The chakra drain was brutal—almost as bad as going all-out in Sage Mode. The whole process lasted less than fifteen minutes, but the results were massive.
[By sensing nature and learning from it, your understanding of Fire Release nature transformation has deepened!]
[Fire Release nature transformation +5]
That was a huge jump—roughly the same experience gain as a full day of intense shadow clone training. Even for Taiichi, though, the window was short. At his natural chakra recovery rate he could only pull this off about six times a day, and he still had to split his reserves between Sage Mode training, shadow clone upkeep, and everything else.
The thought of Sage Mode made him pause. He had never tried entering it while fully transformed into flame. Especially not here, surrounded by dense fire-nature energy. He had no idea if it would burn through his chakra faster or actually extend the transformation.
He decided to test it right away. First he closed his eyes and meditated, letting his spirit settle while his chakra slowly refilled. Two hours later he was back at full strength. He created a shadow clone just in case, then jumped into the crater again.
This time he didn't dive straight into fire meditation. Instead he focused on entering Sage Mode while still in his flame form. It worked even easier than usual. The moment he reached for natural energy the transformation clicked into place without the usual buildup. His perception exploded outward. The world around him felt crystal clear.
The heavy fire-nature energy in the crater rushed toward him on its own, easing the chakra cost. He didn't hesitate. His body collapsed inward, limbs pulling back, until he became a single bright flame again—except this one burned pure gold, standing out sharply even against the glowing lava.
Twenty minutes later he rose back to the crater rim. The longer duration and sharper senses told him exactly what the panel would say before he even checked it.
[By sensing nature and learning from it, your understanding of Fire Release nature transformation has deepened!]
[Fire Release nature transformation +10]
The gain had doubled. At this rate, even after splitting chakra among his other training, he could finish the remaining four hundred points in roughly ten days. His first super-kage level nature transformation was almost within reach. Once that happened, even facing someone like Uchiha Madara wouldn't feel impossible.
From that day on Taiichi threw himself completely into the training. His ANBU guard duty for Hiruzen was handed off to a shadow clone. No one had noticed the switch so far—not even Hiruzen during their occasional close conversations.
Time slipped by without him really tracking it. Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
Back in the village, the shadow clone Taiichi had left at home suddenly snapped out of his ninjutsu training. A quiet alert from the barrier around the front door told him someone was knocking.
He straightened his clothes and headed for the entrance. It was an odd hour for visitors. Most people who needed him would have gone to the Hokage's office first. Whoever this was either didn't know his current situation or had a specific reason for coming straight to his house.
He opened the heavy door and stopped short.
"Shikaku? And… all of you?"
Standing on his doorstep was Nara Shikaku, and behind him were twenty-two women. If Taiichi hadn't already known who they were, he might have thought Shikaku was running some kind of escort service.
Shikaku gave him a tired look. "It's a long story. Mind if we come inside instead of talking out here?"
Taiichi glanced past them. A few neighbors were already peeking out windows and doorways, clearly curious about why one of Konoha's rising stars suddenly had a crowd of attractive women on his doorstep.
"Yeah, come in. All of you."
He led them into the large reception room. The house was big enough that twenty-three extra people didn't feel cramped. Once everyone was seated, Taiichi poured tea for the group himself before taking the main seat.
"Shikaku, what are you doing back? How's Jiraiya-sensei holding up?"
Shikaku's expression darkened. "Jiraiya-sama is doing just fine. The southern front has basically no fighting left, so he's been relaxing and talking about picking his novel back up."
Taiichi could hear the exhaustion and quiet resentment in Shikaku's voice. He had a pretty good guess what had happened—Jiraiya had gone full Tsunade and dumped everything on his subordinates.
"As for me," Shikaku continued, "my work there is done. I came back to report in."
He finally smiled, looking genuinely relieved.
Taiichi nodded, then turned his attention to the twenty-two women sitting quietly on the other side of the room. They looked nervous—some twisting their fingers, others staring at the floor or swallowing hard.
He looked back at Shikaku. "And them? Why bring them here?"
Shikaku rubbed the back of his neck. "After the war with Sand ended we started pulling people off the southern lines. These women aren't official Leaf shinobi, so they weren't on any transfer lists. Sending them back to a prisoner camp didn't feel right either."
Taiichi took a slow sip of tea. "Did you ask Tsunade what she wanted done with them? They were under her command originally."
Shikaku gave him a strange look. "I sent a message. She said they were your responsibility from the start and that any problems should go to you."
Taiichi nearly choked on his tea. He coughed hard enough that the shadow clone almost dispelled.
Right. Tsunade had said something like that back when she handed the Mist medical-nin over to him. He just hadn't expected the arrangement to last this long.
He set the cup down and met Shikaku's eyes. The other man looked just as done with the situation as he felt.
Taiichi turned to the twenty-two women. "What do you want? You were prisoners, but we've taken in former captives before—especially medical-nin. If you want to stay in Leaf I can help push for official membership. The curse seals I placed on you won't be coming off anytime soon, though."
The women exchanged glances. After a moment Mizuki stood up.
Taiichi waved her back down. "You can stay seated. You're guests here now, not prisoners."
Mizuki still bowed first before sitting again. "Lord Taiichi, we talked about this on the way here. We all want to stay with you. Even if it's just as servants."
The other women nodded quickly. Going back to Hidden Mist wasn't an option—they would be executed the moment they stepped foot in the village. Staying in Leaf without protection would be difficult. Taiichi was the obvious choice. He already controlled their lives through the curse seals, he had treated them decently during the war, and he had even taught them advanced medical techniques. If they were going to attach themselves to someone, it had to be him.
Taiichi stayed quiet for a long moment, thinking. He had been living alone and liked his freedom. Taking on twenty-two people as servants didn't appeal to him at first. Then he remembered how powerless he had felt when the village signed that humiliating peace treaty with Sand. He had wondered then if he should have been gathering more real influence.
These twenty-two women were perfect for that.
They had no ties to any Leaf clan. Their backgrounds were clean. They were already bound to him by the curse seals, so loyalty wasn't a concern. And as medical-nin they were already respected in the village. He could place them where they would do the most good.
His decision was made.
"You've already decided," he said. "I won't turn you away. But I'll be clear—loyalty comes first. You already know what happens if the seals activate."
A few of the women went pale at the memory.
Taiichi softened his tone. "That said, I'm not going to mistreat you. Work hard and you'll be rewarded—ninjutsu, secret techniques, money. After everything you've seen in this war, I doubt any of you want to stay weak forever."
Most of the women's eyes lit up with determination. They had talent. They just hadn't had the resources or support in Hidden Mist. Taiichi was offering them both.
"We won't let you down, Lord Taiichi," Mizuki said.
"Good. You'll live here for now. The house is big—pick rooms in the back. Shikaku, you can head out. I know you're in a hurry to get home."
Shikaku didn't need to be told twice. He stood up with obvious relief. Taiichi walked him to the door himself.
Once the women were alone in the house, Taiichi's shadow clone dispelled. The memories flowed back to his real body at the volcano.
Down in the crater, the bright golden flame that was Taiichi trembled, then slowly reshaped itself. Limbs formed, a torso, a head. Golden wings spread behind him as he rose toward the rim. By the time he landed he was fully human again.
He stood there for a moment, processing everything. Twenty-two loyal subordinates who couldn't betray him. Medical-nin who already had value in the village. This was a solid foundation to start building something real.
If he wanted more influence, this was a good place to begin.
He spread his wings and lifted off, already thinking about what came next.