met free Chapter 87 Harvest: Which is More Important?
Chapter 87 Harvest: Which is More Important?
Chapter 87 Harvest: Which is More Important? (Two-part chapter combined)
the next day.
"Knock knock knock"
After knocking three times, Taiyi stopped and stood in front of the door.
"Coming!" A sound came from inside the door, and it was Kushina's voice.
Last time, Minato went grocery shopping and Kushina cooked. This time, Kushina simply opened the door. Could it be that Minato has already won over Kushina so early?
"Don't you ever carry your keys when you go out?" a complaining voice rang out, and the door opened.
Before Kushina could even see who it was, the words that made her blush came: "Hello, sister-in-law, I'm here to see Senior Brother Minato!" Regardless of what she was thinking, Taiichi immediately offered her the nice words.
"It's Taiichi. Minato just went out and will be back later. I'm just keeping an eye on the house for him." Kushina blushed deeply.
"Yes, yes, I know all that, sister-in-law. You two are just friends." Taiichi was spouting nonsense, but he was convinced that he should call her sister-in-law. Didn't he see that Kushina didn't refuse?
"Oh, I'm not going to talk to you anymore, come in!" With that, Kushina stepped aside and led Taichi into the house.
See? He said no, but he was secretly overjoyed.
When Taiichi entered the house, he found it neatly tidied up. He himself was a clean and tidy person, but he didn't expect Minato's house to be even more so. He didn't know whether Minato had tidied it up himself or Kushina had done it.
"Sit down, Taichi." Kushina, who had just entered, greeted Taichi, who was still standing, and then went to pour him a glass of water and handed it to him.
"Thank you, sister-in-law." Taiyi quickly accepted it with both hands.
"Did you come to see Minato for something?" Kushina sat down herself and casually asked Taichi what his purpose was.
"Hmm!" Taiyi put down his water glass and his expression became excited. "Didn't we discuss the issue of one-handed hand seals last time? I figured it out during this mission."
"Oh, I figured it out." Kushina hadn't even realized it yet.
"No, you've already figured it out yourself!" After a short while, Kushina finally realized what Taiichi was talking about.
"Yes, I came here to share my experiences with Senior Brother Minato and see if I can help him," Taiichi said happily.
Kushina was a little stunned, and it took her a while to come back to her senses. The way she looked at Taiichi had changed. She and Minato had been studying for a long time without much progress, but they didn't expect to succeed in recognizing this junior brother so easily.
She suddenly understood what the way others looked at her when she was learning sealing techniques meant. They looked at her like she was a monster; they were completely different kinds of people.
Seeing Kushina's dazed expression, Taichi couldn't help but ask, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"
"Ah, it's nothing, it's nothing. I just didn't expect you to learn it so quickly, Taichi. You're amazing!" Kushina praised sincerely after regaining her senses.
"Actually, it was a bit of a coincidence. If I did it again, it wouldn't be so fast." Taiyi was a little embarrassed at this moment, after all, he learned it directly by adding points, not entirely by his own ability.
Just then, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the doorway.
Hearing the noise, Kushina happily got up and walked towards the door to prepare to welcome Minato.
The door opened, and Kushina, who had been waiting nearby, took the bag from Minato's hand and said, "Minato, look who's here!"
"Who is it?" Minato asked, looking into the room. Seeing Taichi standing up, his face immediately lit up with joy. "Oh, it's Taichi! You're back from your mission! Did it go well?"
"Senior Brother Minato." Seeing Minato greet him so warmly, Taiichi was also happy: "The mission had some twists and turns, but fortunately, I managed to figure out the one-handed hand seal."
Hearing Taichi's words, Minato was visibly stunned, finding it unbelievable. This was indeed too fast. "Really? You're too fast!"
"Maybe it's because you and Jiraiya laid a good foundation for me, Minato-sensei!" Taichi joked.
"Haha, Taiichi, you're really good with words." Minato and Kushina entered the room and sat down opposite Taiichi.
"Taiichi came here to share his experience with us," Kushina explained to Minato from the side.
