Chapter 99 — Recommendation
Taichi aside, that kid alone already possessed strength comparable to a jōnin. On top of that, he was a complete all-rounder—handling him one-on-one would already be troublesome.
Yōhei, that little brat, had unlocked the Three-Tomoe Sharingan for nearly a month now. There was no doubt his combat ability had surged dramatically.
And Saori—she might usually keep quiet, but once the fight began, she was even more ruthless than those two boys.
Just thinking about it made sweat bead on Yamaguchi Masasuke's forehead. If he were defeated by his own subordinates, his dignity as team captain would be completely gone.
"Captain, if you don't say anything, that means you agree," Yōhei seized the moment and decisively set the rules. "Three versus one."
Yamaguchi was momentarily speechless.
Since when did silence count as consent?
But at this point, there was no backing out. If nothing else, this would be a good chance to see just how far these three had progressed.
The four of them took their positions on the training field.
Under the sunlight, their shadows stretched long across the ground. Yamaguchi already had a kunai in hand, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the three youths.
"Let's be clear," Yamaguchi said, glancing at Taichi's wrist. "Taichi, you're not allowed to use that brute-force trick of yours. I won't survive a punch from that."
"Captain, you're already limiting our combat power before the fight even starts," Taichi complained. "Isn't that a bit unfair?"
Behind his back, however, his right hand made a subtle gesture.
Yōhei's Sharingan spun faintly, capturing the motion perfectly.
"But fine," Taichi continued casually. "No brute force it is."
"Then… begin."
Before Yamaguchi even finished speaking, Saori's hand seals were already complete.
Lightning Release: Lightning Net!
A lightning sphere detonated midair, releasing countless crackling arcs that spread downward like a net. It wasn't meant to deal damage—only to restrict the captain's movement.
"Fast casting," Yamaguchi noted, pupils contracting.
His response was instantaneous.
Wind-style hand seals flashed, and a powerful gust erupted, shredding the lightning net into scattered sparks.
But at that very moment—
Yōhei had already closed in from the left, his kunai stabbing straight toward Yamaguchi's ribs.
Clang!
Steel collided as Yamaguchi blocked the strike with a backhanded parry.
Then—
A white blur flashed through his blind spot.
Taichi's short blade descended with a shrill whistle.
At the last possible instant, Yamaguchi slammed his palms together.
Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!
A thin wall of earth rose abruptly. Though fragile, it barely managed to stop Taichi's blade.
Chunks of shattered soil flew everywhere as Yamaguchi staggered back three steps, a solemn expression finally appearing on his face.
That kid… he really doesn't hold back.
And their coordination was flawless.
Saori controlled positioning.
Yōhei drew attention.
And Taichi's blade delivered the real killing blows.
"Captain," Yōhei teased, "you shouldn't lose focus!"
At some point, Yōhei had already completed his seals. His chest expanded sharply.
Fire Release: Great Fireball!
A massive fireball roared past Taichi, hurtling straight toward Yamaguchi.
Taichi followed close behind the flames, blade in his right hand, left hand forming seals at lightning speed.
Just a few steps later—
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
The gale struck the fireball, instantly transforming it into a sweeping inferno that engulfed a radius of nearly ten meters around Yamaguchi.
Yet before the flames could even settle—
Taichi halted abruptly.
"Something's wrong. Too quiet."
There was no sign of the frantic counterattack he'd expected.
Then Saori shouted sharply from behind.
Yamaguchi had used the cover of the flames to slip underground with Earth Release, emerging behind Saori in an attempt to eliminate the weakest link first.
But—
He had underestimated her growth.
Weeks of intense training had sharpened her chakra perception. She had sensed the faint disturbance long before he surfaced.
The instant Yamaguchi emerged—
A lightning sphere slammed straight into him.
Taichi and Yōhei immediately rushed back to Saori's side, all three locking their eyes on the arm protruding from the ground.
They didn't relax for a second.
Poof.
White smoke burst forth.
