Training and Rapid Progress (Please Support with Monthly Votes, Follows, and Recommendation Votes)

Perhaps going to complain to the Hokage had really worked. Over the next period of time, Taiichi never saw Danzo again, nor did he receive any threats from Root.

Life seemed to have returned to how it was before, but only Taiichi knew things were different. Feeling the pressure, he became even more diligent. Not only did he spend more time training every day, but he also became stricter with himself. If he could swing his sword one more time during practice, he would never rest early. Every night, he exhausted every last bit of his chakra before going to bed.

This high-intensity training did not only affect him; it also influenced the companions around him. Whether consciously or unconsciously, everyone followed Taiichi's pace and increased the intensity of their own training.

Finally, in the small woods after school today, when everyone sat down to rest once more, completely exhausted, even Guy, who was focused solely on training, noticed something was wrong.

"Taiichi~ what's gotten into you lately~? Why are you working so hard every day?! You've got my youthful blood~ constantly burning too!" Might Guy panted heavily as he asked in broken intervals.

"Yeah, yeah. I've been eating several extra bowls every day when I get home these past few days. Grandma even asked whether I was sick!" Obito chimed in from the side.

Taiichi looked at everyone's curious faces. Every one of them was filled with concern as they waited for his answer. His heart warmed. Having such a group of friends was truly his good fortune.

"It's nothing. I lost a fight with someone a while ago, and I lost badly. So I'm working hard now so I can get even someday." Of course, Taiichi could not tell his companions the truth. There was no benefit in them knowing about this. Put seriously, it would be considered reckless discussion of the higher-ups.

"Oh? Someone actually beat you, and beat you that badly?" Obito looked excited when he heard that. "Was it an upperclassman? Want us to go beat him up together?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes from the side. He knew Taiichi's strength. There were probably very few people in the Ninja Academy who could defeat Taiichi, and there was likely not a single one who could beat him that badly.

"Could it have been a real ninja?" Rin Nohara, standing nearby, hit the mark with her guess.

"Something like that." Taiichi remained calm. "It just happens to be a good incentive to train harder. We're going to become ninjas eventually. Strength is what matters most."

Seeing that Taiichi did not want to say more, everyone stopped asking. The past few days had indeed been tiring, but their progress had also been very real.

After recovering their strength, everyone resumed their own training. Guy struck a tree stump, making leaves rain down from a tree half a meter thick with a rustling sound. Kakashi practiced his swordsmanship nearby, his blade flashing so densely that not even water could pass through. Rin Nohara and Obito sparred in Taijutsu, trading blows back and forth.

Taiichi was also training Basic Taijutsu alone nearby. He had cast too many Ninjutsu just now and had no spare chakra left. His body moved on instinct, but his attention was focused on the panel.

[Chakra Refinement Technique Lv10 Max Level, new trait: Instinct]

[Instinct: From now on, chakra refinement becomes a bodily instinct. You can refine the greatest amount of chakra using the least physical and mental energy, with no loss. Effect: Chakra recovery speed doubled, maximum daily self-refined Chakra Quantity doubled]

[Basic Taijutsu Lv10 Max Level, Physique +2, Strength +1, Agility +1, deduced and upgraded to Advanced Taijutsu Lv1 (0/1000)]

[Basic Meditation Lv10 Max Level, Mental Strength +2, mental resilience and mental resistance doubled, deduced and upgraded to Advanced Meditation Lv1 (0/1000)]

[C-rank Healing Technique Lv10 Max Level, Yang Release Nature Transformation experience +500]

Name: Taichi Matsushita

Class: Genin Lv9 (52/1600)

Talent: Diligence Makes Up for Mediocrity, Academic Overachiever

Age: 6

Physique: 17

Strength: 18

Agility: 15

Mental Strength: 22

Chakra: 6000 (13500)

Attribute Points: 11

Skill Points: 12

Fire Nature Transformation Lv4 (12/600)

Wind Nature Transformation Lv4 (4/400)

Water Nature Transformation Lv3 (376/400)

Yang Release Nature Transformation Lv6 (324/800)

