blogombal Chapter 33 Farewell to the Orphanage and Job Change
Chapter 33 Farewell to the Orphanage and Job Change
The bell rang, signaling the end of the school exams, and students gradually left the examination hall. As with every exam, some were happy while others were sad. Taiyi, who was on his way back to the classroom, happened to run into his classmates who were leaving the exam hall and happily went to greet them.
"How did everyone do on the exam?" Taiichi asked Shizune, who was walking ahead of him.
"We did really well on the test, but..." Shizune covered her mouth and chuckled softly, turning to look at Obito, who was standing dejectedly behind her.
"What's wrong? It's not the first time you've failed a test, so why do you look like this?" Taiichi was a little puzzled. Normally, Obito didn't look this terrible when he failed a test before!
"Obito got caught cheating, and the teacher said he's going to visit his home! He's afraid his grandma will find out," Rin chimed in.
"Ah~~~ How could this happen!" Obito looked like the sky was about to fall, and his whole body exuded a strong sense of depression.
"Obito, don't give up! How can you give up on your youth so easily? I'll go with you later to beg Yamada-sensei to let you off this time." Guy encouraged Obito from the side, hoping to awaken his fighting spirit.
"By the way, Taiichi, how did your test go? Did you pass?" Shizune chimed in.
"Yes, everything went smoothly. You can come to school tomorrow for class assignment."
Congratulations!
……
While Taichi was chatting with his friends, Sarutobi Matsu was reporting on the assessment in the Hokage's office.
"Oh, you defeated Nagashima Hikari in just one minute?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama, although the Nagashima Chunin had the problem of underestimating his opponent, Matsushita Taichi's strength is indeed far beyond that of an ordinary Genin." Recalling Taichi's exquisite ninjutsu and sharp swordsmanship, Sarutobi Matsu also reported truthfully.
"Looks like I underestimated him. Konoha's sapling, grow up quickly, the ninja world looks like it's going to be in turmoil again," Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself.
"Alright, you can go now."
"Yes."
After Sarutobi Matsu left the office, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and went to the balcony. He lit his pipe, which was already full of tobacco, and started puffing away, gazing at Konoha through the hazy smoke. Thinking of the younger generation like Hatake Kakashi and Matsushita Taichi, the younger generation like Namikaze Minato, and the older generation like the Legendary Sannin and Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's talent pool seemed endless, which lessened his worries about future wars considerably.
……
After saying goodbye to his friends, Taiyi arrived at the orphanage. As soon as he pushed open the gate, seven or eight children popped out from under the shade of the trees like popcorn, their muddy little hands vying to tug at his trouser legs.
"Taiichi-nii-nii!" Yami, with her crooked pigtails, was the first to rush over, her sugar-stained face leaving an oil stain on his clothes. "You said you'd teach me how to throw shuriken!"
"Watch mine first!" Jiang Tai hurriedly pulled out a wooden kunai, only to trip over himself. The children's laughter startled the sparrows under the eaves, and Taiyi took the opportunity to hoist the youngest boy onto his shoulder, his sweaty back immediately pressed against three or four hot little stoves.
The aroma of caramel wafted from the kitchen. When Nono came out wearing a faded floral apron, she saw Taiichi piled up under the old locust tree by the children. He deliberately let out an exaggerated wail, making the children giggle. The bits of grass stuck to his hair shimmered in the sunlight.
"Come and eat, everyone!" Nono shouted loudly.
The children crowded around Taichi as he entered the dining room, the sound of over twenty pairs of chopsticks tapping on the rim of their bowls resembling a woodpecker's grand meeting. When he took out the tricolor dumplings wrapped in oil paper, Eta nearly tipped over his wooden stool. Nonou quietly watched as Taichi was surrounded by the children, receiving snacks.
"This one has red bean filling!" "I want matcha!" Amid the children's clamor, Taiichi suddenly looked up and smiled at her, the curve of his eyes still carrying a childlike innocence. Nono's hand tightened around the soup spoon, causing ripples to spread across the scalding miso soup in the bowl.
As the moon rose higher, the children were all sent off to bathe, leaving only the bedsheets on the clothesline swaying gently in the evening breeze in the courtyard. Taiichi sat cross-legged on the porch, polishing his ninja tool bag, the clinking of metal clasps startling Nono, who was gathering herbs.
"Tomorrow I'll be a real ninja?" She shook the dirt off the roots of the herbs, her voice softer than a falling honeysuckle petal.
"Haha, you knew all along." Taiichi, who was sharpening his knife, awkwardly scratched his head. It turned out that he hadn't told Nono about graduating early.
