Progress and Disappearances

Konoha.

Hyuga as Yuto was hysterically blaming everyone and everything on the ground, he could never have imagined that right beneath his feet, two inhuman beings were discussing his future.

On the ground, White Zetsu, with a naive yet cruel curiosity on his half-face, said in a cheeky tone, "Wait? He's cursing so fiercely. It seems he hates Konoha and that Taichi Matsushita to death!"

We accidentally messed up the plan last time, which really angered Obito and Pain —could this guy be useful?

"Useful? Of course it's useful!" Black Zetsu's words were full of calculation. "His value is beyond imagination. He comes from the moon and was once an elder; his understanding of the moon and the Tenseigan must be extremely detailed—that's the power that can shake the Rinnegan!"

He "looked" at the figure on the ground, contorted with rage, as if examining a tool about to be obtained.

"More importantly, the fire in his heart—it burns so brightly." Black Zetsu let out a sinister laugh, "His hatred for Konoha, his hatred for Hyuga, and especially his loathing for that Taichi Matsushita —this is the perfect tool."

Obito was in charge of carrying out the initial plan, but now that this clan has appeared, it seems I can have a backup plan.

White Zetsu stopped speaking. To it, all it needed to do was obey orders. Anything more, it just needed to be interesting enough to kill time in this boring life.

"Why didn't I think of that before? We can go directly to the moon." Black Zetsu slid his body a little deeper into the ground, slapping his forehead in frustration. "My mother is sealed there. If we could go there, we might even gain something unexpected."

"So what do we do now? Go up and say hello?" White Zetsu asked eagerly.

"Foolish!" Black Zetsu immediately rebuked. "Showing ourselves now will only scare this frightened bird away, or we'll be detected by Konoha's Sensory Barrier. Pain told us to keep a low profile and not cause any trouble. Let's go back and report first; maybe we can persuade this guy to join Akatsuki."

On the ground, Hyuga Yuto seemed exhausted from cursing, collapsing to his knees in the cold ruins, his shoulders heaving violently. Little did he know that he was about to fall into a trap prepared specifically for him.

May of the Year 50 of Konoha.

After nearly a month of effort, the problems within the Hyuga Clan have finally been properly resolved.

All members of the Branch Family were freed from the control of the Caged Bird, and the Moon Otsutsuki Clan officially merged with the Hyuga Clan.

However, this is, after all, a fusion between two ancient families. Even if they share the same ancestor and the same bloodline, it will take a long time for them to get along.

As for what interesting things might happen during this time, that's not what Taiichi is concerned about right now.

At this moment, Taiichi focused all his spare energy on his three precious disciples.

Since the three of them officially began cultivating Sage Mode, their progress has been steadily advancing every day.

Although small, it is clearly visible.

Milky-white Natural Energy is indeed the most suitable Natural Energy for ninjas to utilize.

Unfortunately, it was hidden deep within layers of violent Natural Energy, and even Taiichi would not have been able to detect its existence if not for a stroke of luck.

This also significantly limits its widespread adoption.

However, if it's only for a few individuals, then replicating the training methods of the three little ones wouldn't be too difficult for Taiichi.

Seeing Itachi lose control again, Taiichi instantly appeared behind him, dispersing the Sage Chakra within him with a single palm strike, thus stopping Itachi's attempt to continue. At the same time, he woke up the other two little ones.

"Alright, that concludes today's training. Everyone performed very well. You may now train on your own."

Taiichi as he looked at the three of them. These were all pillars of Konoha's future. Not to mention Itachi, who was destined for greatness, even Jiangtai and Yami's future achievements would definitely not be low.

Who can blame them for having such a good teacher?

"Oh, teacher, why did it end so early today? I feel like I'm about to make a new breakthrough."

Jiangtai immediately looked miserable. As they gradually mastered the Sage Mode, they could also feel the benefits.

Taiichi's Sage Mode is fundamentally different from the Sage Mode of the Three Great Sage Regions.

As the first Senjutsu perfectly suited for humans, in Sage Mode, Senjutsu Chakra passively improves physical attributes.

This has resulted in the three little ones not only having a much larger appetite during this period, but also a significant improvement in their strength.

Unfortunately, they have only scratched the surface and need to train under Taiichi's supervision.

Otherwise, if the Senjutsu Chakra gets out of control, all the power in the body will be wiped out instantly, and the wasted time and energy will be a net loss.

