Chapter 96 — Guidance
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
Thirty-six fireballs split cleanly into two groups under Taichi's precise control, surging toward Yōhei and Saori in staggered waves.
Compared to his earlier fireballs, these were unmistakably different. Their brilliant glow carried an oppressive heat—so intense that even before impact, Yōhei and Saori could already feel the scorching temperature searing their skin.
We can't let them get close.
The two reacted instantly, darting sideways at full speed.
But it was futile.
Maintaining his hand seals, Taichi guided the fireballs in midair. They traced deadly arcs, relentlessly pursuing their targets.
Boom—boom—boom!
Explosions chased closely behind them, each detonation pounding the ground. Waves of scorching air licked at their backs, the blistering heat forcing both to push their speed to the absolute limit.
Only when the final fireball slammed into the earth did they manage to stop and catch their breath.
Turning back, they stared in disbelief at the path they'd fled along.
The ground was riddled with half-meter-wide craters. Along the edges, molten rock slowly slid downward, pooling at the glowing red bottoms.
Yōhei's pupils shrank.
Is this really Fire Release?
Ordinary fire techniques might cause burns—Taichi's flames would reduce someone to ash.
Before either of them could process the shock, Taichi had already moved.
With a flash of Body Flicker, he closed the distance to Yōhei in an instant. His short blade, driven by terrifying momentum, pressed down relentlessly, suppressing Yōhei with ease.
This storm-like combat style was completely different from Taichi's previous approach—yet it fit perfectly with his newfound speed. Without the dynamic vision of his three-tomoe Sharingan, Yōhei wouldn't even be able to block, let alone fight back.
On the other side, Saori was at a loss.
Unlike Yōhei, who could at least track Taichi's movements, all Saori could see was a blurred shadow circling Yōhei at impossible speed.
She couldn't even see clearly—helping was out of the question.
With no other choice, she continuously fired Lightning Orbs around Yōhei, hoping the scattered electric arcs would restrict Taichi's movement.
It worked—briefly.
The crackling lightning forced Taichi to disengage. Instead of continuing to pressure Yōhei, he instantly switched targets, darting straight toward Saori.
Saori knew full well that her taijutsu stood no chance.
Retreating rapidly, she formed seals at lightning speed.
Lightning Release: Lightning Net!
A lightning sphere shot forward, detonating midair and expanding into a massive web of crackling electricity that descended toward Taichi, attempting to lock him in place.
Taichi didn't try to tank it.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
A violent gust tore through the battlefield, effortlessly dispersing the lightning net.
Without slowing even a fraction, Taichi slipped past before Yōhei could arrive, appearing behind Saori like a ghost.
One swift motion—
The back of his blade struck her neck.
Saori collapsed instantly.
"Saori!"
Yōhei watched helplessly, his heart sinking.
Even together, we couldn't stop him…
Before he could finish the thought, Taichi had already begun forming seals again.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
The blast hit Yōhei like a massive hammer, flinging him through the air. By the time he staggered back to his feet, dazed—
A cold blade rested against his throat.
The match was over.
---
Ten minutes later, after tidying the battlefield, the three sat together, reviewing the fight.
"After that exchange," Taichi began calmly, "you should both have a clearer understanding of your current capabilities."
Yōhei and Saori nodded. They had fought at full strength—what they still couldn't tell was how much Taichi had truly used.
"Yōhei," Taichi continued, "during the fight, your Sharingan could see my movements. The problem isn't your eyes—it's your body."
As he spoke, Taichi suddenly threw a punch.
Caught off guard, Yōhei's Sharingan instantly tracked the trajectory—but his body reacted a split second too late.
Taichi's fist stopped just short of his nose.
That single moment said everything.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Yōhei's forehead. Before he could even voice a complaint, Taichi continued speaking.
"See? Your eyes saw it. Your brain told you to dodge. But your body couldn't keep up."
"Then what should we do?" Saori asked first instead of Yōhei. "Taichi, I can't even see your movements."
"There are two methods I know."
The moment Taichi said that, both Yōhei and Saori straightened up, ears practically perked.
"The first—and also the most orthodox—is to improve your physical conditioning."
"Ah… that takes forever, doesn't it?" Yōhei sighed, looking discouraged. But then a thought struck him. Taichi's this strong at such a young age—there has to be a trick, right?
"Taichi, do you have some secret method to improve reaction speed?"
Taichi rolled his eyes and mercilessly crushed the fantasy.
"You're dreaming. This kind of thing can only be built through training."
Yōhei immediately wilted again.
"But," Taichi added calmly, "I do have a training method I summarized myself. It's very effective at improving physical abilities. That much, I can teach you."
Like clouds parting to reveal the sun, Yōhei instantly perked up.
"Really?"
"You'll really teach us?"
"This isn't some secret technique, is it?"
Three rapid questions perfectly reflected his disbelief. In this era, unique training methods were often clan secrets—never shared lightly.
