A Corner of the World

When Taiichi reappeared in the Emergency Department, he was already a full-fledged Konoha doctor. When Nonō saw Taiichi's attire, she was so surprised that she covered her mouth.

"Where did you get this outfit and this ID?" Nonō pulled Taiichi to a corner and grabbed Taiichi ID to examine it closely.

"How can it look so real?" Nonō looked up at Taiichi: "This can't be faked. There may not be many ninjas here in the hospital, but in reality, we're under constant surveillance by the Anbu. You can't make a mistake!"

"Sister, how could that be? It's true, Director Fujita of the Trauma Department, specially arranged it for me."

Nonō looked at Taiichi seriously, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that what he said didn't seem fake.

But then a warm feeling welled up inside her. She knew that Taiichi's actions were to lighten her burden and to stay with her for the New Year.

"Thank you, Taiichi!"

"We're family, no need to thank me!" Taiichi's smile warmed Nonō's heart like a Little Sun.

"Let's go, Sister Nonō, we're going to be overwhelmed over there!" With that, Taiichi walked into the emergency room and got to work.

With Taiichi's help, the efficiency of the emergency room improved significantly. He skillfully assisted nurses in bandaging wounds, delivering medications, and treating emergency patients.

Gradually, everyone discovered that this young doctor in the white coat was incredibly skilled, handling all sorts of ailments with ease, not only quickly but also with remarkable effectiveness.

Gradually, two pretty nurses followed behind Taiichi, specifically to assist him. This made Taiichi even more efficient.

The previously overwhelmed medical staff were finally able to catch their breath, and the atmosphere in the entire emergency room became much more relaxed.

"Bandages!" Taiichi ordered.

The nurse next to him immediately handed over a bandage, and Taiichi's hands moved like butterflies flitting among flowers, quickly bandaging a patient's wound.

"This patient had a stomach hemorrhage. After I helped him stop the bleeding initially, I immediately sent him to the Internal Medicine Department for treatment."

As he spoke, Taiichi's hand shone with the light of the Mystical Palm Technique, which he pressed against the stomach of the patient who was vomiting blood. The dense green light instantly intensified, and within a dozen seconds, the patient stopped vomiting blood, and even his face was no longer so pale.

The nurse was also amazed; such healing ability was second to none in the entire hospital.

One patient after another came in, and after receiving initial treatment, they were sent away. Nonō glanced at him briefly, a slight smile playing on her lips, but she was quickly called away by a new patient.

The ER's busy period didn't end until 8 p. m. Nonō took off her white coat, which was covered in stains, and wearily rubbed her temples.

Taiichi handed him a cup of hot tea, and she thanked him softly. The two walked out of the hospital side by side.

The night wind was chilly, Nonō pulled her coat tighter around herself. Just then Taiichi handed her the gift he had bought that day—a warm scarf.

"Happy New Year, Sister Nonō!"

Nonō happily accepted the scarf and wrapped it around her neck. She felt a warmth, but it was nothing compared to the warmth in her heart.

The two chatted along the way, catching up on each other's lives, and soon arrived at the Orphanage.

Pushing open the door, the children's laughter immediately rang out, and Taiichi's Shadow Clone was leading them in a game of hide-and-seek, the little ones running around excitedly.

Nonō paused for a moment, then turned to look at Taiichi beside her, before chuckling, "You really are something else!"

Taiichi scratched his head, Hand Seals to release the Shadow Clone. Instantly, memories of the entire day flooded his mind—happy things like building snowmen with the children and teaching them Hand Seals. A smile involuntarily crept onto Taiichi's Kakuzu.

"Looks like your Shadow Clone is having a much better time than me!" Taiichi teased.

Nonō looked at him, her eyes softening. "The children were especially happy today, and we have to thank you for that."

Taiichi shook his head, Hand Seals, and created a new Shadow Clone: "Let them play a little longer, I'll head back now."

Before the Shadow Clone could speak, it was immediately pulled away by the children to continue their evening games.

Taiichi then bid farewell to Nonō and turned to leave the Orphanage.

Snowflakes drifted Taiichi exhaled a puff of white breath, feeling unusually relaxed. Although today was busy, being able to help Nonō and make the children happy made it all worthwhile.

Back home, Taiichi picked up a pen and paper. He had forgotten that it was almost New Year's and hadn't sent Tsunade his greetings. He was determined to make up for it today.

The essay, spanning several hundred words, expressed the author's deep respect for the teacher, sincerely apologized for not wishing the teacher a Happy New Year in advance, and finally presented the New Year's gifts that had been specially purchased that day, including a Shizune device, as well as a large pile of food and other items.

They were sent to Tsunade together via Katsuyu.

After finishing all that, Taiichi stopped thinking about it. There's always a time to rest at the end of the year, Taiichi made an exception and went to bed early today, looking forward to another perfect day tomorrow.

While Taiichi was going to bed, Tsunade and Shizune, far away in the Land of Bears, were experiencing a completely different scene.

The cold wind howled, and the snow fell heavily, making this winter night particularly biting.

