After questioning, the truth came out.
While protecting Daquan Noble, Richuan Taiban had never even noticed that Bieshu Feifan and the other two had left with Daquan Noble.
Then, believing that Bieshu Feifan and the other two had gotten lost, Richuan Taiban wrote Hiruzen Sarutobi a letter and returned to the front lines alone.
During that time, Richuan Taiban had not looked for Bieshu Feifan and the other two,
had not filed a report or offered an explanation,
and had not applied to lead a new squad.
He had simply found himself something to do.
Meanwhile, Bieshu Feifan and the other two had continued protecting Daquan Noble.
After returning, they had continued searching for Richuan Taiban.
They had even spent money printing plenty of missing-person notices.
Although what they had done was utterly outrageous,
Bieshu Feifan and the other two's intelligence was, after all, there for everyone to see.
Once everyone learned the whole story, they could only feel that these three were genuine.
They had done nothing wrong, just something outrageous.
The one at fault was their supposedly normal captain,
Richuan Taiban.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stripped Richuan Taiban of his Outstanding Teacher title on the spot.
He also ordered Richuan Taiban to resign from the Ninja Academy voluntarily and simply serve as an ordinary Chunin charging into battle from then on.
When Richuan Taiban received his punishment, his world collapsed.
He had taught for so many years and had finally managed to get somewhere,
yet he had lost his job just because he had wanted to qualify for the rank of Special Jōnin.
In fact, Richuan Taiban's punishment was already quite lenient.
After all, Konoha had suffered considerable losses because of him.
Richuan Taiban emerged from the command tent, his back bent and his eyes vacant.
The people beside him,