Imagination and Reality

The infighting in the Hokage's Office wasn't of Taiichi concern to him; he was currently busy with the paperwork for his promotion Jonin.

When he was promoted to Special Jonin last time, he was able to complete the process quite quickly thanks to Minato's help. This time, however, he was handling the Jonin promotion process alone, and the procedures were even more complicated, so the speed was naturally slower.

However, after going through this whole process, Taiichi was able to witness the depth of Konoha as the number one ninja village.

Those series of ceremonial promotion procedures make every ninja involved feel that their efforts have been recognized and respected by the village, enhancing their sense of honor and pride, thus making them love the village more and be more willing to serve it.

What impressed Taiichi the most was a middle-aged ninja in a large auditorium, who was chanting aloud all the non-classified missions Taiichi had successfully completed since becoming a ninja.

As Taiichi to these missions that he had personally experienced since his childhood, he couldn't help but feel emotional. He realized that he had given so much for the village. The village was like a child he had raised himself. If anyone dared to touch a hair on its head in the future, he would fight them to the death.

In short, after Taiichi successfully completed all the procedures for Jonin promotion to Jonin, even he was filled with boundless pride and couldn't wait to give his life for Konoha.

Finally, after forcing himself to calm down the whole way, Taiichi finally came to his senses when he arrived at his doorstep.

Looking back at the direction of the Hokage Building, Taiichi couldn't help but sigh. There are still some masters in the Ninja World. This promotion process is a perfect example of psychology, making people unconsciously develop an infinite sense of belonging to Konoha.

Even if something fishy is discovered later, no one will gossip, because it's all a personal choice. As long as your heart is with Konoha, this outcome is inevitable; it's just a matter of degree.

Since it's your own choice, there won't be any resistance. Even Taiichi feels the same way, since they both love Konoha.

Pushing open the gate and stepping into my long-missed home, I found the courtyard spotless this time, likely because the children from the Orphanage often came to clean it.

Taiichi put down all his things and went straight to the bathroom for a refreshing hot bath, washing away his fatigue and travel dust.

He then dressed himself properly again, left home, and went to the bustling market. Today was his first day back in the village, and even the Hokage-sama told him to rest for a day. Taiichi and stopped going out to cause trouble, allowing his tense nerves to relax.

On the bustling streets, Taiichi wandered aimlessly, his mind blank, drifting around entirely on instinct. He didn't hesitate to buy any delicious food he saw and try it out.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the Orphanage. Perhaps his familiarity with the place had become ingrained in his instincts, but he didn't mind.

As he approached, the cheerful sounds of laughter from the Orphanage reached his ears, causing Taiichi to unconsciously smile.

As he walked through the gates of the Orphanage, after a brief silence, a series of cheerful cheers echoed throughout the courtyard.

"Brother Taiichi, you're finally back!"

"Now we finally have someone to play with!"

"Brother Taiichi, will you leave again?"

"The dean left shortly after you left last time."

"I thought you guys never wanted us again!"

Children's hearts are sensitive and fragile; even the slightest changes in the outside world can upset their young minds.

The children who were happily surrounding Taiichi suddenly fell silent when someone mentioned that the director and Taiichi might not want them anymore. Their cheerful little faces immediately drooped, and sobs filled the courtyard.

Taiichi hurriedly tried to coax each child one by one, but how could he handle so many children by himself? Helpless, he Hand Seals and used the Shadow Clone Technique, causing a large number of Taiichi to appear in the courtyard.

Now, each child was paired with a different one, and perhaps because Taiichi's Ninjutsu had distracted the children, their crying gradually subsided.

Children's emotions come and go quickly; sure enough, they immediately started playing with Taiichi, who was coaxing them.

When had they ever had such an experience before? In the past, many children would play with Taiichi together. It was rare for them to be able to play with Taiichi one-on-one today. Soon, happy laughter filled the courtyard again.

Just then, Grandma Keiko was inside the house, heard the commotion outside and came out of her room. She immediately saw the numerous Shadow Clones of Taiichi in the courtyard. After a moment of surprise, she realized, "It's Taiichi! You're back!"

Taiichi quickly stepped forward, took Grandma Keiko's arm, and replied kindly, "Yes, I just got back today. I just finished tidying up and came here to visit."