Tsunade, wrapped in her signature gambling-themed coat, pulled Shizune along as they hurried through the snow-covered alley. The faint shouts of debt collectors from the casino echoed behind them, forcing them to quicken their pace and turn into a dimly lit, narrow alley.

"Damn it, it's not like I'm not going to pay it back, I just wanted a few more days, why are they pressing me so hard!" Tsunade muttered to herself, completely oblivious to the fact that she was already drowning in debt.

"Lady Tsunade, are we going to have to sleep on the streets again?" Shizune hugged her chest with her arms, trying to keep her body warm, her voice trembling with tears.

Her breath formed tiny ice crystals on her scarf, and her exposed face was already red from the cold.

"Stop nagging!" Tsunade scratched her hair irritably, her blonde hair still damp with dust from climbing over the wall. "There's a hot spring inn up ahead. The owner owes me a favor; let's ask him to stay the night."

When they finally squeezed through the door of the inn, which was adorned with large red lanterns, Shizune's boots were soaked. The landlady visibly froze when she saw their disheveled appearance, clearly mistaking them for down-on-their-luck travelers who couldn't afford a place to stay.

The shop owner, however, had a sharp eye and immediately recognized them as the people who had saved his life years ago. Without a word, he welcomed them into the shop, gave Tsunade a warm welcome, and led them to the best room. Before they left, he didn't forget to say, "Happy New Year."

It was this greeting that triggered Shizune's outburst the moment the door closed. "This is the seventh time this year! Last month I was chased by the City Lord for debt in the Land of Hot Water, and the month before that I was chased by the casino for debt in the Land of Iron— "

She ripped off her already damp coat and draped it beside the brazier, then emptied all her money and scattered it in front of Tsunade, angrily saying, "This is all the money we have left! If you keep going like this, we won't even have money for food tomorrow!"

With that, she plopped down next to the brazier, turned her back to Tsunade, and sulked there, ignoring her completely.

Tsunade sat alone by the window, gazing at the falling snowflakes outside, her thoughts wandering far away.

Her escape led her away from Konoha, leaving her to wander the country with only Shizune. She claimed she was taking care of her, but it was really just a way for her to find solace. In fact, Shizune had been taking care of herself more often during this time.

Tsunade looked down at her hands, as if she could see the blood of Nawaki and the broken sword on them again, and her whole body began to tremble slightly.

Outside, the festive season was in full swing, with everyone laughing and chatting. Inside, however, there was only the lonely adult and the child.

After an awkward silence, just as Tsunade was about to say something to break the stillness, a familiar sense of calling came from the distant Shikkotsu Forest.

Tsunade chuckled self-deprecatingly; perfect, she would break the silence with that.

With her hands Hand Seals, Tsunade began the Summoning Jutsu. However, she sensed something was wrong halfway through. This wasn't the size of the Katsuyu she usually summoned. To prevent the Ninjutsu from being interrupted, Tsunade suddenly increased her Chakra output, which alerted Shizune, who had her back to her.

When Shizune turned around due to the huge Chakra fluctuation, a cloud of white smoke had already filled the entire room.

As the white smoke dissipated, a large Katsuyu, over a meter tall, appeared inside the house. However, what was even more noticeable were the large packages tied to both sides of the Katsuyu.

"This... this was sent by Taiichi?" Shizune stammered. Using Summoning Animal to deliver a message was one thing, but this was the first time she had ever seen such a thing delivered by Summoning Animal.

"Lady Tsunade, these are New Year's gifts that Taiichi bought, and he specifically asked me to deliver them to you." The Katsuyu's gentle voice rang out, then turned to Shizune, "Oh, and there's one for little Shizune too. Taiichi also prepared one for you."

"Really?" Shizune cheered and jumped up, quickly going forward to help the Katsuyu unload the heavy load.

Tsunade then stepped forward, took Taiichi's letter from the Katsuyu, and went to the window to read it alone.

The opening was familiar, the flattery familiar, nothing new, just a simple New Year's greeting. But this greeting, at this special time, felt so important and so warm.

In the vast village of Konoha, he knew many people, including teachers, comrades-in-arms, and friends, but at this moment, only his own disciple had sent him a letter of greeting.

Don't say they can't find her; her whereabouts were not kept secret from Konoha.

If you're determined, you can find out anytime.

But in the end, all that came to mind was Taiichi and the little girl beside him!

Tsunade folded the letters, carefully put them away, and wiped away the tears from the corner of Tsunade eyes as she turned away. Watching Shizune happily choosing a gift, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

Should I also give Taiichi a gift?

The next day, Taiichi's powerful biological clock forcefully woke him up, even though he was planning to sleep Taiichi. After getting ready, the moment Taiichi opened the door, he saw a world covered in silver, the entire Konoha had been dyed white by the heavy snow overnight.

There were hardly any people on the street at that time, and the entire street was covered with a thick layer of white snow, with not a single footprint visible on the snow.

Amidst such beautiful scenery, Taiichi suddenly felt playful. He closed the door and walked step by step into the distance through the snow. With each step, he would look back to check if his footprints were straight and clear.