The arm vanished.
"A Shadow Clone," Taichi muttered.
The next instant—
The ground beneath their feet churned violently.
Without warning, the earth softened and surged, turning several meters of terrain into thick, clinging mud.
"Damn it—we fell for it!" Taichi shouted.
"Split up, now!"
Yamaguchi had been waiting precisely for this moment—for the three of them to regroup.
He had never expected the Shadow Clone to succeed. That had only been bait.
The real killing move was the large-scale Earth Release technique that followed.
His hand seals shifted again.
Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!
A ferocious clay dragon reared its head from the mud swamp, jaws gaping wide. Dense streams of earth bullets erupted from its mouth like machine-gun fire, ripping through the air with piercing whines as they chased Taichi and the others, forcing the three into frantic, awkward evasions.
"Fall back to me!" Taichi shouted.
He tore free from the mire with brute force, hands flying through seals.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
A broad curtain of water surged upward just in time, forming a defensive screen in front of the incoming barrage.
Pupupupupupu—!
The earth bullets slammed into the water wall, exploding into countless splashes.
Yōhei and Saori scrambled behind the barrier, finally gaining a brief moment to breathe.
So this is a veteran jōnin…
The same thought crossed all three minds simultaneously.
Yamaguchi Masasuke truly lived up to his reputation. With experience alone, he dismantled their coordinated assault, then forced them into an extremely disadvantageous position using nothing but timing and clever tactics.
Taichi flashed hand signals at the others.
Next, I'll take point.
As both sides' ninjutsu ended, Yōhei and Saori immediately formed seals again. Lightning spheres and Phoenix Flower fireballs rained toward Yamaguchi's position, saturating the area.
Using the cover of their attacks, Taichi charged straight in.
Once close enough—
Body Flicker Technique!
Yamaguchi was still occupied dodging the lightning and flames. The timing was perfect—Yōhei and Saori had deliberately waited until his previous technique ended before releasing theirs, leaving him no opening to counterattack.
By the time Yamaguchi could finally turn his attention—
Taichi was already in front of him.
"So fast!"
It was the first time Yamaguchi had truly witnessed Taichi's brute-force enhanced Body Flicker.
That terrifying speed—nearly beyond visual tracking—sent a chill racing down his spine.
And then came the blade.
A storm of slashes descended, each strike precisely sealing off every possible escape or counter.
The moment steel met steel, Taichi knew—this was the real body.
No clone could last even a second under this kind of pressure.
From the very start of the fight, Yamaguchi had done everything possible to avoid close combat with him.
Now that Taichi had him—
There was no escape.
"It's the real one!" Taichi shouted.
Hearing this, Yōhei and Saori's faces lit up. They immediately flanked in from both sides, joining the close-quarters assault.
Yamaguchi's heart sank.
He was a ninjutsu-leaning jōnin. His taijutsu wasn't weak—but in this situation, it was a glaring shortcoming.
Pinned down by Taichi, unable to form seals, and now pressured from both sides, the strain multiplied instantly.
As expected, under a three-man assault, it didn't take long.
When Taichi's blade sliced through Yamaguchi's sleeve with a tricky angle—and Yōhei's kunai thrust toward his waist—
"Stop! Stop!" Yamaguchi shouted helplessly, voice carrying both relief and regret.
"I concede. I concede."
A bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead as he stared at the kunai hovering less than an inch from his kidney.
One second later, and I'd be done for…
The sparring ended.
The four gathered together, discussing the fight's strengths and weaknesses. Yamaguchi spared no praise for the trio.
And rightly so.
Team Eight was the least troublesome squad he'd ever led.
Yōhei and Saori both had strong clan foundations and required little supervision.
As for Taichi—
A complete monster.
Training for him was entertainment, and he was Tsunade's disciple to boot.
Sometimes, Yamaguchi couldn't help wondering whether his job as squad leader was a little too easy.
"I honestly don't even know what else I can teach you anymore," he sighed.
