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At the crater rim on Asama Mountain, Taiichi made his decision without hesitation. He created another shadow clone and sent it back toward the village. His real body stayed behind.
He checked the panel.
[Fire Release nature transformation Lv13 (4883/5000)]
After several days of focused training he was only 117 points away from Level 14. But the latest session had only given him +4. The gains were shrinking. His senses had grown too used to the volcano's fire energy. There was nothing new left to pull from this environment.
He accepted it. Time was something he had plenty of right now.
Meanwhile, in Konoha, Mizuki led the twenty-two women through the streets toward the market district. The youngest girl kept glancing around nervously.
"Sister Mizuki… are we really staying with Lord Taiichi from now on?"
Mizuki gave her a warm smile and patted her shoulder. "We already decided, didn't we? There's no point second-guessing now. From today on we belong to Lord Taiichi."
The time they had spent as captives had changed Mizuki. She still felt uneasy inside, but on the surface she projected steady confidence. The others drew strength from it.
The group moved through the busy streets, buying everything they needed. Shopping seemed to be a universal comfort. Konoha's markets were far livelier than anything they had known in Hidden Mist. Bright goods, lively crowds, and Taiichi's generous funds made the outing almost enjoyable.
Their large group quickly drew attention from the Military Police. The officers patrolled daily and knew most faces in their district. Twenty-two unfamiliar women traveling together stood out immediately.
Four officers moved in and blocked their path.
"Are you Leaf villagers? Show your identification."
A few of the younger women shrank back in fear. That only made the officers more suspicious. Normal villagers might be nervous around the police, but they didn't look ready to bolt.
Mizuki stayed calm. She had faced worse on the battlefield. She pulled out Taiichi's identification card and handed it over.
"We're Lord Taiichi's subordinates. We only just arrived in the village. He's handling our official papers."
The lead officer took the card with obvious doubt. One glance at the name made his eyes narrow. Matsushita Taiichi. The card felt real too. He examined it carefully, then relaxed.
"If you're Lord Taiichi's people, then you're one of us. Still, get your papers sorted quickly. Situations like this will keep happening otherwise."
Mizuki bowed and thanked him. The encounter was minor, but it drove home just how much protection Taiichi's name carried. The women felt steadier than before.
By the time they returned to Taiichi's house, chose rooms, and unpacked, the sun had already set. They gathered again in the main hall.
Taiichi looked over the group and nodded, satisfied. The fear from their first day was gone.
"You're all medical-nin. The most useful place for you is the hospital. They're short on staff right now, so I'll arrange for you to work there. Until then you'll stay here, train, study, and keep the house clean."
This was the first step in expanding his influence. The hospital wasn't just a medical facility—it handled research, medicine production, and more. Its current director was Hiruzen's wife, Biwako Sarutobi.
"Yes, Lord Taiichi!" they answered together.
Having a clear purpose lifted everyone's spirits.
"Starting tomorrow I'll spend one hour a day teaching you directly. Make the most of it."
The next morning Taiichi arrived at the Hokage's office earlier than Hiruzen himself. When the old man walked in and saw him already waiting, a small smile tugged at his mouth. He had read the reports yesterday—Nara Shikaku had brought twenty-two former Mist captives back and delivered them straight to Taiichi's house. Taiichi showing up this early was clearly about them.
"You're here before me today. That's new."
Taiichi smiled back. "I have some personal business to report, Hokage-sama. I didn't want to waste official time."
Hiruzen settled into his chair and leaned back, crossing his hands over his stomach. "You really don't waste a single minute, do you? Go ahead. Tell me what's on your mind while we still have time."
Taiichi knew Hiruzen had already seen the reports about the twenty-two women. Still, he took five minutes to lay out their full background, what had happened during the war, and exactly what he planned to do with them. He kept the deeper political motives to himself.
Hiruzen listened in silence. He had seen scattered mentions of the captives in various reports but hadn't paid them much attention until now. Hearing the whole story connected the dots.
His first thought was that these women could no longer be trusted as regular Leaf assets. The curse seals Taiichi had placed on them left too many variables. Even if Taiichi removed them, there was no guarantee nothing remained. The shinobi world was full of subtle control techniques that even the victims sometimes didn't know about.
That was probably why both Tsunade and Jiraiya had simply sent the women to Taiichi instead of keeping them for the village. They were only medical-nin with almost no combat ability. From a certain angle they were harmless either way—loyal to Taiichi or loyal to the village, it mostly depended on what the person in charge decided to do with them.
Hiruzen made his decision.
"You're not putting them into the regular shinobi ranks?"
"Not right away. They just arrived. Their loyalty hasn't been tested. From what I've seen they're not really suited for combat roles anyway. Since they already have medical training, the hospital makes the most sense. They're short on staff there."
Hiruzen gave him a sharp look. "Your curse seals aren't enough to guarantee loyalty?"
"Seals are only a restraint. They don't rewrite someone's thoughts. If a person is willing to die, they can still betray you. One of the captives refused to submit when I placed the seals. She endured the pain until she died. That was more than enough time for her to have caused real damage if she'd wanted to."
Hiruzen nodded. That answer was acceptable. A technique that could truly brainwash people would be far more dangerous.
"Fine. I won't interfere. These twenty-two women are your responsibility now. Even if they're only medical-nin, the hospital is still a sensitive place. Don't let your guard down."
"I won't. I'll keep close watch on them."
Hiruzen straightened up, pushed aside a stack of documents, and pulled out a blank scroll. He wrote a quick order authorizing the women as official Leaf villagers and handed it over.
"Take this to Civil Affairs and get their papers processed. I heard the Military Police stopped them yesterday."
Taiichi paused, genuinely surprised. Mizuki and the others hadn't mentioned the incident. Yet Hiruzen already knew. Taiichi had been standing right behind the Hokage's desk all day yesterday. The fact that Hiruzen still had information Taiichi didn't know showed just how deep the old man's control over the village really ran.
Taiichi kept his expression neutral. He created another shadow clone, handed it the scroll, and sent it off to handle the paperwork. Then he put his mask back on and faded into the shadows behind Hiruzen's chair to begin his guard shift.
Hiruzen watched the clone leave and shook his head with something close to envy.
"You've really mastered shadow clones. Even Tobirama-sensei couldn't maintain them this long and this naturally."
Taiichi didn't answer. Work hours had started.
The clone carrying the Hokage's order reached Civil Affairs and moved through the process at top speed. Taiichi's personal reputation helped as much as the official document. What normally took one or two days was finished in roughly an hour. Twenty-two brand-new Leaf identification papers were placed in his hands.
Taiichi accepted them without comment. He was benefiting from the system's privileges, just like everyone else in power. Fixing the deeper problems in the village would have to wait until he actually had the position to do something about them.