"Oh!" Minato was somewhat moved. He had taught Taiichi entirely out of respect for Jiraiya, although he had indeed come to like this junior brother later on.
But that wasn't the main reason. Minato was surprised that Taiichi thought of them so quickly after achieving some success, which made him realize that Taiichi was indeed someone he could get to know better. At that moment, the enthusiasm on Minato's face intensified.
After another round of pleasantries, Taiyi took the initiative to suggest that everyone discuss the latest understanding of one-handed hand seals.
Minato and Kushina naturally understood that Taiichi was only saying that to save face for them. While pleased, they also admired Taiichi's excellent interpersonal skills.
The three then went to the courtyard, where Taiichi demonstrated his one-handed hand seal.
First are the twelve basic hand mudras. Compared to the two-handed mudras, Taiyi's one-handed mudras are quite simple. First, the thumb and middle finger are interlocked, which is the basic movement. The remaining index, ring, and little fingers are used to achieve different degrees of bending and stretching to distinguish the twelve mudras.
Taiyi demonstrated the single-hand seals that correspond to the two-hand seals, and then used single-hand seals to perform Water Release: Water Wall and Fire Release: Flame Bullet as demonstrations.
During this time, he shared all his insights and experiences with Minato and Kushina without reservation.
After a long explanation and demonstration, Taiyi was quite hoarse, but he gained a lot from it.
[Hand Seal Instruction: Skill - One-Handed Hand Seal Formation Experience +100]
He smiled with satisfaction; all his efforts had been worthwhile.
Looking at Minato and Kushina, the two were deep in thought, but before long, Kushina was the first to come to her senses, shaking her head helplessly, clearly not having gained much.
On the other hand, Minato's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and his hand unconsciously stretched out, his fingers slightly curled, making different movements.
Taiichi and Kushina didn't disturb him. They could clearly see that Minato had made some progress. Judging from the situation, he might be able to directly comprehend his own unique one-handed seal.
A moment later, Minato suddenly moved one hand and completed three movements in an instant. After a puff of white smoke, another Minato appeared next to him.
Attracted by the commotion, Kushina looked at the two Minatos on the field and exclaimed in surprise, "Minato, you did it?"
Taiichi looked at Minato with admiration. He himself had succeeded by adding points, but Minato had truly succeeded through his own hard work.
"Bang!" Minato canceled the clone technique.
"It's still a little short. I've only figured out the single-handed knot for three seals so far. I'll have to keep experimenting with the rest, but with this foundation, I'll be able to succeed soon."
Minato was also very happy. Today he had finally achieved a breakthrough from zero, and success was not far away. Once he could completely master the one-handed hand seals, it would undoubtedly be a huge boost to his fighting style.
Thinking about it, he looked at Taiyi and said, "I'm really grateful for my junior brother's explanation; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to grasp the essentials so quickly."
"Haha, it's only because you have a deep foundation, otherwise no matter how much I say, it's useless!" Taiyi said politely.
"Junior brother, you're really good with words." Minato smiled and pointed inside the house. "Come on, let's go inside and talk."
With that, Minato led the way, and everyone returned to the house. This time, everyone's enthusiasm was clearly even higher, since Minato's breakthrough was indeed a joyous occasion.
"If Jiraiya-sensei finds out about what happened today, he'll definitely regret going on a mission so early," Kushina said from the side.
"Yes, Jiraiya-sensei always wants to practice hand seals with one hand. If he misses today, he doesn't know how long he'll have to wait," Minato said.
"Haha, what's the big deal? Let's write down our exchange experience today and give it to Jiraiya-sensei when he gets back. I'm sure he'll benefit from it too." Taichi gave his final answer without a care in the world.
Minato and Kushina were clearly asking if they could share their experience with Jiraiya, since it was Taiichi's original creation and could only be taught with Taiichi's permission. However, neither of them expected Taiichi to be so generous.
In Taiichi's heart, Jiraiya, Minato, and Kushina were far more important than a single hand seal technique.
