A Painful Lesson: Drink Leads to Trouble

Moon.

A dark mass of enemies was rapidly approaching from the horizon when Taiichi slowly withdrew his external senses.

He looked up at the rapidly expanding "dark cloud," a cold smile curving his lips, filled with undisguised contempt. "Ha, just a bunch of worthless rubbish. No matter how much they pile up, it's just an eyesore of garbage. Just sweep it away."

Before he finished speaking, pale blue wings formed from Chakra unfurled behind him with a "whoosh," and with a gentle flap, stirred up a powerful airflow.

"Hey, wait for me!" As Nine-Tails saw that Taiichi was about to take off, and then looked down at the vast blue sea, it decisively abandoned its "fox master" reserve. Using all four paws, it darted onto Taiichi's shoulder. Its fluffy tail skillfully wrapped around his neck, securing itself firmly, looking just like a uniquely shaped fox scarf.

Taiichi lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his body shot into the sky like an arrow, flying steadily towards the "dark cloud".

During the flight, he did not stop perceiving and analyzing this strange space. He was multitasking, as if what was coming towards him was not a menacing enemy group, but a flock of insignificant Asuka.

The distance between the two sides decreased dramatically during high-speed flight.

This time, the team was still led by two Otsutsuki dressed in moon-white robes, but the Tomoe patterns on their cuffs indicated their higher status in the clan than ordinary clansmen.

Behind them stood over two hundred battle Puppet, each with a unique structure and gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, forming a steel legion suspended in the sky, exuding a chilling aura.

The leader of the Otsutsuki clan had a cold and stern face, his pure white pupils fixed on Taiichi had come alone, and the annoying red-haired fox on his shoulder.

There were no inquiries, no negotiations, not even a pause!

"Target confirmed! Ground intruders! Annihilate them!" The chilling command, like shattering ice, instantly resounded through the sky!

With that command, the sky seemed to be set ablaze!

More than two hundred Puppet simultaneously raised their arms, and energy blasts condensed around them, then rained down on Taiichi in the next instant!

These energy projectiles, trailing long contrails and emitting a chilling shriek, blotted out the sky like a bursting dam, unleashing a violent, all-consuming force as they rained down upon Taiichi!

Wow! That's awesome!

Nine-Tails let out a strange cry from Taiichi's shoulder, its little paws instinctively gripping his collar, its fox eyes wide open.

Even in its prime, it would have been badly damaged by this attack!

Faced with this terrifying barrage capable of instantly vaporizing a mountain, Taiichi remained motionless, hovering in the air. He didn't even draw his sword.

In this sky, is there anything more convenient than Wind Style?

Wind Style: Great Breakthrough - Detonates a frontal attack, creating a burst of fireworks in front of it.

Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves - Continuous linear Wind Blade swept across all directions, slicing large groups of Puppet into pieces.

A torrential rain of metal and parts began to fall from the sky!

Broken Puppet limbs and shattered armor fragments—like trash swept up by a hurricane—fluttered down towards the azure "ocean" below, splashing countless tiny droplets of water.

Just two Wind Release Ninjutsu!

One frontal defense negates the devastating barrage; the other area-of-effect attack clears the field and finishes off the enemy!

More than two hundred war Puppet, built at great expense, along with the destructive barrage they fired, vanished in the blink of an eye!

The sky became empty again, with only a thin layer of gunpowder smoke and the pungent smell of burning quickly dissipating.

The sunlight streamed down again without obstruction, falling on Taiichi's calm face and illuminating the faces of the two Otsutsuki clan members in the distance, faces filled with shock and disbelief.

The arrogance and murderous intent on their faces had vanished, leaving only a deep-seated fear. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, as if they were in a deep, icy abyss.

"Monster—monster—" The younger Otsutsuki's teeth chattered, and his voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Retreat—retreat quickly!" The Otsutsuki suddenly snapped back to reality, letting out a shrill, distorted roar, his voice filled with the terror of surviving a catastrophe. "Puppet to cover our retreat! No, there are no more Puppet! Move out! Report immediately! Request—request reinforcements!"

Hurry up!

As if chased by demons, the two disregarded all decorum and orders, frantically channeling their Chakra into the flying device beneath their feet, changing direction, and fleeing desperately into the distance at their fastest speed ever!

Nine-Tails watched the two figures instantly turn into frightened birds and flee in a panic, then looked at Taiichi beside her, Kakuzu a little disheveled. She scratched her chin with her little paws and teased him with a hint of lingering satisfaction.

