Ever since he got the Genjutsu materials from the Kurama family, Taiichi had something new to occupy his time, and his hospital days finally became less boring.
In the remaining two days, Taiichi learned the two Genjutsu included in the materials: Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death and Sly Mind Affect Technique.
What delighted Taiichi even more was that learning these two Genjutsu successfully unlocked Yin Nature Transformation.
> [Congratulations. You have learned Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death Lv1 (0/100)]
> [Congratulations. You have learned Genjutsu: Sly Mind Affect Technique Lv1 (0/100)]
> [Congratulations. You have learned Yin Nature Transformation Lv1 (0/100)]
Learning these three skills not only covered Taiichi's shortcomings but also allowed his highest attribute—Spirit—to be utilized fully. It not only enhanced his combat effectiveness but also enriched his tactical options.
...
On this day, Taiichi's injuries were mostly healed. After a professional examination by Tsunade, he was finally discharged.
The moment he walked out of the hospital gates, seeing the azure sky, the bustling streets, and the crowds of people, Taiichi felt like he had been reborn. Life had never seemed so beautiful.
I never want to stay in this hospital again! Taiichi thought silently, looking back at the hospital gate.
Outside the hospital, his team was waiting for him. Seeing Taiichi come out, they all smiled. Yohei Uchiha ran over first, shouting before he even arrived, "Taiichi! Over here! We came to pick you up!"
Saori Furukawa followed suit, leaving Captain Yamaguchi standing alone on the side, quietly watching the three team members talk.
"Taiichi, it's great that you're out! We can go on missions together again!" Yohei shouted loudly, regardless of the occasion, drawing stares from passersby.
"Yeah. I'll get organized today, and we can take missions tomorrow," Taiichi agreed. Lying in the hospital for days had made him feel rusty all over.
"Taiichi, don't you want to rest a bit more?" Saori whispered from the side.
"It's fine. D-rank missions are just daily chores; there's no danger." Taiichi looked at Saori and smiled. "Besides, Saori, I have you guys, right? I can't be the one dragging the team down!"
"Right! Right! You have us! I'll help you, Taiichi, don't worry!" Yohei boasted, putting his arm around Taiichi's neck. "Let's go, Taiichi! Captain Yamaguchi said he's treating us to snacks to celebrate your discharge!"
"Oh?" Taiichi looked at Captain Yamaguchi standing in the distance. "Yohei, did you egg the captain on because you wanted three-colored dango?" Taiichi joked.
"No way!" Yohei blushed and waved his hands in denial.
Saori covered her mouth and giggled. Seeing this, Taiichi understood immediately. He had guessed right.
The three walked toward Captain Yamaguchi, chatting and laughing, and headed to the snack street together with the captain.
...
In the following days, Taiichi's life finally returned to peace.
Team 8 completed D-rank missions at a rate of one every two days. The rest of the time was spent on individual training or group drills led by Captain Yamaguchi.
Occasionally, Captain Yamaguchi would teach the three some training techniques.
Notably, after pestering Captain Yamaguchi relentlessly, Taiichi finally learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu from him.
However, having learned his lesson with the Water Clones, Taiichi didn't dare to push his luck. He only created one Shadow Clone each day for Kenjutsu training. Even so, dispelling the clone every night exhausted him thoroughly. At this point, he truly envied Naruto's constitution—resilient as a cockroach.
After two months of leisurely days like this, someone finally exploded.
"Ah! Sensei Yamaguchi, another D-rank mission? We've been doing D-rank missions for two months now!"
A complaint echoed throughout the Mission Hall, drawing everyone's gaze to the source. They all wanted to see which reckless fool dared to make such a noise in the Mission Hall.
After all, the Mission Hall wasn't just crowded with ninjas; it was also the face of Konoha to the outside world. All clients coming to Konoha to commission missions had to go through the Mission Hall.
Yohei's shout was embarrassing enough to be heard outside the village, but when everyone saw who it was, they just smiled and dismissed it.
The reason was simple: Team 8 had become somewhat famous in Konoha.
As a team of fresh graduates, their mission completion rate was considered diligent. Other graduate teams needed a lot of time for training, but this group consisted of either an "expert" who graduated early or clan ninjas. Their team level was a cut above the rest.
