Chapter 105 – A New Goal
"Hydrification Technique?" Yōhei asked, puzzled. "I've seen it mentioned in my clan's archives. It's a very powerful secret technique. Supposedly, it allows the user to turn their body into liquid, letting them avoid physical attacks entirely."
"That powerful?" Saori clearly wasn't familiar with it and voiced her doubt. "Wouldn't that make someone invincible?"
"It is extremely strong," Yōhei said with envy, "but I've heard it's heavily countered by Lightning Release."
He sighed dreamily. "If I could use it, that would be incredible. Just whoosh—turn into liquid, blend into rivers or lakes, then reappear and kill the enemy in one strike. Just imagining it is exciting!"
"No matter how powerful a technique is, it still depends on who's using it," Taichi said calmly, reining in their excitement.
"An S-rank jutsu that can't hit its target is useless."
"By the way," Yōhei added, "why are you asking about the Hydrification Technique anyway? Even within the Hōzuki Clan, only a handful can learn it. There's no way outsiders know its secrets."
"It feels like another indirect way to increase defense," Taichi muttered absentmindedly, staring into his glass.
"Just… far more difficult to research."
Smack!
Smack!
Two hands slapped foreheads at the same time.
Yōhei and Saori exchanged looks—half surprised at their perfect synchronization, half exasperated at Taichi falling back into deep thought yet again.
"Hey, Taichi," Yōhei said irritably. "We came out to have fun. How did we end up talking about ninjutsu again?"
"My fault, my fault!" Taichi laughed, hands raised in surrender. "Let's keep eating."
Yet the smile on his face only grew wider.
Because in that brief moment just now, something clicked.
Physical training was a long-term goal—there was no rushing it.
As for ninjutsu, instead of coveting unfamiliar Earth Release techniques, why not focus on what he was already specializing in?
Fire Release.
If someone in history could create the Hydrification Technique, then why couldn't he develop a "Combustion Technique"—a fire-based transformation of the body?
Wouldn't that be far more efficient than wearing layers of chakra armor?
Not only would it serve as a powerful defensive trump card, but the process of developing it would also deepen his mastery of Fire Release itself. Once completed, it could enhance his overall fire techniques across the board.
That was Taichi's mid-term objective.
After all, something called "Combustion Technique" clearly wasn't something that could be completed overnight.
As for a short-term solution to improving defense, Taichi ultimately decided to double down on sealing techniques.
Just like the Sealing Art: One-Line Lamp Array he had used before—this was something he could realistically grind.
His goal was simple: reach the level where he could draw those sealing tags himself. If he could carry ten or so on his person, that would already be more than enough for the enemies he currently faced.
With his plan firmly in place, Taichi felt lighter than he had in days.
He chatted freely with Yōhei and Saori, completely relaxed.
The change didn't go unnoticed.
Seeing Taichi fully back to normal, both Yōhei and Saori secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His previous state had genuinely frightened them.
This guy, Yōhei thought smugly, either never has problems—or when he does, they're a nightmare.
Good thing I solved it. As expected of me!
In his imagination, a tiny version of himself stood with arms crossed, laughing wildly, radiating an almost Uchiha-level arrogance.
The three of them spent the day laughing and fooling around—what was supposed to be a training day turned into one of pure relaxation.
And yet, none of them regretted it.
If anything, the break made them feel like their future training would be even more efficient.
When Taichi returned home that evening, the first thing he did was pull out the sealing technique notes Kushina had given him and study them seriously.
The next day, he went straight to her in person to ask for guidance.
With his purpose clear and focus sharpened, Taichi's progress was astonishing.
[Sealing Technique Lv.4 (36/600)]
In just a few days, his sealing technique advanced by two full levels.
Unfortunately, according to Kushina's assessment, while Taichi's progress was impressive, he was still a long way from being able to independently create the sealing tags she had previously given him.
Still—
This time, Taichi wasn't frustrated.
He finally had direction.
And that, more than anything else, was progress.
Here is a smooth, refined English translation of the passage, keeping the humor, pacing, and character dynamics intact while elevating the prose to web-novel quality.