"Hey, really not going to chase them? It's so much easier to just slap this small fry to death, right? Why keep them around for the New Year?"

Taiichi slowly retracted the Chakra wings on his back and lightly landed back on a huge protruding rock at the edge of the forest below.

His gaze swept over the ravaged sky and the wreckage of the Puppet that had fallen into the "ocean," then he looked in the direction where the two Otsutsuki had disappeared, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"Chase them?" He scoffed, a hint of cold weariness in his voice. "A waste of time. They're like stray dogs; killing them would only cause more trouble. Let them go back and report. It'll be good to see what kind of Otsutsuki they are now. Hopefully—they won't disappoint me."

For the next few days, Taiichi wandered through this abandoned "kingdom" like a traveler who had stumbled into the Garden of Giants.

He no longer flew, but instead walked on solid ground, traversing strange forests, pausing on tranquil "shores," and gazing up at the man-made "Sun Barrier."

Its immense sensory capabilities continuously scan and analyze everything around it.

Nine-Tails completely let loose, sometimes darting into the forest, sometimes splashing around on the overly calm "seawater" with its claws, having a great time, and occasionally baring its teeth at the fake Sun Barrier in the sky.

However, the Ōtsutsuki Clan's "enthusiasm" did not diminish despite the two crushing defeats; on the contrary, it intensified.

The harassment arrived as expected, and each time it became more "grand" than the last.

The third wave, led by five Otsutsuki clan members, consisted of nearly a thousand Puppet, who launched a surprise attack from three directions. Their tactical coordination was significantly improved, with heavily armored Puppet advancing on the ground to draw fire, high-speed assault Puppet diving in the air, and long-range energy turrets firing in close range.

Taiichi's response was also quite hardcore: Water Style: Water Formation Wall withstood the barrage of energy cannons; Water Style: Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave created a water environment; Lightning Style: Lightning Release: Violent Thunder cleared out heavy armor on the ground; Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves harvested aerial Puppet; and he also used Body Flicker Technique to target the troublesome Puppet.

The battle lasted three minutes. Puppet were destroyed, and three of the five Otsutsuki were critically injured and on the verge of death, while the other two escaped with injuries.

In this fourth wave, led by eight Otsutsuki, it took five minutes for one person to be seriously injured and seven others to escape with minor injuries.

The fifth wave, led by ten Otsutsuki, took ten minutes. In the end, six were seriously injured and four escaped with minor injuries.

The sixth wave, led by twelve Otsutsuki, took ten minutes. In the end, seven were seriously injured and five escaped with minor injuries.

Until the final seventh wave, the Otsutsuki seemed to have fallen into some kind of hysterical madness, completely disregarding the heavy casualties and the loss of precious manpower.

The number of tribesmen leading the team increased to fifteen, and the number of Puppet was increased to one thousand, as if money were no object, surging in like a tide of metal.

Unfortunately, simply having a large number of ants won't kill an elephant.

Faced with an absolute disparity in power, all tricks appear pale and laughable.

Moreover, these low-level opponents are exactly the kind of situations Taiichi excels at dealing with.

Various wide-range Ninjutsu were unleashed as if they didn't need Chakra: sea of fire, Wind Blade, thunder, and water blades.

Taiichi fully demonstrated the destructive power of a Ninjutsu artillery turret, ending the battle faster than ever before, in just five minutes.

The Nine-Tails, initially excited to watch, gradually grew listless, eventually settling on Taiichi's shoulder and dozing off. Only after each battle ended would it lift its eyelids to glance at the mess on the ground, muttering, "Boring, the same old thing again—"

By this time, three days and two nights had passed since Taiichi arrived on the moon, and the harassment of Taiichi by the Otsutsuki had finally come to an end.

Time moves forward to the moment when Taiichi receives the mission.

The setting sun cast a warm glow on Konoha. Tsunade, with an arrogant and domineering stride, kicked open her own courtyard gate, causing dust to fall from the door frame.

Her face was expressionless, but anyone familiar with Tsunade knew that she was in a very good mood, like a bear that had just raided a giant beehive and was returning home with a full load.

Yes, Tsunade is in a really good mood today.

She spent the entire day at Orochimaru's research institute, working with Orochimaru to perfect the "Targeted Cell Induction Repair Technology." From today onward, Konoha's ninjas will no longer have to worry about the disease of missing body tissues.

In the past, if a ninja suffered extensive tissue damage, such as having a hole punched in their body, or losing a hand or foot, they could only hope to rely on the advanced Medical Ninjutsu of Creation Rebirth.