This made the three of them cherish their little bit of cultivation time each day, afraid of wasting even a second.

"Training requires a balance of intensity and relaxation. You are all still young. Both your bodies and the Chakra within you have reached a certain level recently. You need to relax appropriately from now on, otherwise it will have the opposite effect."

Taiichi earnestly advised them that they were not like him, possessing the ability to One-Time Proof, Permanent Skill on the panel, and that they should rest appropriately.

Watching the three little ones leave reluctantly, turning back to look at each other every step of the way, Taiichi smiled but did not try to stop them.

After the three figures had completely disappeared, a mocking laugh came from the corner of the wall.

"I never knew you had this side to you. Is this how a teacher should behave?"

"Tch, since when can the Anbu just barge into other people's homes without permission? Kakashi, you're getting more and more rude."

A figure emerged from the shadows in the corner; it was Kakashi, wearing a rabbit mask and carrying the White Fang Short Sword.

"Hey, with your silver hair, why aren't you covering your body again? That's not a good habit; it's not like you're Anbu at all."

Taiichi bluntly pointed out Kakashi's shortcomings, causing Kakashi to roll his eyes repeatedly.

He ripped the rabbit mask off his head, revealing that he was wearing a mask, which made Taiichi roll his Byakugan. What was the point of wearing a mask? Didn't he feel stuffy?

"How come I never noticed before? Your mouth is so annoying."

Kakashi pursed his lips, but unfortunately, his face was covered by the mask, Taiichi couldn't see him either.

"Those three kids were just practicing Sage Mode, weren't they? They're so young, and you're teaching them such a dangerous technique? You're really reckless."

"Haha." Taiichi looked smug, almost bursting into laughter. "You don't understand. My Senjutsu are different from those of the Three Great Sage Regions— "

As he spoke, Taiichi's smile vanished, and he became serious. "In short, just wait and see. Once they've completed their cultivation, the immortal Senjutsu that can be passed down will no longer be exclusive to the Three Great Sage Regions."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi also became serious. Looking at Taiichi's genuine expression, he felt a deep sense of respect.

This is the creation of a new lineage of immortal Senjutsu, far surpassing the development of a few Ninjutsu. It is a monumental achievement worthy of being remembered for eternity.

"You—really—"

After a moment of silence, Kakashi gave Taiichi thumbs up, the only way he could express his admiration.

"Ah~ Haha!"

Taiichi forward, slapped away Kakashi's thumbs-up, and put his arm around Kakashi's shoulder. "Let's not talk about this. Did you need something from me?"

Kakashi paused, Taiichi was holding him, could feel the guy's shoulders stiffen for a moment. He immediately chuckled wickedly.

"You bastard, you didn't actually come here on a mission, did you? Is the Hokage-sama looking for me?"

Taiichi was clearly asking a question he already knew the answer to, which made Kakashi's eyes twitch uncontrollably.

"Since you already know, why are you still wasting your breath talking? Hurry up and come with me."

At that moment, if Kakashi hadn't known he couldn't beat Taiichi, he would have wanted to strangle him.

"Out of sight, out of mind," Kakashi said, then turned and walked away without looking back.

Taiichi, too, followed behind him with a strange "hehehe" laugh.

The Hokage's Office.

After bringing Taiichi, Kakashi ignored him Taiichi and left without saying a word. It seems he still knows how to behave properly in front of Minato.

At this moment, only Minato was in the office. Taiichi took a few steps forward and saw him writing and drawing on the table. Judging from his appearance, he didn't look like he was reviewing documents at all.

"Taiichi, you're here! Come and see what I think of my idea."

Without even looking up, Minato greeted them directly.

Taiichi didn't stand on ceremony and took two more steps forward to the desk, where he could see everything that Minato had done.

It was a diagram of a technique structure, broken down in great detail. At this point, even a regular Jonin would have a hard time figuring out what it was.

However, Taiichi is clearly not included in this category.

Taiichi walked around the desk to the side of the Minato, carefully examining the disassembled structural diagram, piecing it back together in his mind.

"Minato, are you modifying the Flying Thunder God Technique?"

"Haha, you really did see that coming." Minato patted Taiichi on the shoulder happily, pointing to the structural diagram on the table. "I do have that idea. You can also Flying Thunder God Technique, so you naturally know how versatile this Ninjutsu is. It's a pity that besides you and me, there's no one else in Konoha who can use it."

