The nightscape of Konoha's streets was dyed amber by paper lanterns. A few withered leaves floated in the cracks of the stone pavement, making a faint crunching sound as pedestrians in fur-lined cloaks stepped on them. Bronze wind chimes hanging from the eaves swayed, startling a moth perched atop a lantern, its wings shaking off phosphorescent dust that shimmered with a ghostly blue in the moonlight.
The bronze fangs hanging from the lintel of the weapon shop clanged together. As they pushed the door open, the pine wood hinge let out a long creak, waking the old cat curled up behind the counter. Twelve rows of ebony racks fanned out; senbon needles were piled like thorn bushes in celadon plates, and hidden weapons in glass cases gleamed with the cold indigo light characteristic of poison tempering. On a rack made of ironwood in the southeast corner, seven katana were slanted, drawn three inches from their scabbards, a hint of silver frost condensing on their blades.
The three boys stepped into the brightly lit weapon shop. The cold glint of the blades reflected on Taiichi's excited face. Kakashi had already taken out the scroll from his ninja tool pouch and unrolled it; the yellowed silk displayed the key points for selecting a sword according to the Hatake style.
"The spine must be straight as a pine." Kakashi's fingertip glided across the display rack, and amidst the hum of metal, he drew out a plain short sword. When Taiichi took it, his wrist sank slightly; the red marks pressed by the birch handle earlier hadn't faded yet, and now new ones were added. "Over three pounds will affect the trajectory of your swing." The silver-haired boy balanced the sword across his palm, the tip and the pommel perfectly balanced at the web of his thumb. "Ideally, the center of gravity should be three inches in front of the guard."
Gai leaned in, staring at the hamon (temper line) in amazement, then suddenly tapped the blade with his fist. A clear, resonant tremor echoed through the shop. "My dad says swords forged with Tamahagane sound like mountain springs flowing over quartz." Kakashi signaled Taiichi to infuse Chakra into the blade. Fine Wind attribute Chakra flowed along the edge, emitting a cyan halo. This was a ninja sword mixed with a small amount of Chakra metal.
The shopkeeper brought out three swords of similar design. Kakashi held each one out flat and tested their cutting feel. When the third one sliced through the air, the sound of the blade breaking the wind suddenly became dense and smooth. "This is it!" Taiichi was delighted to find that when he swung it, his shoulder and elbow dropped naturally, the blade's trajectory perfectly matching the diagonal cut angle recorded in the scroll. Moonlight spilled through the window lattice onto the cloud patterns on the tsuba (guard). A smile flashed in Kakashi's eyes—the weight distribution of this sword was exactly the same as the first practice sword his father had forged for him years ago.
"Boss, how much for this one?" Taiichi didn't hesitate.
"A fair price, 30,000 Ryo," the shopkeeper said with a beaming smile.
"Can you give a discount, boss?" Hearing the 30,000 Ryo price tag, Taiichi winced a little. After all, not long ago, he was wracking his brains on how to make money.
"Customer, our prices are clearly marked. No bargaining." The boss looked firm, seemingly sure he had Taiichi on the hook.
"Alright." Taiichi didn't argue further; haggling too much would be disrespectful to the blade.
...
The three walked out of the shop. Taiichi, face full of joy, stroked the short sword he had just acquired. He immediately strapped it to his back; from now on, he would carry it everywhere to get used to moving with a sword.
"Kakashi, Gai, come over to my place for dinner tonight. I bought ingredients early this morning."
"Sounds great! I haven't tasted Taiichi's cooking in a while!" Gai cried tears of joy.
"We need to go home and let our families know first." Kakashi also agreed readily.
"Go ahead then. I'll go back and start cooking. By the time you arrive, it should be just about ready."
With that, the three rushed toward their respective homes.
...
Taiichi's House, Kitchen.
Taiichi, wearing a navy blue apron, was busy at the stove. The miso soup in the iron pot bubbled, and white steam carrying the sweet scent of taiiyaki spilled from the steamer, dyeing the small kitchen a warm yellow. Marinated teriyaki chicken legs were neatly arranged on the cutting board; the sauce, a blend of honey and sake, was something he had prepared in advance.
"Last dish..." Taiichi wiped the sweat from his forehead as he plated the tempura. Golden shrimp tails perked up from the batter, and fried lotus root slices glistened with amber oil. A knock came from the entrance at just the right moment, and Gai's energetic shout could be heard through the door: "Taiichi! We're here!"
Opening the door, he saw two figures. Kakashi leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, moonlight plating his silver hair in frost; Gai was sniffing the aroma in the air excitedly, his green jumpsuit covered in dust from training. "Sorry for the intrusion!" they said in unison. As they took off their shoes, Kakashi's short sword clinked crisply against the sword rack.
