Traveling and New Training

Life in the Anbu was always so monotonous, and it seemed that Hiruzen Sarutobi really intended to just let Taiichi be a bodyguard.

At least in the short term, Taiichi did not see any other plans he had made.

The changes at the front lines have also been enormous.

After signing a peace agreement with Sunagakure, the Southern Front was quickly dismantled, with a large number of personnel being deployed to the Northern Front and western battlefields.

Jiraiya maintained only a force of fewer than 500 men, stationed in the Land of Rivers.

On the East Front, some of Tsunade's ninjas were also transferred to the Northern Front and Western Battlefield.

Those high-ranking members of various Ninja Clan who originally served on the East Front were also transferred back to their clans during this reshuffle.

They went to the front lines for two reasons: to support the village and to earn merit in battle.

Now that there is basically no fighting on the East Front, most of the remaining tasks are garrison duties, so they naturally won't stay here for long.

These people included Clan Leader such as Fugaku Uchiha and Hyuga Hiashi.

With the support of these two emerging forces, the Northern Front and Western Front lived up to everyone's expectations, unleashing unprecedented combat power and achieving multiple victories in the subsequent battles against the Cloud Ninja and the Rock Ninja.

Of course, Minato Namikaze's performance was the most outstanding.

Possessing the Flying Thunder God Technique, he freely traverses between two battlefields. The name "Yellow Flash" has now become another nightmare for Cloud Village and Iwagakure, following in the footsteps of the White Reaper.

Now, whether it's Jiraiya, Orochimaru, or any Jonin with a bit of political acumen, they can all see that Minato Namikaze is most likely the Fourth Hokage.

The intention of the Third Kazekage in training Minato Namikaze was so obvious that it could be said to be out in the open.

Jiraiya remained in the south, and even after the war against Sunagakure ended, he was restricted to his original location to guard against repeated attacks from Sunagakure and Mist Village.

Although Orochimaru was still the supreme Commander in the battles against Cloud Village, Minato's outstanding performance on the battlefield during every major battle was in no way inferior to that of the Commander.

Needless to say, in the Western campaign against Iwagakure, this place is basically Minato's solo stage.

Especially in the most recent support battle, he single-handedly achieved the brilliant feat of instantly killing a hundred Iwagakure.

Each time the golden light shimmered in the air appeared, it took the life of one of the Iwagakure.

The frequent flashes left a series of afterimages in people's eyes, strung together into a golden stream of light, sweeping across the Iwagakure crowd, and wherever it passed, Rock Ninja died one after another.

After this battle, Minato Namikaze's reputation reached a new peak, no less than that of Taiichi, who had the advantage of Medical Ninjutsu.

Behind these tremendous victories, countless unsung Konoha Ninja have made tremendous contributions.

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin are one of the groups that still hold considerable weight.

After making the decision to carry out the mission alone during that mission, the three returned and found Minato Namikaze to explain their intentions to him.

At first, Minato Namikaze naturally disagreed. Although he had not fulfilled his responsibilities as a teacher and Captain, his care for the three of them was no less.

"Teacher, I've already reached the level of Jonin. I'm no longer a child. I can handle missions alone without any problems."

These are Kakashi's original words. He spoke with sincerity and earnestness, hoping that Minato Namikaze could see his determination.

"Kakashi, war is not child's play. How many Jonin on the battlefield?"

Besides, you're not alone; you have teammates. Rin and Obito don't have your strength.

Upon hearing Minato's words, Obito immediately objected before Kakashi could even retort.

"Teacher, there are so many Chunin squads on the battlefield, and we're no worse than them. Why can they carry out missions alone, but we can't?"

Obito was agitated, looking Sharingan, and even unconsciously activated his Sharingan.

"Yes, teacher, besides, we can't help you with your tasks. We always work separately, which doesn't benefit our growth at all."

Lin chimed in, as this was a decision made by the three of them together, and she naturally couldn't stand idly by.

Minato was torn between his three disciples' repeated pleas.

His fighting style is fast, accurate, and ruthless. Combined with the speed of the Flying Thunder God, Konoha is the only Taiichi in Konoha who can coordinate with him in action.

Everyone else, even the Jonin, primarily plays a support role.

Under such circumstances, the three disciples' requests are understandable. However, while he understands them, he is still very worried about letting go.

Seemingly sensing Minato's inner turmoil, Kakashi decided to administer the most drastic measure.