However, the conditions for performing this Ninjutsu are too demanding, and not all ninjas can enjoy this privilege; even having money doesn't guarantee success.

Not everyone is like Masasuke Yamaguchi back then, who had information that Konoha desperately needed, and was treated by Taiichi and several medical Jonin the hospital. Even so, it still took a lot of effort to save him.

But things are different now. Even if you are missing an organ, as long as you are alive, this repair technology can help you grow a new organ.

This is absolutely a boon for Konoha's disabled ninjas, both in the past and in the future. More importantly, this technology is not expensive; any family at the Chunin level can afford it.

The sense of accomplishment from such tremendous achievements in the medical field is unparalleled for Medical Ninja like Tsunade.

Not to mention the time she was "invited" to the Hokage Tower after work. Teacher Sarutobi and Minato, the two generations of Hokage, one old and one young, praised her from head to toe.

What "pillar of Konoha's medical care," what "compassionate healer who has saved countless lives," what "his merits benefit the present and future generations"—it was so cheesy it gave her goosebumps, but the little bit of elation in her heart, like fermenting dough, swelled uncontrollably, filling her chest cavity, making her feel so light she could fly.

When you're in a good mood, you should naturally treat yourself.

With Tsunade, Tsunade moved swiftly, heading straight for the small house in the backyard that she had heavily sealed off—her lifeline, her private wine cellar!

Hidden inside are all her favorite treasures that she has collected from various places recently. They are aged, have strong flavors, and each bottle is quite valuable. They are the best comfort for her, whether she is in a good mood or a bad mood.

"Mizuki!" she called out habitually, her voice still carrying the lingering excitement.

In the corner of the courtyard, Mizuki, who was maintaining a Ninjutsu scroll, looked up at the sound. A look of panic flashed across her face as she hesitated to speak. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out.

With her Tsunade paid no attention to these subtle expressions and rushed into the wine cellar.

"Clatter!"

The heavy wooden bolt was pulled open. The smile on Tsunade's face froze, shattered, and finally turned into a look of shock and anger the moment she saw the scene inside the cellar.

Null!

As far as the eye can see, there is only a blinding emptiness!

The once crammed and dazzling wine racks are now just bare wooden planks. More than twenty empty wine bottles lie haphazardly on the floor, like a group of lifeless corpses, their dark mouths pointing straight at her.

Tsunade's heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an icy hand, suddenly stopping its beating, and then violently slammed to the ground, shattering into pieces.

She stumbled in, grabbed the nearest crystal bottle, which still bore the gold-embossed label "Land of Snow Secret Brew." Unconvinced, she turned the bottle upside down and shook it vigorously.

A single drop, just a single drop of murky liquid, with its last stubbornness, reluctantly dripped into her palm. Cold and sticky, like a mocking tear.

"My wine—my life!!!"

A piercing, distorted scream, like the mournful cry of a wounded lioness, instantly shattered the evening's tranquility, causing the entire courtyard to vibrate and even the wind chimes under the eaves to stop swinging in alarm.

Mizuki shuddered, steeling herself as she appeared at the cellar entrance, head bowed low, her voice barely a whisper, "Tsunade- Lady Tsunade-- "

Tsunade whirled around, her eyes bloodshot, her chest heaving violently, her gaze like she wanted to devour someone. "Speak! Who's here today!"

Enter this room!

Every word was squeezed out through gritted teeth, spitting out sparks.

Mizuki shuddered in fright, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. "This—it seems—only the Nine-Tails Lord stayed in this room today—for quite a long time—" She quickly glanced up at Tsunade's face, then quickly lowered her head, wishing she could shrink into a crack in the ground.

"Nine-Tails?" Tsunade was stunned, her anger momentarily halted by the answer.

Immediately, a fragment of memory, blurred by alcohol, pierced through the chaos and surfaced before my eyes.

The flickering lamplight, the table littered with empty bottles, and a man slumped drunkenly on the table, one hand stubbornly clutching the tail of a fiery red fox, the other holding a wine glass, slurring his words: "Hiccup—little fox—life is good—enjoy it while you can! Drink! Drink this—and you will be the Ninja World —hiccup—the number one hero fox!"

The fox, who was always arrogant, seemed a bit dazed by the smell of alcohol and was actually forced to drink half a cup by her. Finally, Taiichi's helpless yet amusing face appeared at the door, forcibly separating the drunken woman and the fox who were embracing each other, ending the absurd farce.

As her memories returned, the color drained from Tsunade's face in an instant, replaced by a deathly pallor tinged with immense regret and resentment.