---
Only then did Taichi realize that what Kushina had given him earlier was not a simple One-Line Lamp Array sealing tag.
The One-Line Lamp Array itself was merely an entry-level sealing technique. While it could restrict an opponent's movements, its power ceiling was low—it could at best interfere with a genin. Even an average chūnin could break it without much difficulty.
So why were Kushina's sealing tags so powerful?
The answer lay in the fact that what she had drawn on the paper wasn't a single One-Line Lamp Array at all, but multiple arrays nested together, forming a far more advanced technique—
Sealing Art: Multiple Lamp Array.
In theory, the power of the Multiple Lamp Array had no upper limit.
As long as the user had enough chakra—and an absurdly high level of sealing proficiency—they could continue embedding more One-Line Lamp Arrays, eventually creating a seal capable of restraining anything.
Of course, that was only theory.
Something best contemplated during idle daydreams.
In reality, anyone with that much time, talent, and chakra would be better off learning stronger sealing techniques altogether.
Back to the matter at hand—despite Kushina's cold splash of realism, Taichi wasn't discouraged in the slightest.
According to her estimate, once Taichi's sealing technique reached Lv.6, he should be able to start producing sealing tags on his own. As for now?
Well… there was no harm in thickening his skin and asking Sister Kushina to make a few more for him.
Leaning shamelessly into the advantage of youth, Taichi unleashed the Ultimate No-Shame Technique.
A chorus of "Sister-in-law Kushina~" rang out again and again, softening her heart completely.
In the end, she grit her teeth and made ten sealing tags for him in one sitting—only to collapse in exhaustion afterward.
As a result, Minato had been giving Taichi very strange looks for the past two days.
There was grievance.
There was resentment.
And there was a faint, unmistakable hint of jealousy.
After all, even he hadn't enjoyed this level of preferential treatment from Kushina yet!
Taichi, to his credit, knew how to repay kindness.
He personally cooked an extravagant meal that left Minato and Kushina so stuffed they didn't even want to move their fingers afterward.
Only then did he stop.
Unfortunately, the aftermath wasn't quite what he expected.
Not only did Minato look at him with even more resentment now—Kushina did too.
After all, once someone tasted food like that, who would want to go back to "simple meals"?
As the saying went: it's easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but hard to return.
Holding the ten "Enhanced Multiple Lamp Array Sealing Tags" in his hands, Taichi hummed a cheerful tune.
"Two for Yōhei, two for Saori, two for Captain Yamaguchi… I'll keep four for myself.
Mm~ perfect."
He planned to distribute them before the next mission. With these, everyone's safety would be much more secure—though he wasn't sure whether Yōhei or Captain Yamaguchi even had a foundation in sealing techniques.
After all, this wasn't like an explosive tag.
These seals were hard to make and even harder to maintain. Leave them unused for a few days, and they'd degrade.
No wonder Konoha didn't issue one to every ninja.
Everything was going perfectly—
Until new information arrived, leaving Taichi unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Flap—flap—flap.
The sound of frantic wings came from the window, followed by a duck-like squawk:
"Taichi! Taichi! Open the window! Jiji's about to fall!"
Turning around, Taichi saw a fat bird flapping desperately, its short legs scrambling uselessly along the narrow windowsill. No matter how hard it tried, it just couldn't keep its balance.
…What a stupid bird.
Sighing, Taichi hurried over and opened the window, letting the chubby creature stumble inside.
Jiji perched on the table and began preening its feathers, only for Taichi to glare at it in disappointment.
"Jiji, how are you this useless? Didn't we agree you were going to lose weight? Why are you getting fatter instead?"
The bird froze mid-preen, clearly guilty.
"Well… uh… I've been hunting a bit more lately. Ate a bit more too, so…"
Taichi didn't hold back.
Catching it off guard, he grabbed Jiji by the wings and lifted it, weighing it in his hands.
Good grief—when they first met, it weighed maybe four or five pounds. Now? Easily seven or eight.
"Talk," Taichi said darkly. "Who've you been freeloading food from this time? Captain Yamaguchi explicitly told me not to feed you anymore. Are you trying to get me killed?"
He deliberately exaggerated the threat.