Skills: Advanced Taijutsu Lv0 (0/1000), Advanced Meditation Lv0 (0/1000), Ninja Tool Throwing Lv9 (535/1600), Three Body Technique Lv9 (231/1600), Hatake Style Kenjutsu Lv7 (534/1200)

[Fire Style: Flame Bullet Lv8 (623/1400), Phoenix Sage Fire Lv9 (423/1600), Fire Dragon Flame Bullet Lv5 (13/800)]

[Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Lv8 (312/1400), Air Palm Lv5 (23/800)]

[Water Style: Water Formation Wall Lv4 (589/600)]

[Medical Ninjutsu: Mystical Palm Technique Lv7 (23/1200), Delicate Illness Extraction Technique Lv6 (563/1000), Chakra Scalpel Lv5 (697/800)]

[Max Level: Healing Technique, Chakra Refinement Technique: Instinct]

Evaluation: Your chakra weakness has gradually been made up for. You can start taking a few risks now, but be careful not to get carried away.

Taiichi was stunned by the changes to his panel, and even his movements stopped. Though he had long guessed that max-level skills would undergo changes, he had never expected such major changes. After silently absorbing the experience instilled by the skill upgrades, he carefully sensed the changes in his body.

First was his body. He could accept the changes in strength, but this feeling of overflowing vitality made Taiichi feel as though his former self had been an old man. Looking at how his maximum daily chakra refinement had now exceeded ten thousand, Taiichi finally felt that he no longer had to scrimp and calculate every bit of chakra he used.

Then there were the changes to Taijutsu and meditation. Based on the experience that had surfaced in his mind, Basic Taijutsu and Basic Meditation at Lv9, as well as Advanced Taijutsu and Advanced Meditation at Lv0, all fell within the Chunin range. Once he raised the advanced skills to Lv1, he would step into the realm of Jonin.

He had just been worrying about his lack of strength, yet the advancement of several skills immediately eased that concern by quite a bit. Collecting himself, Taiichi slowly began practicing the new Advanced Taijutsu according to the memories in his mind.

Advanced Taijutsu was far more complicated than Basic Taijutsu, and the movements were much more difficult. Taiichi slowed down as much as possible, but even so, he only managed to complete one round of practice with great difficulty. Yet after finishing the entire set, he received not a single point of experience. Refusing to believe it, Taiichi practiced it again, but the result was the same.

He kept practicing it over and over until he could smoothly complete the entire set of moves. Only then did the notification for +1 experience appear. After practicing several more times, Taiichi finally discovered that if he became distracted even slightly during practice or if any movement had the slightest flaw, that practice would yield no experience. In other words, improving Advanced Taijutsu required not only an enormous amount of experience, but also far greater effort in training. It required the full cooperation of both body and mind.

The difficulty had jumped by more than an order of magnitude. No wonder Advanced Taijutsu Lv1 was at the Jonin level.

The companions also noticed Taiichi's abnormal state. Just as Obito was about to step forward and ask, Kakashi stopped him. Facing Obito's confused gaze, Kakashi explained, "Taiichi should be practicing a new set of Taijutsu. It looks like he can't be disturbed. We'll watch over him here."

"Mm!"

So everyone spread out to the four corners, continuing their basic training while also helping block anyone who might disturb Taiichi. It was not until nearly an hour had passed that Taiichi finally stopped, and only then did everyone gather around him again.

When Taiichi stopped and saw where his companions were standing, he instantly understood their intentions. Moved in his heart, he did not forget to thank them aloud. "Thank you, everyone. I just gained a little insight into Taijutsu. Sorry for making you all worry."

The companions were also happy for Taiichi. After all, such sudden insights were rare and could only be encountered by chance, and every occurrence meant a rapid leap in strength. Naturally, it was something worth celebrating.

"To thank everyone, I'll treat you all to barbecue today. I heard the Akimichi Clan's barbecue restaurant has the best barbecue in all of Konoha." Taiichi invited his companions.

"Sure, sure! Let's go eat barbecue!" Everyone happily agreed.

The evening glow reflected off their figures, brilliant red like the passionate flames burning in the children's hearts.