The Third Elder's Choice

What happened at the hospital was just a minor incident for Uchiha Rei.

In Konohagakure, how much darkness lurked beneath the sunlight?

Tsunade's reform of Konoha's medical system and the elevation of Medical Ninjas' status were good for Konohagakure itself.

Yet, there were many in the village who, despite possessing no Medical Ninjutsu whatsoever, insisted on crowding into the hospital.

This was the darkness beneath Konoha's sunlight.

Uchiha Rei had already placed the "Illusionary Mark" on Doctor Xiao Dong.

If the Konoha higher-ups couldn't provide a reasonable explanation for this matter, he wouldn't mind giving Doctor Xiao Dong an explanation himself.

Medical Ninjas and hospital doctors were noble and sacred professions, not to be tainted by darkness.

Rei had intended to rest in his ward, but unexpectedly encountered such a situation. Uchiha Rei sneered inwardly but said nothing more. He returned to his ward, preparing to change and leave.

However, before pushing the door open, he sensed that someone was already waiting in the ward.

Uchiha Rei didn't rashly enter the single room. Instead, he gently pushed the door open, carefully sensing his surroundings, confirming there were no ambushes inside before fully opening the door.

Standing in the ward was none other than the Root Squad Leader he had kicked down yesterday.

The man was heavily injured, with broken ribs, his body clearly not yet healed. Yet, he stood ramrod straight.

He didn't want Uchiha Rei to see the disheveled state of Root; Root ninjas had their own dignity.

"You've seen it too, the darkness of Konoha, haven't you?" the Root Captain said, his voice slightly hoarse. "Only Lord Danzo can resolve all of this."

Today, his words were not a threat, but a statement.

Not everyone who joined Root was deceived by Danzo. Some joined with hope. They joined Root, wanting to use its power to change Konoha's corruption and incompetence from within.

In his eyes, the Third Elder's weakness and compromise were the reasons Konoha was heading towards decline.

Uchiha Rei looked at him and shook his head, saying, "Joining Root won't change anything."

"A rotten root, like a rotten tree, will eventually collapse."

"If you're just trying to persuade me to join Root, then please leave."

Uchiha Rei showed no hesitation.

As expected, the Will of Fire alone couldn't sway this Uchiha.

The Root Captain's expression remained unchanged as he continued, "Uchiha Rei, I know you've been poisoned, by Salamander Poison."

"Now in Konoha, the only one who can save you is Lord Danzo. He holds the antidote."

He slowly took out a letter from his embrace.

"As long as you join Root and gain Lord Danzo's approval, Lord Danzo will bestow upon you the method of detoxification."

"This is not an order, but a choice."

These words were clearly well-considered, each one carefully chosen. He had even brought Danzo's letter with him.

In his opinion, this was a condition the other party could not refuse.

However, Uchiha Rei merely smiled.

"You think you can control me like this?"

For the past few days, he had been signing in at Konohagakure's public training grounds to improve his Taijutsu. His cells' activity was constantly increasing, and within a month or two, the Salamander Poison would be nothing to worry about.

What's more, according to Might Guy's intelligence, Tsunade was already on her way back to the village. The true antidote would arrive soon.

Root's so-called "detoxification" was merely bait to him.

And Danzo... who was he? If he didn't bring enough benefits to Root and Danzo, how could he easily give away the antidote? That so-called "life-saving antidote" was just a pie in the sky, luring him to become a tool, or even a spy for the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Rei said nothing. His silence was the answer.

The Root Captain froze for a moment, straightened his body, endured the pain, and limped out of the ward.

Uchiha Rei stood in the ward, looking at the retreating figure with a calm expression. He didn't intend to stay in the hospital any longer. He changed into his own clothes and left his private ward.

Before leaving, he specifically bid farewell to the young nurse who had assisted with his surgery. The nurse's eyes held respect and admiration. In response to Uchiha Rei's question, she shyly replied, "My surname is Nohara."

The nurse had also learned of his identity, the Jonin of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Rei. But the moment she heard his name, a faint light seemed to flash in her eyes, as if some distant memory had been instantly awakened. At that moment, she remembered a cousin who had left long ago.

Rei noticed the change in the nurse's eyes but didn't think too deeply about it. He simply nodded faintly and turned to leave.

Everything that happened in the hospital was merely an interlude for Uchiha Rei. He didn't take it to heart. But what he didn't know was that his actions had already caused quite a stir among Konohagakure's higher-ups.

In Konohagakure, Medical Ninjas held a high status, especially those who could reach the Jonin level, who were rare gems. They could greatly reduce the death rate during wars and were the village's most precious assets.

And the so-called doctor named Xiao Dong, who couldn't use Medical Ninjutsu, tried to infiltrate Konohagakure's medical system.

This matter had already put the higher-ups on alert. And when Uchiha Rei displayed his superb medical skills, the situation changed drastically.

Soon, the village dispatched the Anbu to specifically investigate the injuries of the Watermelon Head Boy at the hospital.

The leader was an experienced Medical Ninja.

After he finished diagnosing the boy, shock and envy appeared in his eyes.

"This level of medical skill... is definitely not below mine," he couldn't help but exclaim.

He immediately summoned the nurse surnamed Nohara and inquired in detail about the surgery at the time. Upon learning that the entire surgery was completed independently by Uchiha Rei, he fell silent for a moment, a rare look of admiration appearing on his face.

"You can update the intelligence," he said in a deep voice. "Uchiha Rei possesses medical ninjutsu skills at the level of a Chunin or higher."

"Uchiha Rei's work was cleaner and more decisive than mine. If it were me, I might not have been able to handle it so perfectly."

The Anbu's investigation report was soon delivered to the Hokage's office.

The Third Elder was handling official business. He was a man who managed a myriad of affairs, often neglecting even his own grandson, Konohamaru. Yet, he always made time to review every piece of intelligence related to Uchiha Rei.

Each time he read it, new waves of emotion would surge within him.

"Perhaps when Tsunade returns, Uchiha Rei will become her new disciple," the Third Elder sighed, a hint of hope appearing in his eyes.

If Uchiha Rei could form a master-disciple relationship with Tsunade, it would not only further solidify Konoha's medical strength but might also ease the aftermath of the Uchiha coup.

He knew clearly that this conflict of power and ideology was unavoidable.

It wasn't that Konoha couldn't accept the Uchiha Clan, but rather that someone within the Uchiha Clan was no longer willing to bow to Konoha's arrangements.

However, in his view, all Uchiha who harbored good intentions and were loyal to the village could receive acceptance and respect.

Evil Uchiha could only be physically eliminated.

Yes, the Third Elder had done nothing; his silence was the answer. He had tacitly approved Root's actions.

He knew what Danzo intended to do and understood that this was a thorough, irreversible political purge.

This storm was no longer a minor internal squabble but a true bloodbath.