha, Taichi would not lose to anyone in fire nature manipulation. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi himself might not surpass him in this field.
If Lv.10 was still within jōnin territory, then Lv.11 marked entry into the Kage realm.
He still vividly remembered that moment of breakthrough—the sensation of becoming fire itself, of every fire technique bending to his will.
And reality had lived up to that feeling. After sufficient practice, he could now cast all C-rank Fire Release techniques without hand seals.
That realization reminded him of a famous scene from the original records—Senju Hashirama clapping his hands and summoning whatever he pleased.
If Taichi could raise all nature transformations to Lv.11 or beyond…
Just imagining himself clapping once and unleashing five-element dragons across the sky was enough to make his blood stir.
Of course, that was still far off. Mastering one element didn't make someone Kage-level on its own—physical conditioning, chakra reserves, and other factors all mattered.
Still, Taichi was unquestionably at the level of a seasoned jōnin now.
Sheathing his blade, he walked to the corners of the training ground and retrieved the scrolls used to deploy the barrier. Looking at the four ruined scrolls, he sighed.
"The cost is still too high."
This barrier technique was something he'd learned from Kushina after reaching Lv.6 in sealing arts, intended to suppress training disturbances and—more importantly—prevent his strength from being observed by those with ulterior motives.
The technique worked well, but his current sealing proficiency wasn't enough. Whenever he practiced Flame Blade with slightly higher output, the barrier shattered.
And shattered scrolls meant money—each one worth roughly a B-rank mission reward.
That financial pain, at least, had accelerated his progress in chakra control and fire manipulation.
Stowing the damaged scrolls, Taichi formed hand seals. Earth chakra surged, and the ground seemed to come alive, flowing and leveling itself before settling back into place.
A basic application of Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld—perfect for terrain repair.
Once everything was restored, Taichi headed out toward Training Ground Seven.
Today should have been a post-mission rest day—but Captain Yamaguchi had summoned him via Gigi earlier.
The stupid bird hadn't explained anything before flying off.
Taichi had no idea what awaited him.