"Good, good, a good child! It's a pity that Nonō went to the front lines too, otherwise it would have been even better!" Grandma Keiko sighed, but there was nothing she could do about it; this was the fate of ninjas.

Taiichi remained indifferent. Although he had changed Nonō's fate as a member of Root, it was her duty as Konoha ninja to go to the battlefield.

"Grandma Keiko, after Sister Nonō left, are you all alone at the Orphanage?" Taiichi asked with concern.

"How could that be? I'm getting old and don't have that much energy anymore. When Nonō left, she specifically applied to the village for a task, asking someone to come and take care of the Orphanage regularly, so I can finally rest a bit."

Grandma Keiko gently patted Taiichi's arm, which was supporting her, to reassure him that everything at the Orphanage would be fine.

The two sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, chatting quietly about the trivial matters that had happened recently. Grandma Keiko did most of the talking, while Taiichi usually listened quietly from the side.

Nearby, children were playing happily with Taiichi's Shadow Clone, filling the courtyard with a warm atmosphere.

Just as the Sun Barrier was about to set, a pleasant female voice came from outside the courtyard. "Grandma Keiko, we're here!"

Taiichi heard the voice and turned to look at the courtyard gate, but the voice sounded so familiar.

At that moment, Grandma Keiko patted Taiichi and said, "He's a ninja who comes to take care of the children every night on a mission."

Taiichi nodded slightly, but he already had a guess in his heart. Sure enough, a moment later, the three people who walked in from the courtyard gate confirmed Taiichi's idea. They were indeed familiar Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, Shino Aburame.

"Taiichi, I never expected to see you here. Didn't you just come back today?" Yūhi Kurenai looked at Taiichi, who was filling the courtyard, with surprise on her face, but then she understood. Taiichi was a completely different person now, far beyond what they could compare to.

"Hello everyone, it's been a long time!" Taiichi greeted the three of them. "I came from here, so of course I had to come and see you all after returning from my mission."

"Taiichi, is it exciting on the front lines? We also want to go to the front lines, but our instructor won't allow it." Yūhi Kurenai asked Taiichi directly about the situation on the front lines without any hesitation.

I never expected Yūhi Kurenai to be so fierce at this time; she doesn't look like the gentle older sister she'll become later.

As for why they can't go to the front lines, is that even a question? The Hokage's son is right here; which Jonin dare take him to the front lines?

Taiichi looked at the three of them and was about to answer when Asuma interrupted him. Asuma, seeing Taiichi and Yūhi Kurenai chatting so enthusiastically, was already getting jealous.

"Hong, we're here on a mission, how can we chat here?"

Yūhi Kurenai was also a little embarrassed, but when she turned to look at all the Taiichi in the courtyard, she looked innocently at Asuma, clearly saying: Look, we don't need to accompany them at all.

That's right. Although they were told they were there to take care of the children, they were really just there to play with them. But now that task has been taken over by Taiichi's Shadow Clone, they have nothing to do.

At this moment, Grandma Keiko realized that they all knew each other, so she decided not to stay any longer. "Since you all know Taiichi, why don't you chat here? This old woman will go inside and rest for a while."

Taiichi summoned a Shadow Clone to help Grandma Keiko into the house to rest. His real body then invited his three former classmates to come and sit down.

Yūhi Kurenai and Shino Aburame didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly. Asuma, seeing Yūhi Kurenai's attitude, also reluctantly sat down, deliberately sitting between Kurenai and Taiichi to separate them.

Taiichi smiled, not minding at all. This kid had been harboring these feelings for a long time, just like Obito. He had a girl he liked early on, but it was unclear how far things had progressed between them. From Taiichi's perspective, he was still in the unrequited love stage.

"Taiichi, what's the front line like? Didn't you just come back from the front? Tell us about it! "Yūhi Kurenai Asuma impatiently, her bright eyes blinking, clearly showing her interest in this topic.

These are the ninjas in the rear, especially these well-protected young ninjas. Perhaps influenced by the village's propaganda, or perhaps by their worship of heroes, they often have a blind yearning for the battlefield, believing it to be a place to make a name for themselves and achieve great things. They believe that as long as they go there, they can also return with honor.

