Misunderstanding, Strange Looks

The next day, Taiichi got up early again; the extensive Ninjutsu practice he had done the night before had no effect on his condition today.

After finishing his morning lessons, he left four Shadow Clones at home to study and practice Ninjutsu, while his main body headed towards the Barrier Team.

There was another treasure trove waiting for his visit, and Taiichi had long been eager to do so.

Entering the Barrier Team, Taiichi greeted the few ninjas he had met the day before, inspected the entire work area, and then immediately had his Shadow Clone take over, while his main body disappeared into the Archives.

For Taiichi, nothing could attract his attention more than the information here.

And time passed by unnoticed, second by second.

Yamanaka Kiyoharu seemed somewhat unsettled today. In fact, this feeling had started yesterday evening, specifically after seeing off the new Jonin Taichi Matsushita.

He didn't know why, but this uncomfortable feeling made him much less productive at work today.

Finally, after finishing all his work, he looked up at the time and saw that it was already 10 a. m.

It was indeed getting late. He usually finished his work by 9:30, and then he would tour the entire Barrier Team to check on everyone's work progress.

"Sigh, this has really caused trouble!" Yamanaka Kiyoharu sighed. He quickly tidied his desk and left the office to begin his next inspection.

Defense Barrier Team, normal.

Sensory Barrier Team, normal.

The Isolation Barrier Team is functioning normally.

Yamanaka Kiyoharu nodded inwardly. Things were going well today; all the groups were doing well. It seemed he had really overworked himself and was even a little out of his mind.

Just as Yamanaka Kiyoharu was reflecting on his situation, he arrived at the work area of the last group, which was specifically responsible for maintaining all the Barrier Konoha Hospital.

At that moment, he saw Taiichi discussing something with that group. However, seeing the way the group members were bowing and listening to his instructions, he couldn't help but have a bad feeling—was Taiichi using his Jonin to bully them?

This is not a good habit. It's inevitable to be a little arrogant after achieving fame at a young age, but you must not use that arrogance on your peers.

With these thoughts in mind, Yamanaka Kiyoharu quickened his pace, wondering how he could persuade the young Jonin.

As he got a little closer, he heard the group of ninjas nodding repeatedly, saying things like, "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right—".

--

Yamanaka Kiyoharu frowned deeply. What was wrong with this group of ninjas? How could they have no backbone at all? Even if he was Jonin, they shouldn't have acted so timidly when he bullied them in this workplace. They had completely disgraced the entire Barrier Team.

Seeing that Taiichi seemed about to reprimand them, Yamanaka Kiyoharu disregarded everything else and shouted from afar, "Jonin Taiichi, it seems inappropriate for you to reprimand your subordinates so soon after arriving!"

The scene fell silent.

Taiichi turned his head blankly toward the direction from which the voice came, not understanding what Yamanaka Kiyoharu was saying.

The group of ninjas also turned around, their faces showing a mixture of sudden realization and confusion.

When Yamanaka Kiyoharu saw this scene, he immediately knew he was in trouble. He must have misunderstood something. This was not a reprimand at all; it looked more like a lecture.

Yamanaka Kiyoharu was also someone who could humble himself. Realizing he had said something wrong, he immediately laughed it off, "Did I misunderstand something? What are you all doing?"

Taiichi wasn't a petty person, and besides, the other party was just showing concern for their subordinate; if he got angry about it, he would lose face. But he didn't bother to explain; he was in the right, and others would naturally speak up for him.

As expected, the squad Captain of the group in front of him immediately stepped forward and explained the background to Yamanaka Kiyoharu.

It turns out that there were indeed problems this morning. The reason why Yamanaka Kiyoharu found that all the groups were working normally was because Taiichi had already solved the problems for everyone before he did.

As for their group, Taiichi had previously worked at the hospital and was very familiar with the Barrier there. Therefore, he found many loopholes in them and was explaining them to them one by one.

This is why they were so respectful; the other person's skills were so high, their explanations so accurate, and they were so kind and gentle in guiding them. It would be a shame not to be respectful.

Unexpectedly, this led to a misunderstanding by Yamanaka Kiyoharu.

After learning the whole story, Yamanaka Kiyoharu was also very embarrassed. He was so embarrassed that he could dig a three-bedroom apartment out of the ground with his toes. But he was a person who could take things in stride. After realizing that he had made a mistake, he didn't care that there were other people present and took the lead in bowing his head to Taiichi to admit his mistake.