A truly luxurious problem…
The three exchanged confused looks.
Yōhei broke the silence first.
"Captain… you're not trying to dump us already, are you?"
Yamaguchi rolled his eyes.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Then he said it plainly.
"I'm planning to recommend all of you for the next Chūnin Exams."
"Really?!" Yōhei nearly jumped. "I can become a chūnin?!"
"When's the next exam?" Taichi asked calmly.
"Next year," Yamaguchi replied. "This year's already been held."
"Use this time to improve further," he warned. "Especially you, Yōhei. Becoming a chūnin isn't just about strength."
"A chūnin needs intelligence gathering and analysis skills, coordination and command ability, battlefield judgment, and strategic awareness."
"Compare yourselves against those standards and see what you're lacking."
The three nodded repeatedly, already reflecting on their shortcomings.
Watching them, Yamaguchi felt deeply satisfied.
Self-motivated subordinates… every captain's dream.
"Enough thinking for now," he said. "Today's goal is team coordination training. The chūnin exam is still far off."
"Got it!"
Shouts echoed across the training ground again.
Except for lunch, the trio trained nonstop all day—so intensely that even the lazing Yamaguchi began to feel ashamed.
Time passed quickly.
Taichi's leave was nearing its end—and at last, the news he'd been waiting for arrived.
Minato and Jiraiya had successfully completed their mission and returned to the village.
The message came from Kushina. She had already arranged a meeting—Taichi could visit them the very next day.
Taichi felt overwhelming gratitude.
Kushina really came through…
That "sister-in-law" hadn't been called for nothing. She truly took the matter to heart.
When her crisis comes, Taichi swore silently, I'll do everything I can to help her through it.
---
The next morning, Taichi arrived at Minato's house half an hour early.
Minato opened the door, golden hair gleaming in the morning light, his gentle smile unchanged. As Taichi followed him inside, he saw that Jiraiya was already waiting.
"Haha! See?" Jiraiya said smugly, jerking his thumb at Minato and Kushina.
"I told you the kid wouldn't be able to sit still. Minato, you're buying the drinks!"
"That's just human nature," Kushina shot back. "Minato was silly to bet with you."
Minato only smiled quietly and led Taichi to a seat beside them.
Taichi took a deep breath and bowed solemnly.
"Jiraiya-sensei. Minato-senpai. I know this is abrupt, but this concerns Nonō-sister's life. I have no choice but to stake everything."
He presented Tsunade's letter with both hands.
"This is Tsunade-sensei's handwritten letter. She can't return personally, but she's willing to help."
Jiraiya skimmed the letter quickly, his brow relaxing.
"I already understand the situation," he said. "Tsunade also wrote to me, asking me to step in."
A trace of bitterness flickered through him.
So teammates really don't compare to disciples…
To help Taichi, Tsunade had even asked Katsuyu to transmit the message through the network of the Three Great Sage Regions—a massive favor, considering summon beasts weren't servants but equal partners.
Still—
That bitterness faded quickly.
Whether it was for Taichi himself, or for the boy's rare loyalty and righteousness—
This was a favor worth doing.
Jiraiya shook the letter slightly.
"This kind of dirty work is exactly something Danzō would do—using any means necessary."
He handed the letter to Minato.
"But it's not as simple as you think. This involves inter-departmental transfers—Root especially. Even with Tsunade's and my influence, the Third won't have sufficient justification to directly demand Danzō hand her over."
"Danzō is very good at hiding behind 'rules' and stalling."
Minato finished reading, sharp light flashing in his blue eyes.
"Tsunade-sama's judgment is correct. If we act, it must be decisive. No hesitation. No time for Danzō to react."
"Taichi," Minato said seriously, "do you have any additional leverage? Evidence of unreasonable demands by Root, or something that would justify the Hokage's direct intervention?"
"If not, the safest option is to lie low until our strength is sufficient. Otherwise, Nonō could be put in even greater danger."
His tone was calm—but the warning was unmistakable.