Seeing Taiichi's selflessness, Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance. Seeing Kushina nod slightly, Minato said to Taiichi, "Taiichi, no matter what, we owe you a debt of gratitude today. Here is a new insight that Kushina and I have gained. Take it; it should be useful to you."
As he spoke, Minato took out a storage scroll from his ninja tool pouch, unsealed a large scroll about a foot long, and handed it to Taichi.
Taiyi glanced at it in confusion, then froze, seeing the words "Complete and Detailed Explanation of the Basics of Sealing Techniques" written on it.
"Senior Brother Shuimen, this is too precious, I can't accept it." Taiyi quickly waved his hand to refuse.
"Take it!" Minato's face hardened as he forcefully stuffed the scroll into Taichi's arms, making Kushina, who was standing next to him, smile broadly.
"Taiichi, please accept it!" Kushina also urged, "If you want to learn the sealing techniques in this scroll, you can exchange them directly from the village by spending contribution points. The only good thing about it is that it contains my and Minato's annotations and insights, so you don't need to worry too much about it."
"Alright, thank you, senior brother and sister-in-law." Hearing Kushina's explanation, how could he not know that Kushina was deliberately downplaying her and Minato's value?
The sealing techniques in this scroll are indeed commonplace, but the annotations by the two authors are the essence and the truly valuable part. Otherwise, if everyone could exchange for sealing techniques, why are there still so few sealing technique masters in Konoha?
Minato and Kushina were also very happy to see Taichi accept the scroll. It was a very pleasant thing that their feelings could be accepted and understood by others.
The three of them talked for a while longer, until noon when Taiyi finally took his leave.
Watching Taichi's departing figure, Minato sighed, "If my junior brother can grow up smoothly, he will definitely become a great ninja in the future."
Taichi was walking towards the weapon shop after leaving the Minato family. He was there to pick up the short sword he had ordered a couple of days ago, but he was delayed by a mission.
On the way, Taiichi was also thinking about what he had gained that day.
Taiyi originally just wanted to come and return a favor, and also to get closer to everyone.
To everyone's surprise, Senior Brother Minato was so generous, giving Taiyi another generous gift, which made Taiyi feel like he had gotten a good deal again.
But then he thought that it was his senior brother, Minato, so he didn't care anymore. Why not take advantage of his senior brother?
Upon arriving at the store, the staff inside immediately recognized Taiyi; he was the ninja who had seen through the boss's tricks back then.
"The customer is here to pick up a knife, right?" The clerk greeted him warmly; this was a big customer.
"You have a good memory; you still remember me after all this time," Taiichi replied with a smile, and casually took out the receipt for the sword from his ninja tool bag and handed it over.
"What do you mean, customer? You're one of our most valued customers, so we'll definitely remember you." The clerk took the receipt, checked it, and then said, "Please wait a moment, customer, I'll get your knife right away."
With that, he turned and went into the inner room.
Not long after, the shop assistant brought a delicate box to Taiyi. He gently placed the box on the counter, opened the lid, and carefully took out the dagger inside. "Customer, please check if you are satisfied with this knife!"
Taiyi took the short sword, his fingertips lightly tracing the cool blade, the edge gleaming with a chilling light. He flicked it lightly, the blade emitting a clear, resonant hum that lingered long after. Gripping the hilt, he found it to be the perfect size, fitting Taiyi's hand perfectly, and swinging it without the slightest hesitation.
Then, Taiyi began to infuse chakra into the sword, and immediately an unprecedented sense of freedom came over him. The chakra flowed through the blade without any obstruction, indicating that a considerable amount of chakra metal had been used during its forging.
Taiichi nodded in satisfaction, then sheathed the short sword with a backhand motion. The perfect fit made him smile slightly. This sword suited him even better than he had expected; it truly was tailor-made for him.
"Very good, I am very satisfied." Taiyi gave full affirmation, and without hesitation, he paid the balance with the shop assistant, slung his short sword over his shoulder, and prepared to leave.
Unexpectedly, just as he turned around, he saw three people walk into the store: Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara.
"Ah, it's Taichi." Obito spotted Taichi first and immediately greeted Kakashi and Rin beside him with delight.