When the plates filled the low table, Gai's eyes went wide. The five-tiered bento box was packed with rice balls and tamagoyaki; the grilled saury had crispy skin sprinkled with sansho pepper; even the miso soup had carrots carved into maple leaf shapes floating in it. The tip of Kakashi's nose twitched slightly under his mask. Years of eating his father's "dark cuisine" made him extra sensitive to the feast before him.
"Itadakimasu!" Gai's chopsticks swept across the table like a whirlwind, snatching a tempura shrimp that traced an arc through the air. "This fried shrimp! The batter is crispy and... hot hot hot!" The boy, scalded by the hot oil, puffed out his cheeks and huffed but couldn't bear to spit it out. Kakashi methodically scooped up some tofu. The moment the broth entered his mouth, his pupils constricted—the dashi made from kelp and bonito was even more savory than the signature soup at the dango shop.
Taiichi smiled as he poured barley tea for them, the rising steam blurring the ninja scroll painting on the wall. When Kakashi reached for a teriyaki chicken leg for the third time, his face, usually hidden by a mask, suddenly froze. Gai, mouth stuffed with rice balls, mumbled a reminder: "Hey Kakashi, no one's gonna steal it from you!"
The silver-haired boy's ears turned red, his fingers hovering hesitantly at the edge of his mask. As the black fabric slid down, the moonlight happened to illuminate the sauce on the corner of his mouth. Taiichi and Gai both froze—no one expected this cool-headed genius to puff out his cheeks like a small animal when eating.
"About the Kenjutsu lessons..." Taiichi broke the silence at the right moment, placing the tail of the grilled fish into Kakashi's bowl. "Today's lesson made me realize the importance of a good teacher. Kenjutsu training isn't something you can do just by self-study."
"Really, thank you for today."
Gai suddenly put down his bowl and chopsticks, clasped his hands together, and bowed his head to Kakashi. "And thank you for teaching me Chakra control! Last time you said 'Taijutsu-type ninjas need precise Chakra allocation even more,' and now I don't hurt my ankles when kicking rocks!"
The chirping of insects outside the window suddenly became clear. Kakashi's knuckles turned white as he gripped his teacup. It was a long time before he whispered, "I'm the one who should be saying thank you." His gaze swept over the new sword on Taiichi's back. "I also wanted a partner who could practice Kenjutsu with me."
Moonlight flowed through the window lattice onto the low table, the shadows of the three boys intertwining on the wall. By the time Gai started his fifth bowl of miso soup, Taiichi and Kakashi were already rubbing their stomachs, resting.
"I'm so full. I can't eat another bite!"
When they said goodbye, the street was paved with starlight. Kakashi pulled his mask back up to the bridge of his nose, then suddenly turned and threw out a sentence: "We continue learning tomorrow." Gai struck a classic pose under the moonlight: "Tomorrow, twenty laps around the Forest of Death! Taiichi, wanna bet who finishes first?"
The moment the door closed, Taiichi leaned on his newly bought ninja sword and chuckled lightly. The residual warmth on the hilt reminded him of Kakashi's overlapping hands when demonstrating the grip, and the high-five with Gai that numbed his palm when testing the sword. The lingering scent of bonito drifted from the kitchen, and the three empty bowls lined up on the low table reflected the moonlight like a silent oath.
After seeing the two off, Taiichi returned to his room. It was getting late, so he could only do his Basic Taijutsu and Meditation practice at home for the rest of the night.
> Name: Taiichi Matsushita
> Class: Apprentice Ninja Lv6 (926/1000)
> Talents: Diligence, Academic Genius
> Age: 6
> Constitution: 13
> Strength: 15
> Agility: 13
> Spirit: 20
> Chakra: 3100 (5350)
> Attribute Points: 9
> Skill Points: 9
> Nature Transformation:
> Fire Nature Transformation Lv2 (66/200)
> Wind Nature Transformation Lv2 (36/200)
> Yang Nature Transformation Lv2 (18/200)
> Skills: Basic Taijutsu Lv8 (1213/1400), Basic Meditation Lv8 (1212/1400), Chakra Refining Technique Lv8 (1253/1400), Ninja Tool Throwing Lv7 (687/1200), Transformation Jutsu Lv6 (515/1000), Clone Jutsu Lv7 (537/1200), Substitution Jutsu Lv6 (853/1000), Fire Style: Flame Bullet Lv6 (353/1000), Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu Lv6 (935/1000), Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Lv6 (712/1000), Healing Jutsu Lv6 (923/1000), Hatake Style Kenjutsu Lv1 (32/100)
> Evaluation: Learning Kenjutsu has covered your shortcomings, but you are still just Genin cannon fodder.
Watching the panel data constantly change, Taiichi was filled with motivation. Training is addictive—that perfectly described Taiichi right now. He trained until the early morning hours before finally washing up and going to bed.