Chapter 129: Promotion to Chūnin
No sooner had Taichi arrived at the hospital than he was called away by Director Fujita from the Trauma Department to help out. Once that was done, another department immediately pulled him in.
After rotating through three departments in a row and spending over two hours on his feet, Taichi finally caught a break. Still, the effort was well worth it.
[Medical Practice: Mystical Palm Technique EXP +10]
[Medical Practice: Yang Release Nature Transformation EXP +5]
After tidying up his office, Taichi finally had time to head to the emergency department, where Nonō was currently working.
Even before stepping inside, he could tell the ER was unusually busy. But then again, with other departments short-handed today, it was only natural that the perpetually understaffed emergency department would be overwhelmed.
Sure enough, before Taichi could even say hello, Nonō spotted him in his white coat and immediately pulled him over to help.
With Taichi assisting, the efficiency of the emergency department rose noticeably.
After an hour of nonstop work, the two finally found a brief moment to talk.
"Big Sister Nonō," Taichi asked, "the hospital is busy every single day. Haven't they considered training more medical ninja?"
He was genuinely puzzled. Ever since Tsunade's medical reform, Konoha was supposed to have increased its focus on cultivating medical ninja. Yet from what Taichi had seen recently, not only had their numbers not grown—they seemed to be shrinking.
"It's not that we're not training them," Nonō said helplessly, shaking her head. After glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention, she lowered her voice.
"A lot of medical ninja have recently been reassigned from the hospital to active mission teams. That's why we're so short-staffed right now."
Taichi nodded in realization. Combined with his recent mission experiences, it was clear—war was approaching. Even hospital medical ninja were being pushed to the front lines.
"Alright, enough of that," Nonō said, interrupting his thoughts with a smile. "How was this morning's exam? It must've gone smoothly, right?"
At the mention of the chūnin exam, Taichi smiled confidently.
"Of course. Our team crushed the opposition without breaking a sweat."
He then shared the highlights of the morning's assessment with her, focusing on the more amusing moments.
The two chatted and laughed, enjoying a brief moment of rest.
But the peace didn't last long. As new patients arrived, the emergency department once again plunged into chaos.
---
July 3rd, Konoha Year 45.
The final day of the Chūnin Exams, once again held at the central tower of the Forest of Death.
All forty genin who had qualified gathered in the spacious hall. After the proctor explained the rules, the matches officially began.
The four members of Team Eight stood together, watching the battles unfold. Compared to yesterday's team-based matches, today's one-on-one duels showcased individual strength far more clearly.
After watching five matches, Taichi reached a simple conclusion:
Team Eight was far beyond the standard.
So far, he hadn't seen a single opponent who could pose a real threat to him.
Ordinarily, a newly promoted chūnin was someone who had mastered the Three Basic Techniques and relied mainly on taijutsu. More capable ones might have two or three elemental ninjutsu.
But Team Eight?
Taichi alone knew more ninjutsu than entire opposing teams combined. Even Saori had mastered multiple Lightning Release techniques and could competently use sealing arts.
There was simply no comparison.
---
Match Ten:
Uchiha Yōhei vs. Uchiha Shōtai
Two Uchiha facing each other on the field—it was almost too coincidental. Whether there was any behind-the-scenes manipulation or not, several spectators visibly reacted to the matchup.
Yōhei didn't care in the slightest. He flashed onto the field with Body Flicker.
Across from him, Uchiha Shōtai did the same, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. The moment he stepped onto the battlefield, his Sharingan activated—two tomoe in each eye.
Just as Shōtai smugly turned toward Yōhei, ready to say something—
Yōhei activated his Sharingan as well.
Three tomoe.
The overwhelming pressure of his dōjutsu crushed Shōtai's confidence instantly, suppressing his two-tomoe Sharingan with ease.
"How is that possible?!" Shōtai exclaimed in disbelief.
"You've only graduated for just over a year—how do you already have three tomoe?!"
With his spirit shattered and his Sharingan suppressed, Shōtai stood no chance.
The outcome was decided without suspense.