More importantly, their team had a unique Uchiha. Other Uchiha ninjas were aloof and rarely interacted with others. Yohei Uchiha, however, was the complete opposite. Compared to Obito's goofiness, Yohei was simply boisterous and loved making friends.
In just two months, he had managed to strike up conversations with all the staff in the Mission Hall—a true social butterfly.
Realizing he had caused a scene, Yohei waved his hands apologetically to the onlookers. Taiichi and Saori, standing beside him, naturally bowed in apology as well, then dragged Yohei into a corner.
"Captain, Yohei is right. We've been doing D-rank missions for two months. We're familiar with everything we need to be. With our strength, can't we take on higher-level missions?" Although Taiichi pulled Yohei aside, he sided with him on mission selection.
Saori tapped her index fingers together and whispered, "I want to do high-level missions too."
Seeing that all his team members requested it, Captain Yamaguchi readily agreed. In fact, even if they hadn't asked, he would have taken a C-rank mission in the next day or two to give them some practice.
He just hadn't expected the three of them to be so patient. Even the energetic Yohei had waited until today to object.
"Alright. But there is one thing you must remember. C-rank missions are different from D-rank missions. C-rank missions have a high probability of encountering combat," Captain Yamaguchi said seriously. Taiichi and the others nodded repeatedly.
"Also, although the combat is usually against ordinary people or bandits, the danger is incomparable to D-rank missions. You must listen to commands during the mission and not act on your own." This time, Captain Yamaguchi looked straight into Yohei's eyes.
"Mm! Mm! Mm!" Yohei nodded incessantly, but then felt something was wrong. He looked left and right, then put on an aggrieved face. "Captain, you're not talking about me, are you?"
Taiichi and Saori snickered on the side. Captain Yamaguchi ignored him. "Alright, follow me to see which C-rank missions are suitable."
The three followed happily. Taiichi, trailing behind, secretly gave Yohei a thumbs-up, making Yohei grin.
Actually, if Yohei hadn't spoken up today, Taiichi would have. Continuing these missions offered no further training and wasted time. The Third Great Ninja War wasn't far off. Taiichi needed to improve his strength as quickly as possible to better protect everyone.
At the mission window, Captain Yamaguchi flipped through the mission list carefully. Taiichi and the others stood on tiptoes, trying to peek at the scroll. They couldn't help it; they were still too short. Even Yohei, the tallest, barely reached Captain Yamaguchi's shoulder, let alone the eight-year-old Taiichi.
"Captain! Captain! How about this one? Eliminating bandits!" Yohei pointed excitedly.
"No. Too dangerous. For your first C-rank mission, pick something simple." Captain Yamaguchi rejected it mercilessly.
"Then this one, this one! And that one over there!" Yohei continued to chatter.
Finally... "Captain, how about this one?" Taiichi pointed at a mission.
At the same time, Masasuke Yamaguchi pointed at a mission and said, "This is the one."
They had selected the same mission. They looked at each other. "Taiichi, not bad. Tell me why you chose this one."
Taiichi scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "First, it's close by, just in the neighboring Land of Rivers. Also, it's an escort mission. The goods are just bulk commodities, large in quantity but not particularly valuable. Although there is some danger, it's not worth hiring ninjas to intercept a Konoha escort team for such goods. A mission like this is perfect for a rookie team like ours."
Masasuke Yamaguchi nodded and praised with a smile, "Correct analysis. Clear logic. You considered everything that needed to be considered."
"Remember, from C-rank onwards, intelligence becomes increasingly important. You must learn to analyze the necessary intelligence from simple matters. This concerns your future growth and safety." Captain Yamaguchi instructed earnestly.
Taiichi and the others nodded frequently, knowing this was the captain teaching them.
After selecting the mission, Masasuke Yamaguchi took the three to process the acceptance and received the mission certificate and village exit permit.
Outside the hall, Captain Yamaguchi waved the mission certificate and said, "Go back today and prepare everything you need. Don't leave anything out. For your first mission outside the village, you must be absolutely prepared. Alright, meet at the village gate tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Dismissed."