"You're only seven years old." Nono suddenly interrupted him, the sun-baked bamboo sieve making a crisp sound as it tapped against the edge of the stone mortar. From the other side of the drying ground came the splashing sound of Jiang Taiguang's feet hitting puddles, mixed with Yamei's exasperated chase, as if the noise came from another world.
The whetstone whirred in the night. Taiyi, head bowed, said, "Does the director remember the day I first arrived at the orphanage? A three-year-old huddled in the closet, trembling, thinking no one in the world would ever want me again..."
Nonou's hand suddenly covered his hair, the herbal scent masking the rusty smell. Her fingertips still held melted beeswax, its warmth seeping into the boy's sweaty temples: "That little bean who used to cry under the covers is now going to be a hero to the children?"
"Yes, my sister used to protect us, and I will protect my sister and everyone else in the future."
The children's clattering footsteps grew louder as they approached. Jiang Tai, his hair still wet, charged forward like a cannonball, splashing cool water droplets onto the back of his neck. Nono watched as the children tugged at his clothes and pulled him into the moonlight. The boy's deliberately straight back gradually overlapped with the figure in her memory, curled up in the rainy night.
As the last child was tucked into bed, Taiyi quietly closed the door.
At the entrance of the orphanage, Taichi, who was about to say goodbye, did not forget to ask with concern, "Nonou-neechan, I am a ninja now, and the orphanage no longer has financial problems. You should take on fewer missions and take good care of yourself."
"Little brat, lecturing your older sister now! You wouldn't have told me this if I hadn't asked..."
"Let's go!"
Gazing at Nono, Taichi suddenly stepped forward and hugged her tightly before resolutely turning and disappearing into the darkness.
……
The next day, at the Ninja Academy, in the graduating students' classroom.
Taiyi arrived here to report as instructed, and the moment he entered, he attracted everyone's attention.
"Who is this? I don't recognize him!"
"You've come to the wrong classroom, haven't you?"
"Could he be a graduate too? He's so young!"
The chattering of the discussion continued, but Taiichi ignored it and went straight to an empty seat.
"You guys are way behind the times. Don't you remember that person who was all over the news before, the one who applied to graduate early?"
"Is that him? He looks like he's not even eight years old yet."
At that moment, a Chunin instructor walked into the classroom. He stood on the podium and began to speak: "Quiet. The fact that you are here means that you have passed the test and are about to become official ninjas. Don't be so noisy and undisciplined wherever you go."
"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Miyamoto, and I'm in charge of your graduation and class assignments."
"Now, those whose names I call, come up and take your headbands and ninja badges."
"Inada Yusuke." A person stepped forward from behind, and the teacher handed him his headband and ninja badge, adding a word of encouragement, "Do a good job!"
"Ismail Murayama."
……
"Matsushita Taichi."
Upon hearing his name called, Taichi immediately stood up and walked forward excitedly. "Finally, I can change jobs soon!" Sure enough, as soon as he received the headband and ninja certificate, the panel kept sending notifications. Taichi, who had returned to his seat, immediately focused his attention on them.
[Your Ninja Apprentice job level is Lv10, the maximum. Job change requirements: 1. Strength 15 points, 2. Agility 15 points, 3. Three Body Technique Lv6, 4. Learn at least one ninjutsu, 5. Stay in the Ninja Academy for two years. Once all 5 requirements are met, you can begin the job change process.]
……
[Job change successful. Relevant experience points converted. Class: Genin Lv1 (45/100)]
Constitution +1, Strength +1, Agility +1, Spirit +1
[Gained Talent: Powerful]
[Enhanced Effect: Increases the power of all your ninjutsu by 50%]
[Attribute Points +1, Skill Points +1]
After reading the new panel prompts and feeling the sudden surge of power within his body, Taiichi was secretly delighted. When the surge of power subsided and Taiichi focused his attention on the teacher again, all the students had already received their headbands and ninja certificates.
After calming himself down and looking at the new genin below, Miyamoto-sensei began his speech: "First of all, congratulations everyone. From today onwards, you are all true ninjas."
After he finished speaking, he took the lead in clapping, and everyone below followed suit.
After the applause subsided, Teacher Miyamoto gestured for everyone to be quiet: "I believe your teachers have already told you that I'm here today not only to give you your headbands and ninja certificates, but also to assign you to classes."
"The so-called 'team division' means that you will be divided into groups of three, each led by an experienced Jonin, to carry out missions together. From now on, you will be the closest partners and the most trusted comrades-in-arms."