If this bird got any fatter, it really would be a matter of life and death.
"Jiji! Let go of Jiji!" the bird screeched, voice even sharper now. But under Taichi's unyielding gaze, it quickly surrendered.
"…It was Saori. Jiji went to Saori's house and got food."
Of course.
Only Saori's personality would cave under this bird's relentless begging.
Releasing Jiji, Taichi continued mercilessly:
"Jiji doesn't even have a wife, right? Definitely no kids either. You know, obese birds aren't popular with females—and they're much less likely to reproduce."
"I'm a medical ninja," he added seriously. "I know what I'm talking about."
That did it.
The bird stiffened, neck creaking as it slowly turned toward Taichi.
"J-Ji… Ji… then… is… there… still… hope…?"
"That depends on you," Taichi said solemnly.
"Starting today—diet."
"…O-Okay…" Jiji drooped visibly, but for the sake of its future happiness, it nodded in resignation.
"Enough about your weight," Taichi said, changing the subject. "Why are you here? Any message tied to your leg?"
"Ah! Jiji forgot!" the bird squawked in regret. "It's Captain Yamaguchi. He has a solo mission tomorrow and says you should arrange your schedules yourselves for a while."
"What? The captain ditched us?" Taichi blinked—then smiled.
More free time meant more training… but immediately he reconsidered. Training alone was inefficient. He still needed real combat experience.
Still, at least he could control the timing now.
"It's a Hokage-assigned mission," Jiji explained. "Can't be helped. He'll be back after a while."
"I still need to notify Saori and Yōhei," the bird added. "Jiji's flying off!"
Watching the fat bird struggle into the air, Taichi wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.
"This is partly my fault…"
"Don't eat snacks at Saori's," he called out. "And tell them—same time tomorrow. Training Ground Three."
"Jiji understands! No more snacks!" the voice drifted away, leaving behind only a few stray feathers.
With the house quiet again, Taichi returned to his sealing scrolls.
Whenever he grew tired of sealing theory, he switched to Fire Release. When sitting too long, he practiced taijutsu.
He simply refused to be idle.
After all, every experience point notification brought him joy.
---
The next morning, Taichi arrived early at Training Ground Three.
But not early enough.
Yōhei and Saori were already there.
Before he even reached them, Taichi sensed something was off—and after a brief thought, he understood why.
Not everyone enjoyed nonstop training like he did.
Yōhei and Saori clearly wanted to go on missions—to build experience and records.
"What's wrong?" Taichi asked lightly. "You both look exhausted."
"Taichi," Yōhei said quickly, "with the captain gone—can we still take missions?"
"I checked," Taichi replied.
Yōhei's face lit up.
"But," Taichi continued calmly, "without the captain, we can only take C-rank missions, and even those come with restrictions."
"…Taichi," Yōhei groaned, "could you not pause like that? I was just about to be happy."
Taichi laughed helplessly at Yōhei's antics and Saori's quiet disappointment.
"You both want missions, don't you?"
"Then let's go to the Mission Hall and see what's available."
Though he'd rather train at home, Taichi wasn't about to ignore his teammates' wishes.
"Okay!"
"Yeah!"
Yōhei took off in a sprint, leading the way.
The Mission Hall was as busy as ever, lines stretching from every counter. Any other village would envy this sight—mission volume was the clearest indicator of a village's strength.
"How long is this going to take?" Yōhei groaned. "The village feels busier every day."
"Get in line now," Taichi urged. "Or it'll only get worse."
Just as they moved—
"Are you Matsushita Taichi, Uchiha Yōhei, and Furukawa Saori?"
A staff ninja called out.
The three turned around, surprised.
The chūnin looked utterly ordinary, save for a scar near his eye.
Yōhei immediately activated his social instincts and started chatting him up—quickly extracting useful intel.
For instance, the recent surge in missions was due to increased friction along the Lightning–Earth border.
The chūnin, slightly overwhelmed, finally remembered his purpose and handed them a scroll.
"This is a designated mission. Specifically for your team."
The three stared at one another in disbelief.
This was the first time they'd ever received a mission assigned directly to them.
"…Are we famous now?"