"Teacher, before Taiichi left us a Special Kunai, which can be used to call him for help in case of danger. I think with this, our safety can be somewhat guaranteed."

Minato's brow relaxed, and his tone became a little lighter.

"Oh, that guy actually gave you those Kunai too. Well, that might not be so bad."

"Really?" Obito reacted the most, immediately rushing forward upon hearing Minato's words. "Sensei, then it's a deal! We'll start taking on missions ourselves tomorrow!"

Minato nearly lost his footing when Obito. After taking a step back to steady himself, he looked up and saw the eager gazes of his three disciples, and finally nodded.

"Let me make this clear from the start: after each mission, you must submit a detailed report to me."

If I find anything wrong with your mission, then you can come back and continue training!

This can be considered Minato's final words of advice: fledglings grow up and eventually spread their wings to soar.

"Teacher, don't you trust me? No danger can escape my eyes."

The arrogant Obito pointed to his eyes, spouting nonsense, completely oblivious to the strange looks he was getting from everyone.

"Hey Kakashi, I think we should just forget about it. I'm not comfortable Obito at all. I'd better keep him by my side and train him for a while longer."

Obito, who had been feeling smug, froze on the spot, as if petrified. Even turning his head seemed to produce a crackling sound.

"Ah—no, teacher, what's said is said, and you must set a good example; you can't go back on your word!"

Obito looked dejected; he couldn't even imagine the consequences if the agreed-upon plans fell through because of him.

He glanced furtively at Kakashi and Rin, and found them staring at him with murderous intent. He couldn't help but shiver.

"Obito, of the three of you, you're the one I'm most worried about. You're too impulsive. I'm really afraid that if you continue like this during missions, it won't just be you, but Rin and Kakashi will also be implicated, and they might even lose their lives."

Upon hearing that Rin might lose her life, Obito couldn't help but tremble slightly.

He recalled the time when he first awakened his Sharingan; Rin was almost killed by the Sunagakure Ninja, and the despair he felt then still made his heart tremble.

"Teacher, I definitely won't do that during the mission."

Minato did not respond to Obito's assurance. Ninjas must be responsible for their actions, and that was all he could do; he couldn't protect them forever.

At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers lies an extremely remote and sparsely populated mountain range Mount Asama.

There is a volcano here that is active year-round, with its summit frequently spewing out large amounts of volcanic ash, and occasionally lava eruptions can be seen.

The abundant volcanic ash, carrying rich nutrients from the earth, has created fertile land in this region and made the trees here exceptionally tall.

--

Trees so large that it would take several people to encircle them are a rare sight elsewhere, but here they are a common sight. Coupled with the continuous mountain ranges that block outsiders from entering, this place has gradually become a paradise for birds.

Of course, none of this could stump the ninja, Taiichi was now strolling among the tall trees.

He was originally a bodyguard for the Hokage in Konoha, but after a few days of guarding him, Taiichi finally lost his patience.

This is simply a waste of youth and a waste of life.

Doing absolutely nothing all day, basically just staring blankly in the Hokage's Office, is indeed a good job for ninjas who have no ambition or seek stability.

But Taiichi is different. He is currently in a period of rapid growth, especially his physical body. Taijutsu training, meditation training, and Senjutsu training are all things that only his physical body can do.

Taiichi felt incredibly guilty for the delay of just a few days.

And so, Taiichi finally decided to skip his shift, leaving his shadow clone to continue guarding the area, while his main body left Konoha to embark on the Ninja World tour he had long desired.

Mount Asama was his first stop; he came here to see this active volcano.

Taiichi's current understanding of Fire Nature Transformation has reached Lv13 (4643/5000).

According to the panel's prompts, this is almost at the limit of the Kage Level. Once it breaks through to Lv14, it will be Taiichi's first attribute beyond the Kage Level.

However, the further you go, the more difficult it becomes to gain experience points. Even with the talent to make up for lack of talent through Diligence Makes Up for Mediocrity, the progress is barely noticeable and can only be achieved through long-term accumulation.

But what Taiichi lacks now is time. As the Third Shinobi World War draws to a close, Taiichi has a premonition that the old geezer Madara Uchiha, who is hiding in the shadows, will definitely take action.

Taiichi didn't know how much his current strength differed from that of the old man with age spots, but constantly increasing his strength was never a bad thing.