Yōhei won effortlessly—and even complained afterward that the match had been too easy.
Match Thirteen: Saori versus a civilian-born ninja.
Saori didn't even bother using ninjutsu. Relying purely on taijutsu, she secured a clean and decisive victory.
That result came as no surprise.
Both Saori and Yōhei trained daily in the foundational taijutsu Taichi had taught them. By now, the two had achieved noticeable results—far surpassing the physical conditioning of most ninja their age.
---
Match Seventeen: Finally, it was Taichi's turn.
His opponent was a member of the Aburame clan.
The moment the match began, the Aburame ninja released a massive swarm of kikaichū. The dense mass of insects split into three clouds and surged toward Taichi.
To be honest, this battlefield was extremely unfavorable for the Aburame clan—
especially when their opponent was someone who specialized in Fire Release.
Taichi didn't move.
He casually formed a few symbolic hand seals, and fireballs began to materialize around him.
This was the natural mastery he gained after his Fire Nature Transformation reached Lv11. Fire Release no longer needed to be expelled from the mouth—within a certain radius, flames could form anywhere at will.
Fireballs formed one after another, seemingly without consuming chakra, and shot toward the incoming insect clouds. Taichi deliberately restrained himself, avoiding the use of higher-temperature flames in order to conceal his true strength.
Even so, the relentless barrage of fire slowly forced the insect clouds back toward the Aburame ninja himself.
No matter how he dodged, the fireballs seemed to have eyes—curving midair to strike their target.
The scene stunned not only the Aburame ninja on the field, but also several jōnin watching from the sidelines, all of whom sucked in sharp breaths.
The Aburame ninja made a swift decision and raised his hand to concede.
From start to finish, Taichi never moved from his spot. His hands remained loosely held in an incomplete seal the entire time.
---
On the other side of the tower, Konoha's leadership—the Hokage and the other senior figures—along with several team captains, watched the matches through surveillance feeds.
Seeing Taichi win so effortlessly, the room filled with quiet admiration.
"Masasuke," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile, "you've raised Team Eight very well. Their strength far surpasses the other teams—especially Taichi. Even among jōnin, his Fire Release would be considered top-tier."
The Hokage's praise confirmed what everyone already suspected:
Matsushita Taichi's future was boundless.
Masasuke Yamaguchi shook his head modestly.
"The credit goes to the kids themselves. Even when I wasn't around, they managed their training and missions exceptionally well."
Hiruzen merely smiled, already considering how best to deploy these three promising talents—his own trusted assets.
Not far away, Danzō stared at the screen, watching Taichi's effortless victory.
Jealousy burned violently in his chest, consuming both his heart and his reason.
These were supposed to be mine.
If I can't have them, then no one should.
And that Uchiha… three tomoe at such a young age—far too dangerous. He must be eliminated as well.
---
The matches continued, but to any perceptive observer, the outcome was already clear.
The final victor would undoubtedly come from Team Eight.
Sure enough—
Second round: 20 to 10.
Third round: 10 to 5.
The final top three were:
Matsushita Taichi
Uchiha Yōhei
Furukawa Saori
There was nothing left to prove.
They had sparred countless times internally; who was stronger was already obvious. Public matches would only expose unnecessary intelligence.
Thus, they exchanged only token blows before determining the final rankings.
---
The results were announced swiftly.
After the written test, team battle, and individual combat rankings, ten genin were officially promoted to chūnin.
Hiruzen Sarutobi personally issued new ninja IDs, distributed chūnin equipment, and delivered a speech.
Taichi, however, barely heard a word of it.
His entire focus was locked onto his status panel.
---
[Chūnin Exam Passed – All Class Advancement Conditions Fulfilled:]
1. Genin Class Level Lv10
2. Constitution or Spirit ≥ 15
3. Strength ≥ 20
4. Agility ≥ 20
5. Chūnin Exam Passed
[Begin Class Advancement? Yes / No]
Without hesitation, Taichi selected Yes.
After waiting so long, why would he choose otherwise—just to listen to the Hokage's lengthy speech?
