Chapter 72 – A New Use for the System (Extended Chapter)
So it turned out… commissioning a personalized weapon was far more complicated than Taichi had imagined.
Inside the blacksmith's back room, he was measured from head to toe — height, weight, arm length, even the size of his palm. When they were almost done, Taichi suddenly thought of something and added, "Better make the blade a little heavier. My strength's been growing fast lately — I don't want it feeling too light later."
The whole process took over half an hour. When he finally stepped out, Taichi handed over a deposit of 100,000 ryō and confirmed the delivery date, reminding the blacksmith, "And please — use as much chakra metal as you can."
With that done, he returned home exhausted but satisfied.
---
Back in his small apartment, Taichi sat cross-legged on the tatami floor and began circulating chakra. After sparring with Jiraiya earlier and spending the whole morning experimenting, his reserves were nearly drained. Worse yet, he didn't even have a proper sword to train with now.
So, instead, he turned to study.
He spread open several scrolls on his desk — one after another, flipping through notes on elemental manipulation and medical ninjutsu. When he unrolled a familiar parchment marked with Tsunade's handwriting, his hands froze.
Jiraiya's words from earlier echoed in his mind:
"It'll probably depend on you to bring her back."
And his own reply:
"I'll find a way to bring Tsunade-sensei home."
But how?
Tsunade's ties to Konoha had long been severed. Her clan was gone, her brother and lover both died on the battlefield, and her relationship with her mentor was strained. Her two teammates hardly needed her anymore — what did she still have left in the village?
Maybe only a fading bond… and now, him.
If he wanted her to return someday, he'd have to make that bond stronger — little by little.
And how could he do that?
He stared at the scroll for a moment, then smirked as an idea came to him.
Letters.
Yes, that was it.
He couldn't leave the village to find her, but he could still reach her — through words.
Determined, Taichi pulled out a clean sheet of paper and began to write.
---
To my dearest teacher, Lady Tsunade,
Your ever-devoted and adorable disciple sends his regards.
He wrote for pages — five, in fact.
The letter was warm, chatty, and so full of flowery flattery that Taichi himself nearly cringed when rereading it. Still, for his goal, this was a sacrifice worth making.
He wrote about how much he missed her presence in the village, about his recent missions and daily life, and even included a few questions about medical ninjutsu — enough to sound sincere, not desperate.
After checking it several times to ensure everything sounded right, Taichi folded the letter neatly, sealed it, and pressed his palms together in a familiar hand seal.
"Summoning Technique."
POOF!
A small slug appeared on his desk, its voice soft and motherly.
"Ah, Lord Taichi, your first time summoning me, isn't it? What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Katsuyu-sama," Taichi said politely, holding up the envelope. "Could you please deliver this letter to Lady Tsunade?"
The slug's antennae twitched. It stared at him for a moment, then at the letter, as if sensing his earnestness.
"I can try," it said gently. "But I can't guarantee Lady Tsunade will receive it."
"That's fine. Just getting it sent is more than enough. Thank you."
He placed the envelope atop the slug's body, watching with fascination as it slowly sank into the creature's soft surface — absorbed as though into water.
"All done," the slug said kindly. "Anything else, Lord Taichi?"
"No, that's all. Thank you for your help. You can return now."
"Very well. Call on me anytime."
With another soft puff, the slug vanished.
Taichi looked at the empty desk, a small smile on his face.
From now on, he decided, he'd send a letter every few weeks — updates on his progress, questions, reflections, and small bits of daily life. It would all seem perfectly natural for a disciple staying in touch with his master.
Bit by bit, Tsunade would remember him.
Bit by bit… she'd have one more reason to come home.
---
Meanwhile, deep within the Shikkotsu Forest, the slug merged with others, growing larger until it was nearly human-sized.
It concentrated chakra, preparing a reverse summoning technique to reach Tsunade — but the chakra stream faltered and stopped.
"…Refused?" the slug murmured softly. "Oh dear… it seems Lady Tsunade declined the summoning."
---
At that same moment — somewhere in the Land of Hot Water.
Inside a smoky gambling hall, Tsunade slammed her palm on the table.
"All in on high!" she declared, pushing her pile of chips forward.
The other gamblers immediately bet on low — or even on triples — but not a single one followed her.
"You cowards! I refuse to believe it'll land low every time!" she snapped, cheeks flushed with frustration.
Just then, a faint pulse from the slug contract brushed against her consciousness — a reverse summon.