Currently, the fastest way for Taiichi to increase his strength, besides his increasingly proficient Sage Mode, is through the Fire Nature Transformation that is about to cross the threshold of the Super Kage realm.

If one wants to improve their understanding of Fire Nature Transformation, where in the Ninja World can one compare to this Yamaguchi? Learning from nature is Taiichi's best option right now.

From afar, nestled among the mountains, a Takayama stands out clearly from the others.

Perhaps due to the constant eruption of lava, it is nearly half again as tall as the surrounding mountains, in addition to the volcanic ash that occasionally shoots into the sky.

Taiichi locked onto his target from a distance, but he wasn't in a hurry. Once he found his direction, he strolled leisurely through the tall forest.

The incessant chirping in his ears and the unknown Asuka flying overhead made Taiichi clearly understand that this bird paradise truly lived up to its name.

Especially those majestic giant birds that occasionally streak across the sky—if Taiichi didn't have the ability to fly himself, he would really like to catch one and make it a contracted Summoning Animal; that would be both cool and practical.

With his spiritual perception unfolding, Taiichi discovered that the Natural Energy here was exceptionally rich, and its activity level far exceeded that of any place he had been before.

Training in such a place can even extend the duration of Sage Mode; it's truly an ideal place for secluded cultivation.

Thinking of this, he quickened his pace.

As you get closer to the Yamaguchi, the vegetation gradually thins out, but the Natural Energy here not only doesn't decrease, it actually becomes more abundant.

However, observations from the spiritual realm reveal that the Natural Energy here is gradually becoming dominated by fire, and the entire spiritual realm is being replaced by fiery red.

There's a saying that "looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death," and that's absolutely true.

Taiichi saw the volcano in the morning and didn't reach the Yamaguchi until noon. This was the distance a ninja would travel, which shows how unfriendly the journey was for ordinary people.

Standing on the Yamaguchi, Taiichi witnessed the magnificence of an active volcano for the first time.

Its Yamaguchi is over 500 meters in diameter and over 200 meters deep when looking down from the Yamaguchi.

The Yamaguchi is a vibrant bright red, with flowing lava constantly churning at the bottom, demonstrating just how active this volcano is.

In the spiritual realm, the Natural Energy here are completely replaced by fiery red, and they exhibit more active characteristics.

Taiichi didn't need to actively attract them; they would willingly burrow into Taiichi body. If it weren't for the excessive heat here, which could cause internal fire poison, this would be a good place to cultivate Senjutsu.

Fortunately, none of this mattered to Taiichi. With his Fire Transformation Technique, he completely ignored this mere fire poison.

Composing himself, Taiichi leaped forward and jumped into the Yamaguchi. As he descended, the temperature rose, and Taiichi's body began to change.

First came the feet, which, after a moment of illusion, transformed into flames, then the legs, the lower abdomen, and finally spread throughout the entire body.

When Taiichi reached the bottom of the volcano, he had transformed into a human torch, standing atop the lava.

As he adapted, Taiichi simply relinquished his human form, transforming into a real flame that burned quietly within the magma.

If someone were to look down from the Yamaguchi at this moment, they would absolutely not be able to find any trace of Taiichi.

There are countless flames like this Yamaguchi; the only difference is that Taiichi's flame is a bit larger.

At this moment, Taiichi's entire perception seemed to be connected with the entire volcano.

Various insights flowed into Taiichi's mind through his spirit, and some insights that he had never thought of before became exceptionally clear in this state.

The fury of surging waves, the tranquility of calm, the scorching heat of high temperatures, and the gentleness of low temperatures.

All of these are manifestations of one aspect of fire.

As Taiichi's understanding deepened, the surrounding Natural Energy seemed to receive some kind of guidance, converging into the flames that Taiichi had transformed into, engaging in some inexplicable exchange with them.

The flame gradually brightened during this time, but to such an extent that it was difficult to discern with the naked eye.

Finally, when the Chakra was depleted and triggered a certain limit set by Taiichi, the flame that had lit up by a tiny bit suddenly transformed into a human form.

Then, a pair of wings extended from the back of the humanoid figure, and with a gentle flap of the wings, the entire fire-man flew towards the Yamaguchi in the sky.

During this ascent, the humanoid flames also undergo changes.

In contrast to Flame Transformation, flesh transformation begins in the head, followed by the chest, abdomen, and legs.

Once Taiichi landed in the Yamaguchi, he had returned to normal.