Ever since the Kurama Family had sent over those Genjutsu materials, Taiichi had something else to occupy himself with. His days in the hospital finally stopped being quite so boring.
Over the remaining two days, Taiichi learned the two Genjutsu included in the materials—Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death and Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
What delighted Taiichi was that learning those two Genjutsu successfully unlocked Yin Release Nature Transformation.
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[Congratulations, learned Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death Lv1 (0/100)] [Congratulations, learned Illusion: Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique Lv1 (0/100)] [Congratulations, learned Yin Release Nature Transformation Lv1 (0/100)
Learning these three skills not only made up for Taiichi's shortcomings, but also allowed his highest stat, Spirit, to be put to use. It strengthened his combat ability and expanded his tactical options.
On this day, Taiichi's injuries had finally healed for the most part. After Tsunade gave him a professional examination, he was finally discharged.
The moment he walked out of the hospital gates, Taiichi looked at the blue sky, bustling streets, and crowds passing by. It was as if he had been reborn. Never before had life felt so wonderful.
I never want to stay in this hospital again! Taiichi thought silently as he looked back at the hospital entrance.
Outside the hospital, his teammates were waiting for him. When they saw Taiichi emerge, they all smiled. Yohei Uchiha was the first to run over. Before he even arrived, his voice rang out first. "Taiichi, over here! We came to pick you up!"
Saori Furukawa followed as well, leaving Captain Yamaguchi standing off to the side, quietly watching his three team members talk.
"Taiichi, it's great that you're out! We can do missions together again." Yohei paid no attention to the setting, speaking loudly enough that even passersby turned to look.
"Yeah. Once I get myself sorted out today, we can take on a mission tomorrow." Taiichi agreed. After lying around in the hospital for several days, he felt like his whole body had rusted over.
"Taiichi, shouldn't you rest a little longer?" Saori quietly reminded him from the side.
"It's fine. D-Rank Missions are all routine work, nothing dangerous." Taiichi looked at Saori and smiled. "Besides, Saori, don't I have you guys? I can't be the one holding everyone back!"
"Right, right! You've got us! I'll help you, Taiichi, so don't worry!" Yohei declared grandly, throwing an arm around Taiichi's neck. "Come on, Taiichi. Captain Yamaguchi said he's treating us to some snacks to celebrate your discharge!"
"Really?" Taiichi looked toward Captain Yamaguchi in the distance. "Yohei, you didn't talk the captain into treating us because you wanted Three-color Dango, did you?" Taiichi teased.
"No way~~" Yohei's little face reddened as he hurriedly waved his hands in denial.
Saori covered her mouth and giggled. Seeing that, Taiichi immediately understood. He had guessed right after all.
The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked over to Captain Yamaguchi, then headed with him toward the snack street.
Over the following days, Taiichi's life finally returned to peace and quiet.
Team 8 completed one D-Rank Mission every two days. The rest of their time was spent either training separately or conducting group exercises under Captain Yamaguchi's lead.
Every now and then, Captain Yamaguchi would also teach Taiichi and the others some training techniques.
It was worth mentioning that after Taiichi's relentless pestering, he finally learned the Shadow Clone Technique from Captain Yamaguchi.
Fortunately, after the lesson he had learned from Water Clones, Taiichi did not dare push himself too hard. Each day, he only created one Shadow Clone to practice swordsmanship. Even so, dispelling the clone every night left him exhausted. At times like these, he truly envied Naruto's physique. That guy was as tough as a cockroach.
Two leisurely months passed like that, until someone finally snapped.
"Ah~~ Captain Yamaguchi, another D-Rank Mission? We've been doing D-Rank Missions for two whole months!"
The complaint echoed through the entire Mission Hall, and everyone turned toward its source. They all wanted to see which reckless fool dared to make such a racket in the Mission Hall.
After all, the Mission Hall was not only frequented by countless shinobi, but also served as Konoha's public face. All clients who came to Konoha to commission missions had to handle the procedures there.
Yohei's shout had embarrassed them in front of outsiders, but when everyone saw who was making the commotion, they merely smiled and paid it no mind.
The reason was simple: Team 8 had become somewhat well-known in Konoha.
As a team made up of Ninja Academy graduates, they were considered quite diligent in carrying out missions. Other graduate teams needed to spend a great deal of time training, while this group was made up either of "experts" who had graduated early or clan shinobi. Their overall level was a cut above other teams.