Tsunade frowned. "What now?"
But the dealer had already shouted, "No more bets! Let's roll!"
"Forget it," she muttered, brushing the summoning off entirely.
The dice clattered.
"One, two, three — small!" the dealer announced.
The room erupted in cheers — except for one utterly defeated sannin slumped over the table, staring at her empty purse.
"Two months' rent… gone again," she muttered darkly. "Guess it's time to find another casino."
She'd already forgotten the summoning pulse entirely.
Somewhere, far away, Taichi's heartfelt letter remained undelivered.
---
The Next Morning — Riverside Training Grounds.
Before dawn, Taichi was already there.
He began with an hour of advanced taijutsu drills — every punch, every kick flowing with perfect rhythm. When his body felt light and responsive, he moved to the riverside to continue working on the jutsu he'd been developing.
This time, he was prepared.
Two shadow clones stood ready behind him, and only then did he begin forming seals.
"Water Style: Great Water Prison!"
The jutsu formed, a swirling sphere of water compressing in midair. Taichi controlled its currents carefully, improving the compression and turbulence far more easily than yesterday.
The smaller it grew, the harder it became to stabilize — but the progress was undeniable.
This is the power of system proficiency, he realized.
Even though the jutsu wasn't complete, the moment he reached a level he'd already achieved before, the process felt smoother — more natural.
Every correct attempt added experience. Every mistake helped eliminate the wrong path. The more he refined it, the faster he advanced.
Taichi had never developed a jutsu on his own before, so he hadn't realized the system could work this way. But last night, lying in bed, it finally clicked — and now, seeing it in action, he was thrilled.
Maybe someday, he thought, he could become a jutsu developer on par with the Second Hokage himself — "The Next Tobirama!"
The thought made him grin… right before his concentration slipped.
The water sphere suddenly convulsed.
"Not good!"
He jumped back just as his clones stepped forward in perfect sync.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!" ×3
Three thick walls of water rose before him, followed by a deafening barrage of whooshing and cracking sounds as the unstable sphere exploded.
Streams of pressurized water tore through the clearing — shredding bark, splintering trees, leaving holes in the earth. Both clones vanished with twin pops.
When the chaos settled, Taichi exhaled in relief, wiping sweat from his brow.
"That was… close."
The destructive power was clearly far greater this time — he'd need even stronger defenses in future tests.
Still, he wasn't discouraged. He formed seals again.
Three new clones. Another attempt.
The sounds of rushing water echoed across the clearing.
When he finally collapsed, chakra nearly depleted, the jutsu was still unfinished — but the results spoke for themselves:
[S-Rank Water Style: Great Water Prison (Modified) Lv0 (82/100)]
[S-Rank Water Style: Frenzied Water Dance Lv0 (94/100)]
[Jutsu Development: Chakra Control +100]
[Jutsu Development: Chakra Shape Transformation +100]
[Jutsu Development: Water Nature Transformation +100]
[Jutsu Development: Water Form Manipulation +100]
[Jutsu Development: Ninja Apprentice EXP +100]
Taichi smiled tiredly. "So this is the trick, huh…"
Jutsu development wasn't just about inventing new techniques — it was training experience made tangible.
Knowledge truly was power. Those who only repeated old moves without reflection would never go far.
He glanced around. The training ground was devastated — trees riddled with holes, the soil torn up for fifty meters in every direction.
He chuckled. "At this rate, I'll have my own personal training field soon."
After tidying up, Taichi headed home for breakfast. He still had to meet Rin and Obito at Training Ground Three afterward.
---
Training Ground Three
By the time he arrived, Rin and Obito were already sparring fiercely in the field. Both wielded kunai, moving in quick bursts — Obito charging aggressively, Rin countering with nimble footwork and sharp precision.
Taichi leaned against a tree, watching them with a faint smile.
To Taichi's eyes, it was obvious from the start — Obito was holding back.
His movements were sloppy, his strikes hesitant, and though there were plenty of openings in Rin's guard, he refused to exploit a single one. Every attack that could have hit instead veered deliberately off course.
When they finally paused to rest, both panting and flushed, they noticed Taichi watching quietly from the sidelines.
"Taichi! What do you think? I've improved, right?" Obito asked eagerly, eyes shining with expectation.
Taichi tilted his head, lips curling into a teasing smile. "There's improvement… but not much. If anything, I'd say the gap between you and Kakashi's grown even wider."
"What?!" Obito's face instantly twisted with indignation. "That's impossible! I've been training nonstop!"