"I'm so sorry, Taiichi. It's all my fault for speaking without understanding the situation. Please forgive me!"

What else could Taiichi say? The other party had already apologized in public, so he couldn't keep pressing the issue. However, he couldn't let the scolding go unpunished; he had to at least make amends for his subsequent behavior.

So, he waved his hand dismissively and said magnanimously, "It is Jonin Yamanaka's care for his subordinates that I should learn from. How could I possibly blame you, Jonin Yamanaka?"

Yamanaka Kiyoharu's embarrassment deepened. He was about to explain further when Taiichi interrupted him again.

"What did the Yamanaka Jonin think of my performance this morning?" Taiichi changed the subject.

"Good, very good. Even if I were to personally take the field, this would be the best I could do." Yamanaka Kiyoharu was frank, showing no intention of belittling Taiichi's abilities.

"That— the Yamanaka Jonin." Taiichi's true intentions were revealed. "If I can do this from now on, then can I arrange my work and time as I please?"

Yamanaka Kiyoharu was taken aback. What kind of requirement was this? As Jonin, they weren't supposed to be stationed in one place and work all the time. Their job was more like that of firefighters or experts; they only needed to appear wherever there was a difficult problem.

As long as you can solve the problem, you can arrange your time however you like.

"Of course, no problem. As long as you can arrange for the work to be completed smoothly, I won't worry about anything else." Yamanaka Kiyoharu agreed to Taiichi's request without much hesitation.

"Great, Yamanaka Jonin, it's a deal." Taiichi's face lit up with a bright smile, as if he had gotten the best deal ever.

Although Yamanaka Kiyoharu sensed something was amiss, he still said, "It's a deal."

"Well then— Yamanaka Jonin, see you later."

Before Yamanaka Kiyoharu could even react to the meaning of Taiichi's last sentence, Taiichi suddenly vanished in a puff of white smoke.

"This... Shadow Clone."

Yamanaka Kiyoharu was somewhat bewildered. It turned out that what had been there all along was Shadow Clone. Where was his real body?

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. Everything that had happened yesterday and just now connected in his mind, and he immediately understood why he had been so restless.

He moved Body Flicker, arriving at the Archives in just two or three breaths. He pushed open the door, and sure enough, Taiichi's true form was inside, engrossed in reading scrolls.

Hearing the First Gate, Taiichi reluctantly looked up at Yamanaka Kiyoharu standing in the doorway. He smiled and waved, "Yo, Yamanaka Jonin, I didn't expect we'd meet so soon."

Yamanaka Kiyoharu's expression stiffened for a moment, but then he gave a bitter smile. "Taiichi Jonin, your skill in using Shadow Clone Jutsu is truly amazing. No one else can use Shadow Clone Jutsu for such a long period of time."

"Haha, it's just a little trick. I was just worried that the Jonin in the Yamanaka might misunderstand if he found out later, so I took this opportunity to tell you."

Yamanaka Kiyoharu nodded, acknowledging Taiichi's actions, but still reminded him, "Taiichi Jonin, it's fine to do this at the base, but sometimes we need to go out to inspect the Barrier. We can't use Shadow Clone then; if something goes wrong, we can't afford the consequences."

"Of course, Yamanaka Jonin, don't worry, I know what's important."

After another exchange, Yamanaka Kiyoharu finally left the Archives after listening to Taiichi's explanation of how he handled the problems encountered by each group that day.

Taiichi also sent out a Shadow Clone to cover his shift, while his main body continued to stay in the Archives reading scrolls.

Time flew by and it was already 2:30 PM. Asuma was coming to class today. Taiichi had promised the Third Hokage that he would give Asuma proper guidance, and since he had already received the reward in advance, he would naturally be even more dedicated.

Therefore, at least on the first day of teaching, Shadow Clone cannot be used to deal with it.

Taiichi created another Shadow Clone to remain in the Archives to continue reading, while leaving a Flying Thunder God Kunai on the Shadow Clone in case of emergency. His main body then vanished instantly.

When they reappeared, Taiichi had already returned home and dispelled one of the extra Shadow Clone. Taiichi was training his physique while waiting for Kurenai and Asuma to arrive.

At the stone monument outside the Senju Clan Grounds, Asuma hesitated and lingered, sometimes taking a few steps forward, sometimes retreating as if in doubt, pacing back and forth in front of the stone monument.