More importantly, their team had an Uchiha who stood apart from the rest. Other Uchiha shinobi usually acted aloof and rarely interacted with other shinobi. Yohei Uchiha was the exact opposite. Compared to Obito's goofiness, Yohei was simply carefree and loved making friends.
In just two months, he had become familiar enough with every staff member in the Mission Hall to chat with them. He was a genuine social butterfly.
Yohei also realized at that moment that he had caused trouble. He repeatedly waved apologetically at everyone looking over. Naturally, Taiichi and Saori, who stood beside him, bowed in apology as well before pulling Yohei into a corner.
"Captain, Yohei's right. We've been doing D-Rank Missions for two months now. We're already familiar with everything we need to be familiar with. With our abilities, can't we take on higher-ranked missions?" Although Taiichi had pulled Yohei aside, he still had to stand with him on the matter of choosing missions.
Saori rubbed her two index fingers together and quietly said, "I want to do higher-ranked missions too."
Seeing that his team members all had the same request, Captain Yamaguchi readily agreed. In truth, even if they had not said anything, he would have taken a C-Rank Mission in the next few days to let them get some experience.
He simply had not expected Taiichi and the others to be so patient. Even the restless Yohei had only raised an objection today.
"Fine, but there is one thing you must remember. C-Rank Missions are not like D-Rank Missions. There is a high chance that you will encounter combat on a C-Rank Mission." Captain Yamaguchi spoke sternly, and Taiichi and the others nodded repeatedly.
"Also, although you will generally only be fighting ordinary people or Samurai, the danger is nothing like that of a D-Rank Mission. During the mission, you must follow orders and not act on your own." This time, Captain Yamaguchi stared directly into Yohei's eyes as he spoke.
"Mm, mm, mm!" Yohei nodded nonstop, but after a moment, he sensed something was off. He looked around with an aggrieved expression. "Captain, you aren't talking about me, are you?"
Taiichi and Saori snickered from the side, while Captain Yamaguchi ignored the question. "All right. Come with me and let's see which suitable C-Rank Missions are available."
The three followed excitedly. At the back, Taiichi secretly gave Yohei a thumbs-up, making Yohei grin foolishly.
If Yohei had not said anything today, Taiichi would have brought it up himself. Continuing with such missions would neither provide more training nor be anything but a waste of time. The Third Shinobi World War was not far off. Taiichi had to improve his strength as quickly as possible so he could better protect everyone.
At the mission counter, Captain Yamaguchi carefully leafed through the mission slips. Taiichi and the others stood beside him on tiptoe, trying to look at the scroll. It could not be helped—they were still too small. Even Yohei, the tallest, had only reached Captain Yamaguchi's shoulder, much less eight-year-old Taiichi.
"Captain, Captain, how about this one? Exterminate bandits." Yohei pointed here and there from the side.
"No. Too dangerous. This is your first C-Rank Mission, so we'll choose an easier one." Captain Yamaguchi rejected it without hesitation.
"Then this one, this one~~ and that one too~~" Yohei continued chattering away.
Finally, Taiichi pointed to a mission. "Captain, how about this one?"
At the same time, Masasuke Yamaguchi pointed at a mission and said, "This is the one."
The two had chosen the same mission. They looked at each other. "Taiichi, not bad. Tell me why you chose this one."
Taiichi scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "First, it's nearby, in the neighboring Land of Rivers. Second, it's an escort mission. The goods are merely a large shipment of supplies. There is a lot of it, but that's all. Although there is some danger, no one would hire shinobi specifically to intercept a Konoha escort team over such a small amount of goods. This kind of mission is very suitable for a rookie team like ours."
Masasuke Yamaguchi smiled, nodded, and praised him. "Your analysis is very good. It's clear and well-organized, and you considered everything that needed to be considered."
"You must remember that from C-Rank Missions onward, intelligence becomes increasingly important. You need to learn to analyze the information you need from seemingly simple matters. This concerns your future growth and safety." Captain Yamaguchi instructed them earnestly.
Taiichi and the others nodded frequently, knowing that this was Captain Yamaguchi's guidance for them.
After choosing the mission, Masasuke Yamaguchi led the three of them through the procedures to accept it. They also received the mission certificate and permission to leave the village.
Outside the hall, Captain Yamaguchi waved the mission certificate in his hand. "Go home today and prepare everything you need. Don't leave anything out. This is your first mission outside the village, so make sure nothing goes wrong. All right, gather at the village gate at eight tomorrow morning. Dismissed!"
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