Saori was no different. She stared at Taichi with bright, expectant eyes full of hope.
"This mission made me understand something," Taichi said seriously. "We're friends. We're comrades. On the battlefield, the stronger you are, the safer I'll be too."
"Taichi…" Yōhei was momentarily speechless, clearly moved. "Don't worry. Without your permission, I won't teach this to anyone—not even my clan."
Saori nodded firmly in agreement.
Taichi trusted them. He valued them. The least they could do was respect that trust.
"Alright," Taichi laughed. "Now let me talk about the second way to improve reaction speed. This one's more suitable for Saori. As for you, Yōhei—it depends on how you develop in the future."
"What is it?" Saori asked curiously.
"Using Lightning-attribute chakra to stimulate and activate muscles, enhancing the body's overall performance—including reaction speed."
"Of course, it's a very delicate technique. Since you're Lightning-aligned, Saori, ask your family if there are any records related to this."
Saori nodded thoughtfully. She vaguely remembered her father mentioning something similar. She resolved to ask him as soon as she got home.
"Ah… I'm Fire-aligned," Yōhei groaned. "If this really works, should I start training Lightning nature transformation too?"
Taichi stared at him in silence for a moment, then said flatly,
"Why don't you master your Fire Release first before dreaming bigger."
Mentioning Fire Release immediately caught Yōhei's interest.
"Taichi, what's going on with your Fire Release anyway? It was never this hot before!"
"That comes down to how you understand chakra nature transformation," Taichi explained. "My understanding of Fire is temperature. So lately, I've been going to blacksmith shops to experience extreme heat firsthand. Combined with my own training, the temperature naturally rose."
He shared his methods without holding anything back, explaining his insights into nature transformation as if teaching step by step.
But as everyone knew, understanding chakra nature was deeply personal. The same element could be interpreted in countless ways. Even 'high temperature' alone could mean entirely different things to different people.
That was why Madara's Fire Release became an ocean of flames—while ordinary shinobi managed only small fireballs.
Yōhei and Saori listened with rapt attention. Insights into nature transformation were always invaluable, especially from someone like Taichi, who clearly had his own unique understanding.
"Alright," Taichi concluded. "That's about it. Now I'll teach you my training method."
He stood and walked to the center of the training ground.
What Taichi taught them was the basic taijutsu he had already outgrown—stripped down to its training principles and power-generation techniques. Even this alone would drastically improve their efficiency in both training and combat.
It wasn't that Taichi didn't want to teach more—he simply had to consider his current position. Anything beyond this might attract unwanted attention. His own safety still came first.
The rest of the day passed in instruction.
Unlike ordinary taijutsu drills, this method involved intricate force-application techniques. Even Yōhei's Sharingan couldn't simply copy it. It took them an entire day just to grasp the fundamentals.
Only then did they realize how precious this training method truly was—and gratitude welled up from the bottom of their hearts.
---
The next day, 2:00 p.m.
After finishing his morning training, Taichi bought a large bag of snacks—three-color dango, dorayaki, tempura, sushi—and headed to the orphanage.
He hadn't visited Yami and the others since returning, and the guilt had been weighing on him.
He knocked on the orphanage gate. Light footsteps soon followed.
"Who is it?" Yami's clear, cheerful voice called out.
"It's me," Taichi said, deliberately lowering his voice. "Open up."
"Ah!"
A startled cry came from inside.
"Taichi-nii!"
The gate flew open, and a small, lively figure rushed out, throwing herself into his arms.
Taichi patted Yami's head, warmth spreading through his chest.
"Yami, have you been behaving? Listening to the headmistress?"
"Of course! I'm the best-behaved!"
He took her hand and walked inside.
The other children quickly gathered around, chattering excitedly.
"Taichi-nii, what's in the bag?" Yami tiptoed, tugging at the bulging sack.
All eyes instantly locked onto it.
Taichi deliberately lifted it high, watching the children stretch their necks like hungry chicks before laughing.
"Three-color dango, dorayaki, and—"
He dragged the words out, making them tug at his clothes in impatience.
"And tempura and sushi!" Kōta suddenly shouted. "I smell fried shrimp!"
The courtyard exploded with cheers.
"Alright, line up!" an elderly woman called as she stepped outside.
The children immediately obeyed, lining up neatly.
"Grandma Keiko, what brings you here today?" Taichi asked.
"Nonō went out on business," she smiled. "Someone has to watch these little troublemakers."
Taichi's heart sank slightly. He helped her pick vegetables while chatting, hiding his concern.
The day passed warmly—playing, eating, laughing. Taichi even performed small chakra tricks: fiery birds, tiny water dragons, dazzling the children.
"I want to learn that!" Yami exclaimed.
"Then you'll need to study hard and train your body," Taichi said gently.
Night fell.
As Taichi prepared to leave, the orphanage gate quietly opened.
—