When he learned from his father yesterday that he had invited Taiichi to guide his training, he was actually very conflicted. It was an undeniable fact that Taiichi was better than him. He wanted to have such a powerful ninja to guide him, but he was too embarrassed to ask because of their classmate relationship.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was an extremely astute person; he saw through Asuma's complex mindset at a glance. Without saying much, he directly used Taiichi as an example, telling him how many things Taiichi had done to become stronger.

"You know that Taiichi came from Orphanage, but do you know why, given his background, he was able to become Tsunade's disciple, and why he was able to become Jiraiya's disciple?"

Asuma shook his head blankly. He hadn't considered this at all. Tsunade and Jiraiya, as the Hokage's disciples, held extremely high positions. Jiraiya least he had taken on a disciple before, but Tsunade had never intended to take on any. So how did Taiichi gain their favor?

"People should learn to humble themselves and put aside their pride, especially when they are weak and facing the strong. They should know how to respect others."

You are my child, and you can easily obtain many things without effort, but you must understand that these are not things you earned through your own abilities.

Even though Taiichi is now Jonin, he can still happily call me "Grandpa Hokage" when he's with me. Do you think he respects my status Hokage or fears my strength?

I'm telling you, that's not it! He simply maintains a humble heart, humble before the strong, humble before the elders. There's nothing shameful about that, and you lack a humble heart right now."

Asuma recalled his conversation with his father yesterday. Although he understood everything in his heart, putting it into practice was extremely difficult.

While he was still pacing back and forth in front of the stone tablet, it was almost 3 o'clock.

Asuma, what are you doing here?

Yūhi Kurenai skipped over. She had been in a great mood these past two days. She could feel her progress after just two days of training, which made her look forward to training with the Taiichi.

"Ah----Kurenai! You----have you arrived already?" Asuma stammered, even his eyes were somewhat evasive.

"Already?" Yūhi Kurenai looked a little suspicious. She glanced at Asuma, then at the Senju Clan Grounds behind him, and suddenly realized, "Oh~, Asuma, you're here to train with Taiichi too, right? Let's hurry, time's almost up."

Before Asuma could reply, he grabbed Asma's arm and led him into the territory.

Having already been there twice, Yūhi Kurenai seemed quite familiar with the place, while Asuma, after her initial hesitation, resigned herself to her fate and had the leisure to look around.

He had never been to this place before. Although the buildings here had been renovated, they still retained some of the original features of the Senju Clan Grounds, making it different from other parts of Konoha.

Asuma looked at Yūhi Kurenai, who was leading the way, two days ahead of him. After hesitating for a moment, he finally asked the question that had been bothering him, "Kurenai, Taiichi's guidance really that good? My father even sent me here to seek his guidance."

Yūhi Kurenai didn't stop walking. She turned back and gave Asuma a strange look, as if wondering why he came if he didn't trust Taiichi.

But the kind-hearted girl still answered his question, "Of course! In just these past two days, I can feel my Genjutsu skills have improved a lot. If I could practice for a year or two, I'd be completely transformed!"

Seeing the hopeful look on Kurenai's face, Asuma's suspicions deepened. How could there be such obvious progress in just two days? Could she have been tricked by Taiichi using some kind of trick?

Thinking of this, Asuma's alarm bells rang, and a sense of responsibility as a protector of a flower welled up within him. He remained calm and followed closely behind Yūhi Kurenai until they arrived at Taiichi's house.

"Taiichi is so big! It feels even bigger than mine." Asuma looked left and right, never expecting that Taiichi would live in such a place. Wasn't he born in Orphanage?

"Yes, it's even bigger inside. I heard it was a residence given to him by Lady Tsunade. Lady Tsunade so good to her disciples. I really envy Taiichi for having such a good teacher." Yūhi Kurenai also sighed with emotion. Who wouldn't wish for such a wealthy and generous teacher?

She knocked softly on the door, not loudly, but she already knew that this wasn't to notify the owner inside through sound, but rather through Sensory Barrier set up on the door.

As Asuma listened to Kurenai's story, he felt a different kind of emotion. Recalling his father's words from the previous night and looking at the mansion in front of him, Asuma couldn't help but admire Taiichi. At least in terms of being a good person, he was truly inferior to Taiichi.

Before the two could wait any longer, the door was opened, and this time it was Taiichi's true form that came to First Gate.

Yūhi Kurenai was quite nice; she greeted Taiichi politely whenever she saw him, regardless of whether it was her real body or Shadow Clone, and Taiichi responded politely in return.

But Asuma!

Taiichi just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about the way this guy was looking at him.