At Konoha Hospital, in a corner, the child's parents had long since dissolved into sobs, tears soaking their clothes. The doctor was unwilling to operate on their child, and they were merely ordinary villagers with no power or influence. They had no way to hold anyone accountable.
They didn't know that in one of the hospital's operating rooms, Uchiha Rei was silently operating on their child.
With the Sharingan and Byakugan, two Kekkei Genkai, and Medical Ninjutsu at the Jonin level, there was no one in all of Konoha who could match him.
At that moment, Rei stood before the operating table in a patient's gown, his movements focused and decisive.
On the table lay a seven-year-old Watermelon Head Boy. He had been severely injured after accidentally setting off an explosive tag, and his chakra pathways were badly blocked. If he wasn't treated in time, his path as a ninja might come to an end.
Fine control of chakra was the foundation of becoming a ninja. Any physical impairment could become a heavy shackle.
The Nurse standing nearby was so nervous she barely dared to breathe, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes. She had thought the child was destined to be abandoned, because the attending doctor responsible for him was off meeting his lover and had no interest in the fate of a civilian child.
But now, an unfamiliar ninja in a patient's gown had walked straight into the operating room and taken over the entire operation without hesitation.
The moment the surgical lights came on, the room seemed cut off from the rest of the world. All that remained was the child's rapid heartbeat and his breath, so faint it was almost inaudible.
The operation began.
Uchiha Rei held a Chakra Scalpel, his movements clean and decisive, as steady as a mountain. Chakra flowed like a clear stream through every incision, moving precisely through the affected areas. He avoided every major nerve and pathway; he knew the structure of the human body by heart.
"Th-this is incredible..." The Nurse couldn't help exclaiming. She couldn't believe that a ninja with no official post could possess medical skills that surpassed those of every attending doctor at the hospital.
"Be quiet," Uchiha Rei said evenly. There was no anger in his voice, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
She hurriedly fell silent, watching him continue the operation without taking her eyes off him.
Minute by minute, time passed. After a full hour, the last trace of blocked chakra had been guided out, and the child finally settled into a deep, steady sleep. The pain faded from his face, replaced by a healthy flush and a peaceful expression he hadn't worn in a long time.
Uchiha Rei slowly removed his gloves, leaned over, and whispered in the child's ear, "Have a nice dream, little ninja."
At that moment, the Nurse remained where she was, unable to speak for a long while.
She had witnessed a miracle with her own eyes: a tragedy that had been destined to become a medical disaster had been gracefully turned around by a ninja in a patient's gown.
She looked up at Uchiha Rei. There wasn't a trace of pride in his expression, only calm and composure. She didn't know whether what she felt was admiration, gratitude, or a hint of something she couldn't quite put into words.
"You... look so cool," she said before she could stop herself.
"Follow the standard post-op recovery procedure," Uchiha Rei said, glancing back to give her a brief instruction. Then he pushed open the door and left the operating room.
The smell of disinfectant remained strong in the corridor. His steps were steady, casting a clear shadow across the faintly gleaming floor. The operating room door clanged shut behind him, as if closing off an entire world.
But he hadn't gone more than a few steps.
A sharp voice suddenly rang out, like a nail scraping across glass:
"Who are you?! Who allowed you to enter the operating room without permission?!"
"Did I authorize you to perform surgery?!"
A doctor in a white coat strode over, his face livid and his voice filled with suppressed fury. The Konoha symbol was engraved on his forehead. He was the Chief Doctor of this hospital.
He was also the so-called medical authority who had refused to treat the child earlier, leaving the boy's life hanging in the balance: Doctor Xiao Dong.
"Didn't expect it to be over so soon," Uchiha Rei thought calmly. The scene he had witnessed outside the break room not long ago still lingered in his mind: the Chief Doctor had been pulling at a Nurse in there, showing none of the dignity or restraint expected of a doctor.
He had thought the man would be busy for at least a few hours. He hadn't expected him to come rushing out so quickly to accuse someone else. Uchiha Rei wondered if everyone would have thought the way he did.
"Do you know what you've just done?" Doctor Xiao Dong raised his voice, his face turning red. "You're practicing medicine without a license! Can you take responsibility if something goes wrong?! Who gave you the right to operate without permission?!"
His gaze was aggressive and domineering. He was a Chunin of Konoha. Though he held little status in the village, he was a powerful figure within the medical system. As he questioned Rei, he released his chakra to sense him. The faint chakra of a Genin only deepened the sneer on his face.
"A Genin dares to show off in front of me?" Doctor Xiao Dong sneered, his tone growing sharper.
Uchiha Rei didn't respond. He simply looked at him in silence. At that moment, his eyes were cold.
If there hadn't been others around, the Chief Doctor would probably have already lost his life.
It had been a long time since anyone had berated him so rudely. Back in the war, even when he had only been a Chunin, he had killed more enemies than he could count. And now this doctor, who did nothing but put on airs in a hospital, dared to speak to him like this.
In the silence, the Nurse standing nearby couldn't help speaking up. Her voice was gentle but firm. "The operation was successful. The abnormal chakra inside the patient's body has been completely cleared."
"Successful?" Doctor Xiao Dong snorted, glaring at her with scorn. "How do you define success? A slight rise in body temperature, or more stable chakra flow? Medicine isn't as simple as you imagine! Don't pat yourselves on the back just because nothing has gone wrong yet!"
His voice was cold as he pressed them further. "Your actions completely violated procedure. I'll report this immediately, and he'll bear all responsibility!"
The Nurse in the corner finally couldn't take it any longer. She sprang to her feet, her slender figure straight as a rod, and spoke clearly and firmly. "I was there for the entire operation. I recorded every part of it."
"This man only acted because the patient was in an extremely critical condition. If we'd waited any longer, the patient's meridian system would have collapsed completely! You, Chief Doctor! You refused to operate, and nearly got that child killed!"
Doctor Xiao Dong's eye twitched. He snorted and shot her a mocking glance. "So you know each other? Looks like you're not just speaking up for him—you're also willing to cover up his violation of the rules?"
He stepped closer, his eyes full of contempt and accusation. "You don't understand Medical Ninjutsu at all. I think you just got carried away because this Genin is handsome."
"Just side with me, and he'll take all the blame!" As he spoke, he pointed at Uchiha Rei, standing over him like a judge delivering a sentence.
This time, the Nurse's face flushed completely. Her voice trembled with anger. "You're wrong! He didn't just cut into the patient at random! I saw with my own eyes how he avoided every critical Chakra Thread. His technique was so precise it was astounding!"
She gritted her teeth and looked at Doctor Xiao Dong without backing down. "Have you ever seen someone make precise sutures using only a Chakra Blade, without a scalpel? I've never seen surgery performed with such skill, calm, and restraint."
"His control is better than that of any Medical Ninja I've ever seen!"
The Nurse looked straight at the self-important Chief Doctor, her voice firm. "With all due respect, his Medical Ninjutsu is at least a hundred times better than yours!!"
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