It felt like stepping back into my younger childhood, a carefree time when all I knew was how to play and have fun.

The empty streets, the thick snow, and the straight footprints reflected Taiichi's lively heart at this moment.

[Undergoing enlightenment, skill Advanced Meditation +1000]

[Through reflection, the mind is elevated, and the spirit increases by 1]

A refreshing coolness surged from the depths of his brain, like drinking a glass of ice water on a sweltering summer day, instantly soothing him to the core. Taiichi also awoke from that pleasant state of mind, and looking at the gains he had made in just a few steps, he couldn't help but feel even happier.

Experiencing, feeling, and sudden enlightenment—each time brings tremendous gains, but each time is also a matter of chance.

Taiichi arrived at the Riverside Training Ground with great joy and began practicing Advanced Taijutsu as usual.

But this time was clearly different from usual. Perhaps it was because the lingering effects of the state of enlightenment were still present, or perhaps it was the increased control resulting from the enhanced mental state. Today's Taijutsu training was so smooth and natural.

Seizing this opportunity, Taiichi first Taijutsu, then swordsmanship, and then, feeling that the opportunity was too good to miss, he began to practice Fire Style.

The three sensations alternated until the sun was high in the sky, at which point that peculiar feeling of being one with nature gradually faded.

Taiichi glanced at the panel and found that although he had only cultivated for a morning and had not made great progress as he had in the "Comprehension" stage, it was still equivalent to more than a month of his own cultivation progress.

[You have undergone Advanced Taijutsu training, gaining 500 experience points and increasing your related comprehension!]

[You have progressed to Advanced Swordsmanship training, gaining 500 experience points and increasing your related comprehension!]

[You have undergone Fire Nature Transformation training, gaining 500 experience points and increasing related comprehension!]

Sheathing his Short Sword, Taiichi looked at the muddy mess he had made and laughed heartily, expressing his joy. Then, he Taiichi walked towards the village. It was noon, and he needed to think about where to eat after he got back.

The snow on the streets has been shoveled to both sides by the hardworking villagers, and the beautiful white scenery of early morning is gone. The bustling streets are now full of festive atmosphere.

Taiichi, clutching his rumbling stomach, was pondering whether to go to Ichiraku Ramen or Barbecue Restaurant when a familiar commotion suddenly erupted ahead.

"Even the cold winter can't extinguish my burning youth! Kakashi, let's have a passionate match!" Guy's signature loud voice could be heard from half a street away.

"Idiot, who wants to spar with you during the New Year's holiday?" Kakashi's dead fish eyes were so wide that you could hardly see his pupils.

Taiichi looked in the direction of the sound and the first person he saw was Kai walking in front of him. His green bodysuit stood out conspicuously on the street.

Obito was gesturing wildly to make some kind of name, which made Rin cover her mouth and giggle. Kakashi, on the other hand, walked ahead of them with a look of disgust, as if he was afraid that Obito's silly laughter would be contagious.

"Hey! Isn't this our busy guy Taiichi!" The sharp-eyed Obito was the first to spot Taichi, waving Taiichi and shouting, "Come and judge for yourself, Kakashi actually said my new Ninja Tool Pouch is too ugly."

Kakashi scoffed, "That's right. That orange frog design is so ugly it could alarm the Hokage. Besides, what respectable ninja would use that design for their Ninja Tool Pouch?"

"What do you know? This is called fashion!" Obito was so angry that he jumped up and down, picked up his Ninja Tool Pouch, and was about to fight Kakashi.

Rin quickly pulled him back. "Obito, stop fooling around, there are so many people watching on the street!"

Taiichi walked over with a smile, "You two are quite the bickering couple, aren't you? You can always be so mischievous wherever you go!"

Kakashi and Obito exchanged a glance, then angrily turned their heads away.

"Where are you two going?" Taiichi ignored the two clowns and asked Lin and Kai, who were standing to the side.

"I was just about to go find a place to eat," Lin said gently. "Does Taiichi want to come along?"

"I'm hungry too." Taiichi nodded, his gaze sweeping over Obito's undeniably ugly frog-shaped bun, barely managing to suppress a laugh.

The five of them strolled along the shopping street, chatting and laughing. Obito insisted on squeezing between Kakashi and Rin, but Kakashi always managed to push him aside. Guy kept clamoring to have a Taijutsu match with everyone, but the others unanimously rejected the idea.

"It's New Year's Day holiday today, Kai, you should rest for a while. Don't always pick fights with others," Lin comforted the dejected Kai.

"Exactly, exactly." Obito chimed in, "If you ask me, Guy, since you're so eager to compete, why don't we have a eating contest and see who can eat the most? We're going to eat anyway."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten how you almost ate too much barbecue last time?"

"That... that was just an accident!" Obito flushed red. "I'll definitely win this time!"

Taiichi, finding their bickering amusing, said, "Ichiraku Ramen just arrived, let's have a ramen-eating contest!"

The group turned to look at the ramen shop. In an instant, Taiichi seemed to see three flames burning, representing the soaring fighting spirit of Guy, Kakashi, and Obito.