Eating Soft Rice?

Inside the Stone Ninja camp.

"You're telling me you didn't find it?"

Ōnoki furrowed his brows as he stared at the subordinate kneeling before him, his voice filled with disbelief.

When he'd unleashed Dust Release, his main goal hadn't been to kill the Five-Tails, but to immobilize it.

After his attack hit its target, he'd focused on fending off Orochimaru and Jiraiya's combined assault. Who could have guessed that after driving them back, the Five-Tails would vanish without a trace from the entire battlefield in the Land of Rain?

He'd sent out a large number of ninja to search, but they'd found nothing. The only evidence pointed to the Five-Tails vanishing into thin air after being attacked.

"Keep looking! How could something as big as the Five-Tails just disappear?"

Inside Konoha's newly established camp.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya had just returned to camp after their fierce battle with Ōnoki. Under Orochimaru's direction, they were handling the aftermath.

They'd also learned that Nawaki's Team 17 had been the trigger for the incident.

Ninja had already found the body of Jonin Hyuga Teruki on the battlefield, right at the center of the Five-Tails' rampage. The three Genin under his command were still missing, but judging from the devastation at the scene, their chances of survival seemed slim.

Orochimaru was busy dealing with the many matters left in the wake of the battle, his brows furrowed. Jiraiya beside him wore an equally troubled expression, unsure how to explain things to Tsunade.

"Reporting! The members of Team 17... have returned." A ninja pushed open the camp door and came in to deliver the news.

"Who returned?"

Orochimaru and Jiraiya abruptly looked up, their gazes fixed intently on the ninja before them. Being watched by two Kage Level powerhouses at once made the ninja nervous, and he stammered out his reply.

"Th-they all returned. They're receiving treatment in the medical department now."

"?"

Jiraiya looked bewildered, while Orochimaru's brows relaxed slightly. The tense atmosphere in the tent eased.

After the reporting ninja left, Jiraiya asked awkwardly,

"Orochimaru, tell me honestly. Was the roster for Nawaki's Team... falsified?"

Orochimaru was at a loss for words. The whole thing really was a bit unbelievable. Team 17 had been right at the epicenter of the Five-Tails' rampage, and even their Jonin leader had been confirmed dead.

And now you're telling me all three Genin came back in one piece? Forget Genin—even with three Jonin, surviving this would have been a tall order.

Orochimaru hurried to finish the urgent matters at hand, while Jiraiya couldn't wait and headed to the medical department first to check on them. He was mainly worried about Nawaki.

The medical ninja at the camp were just as shocked that the three had survived. Quite literally, too. Nawaki and Aburame Shibi were covered in injuries, and their internal organs had suffered severe damage.

But Namikaze Yoru's condition was even more appalling. Nearly all the meridians throughout his body were damaged, countless bones were broken, and there was hardly a single uninjured spot on him.

Jiraiya's arrival caused a stir, but none of the three patients in their beds could move.

With only a passing familiarity with Medical Ninjutsu, Jiraiya could only call it a "medical miracle."

Orochimaru arrived soon afterward. As a renowned "human-body scientist" of the future, he was also accomplished in the medical field. After looking over the three patients' records, his gaze lingered on Namikaze Yoru's diagnosis for a long time.

Jiraiya might have thought the injuries were severe, but Orochimaru could tell that the boy would probably never be able to become a ninja again.

True to his nature, he chose not to hide the truth. Instead, he told them bluntly, adding that even if Tsunade treated him herself, there was likely nothing she could do.

Nawaki grew agitated at his words and even tried to struggle upright. "Brother Yoru saved us! There has to be a way!"

Shibi beside him nodded firmly. Neither of them believed that Namikaze Yoru, who shone like a comet, would fall here.

As the person at the heart of the incident, Namikaze Yoru remained calm, as if he'd expected this.

After hearing Nawaki and Shibi describe how they'd narrowly escaped death on the battlefield, Orochimaru and Jiraiya held this Civilian Genius in even higher regard, and their regret deepened.

In truth, Namikaze Yoru had his own troubles. He wanted to redeem a "Body Rapid Repair" ability. He was sure he'd be up and bouncing around before long.

But if he dared do that, he'd probably be sent straight to Konoha's lab so they could investigate whether he'd awakened the same kind of physique as Senju Hashirama.

For now, he could only keep lying in bed and wait until he could show them a real "medical miracle."

Orochimaru and Jiraiya didn't stay long. As commanders on the battlefield, they were busy with affairs, and only someone with Nawaki's special status could draw them away for a visit.

After the two left, Nawaki was still extremely agitated. He kept telling Namikaze Yoru,

"Don't worry, Brother Yoru! My sister is the best Medical Ninja around. I'll make sure she does everything she can to heal you."

"Mm."

Having already revealed quite a few of his cards in front of the two, Namikaze Yoru could only give a bland, noncommittal reply.

To Nawaki, his response seemed almost like giving up. He was convinced that Namikaze Yoru must have worked harder than anyone could imagine to reach his current level.

He resolved in his heart to help him recover, no matter what—even if it meant using every last resource of the Senju Clan.

The night passed.

The next morning, Namikaze Yoru opened his eyes right on time. The three of them were to be transferred back to Konoha. Nawaki and Shibi were all right and just needed a period of rest to recover, but Namikaze Yoru's injuries could only be treated by Tsunade herself.

Nothing happened on the way back to the village. Orochimaru assigned a team that was already heading back to rest and recuperate to escort them.

As soon as they arrived in Konoha, the three were sent straight to Konoha Hospital. Tsunade, wearing a white coat, was treating the injured there.

After finishing with the patient she was seeing, she hurried into their room.

First, she examined Nawaki's injuries. Once she confirmed they matched the medical report sent back with them, she finally breathed a little easier.

Then she went to Namikaze Yoru's bedside. Medical Ninjutsu chakra, glowing a soft green, flowed in her hand as she carefully examined his condition.

To her surprise, his condition had clearly improved overnight. His flesh and bones were healing rapidly; only his chakra pathways remained a tangled mess, and their condition was dire.

As she examined him, Tsunade's beautiful face grew increasingly grave. She looked at Namikaze Yoru with a hint of sympathy.

After a thorough examination, she spoke solemnly. "Don't worry! As the person who saved Nawaki's life, I'll do everything I can to heal you." Seeming to realize she'd promised too much, she added, "Even if the worst happens... the Senju Clan will support you for the rest of your life."

Nawaki beside her quickly nodded in agreement.

Only Namikaze Yoru, listening to the siblings sing the same tune, felt that something was off. Thinking it over, he couldn't help but wonder:

Does this mean I've got bad teeth and have to live off a woman?