Recaps

Taiichi Matsushita trained at the Academy, helped secure funding for the Orphanage, and began an internship at Konoha Hospital while attracting the attention of Hiruzen and Danzo. After demonstrating his growing medical and combat skills, Taiichi was placed in Jiraiya’s care for further training.

• Taiichi befriended Might Guy through their daily training, welcomed Nonō and the Orphanage children into his home, and resolved to protect them from Danzo.
• Taiichi developed an antibacterial medicine from garlic, and Tsunade tested it before arranging a village partnership that funded the Orphanage and Taiichi’s work.
• Taiichi advanced at the Academy, sparred with classmates, learned ninjutsu and swordsmanship, and earned Tsunade’s support and a hospital internship.
• Danzo sought to recruit Taiichi into Root, but Hiruzen refused and told him that Taiichi needed bonds and support instead.
• Taiichi assisted at Konoha Hospital, treated Rin’s wound, and worked through a mass-casualty emergency until Tsunade ordered him to rest.
• Tsunade taught Taiichi advanced medical ninjutsu, and he learned the Chakra Scalpel well enough to cut chakra threads.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru tested Taiichi’s abilities, after which Tsunade left him in Jiraiya’s care for further training.

Taiichi graduated early, joined Team 8, and proved himself during a kidnapping and a dangerous escort mission. After outmaneuvering attackers in the Land of Rivers, the team headed home and encountered Sunagakure ninja attacking a wounded Konoha shinobi.

• Taiichi learned from Jiraiya, completed his training, and turned down Danzo’s recruitment after Hiruzen ordered Danzo to leave him alone.
• Taiichi trained hard, passed his early graduation assessment, left the Orphanage, and joined Team 8 under Masasuke Yamaguchi.
• Team 8 passed Yamaguchi’s test and completed a river-cleaning mission, where Taiichi used Water Clones while Yohei practiced walking on water.
• Taiichi stopped a kidnapping attempt, rescued Kurama Chizuru, and helped capture the attackers before collapsing from chakra exhaustion.
• After recovering, Taiichi learned genjutsu and the Shadow Clone Technique, then joined Team 8 on a C-Rank escort mission to the Land of Rivers.
• Bandits repeatedly attacked the caravan, and Taiichi protected Saori during a major ambush while Yohei awakened his Sharingan.
• Taiichi secretly sent the real Saori and Little Ishihara ahead to Jinsong City, allowing Team 8 to foil the Ishihara clan’s attackers and complete the escort.
• On the journey back to Konoha, Team 8 encountered a wounded Konoha ninja surrounded by Sunagakure shinobi, and Taiichi struck first before another attacker charged him.

Taiichi grew as a medical ninja and swordsman while confronting the cost of killing, training with Jiraiya and Minato, and seeking to bring Tsunade back. After broadening his ninjutsu, he reunited with Yohei and Saori for an urgent escort mission to the Border Outpost.

• Taiichi and Team 8 defeated Sunagakure forces, rescued Sanae Shinkawa, and returned the intelligence to Konoha under a secrecy order.
• Taiichi reunited with his former classmates, encouraged Rin and Shizune to study medical ninjutsu, and later became Tsunade’s student before she left Konoha with Shizune.
• Taiichi led Team 8 against a bandit group that had secretly been formed by villagers, and the team killed the villagers after discovering their crimes.
• Taiichi struggled with having killed a child until Nonō comforted him at the Orphanage, and his swordsmanship advanced.
• Jiraiya tested Taiichi’s combat skills, advised him to combine his abilities more effectively, and helped connect him with Minato, who studied One-Handed Seals with him.
• Taiichi tried to contact Tsunade through Katsuyu and resolved to bring her back, while continuing to train Rin and Obito.
• Taiichi exchanged three A-rank mission records for six C-rank ninjutsu scrolls and developed new Earth and Lightning Style skills.
• Jiji summoned Taiichi to Konoha’s gates, where Yamaguchi ordered him, Yohei, and Saori to escort overdue supplies to the Border Outpost.

Taiichi fought through a deadly outpost mission, helped rescue Hatake Sakumo, and grew closer to his teammates while advancing his skills. He then uncovered Root’s hold over Nonō and brought evidence of Orphanage fraud to Hiruzen, who agreed to confront Danzo.

• Captain Yamaguchi’s squad reached Outpost 7, where Taiichi treated the wounded and helped defend the camp from the bounty ninjas’ attack.
• Taiichi and Yohei tracked the fleeing attackers to their cave, where Taiichi discovered their plans and stayed behind so Yohei could carry the intelligence back to the outpost.
• Taiichi fought Takagi and his pursuers, survived a near-fatal ambush, and returned to Outpost 7 with the sealed body of the Jonin he had defeated.
• Taiichi demonstrated One-Handed Seals to Minato and Kushina, then joined Minato’s mission to extract Hatake Sakumo from the Land of Moon.
• Taiichi and the others rescued Sakumo, fought Cloud Village pursuers and bounty hunters, and returned to Konoha after Inuzuka Makoto and Kuromaru were killed.
• Taiichi developed the Chakra Enhanced Body Flicker Technique, trained with Yohei and Saori, and learned that Nonō was taking Root missions under pressure from Danzo.
• Taiichi asked Tsunade, Minato, and Jiraiya to help free Nonō, then showed Hiruzen records and forged documents suggesting that Root had diverted the Orphanage’s funds.