"What a coincidence, Obito, and Kakashi and Rin too." Taichi stepped forward to greet them, "I ran into you guys when I was buying swords last time, and now I'm running into you again when I'm picking them up. What a coincidence!"
"Yeah, yeah." Obito nodded in agreement; it was indeed quite a coincidence.
"What are you doing here?" Taiyi asked.
"We ran into Kakashi on the way here. He was buying ninja tools, so we came together. We even arranged to have lunch together. Taichi, do you want to come too?" Rin chimed in from the side.
Kakashi and Obito looked over with questioning eyes, clearly indicating that they shared the same idea.
Taiyi looked at the three of them, thought for a moment and realized he didn't have anything else to do, so he readily agreed: "Sure, it's been a long time since we've all gotten together. Have you decided where to eat? How about I treat everyone to barbecue?"
"Okay!" Obito was the first to agree.
Rin and Kakashi agreed.
After the three of them accompanied Kakashi to buy ninja tools, they went to a barbecue restaurant.
"Hey, give me a large BBQ set meal first!" Taiichi called out to the shopkeeper.
"By the way, Kakashi, I heard you're already a Chunin," Taichi asked Kakashi.
"What!" Before Kakashi could answer, Obito jumped up first, drawing surprised glances from the surrounding diners.
Rin grabbed Obito next to her and pressed him into his seat.
"No, Kakashi, you've only been out of school for a short time, and you're already a Chunin." Obito said in a low voice.
Kakashi couldn't help but roll his eyes upon hearing this, staring at Obito for a while before saying, "Actually, I've already advanced for about half a year."
Upon hearing this, Obito froze on the spot, his mind filled with the phrase "promotion in half a year."
Kakashi, seeing that he had provoked Obito, stopped teasing him and continued, "When I graduated, I joined a mature team and started taking on missions right away. Unlike Taichi and the other graduates' team, who could only perform D-rank missions at first."
"Besides, I perform missions more frequently, and my mission records, performance, and abilities are all up to par, so I will naturally be promoted after passing the assessment."
Kakashi spoke of it so casually, but how many people could know the hardships he endured?
Sitting opposite her, Lin seemed to understand the difficulty and unconsciously asked with concern, "It must be very hard!"
'
Upon hearing this, Kakashi fell silent. Everyone could tell from the situation that there must be a story behind it.
They all fell silent and ate their barbecue in quiet contemplation.
a long time.
"This is my third squad already," Kakashi murmured.
"Ah!" Rin and Obito exclaimed in surprise.
Taiyi was taken aback upon hearing this, but continued eating his grilled meat.
"The first squad's leader was killed in action during a mission, and the squad was broken up and reorganized."
"Two members were killed in the second squad mission, and the squad was broken up and reorganized." Kakashi's voice was filled with sorrow.
"They earned it all by risking their lives!" Taiyi interjected at this moment.
Perhaps feeling that the otherwise pleasant atmosphere of the meal had been ruined, Kakashi smiled with narrowed eyes and said to Taiichi, "Enough about me, Taiichi. How are you doing? Tell everyone about it."
"Yeah, yeah, tell us about it, so we can learn something too," Lin chimed in.
"Then let me tell you about my most recent mission." With that, Taiyi picked out the most exciting and thrilling parts of the mission and shared them with everyone.
Everyone listened with great interest, and Obito frequently offered his opinions, saying what he would do if he were in Obito's shoes. When Taichi talked about how he was willing to stay behind to cover the retreat so that the intelligence could be delivered smoothly, Obito began his speech again.
"Taiichi did the right thing. At times like this, the mission should take priority. A ninja's primary goal is to complete the mission. What kind of ninja would you be if you couldn't complete the mission?"
"What if it were Rin? If Rin were the one left to cover the retreat, or to take it to an even more extreme point, if Rin's life and the success or failure of the mission conflicted, Obito, would you prioritize the mission or your comrades?" Taichi suddenly asked Obito.
Obito was stunned. Not only Obito was stunned, but Rin and Kakashi were also stunned.