Konoha Training Ground.
Two figures could be seen darting back and forth across the field. Punches were thrown, kicks were launched, and every move was executed with power and grandeur.
The combatants were Taiichi and Might Gai. Ever since they started sparring together, they had made it a daily routine to face off. Their combat experience grew with each passing day.
Today's battle was different from before. Taiichi flicked his wrist, sending three shuriken flying toward Gai in a triangular formation, while charging forward right behind them.
Gai didn't panic. He sidestepped to dodge two of the shuriken and simultaneously swiped with his kunai to deflect the third. By then, Taiichi had already closed the distance, kunai in hand.
Both thrust their kunai at the same time. The metallic clang of weapons clashing rang out continuously.
After another flurry of exchanges, realizing neither could gain the upper hand with weapons, they decisively abandoned their kunai and switched to hand-to-hand combat. Now it was flesh against flesh. Taiichi spotted an opening, grabbed Gai, and executed a perfect shoulder throw, sending Gai flying through the air.
While Gai was still airborne with his back turned, Taiichi rapidly formed hand seals: Ram - Snake - Tiger. With a poof, two more Taiichis appeared on the field.
The three Taiichis charged in a triangle formation toward Gai, who had just landed. Gai couldn't immediately tell which Taiichi was real and could only block the incoming attacks one by one.
The first block hit nothing but air—a fake. Gai quickly adjusted his stance to block the second Taiichi, but again, nothing but air. By now, it was too late to react to the third. A solid punch landed squarely on his shoulder.
Seizing the momentum, Taiichi unleashed a barrage of attacks, finally landing a flying kick that knocked Gai to the ground.
...
Taiichi walked over and pulled Gai up. "How are you? You okay?"
"Haha! I'm fine! Taiichi, you've improved again! I'm starting to lose to you!"
"I just caught you off guard using the Clone Jutsu for the first time. It won't be so easy to fool you again."
"Ah-haha!" Gai didn't argue, just scratched his head and laughed foolishly. If Taiichi was improving, then he was improving too.
"Let's call it a day here. Time to head back."
"Okay! See you tomorrow, Taiichi!"
The two bid each other farewell.
...
At his doorstep.
Dragging his exhausted body home, Taiichi saw Tsunade and Nono standing by his door. He immediately broke into a smile.
"Ah! I'm so sorry! I'm back late. I made you two wait." He quickly unlocked the door and invited them inside.
Tsunade looked at Taiichi's disheveled state and remarked, " pretty hardworking, kid."
Nono stepped forward to help Taiichi straighten his clothes.
"I have to be hardworking. The class is full of geniuses; I can't fall behind!"
Thinking of Sarutobi-sensei's evaluation of Taiichi earlier that day, Tsunade laughed. "You're surprisingly humble."
"Alright, I won't beat around the bush. I think you can guess why I'm here today," Tsunade said.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. I'm just curious about how the village plans to partner with us," Taiichi said frankly. Since Tsunade was here, it meant the product had been verified and they were ready to cooperate. Otherwise, if they had just cracked the formula or used some underhanded method, Tsunade wouldn't be the one coming to negotiate.
Tsunade didn't hesitate and explained all the conditions Hiruzen Sarutobi had agreed to.
After hearing the terms, both Taiichi and Nono were surprised. Not because it was bad, but because it was too good. Fearing the village might lowball them, they had intentionally set their initial asking price high. Now, although the share percentage was lower than they asked, the village offered a huge lump sum of cash. This was actually perfect. It solved their most immediate problem: a lack of funds—both for the orphanage and for Taiichi's own training.
Neither of them was the type to nitpick, so they agreed to the village's proposal on the spot.
Tsunade was pleased with their quick agreement; she liked people who were decisive. She immediately signed the relevant agreements on behalf of the village with the two of them.
"Since everything is settled, isn't it time to give me the formula for this medicine?" Tsunade asked.
Taiichi didn't treat her like an outsider. He turned into his study and brought out a sheet he had written long ago. It clearly detailed the preparation method and the nuances to watch out for.