Taiichi nodded in agreement. The Flying Thunder God isn't just for combat; it's also very useful for traveling or delivering intelligence. For example, his special ability Flying Thunder God Technique for saving lives with Kunai, and Minato's Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder, are all applications of the Flying Thunder God in other scenarios.

Needless to say, Minato relied almost entirely on the Flying Thunder God technique in his battles.

"Space-time talent is extremely rare. If we rely on it as a foundation, it will be difficult to promote the Flying Thunder God. So I was wondering if there was any way to circumvent this difficulty."

Following the key points of Minato's finger, Taiichi quickly understood Minato's intention.

He intends to use Sealing Jutsu to compensate for the lack of spatial and temporal talent.

After all, Sealing Jutsu can be learned, and even if you can't learn them perfectly, you can still imitate them. But if you don't have the talent for space-time, then you really don't have it.

"A great idea, but with your design, I'm afraid the Flying Thunder God Technique can't be used by a single person. The complexity is such that even I would have a hard time performing it by myself."

Taiichi pointed out the key flaw, but regardless, according to this technique, Minato really bypassed the space-time talent and turned the Flying Thunder God into a multi-person Ninjutsu that anyone who was willing to learn could do.

"Haha, this is my limit." Minato said quite frankly, but his eyes were shining as he looked at Taiichi. "But we still have you, don't we? Two heads are better than one. See if you can improve it a bit more."

"Ah?"

Taiichi looked up in surprise, glancing at Minato and then at the structural diagram on the table. He knew, of course, that this was Minato's improved Flying Thunder Formation, which could eventually be reduced to a three-person coordinated attack. However, judging from the progress, it was clear that the final version had not yet been achieved.

The "limit" that Minato mentioned was just a humble excuse. Looking at the pile of documents on the table, the answer is self-evident.

Minato wanted Taiichi to take on this highly effective but extremely time-consuming task because he didn't have enough time to conduct further deductions.

Seeing his expectant eyes, Taiichi was momentarily dazed before breaking into a bright smile and readily agreeing.

Only----

"No problem, I'll take this project." Taiichi mimicked Gai, giving a thumbs-up and flashing his bright white teeth. Before Minato could reply, he changed the subject, "But Hokage-sama —did you call me here to develop Ninjutsu?"

Minato's happy smile froze abruptly, his outstretched hand, intended to encourage Taiichi, stopped in mid-air, and then he slapped his own forehead with his other hand.

"Oh dear, look at my brain, I forget all about work when I get engrossed in studying."

He quickly rummaged through the pile of scrolls on the table, picking one up to look at it, then putting it down, until he finally found a scroll marked "Confidential".

Taiichi took the scroll but did not open it, simply waiting for Minato to continue.

"Two of our ninja squads have gone missing in the Land of Bears. The Root Scout team discovered that they both disappeared in the same small town, but we haven't found any other useful information. Just to be on the safe side, we'd like to ask you to make a trip there."

"Land of Bears?"

Taiichi's fingers traced the scroll as he recalled information about the country.

"There isn't even a decent town there, so why would there be a mission there?"

"They were all ninjas returning from a mission to the Land of Snow. They needed to avoid the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, so they took a detour through the Land of Bears."

"This route is really long," Taiichi muttered to himself, then suddenly remembered something, "Is there a Hoshigakure in the Land of Bears?"

"Really."

Minato nodded without hesitation. As the Hokage, he had information on all the countries and villages in the Ninja World in his mind, unlike Taiichi who had to think for a long time.

"That's a small ninja village, with less than 100 people in total. You suspect they're the murderers?"

Taiichi didn't answer directly, but simply shook his head slightly. "Two teams disappearing in the same town in a row is clearly a targeted operation. Regardless of whether they are suspects or not, as locals, they should know something about the situation."

Minato nodded in agreement, but he was quite relaxed now. "In any case, this task is now yours. I don't need to worry about it anymore."

"Alright, I'll go take a look." He turned to leave, but after a few steps, he stopped, turned back, and said with a grin, "Hey, Hokage-sama, can I ask you something?"

Minato instinctively knew something was wrong; that expression didn't look like a good thing at all. But before he could refuse, Taiichi had already spoken up.

"I plan to take my three apprentices with me on this trip, so they can broaden their horizons. What do you think?"