Actually, she asked Taiichi the wrong person. Compared to ordinary ninjas, Taiichi's missions are different. As a ninja who can use the Flying Thunder God Technique, he rarely goes on missions with ordinary ninjas. But as a veteran ninja who graduated more than two years ago, dealing with these kids is a piece of cake for him.

"The front lines—" Taiichi stared blankly into the void, as if he had returned to the Southern Battlefield. "Those are missions that can never be completed. No one has a moment's rest. They just come down from the battlefield, rest for one night, and then have to go back to the battlefield."

On the battlefield, you must always be on high alert, vigilant for any movement around you, because the enemy may emerge from any corner. Once the two sides meet, it is either you die or I live; there is no room for mercy.

This was just a typical skirmish. In large-scale frontal conflicts, it was even more brutal. You might be surrounded by enemies, and comrades could fall at any moment. Screams of agony were constantly ringing in your ears.

Ninjutsu and Kunai fly everywhere. You might be fighting the enemy in front of you, but you could be killed by an attack that comes from nowhere behind you. The attacks of powerful ninjas or Tailed Beast are even more devastating, and even the slightest aftershock can kill ninjas around who are completely unaware of what's happening.

As you know, I am skilled in Medical Ninjutsu. On the front lines, Medical Camp are never idle; they are constantly treating the wounded. Medical Ninja often work in two shifts because Medical Camp need to operate 24 hours a day.

Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, and Shino Aburame were shocked by the frontline scenes described by Taiichi. They had never imagined that the frontline would be so dangerous. According to Taiichi, going to the frontline meant that life and death were uncertain.

Asuma was the first to disbelieve, blurting out without thinking, "Was it really that dangerous? I saw you come back safely, didn't I?"

Taiichi looked at this guy speechlessly. He was really too well protected. He heard that Asuma had an older brother named Sarutobi Shin'nosuke, who should still be alive and well. No wonder, since he was the Hokage's son and didn't need to carry on the family line, it was inevitable that he would have some preconceived notions.

"Do you know the casualties Konoha suffered in the last direct battle?" Taiichi looked at Asuma with amusement, and without waiting for his answer, he continued, "Last time we won a great victory over Sunagakure, remember, a great victory. Even under such circumstances, Konoha still lost more than a hundred people, and eight or nine out of ten were wounded."

And among those who died, almost all of them were mid- to low-level ninjas. Not to mention, the mortality rate was even higher in regular skirmishes. Anyone who could complete a mission three times in a row without a scratch was already incredibly lucky. You still think this is an easy thing!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I'm Jonin, and a Jonin who's skilled in the Flying Thunder God Technique. My survival skills are naturally far superior to those of ordinary ninjas."

Asuma was shocked as well. He wasn't shocked by the casualty rate on the battlefield; without experiencing it firsthand, he wouldn't truly understand the cruelty of war.

He was shocked by the fact that Taiichi was already Jonin. Counting the time, Taiichi was only 10 years old this year, two years younger than him, and he was already Jonin. Wasn't he the youngest Jonin in Konoha's history?

This really hit him hard. He was the son of the Hokage, receiving the best education. Back in school, there wasn't such a big difference between them, but in just two years, the gap had become enormous.

Yūhi Kurenai didn't share Asuma's strong feelings. Seeing that Asuma was not speaking and was blocking her way, she pulled the dazed Asuma away.

"Taiichi, you're already Jonin! That's amazing! Can I learn from you?"

She was still just a young girl, and she was immediately captivated by the ninja level that Taiichi had revealed. Seeing the look of admiration on her face, Taiichi hadn't expected that this little girl would have this side to her.

"That's possible, but what do you want to learn?"

Taiichi himself didn't care about teaching Yūhi Kurenai. They were friends, and besides, her family's Genjutsu was unique. He could also learn some experience from teaching her.

Moreover, Yūhi Kurenai herself is a beautiful young woman, and having her by one's side is quite pleasing to the eye.

Thinking this, Taiichi glanced at Asuma, who had just come to his senses, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "Little brat, I'm a petty person. I usually settle scores on the spot."

Sure enough, after Asuma figured out what had just happened, his face turned green. "Red, how could you learn from this guy? What can he possibly teach you?"