The system responded instantly.
---
[Class Advancement Successful]
Chūnin Lv1 (34/100 EXP)
Constitution +2
Strength +1
Agility +1
Spirit +1
Attribute Points +1
Skill Points +1
[Talent Enhancement Upgraded: Ninjutsu Power +70%]
---
Power surged through Taichi's body. His mind felt clearer, sharper.
If not for the occasion, he might have burst into laughter on the spot.
Class advancement truly offered massive gains.
Not just the raw stats—the talent boost alone was terrifying.
His ninjutsu had already been stronger than average.
An additional 20% increase, from 50% to 70%, widened that gap dramatically.
In real combat, even a slight edge could determine life or death—let alone a 20% advantage.
---
With the Hokage's speech concluded, the Chūnin Exams officially ended.
Some rejoiced. Others lamented.
Team Eight, however, was firmly among the former.
They followed Captain Yamaguchi straight to a barbecue restaurant to celebrate the entire team's promotion.
Naturally, Yamaguchi was footing the bill—and considering Saori's appetite, the cost would not be small. Taichi could already imagine his captain's pained expression.
After the celebration, they agreed to meet at the mission hall the day after next and went their separate ways. Promotions like this deserved family celebrations as well.
---
Back home, Taichi headed straight to the training field.
Calming his excitement, he formed incomplete seals and sensed the chakra flowing through his meridians—smoother, more obedient, and far easier to control than before.
Though his Chakra Control level hadn't changed, the improvement was unmistakable.
He tested his ninjutsu next.
Fire.
Water.
Earth.
Wind.
Lightning.
All five elements.
"Just as I thought," Taichi muttered, surveying the ravaged terrain.
With his talent enhancement at 70%, not only had his ninjutsu grown stronger and larger in scale—even fundamental aspects like chakra control, shape transformation, and nature transformation had improved.
After all, stronger techniques required a stronger foundation.
With a mere thought, several Phoenix Fire spheres formed around him—
what once required intense concentration now came effortlessly.
Satisfied, Taichi dismissed the flames.
---
Back in his study, he took out paper and pen.
Good news was meant to be shared—and there was only one person more deserving to hear it.
After a brief pause, he began writing.
---
Teacher Tsunade,
Your student has lived up to expectations.
Today, I successfully passed the Chūnin Exam and have officially become a chūnin of Konoha.
To be honest, the exam felt almost too easy at my current level. I'm still in a self-guided state, forced to figure out many techniques on my own. I sincerely hope you'll return soon to guide me personally—so I won't embarrass you in the future.
I've enclosed a photo from my promotion ceremony, so you'll recognize your disciple the next time we meet.
—Your student,
Matsushita Taichi
---
The next day, Taichi left a shadow clone training at home while he carried pre-prepared ingredients to the orphanage.
The moment he stepped through the gates, the sharp-eyed children surrounded him.
"Brother Taichi!"
"It's Chūnin-sama!"
A few mischievous boys even tried to stand on tiptoe to touch his brand-new flak jacket.
Nonō poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling.
"Looks like our new chūnin has become a human climbing frame."
Laughing, Taichi handed the ingredients to an older child and scooped up a smaller one, calling the rest to help in the kitchen.
Some washed vegetables.
Some cleaned dishes.
Small though they were, every child helped earnestly.
Taichi took over cooking duties—frying, steaming, stir-frying—soon filling the table with delicious dishes.
"I heard you burned all of the Aburame clan's bugs with Fire Release," Nonō teased.
"That already spread?" Taichi scratched his head, grinning.
"I was holding back—but my Fire Release just hard-counters insects."
As the table filled, the children's eyes sparkled.
Nonō raised her juice cup, and the children followed suit.
"To our young chūnin—may everything go smoothly!"
Before she could finish, a little glutton had already snatched a fried shrimp. The crunch gave him away instantly, his innocent wide eyes earning an explosion of laughter.
Watching the children laugh and fight over food, Taichi suddenly felt the chūnin headband on his forehead warm beneath the sunlight.