Tsunade took the sheet, read the first few lines, and exclaimed in shock, "You're saying this is made from garlic?!"
"Yep," Taiichi said with an innocent face.
Nono smiled wryly on the side. She knew exactly how much random junk Taiichi had thrown in there to mask the smell of the garlic.
Thinking about the smell of that stuff, Tsunade's expression turned weird. "You certainly put a lot of thought into it," she said pointedly.
Taiichi smiled but didn't say anything. Some things were better left unsaid. It was a tacit understanding—he couldn't exactly say he didn't trust the village to their face.
"By the way, Lady Tsunade," Taiichi changed the subject. "It's been over a week. Why did it take so long? Normally, verification shouldn't take that much time. Was it delayed by discussions in the village?"
Now it was Tsunade's turn to be awkward. Could she admit she just forgot? What was worse was that the village hadn't delayed at all; the moment Old Man Sarutobi heard her report, he greenlit it immediately.
"Well... there were too many tests to run. It's a medicine, after all; it can't be approved that simply," Tsunade said, forcing an excuse.
"That makes sense," Taiichi said, not suspecting a thing.
To relieve the awkwardness, Tsunade stood up to leave.
Taiichi wasn't going to let Tsunade go that easily. This was a rare opportunity to build a relationship, and he had a secret weapon: his cooking skills.
"Lady Tsunade, look at the time. You and Big Sister Nono were waiting at the door for so long, you must be hungry. Why don't you stay and try my cooking?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade has helped us so much. Please stay and let us show our appreciation," Nono added, picking up on Taiichi's intention.
"This... alright then." Facing their enthusiasm, Tsunade didn't refuse.
"Big Sister Nono, please entertain Lady Tsunade. I'll go to the kitchen."
...
Taiichi busied himself in the kitchen. Thankfully, he had done a big grocery run yesterday, so the pantry was stocked. Otherwise, it would have been embarrassing today.
Hearing the laughter drifting from the living room, Taiichi's hands didn't stop. Frying, sautéing, boiling—pots and pans flew as he cooked at breakneck speed.
What are they laughing about? Taiichi naturally didn't know that Nono was currently recounting embarrassing stories from his childhood to Tsunade. If he knew, he'd want the ground to swallow him up.
In less than an hour, five dishes and a soup were served, gleaming on the table.
Looking at the food, Tsunade was genuinely surprised. regardless of the taste, the presentation and aroma were top-tier.
The three sat down, said "Itadakimasu," and began to eat.
One bite, and she was shocked. The taste was indeed incredible. Tsunade felt like everything she had eaten in the first half of her life was garbage. How was she going to go back to eating regular food after this?
...
After the meal.
"Lady Tsunade, were you satisfied with the hospitality today?"
"What's with the 'Lady Tsunade'? You call Nono 'Big Sister,' so just call me Big Sister too!" Tsunade waved her hand dominantly.
Good grief, one meal and the honorifics changed. Taiichi was more than happy to oblige. He immediately seized the opportunity. "Big Sister Tsunade."
"Alright, it's getting late. I should head back."
"Okay. Take care on your way back, Big Sister Tsunade."
Taiichi and Nono watched Tsunade's back disappear at the end of the road before turning back inside.
Back in the house, Taiichi could no longer suppress his excitement. He grabbed Nono and spun her around wildly.
Nono let Taiichi goof around; she was happy too. The orphanage would never have to worry about funding again.
They talked for a while about future plans, then Nono got up to leave. After all, there was a pile of matters waiting for her back at the orphanage.
Once Taiichi was alone in the house, he calmed down. Thinking about future developments: Now that he had money, he could be bolder with his training and start buying medicinal aids. Also, he had built a good relationship with Tsunade today, which would be beneficial for both his career and training in the future.
After thinking through all this, Taiichi returned to his routine training. If you don't sing for a day, your voice gets rusty; if you don't fight for a day, your hands get slow. Training was like rowing upstream; if you didn't advance, you would fall back.