Taichi shrugged, voice casual but sharp. "Then train smarter. From what I saw, you weren't even fighting seriously. You pull your punches, your attacks are timid, and your pace drags. You're not helping yourself or Rin — if you both keep this up, she'll never understand her true limits."
His tone was calm, but the weight of his words was heavy.
This was the shinobi world — misjudging your own strength wasn't just a weakness. It was a death sentence.
And Taichi refused to let the medic-in-training he'd decided to mentor die because of hesitation.
Obito froze, shame flickering in his eyes. If Taichi had insulted only him, he might've fired back on reflex. But bringing Rin into it — that hit home.
"Rin, I…" Obito turned toward her, guilt written all over his face.
Rin smiled gently and shook her head. "It's alright, Obito. I know you were just trying to be careful with me. But Taichi's right — from now on, we both need to take our training seriously."
Watching the two of them, Taichi couldn't help but smile inwardly. Their bond was genuine — deeper than friendship on Obito's side, perhaps, but sincere all the same.
"Alright then," he said, cracking his knuckles with a grin. "How about a little spar with me? Let's see where you two really stand."
"Sure!" they answered in unison — and when they turned to glance at each other, they both couldn't help but laugh.
---
They took their positions — Taichi on one side, Obito and Rin on the other, standing at a wide angle to split his attention.
Since his own blade was still being reforged, Taichi drew a kunai. Rin and Obito did the same.
A moment later, the battle began.
Shuriken whistled through the air — Obito and Rin threw several in perfect sync as cover fire before charging in.
Taichi didn't even move from his spot. His wrist flicked once, deflecting the incoming shuriken with effortless precision, the clang of steel echoing through the field.
Rin reached him first. She lunged with her kunai, fast but tentative. Taichi sidestepped lightly, slid around her right side, and gave her shoulder a small push. Off balance, she stumbled forward.
Before she could recover, Obito's attack arrived — faster, stronger, but still full of openings. Taichi barely needed to think. A single pivot, a sweep of his leg, and Obito went sprawling face-first into the dirt.
In one exchange, both of them were down.
Obito sat up, coughing and glaring at Taichi, while Rin rubbed her arm with a wince.
"That," Taichi said mildly, "wasn't even close."
Obito's pride flared. Without another word, his hands blurred through seals. "Katon—"
Rin, realizing what he was doing, immediately rushed forward to engage Taichi and buy him time.
Taichi nodded in quiet approval. At least they're starting to think like a team.
He parried Rin's kunai with one hand, his superior strength easily sending it flying. With his left hand, he flicked a punch to her midsection — not hard, just enough to knock her back.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A two-meter-wide blaze surged toward Taichi, heat distorting the air.
Taichi didn't even blink. His hands formed seals faster than most could see.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique."
Small, rapid fireballs burst from his mouth in a scattered volley — like miniature meteors colliding head-on with the incoming inferno.
Five of his small fireballs struck the Great Fireball squarely — and to Obito's shock, shattered it like glass, dispersing the flames. The remaining embers twisted and shot straight toward him under Taichi's precise control.
"Wha—!?" Obito yelped, scrambling and ducking as the little fireballs exploded one after another around him, scorching the ground and his pride alike.
When the last explosion faded, he exhaled shakily in relief — and that's when Taichi appeared in front of him in a blur.
A light tap of the fist — and Obito was flat on his back again.
"Rule one," Taichi said, crouching beside him. "Never let your guard down just because the flames go out."
---
With that, the "battle" was over.
Rin helped Obito up, both of them panting and covered in dust.
"I didn't even use ninjutsu seriously," Taichi said evenly. "Just basic taijutsu. And you still struggled this much."
Then his expression softened slightly. "Rin, you're training to be a medical-nin — it's normal for your combat skills to lag behind. But Obito…"
His tone hardened again.
"If you don't start pushing yourself, what'll happen when Rin's in danger? Will you still freeze up like today?"
The words hit like a shuriken to the chest.
Obito clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. For once, he didn't argue. Rin rested a hand on his shoulder, her quiet support saying what words couldn't.
After a long silence, Taichi clapped his hands once, breaking the tension.
"Alright," he said cheerfully. "Lesson over. Now comes the real training. Obito, are you going to listen… or do you want to go burn off that frustration on your own first?"
The grin on his face was anything but kind.
Obito swallowed hard.
Somehow, he knew whichever option he chose — today was going to hurt.