Yakushi Nonō

Three new colleagues arrived at the hospital.

Director Kaori led all the doctors and nursing staff in holding a warm welcome ceremony.

This was a gesture that had never happened before.

Because these three new colleagues were all medical ninjas.

Over these past few days, Shiraishi Yoshijo had already proven to them just how convenient medical Ninjutsu could be.

Therefore, Kaori was quite enthusiastic about these three medical ninjas who were said to have come from the Anbu.

That was why she had organized such a grand welcome ceremony.

Shiraishi Yoshijo stood in the corner, looking quite conspicuous.

Among a crowd of white lab coats, he was the only one wearing that colorful clan attire.

It was impossible for him not to stand out.

He hadn't wanted to attend this kind of occasion, but the director had personally come to his office to invite him, so he had no choice but to come and go through the motions.

He also had a few guesses as to why Konoha had suddenly arranged for medical ninjas to be in the hospital.

Healing the sick and saving lives would undoubtedly earn one the respect of many people.

These were all important components of prestige.

Shide already enjoyed a good reputation in Konoha, and if he were the only medical ninja in the hospital, it would undoubtedly further bolster that reputation.

Adding medical ninjas to the hospital would certainly dilute his influence and create an invisible form of suppression.

This method of balancing power was quite clever.

However, in Shiraishi Yoshijo's view, this was also their blunder.

He was very clear about his own medical standards; these three medical ninjas might be quite good, but their Chakra control ability definitely could not reach his level.

There is no harm without comparison.

As long as he was the only medical ninja in the hospital, others couldn't gauge his true level, but once there was a point of comparison, this suppression in skill level would be fatal.

Glancing at the three medical ninjas, Shiraishi Yoshijo offered a silent prayer for them in his heart.

After Kaori finished her welcome speech, the three medical ninjas began their self-introductions.

"I am Kurata Sosuke, please take care of me in the future."

"Amano Yoshiharu, please take care of me as well."

"I am Yakushi Nonō, please take care of me in the future."

Hearing that name, Shiraishi Yoshijo raised an eyebrow and looked at Yakushi Nonō.

Pale yellow hair, iconic glasses—it was undoubtedly Yakushi Nonō herself.

Shiraishi Yoshijo sighed; that guy Danzo really was omnipresent.

The future elite of the Root, the woman known as the Wandering Miko, Yakushi Nonō, was being used to deal with him first.

The subsequent developments went exactly as he had expected.

Yakushi Nonō became the second occupant of his office.

Shiraishi Yoshijo lodged a protest with Director Kaori, but the protest was ineffective.

Returning to his office, Shiraishi Yoshijo looked at Yakushi Nonō, who had already entered her doctor persona, and smiled.

"I am Shiraishi Yoshijo. You should know quite a bit about me. Please take care of me from now on."

Yakushi Nonō pushed up her glasses and smiled. "Please take care of me as well."

Shiraishi Yoshijo sat in his seat and began to size up Yakushi Nonō.

She didn't look much older than him, youthful and beautiful, and her smile was as warm as sunshine.

There was absolutely no trace of the darkness one would expect from someone with a Root background.

But that was normal; if she didn't have this kind of ability, she wouldn't have earned the title of Wandering Miko later on.

Lighting a cigarette, Shiraishi Yoshijo took a comfortable drag and waved the cigarette in his hand at her. "I assume you don't mind if I smoke?"

"No, I mind very much." Yakushi Nonō didn't give him any face and said directly, "From now on, this is our shared office, and I hope you can show me a little respect."

"If you want to smoke, please go out into the hallway. I don't want to work in this kind of environment every day, and besides, smoking is harmful to your health."

Shiraishi Yoshijo was choked by her words, and after coughing a few times, he wore a strange expression.

I, the one being monitored, don't mind you, yet you are the one minding me instead.

Not only did he not go outside to smoke, but he lit one cigarette after another and even closed the doors and windows.

In no time at all, the entire office was completely shrouded in smoke.

The smile on Yakushi Nonō's face vanished.

"You..."

Yakushi Nonō did not know what to say, so she stood up, pushed the door open, and left.

After a while, Director Kaori pushed the door open, covering her nose.

"You bastard Shiraishi Yoshijo, are you trying to burn down the hospital?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo: ""

He hurriedly opened the window to let in some air, then stood at attention with a proper attitude, waiting to be scolded.

The current Konoha Hospital did not have a Medical Team or a corpse disposal unit; the highest authority was Director Kaori.

If he offended her, his future days would be very difficult.

Kaori sat in Yakushi Nonō's seat, crossed her legs, and said, "Tell me, why did you treat your new colleague like that?"

"She didn't respect me. No matter what, I am still her senior."

Kaori slammed the table hard: "Bastard, you're the one playing the victim! I've told you many times not to smoke in the hospital. Look at you, do you look like a doctor at all?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo looked at his nose and then at his heart, letting the words go in one ear and out the other.

Once Kaori had finished lecturing him, he said, "I will never smoke in the office again, nor will I disturb anyone else. Please rest assured, Director."

Kaori's expression softened slightly, and she said earnestly, "The Hokage told me a bit about your situation, and I also asked Takemoto Anna about your family matters."

"I know you are having a hard time, which is why I haven't been too strict with you, but you've only gotten worse. You've almost become the black sheep of this hospital."

"Change out of these clothes tomorrow, cut your long hair, and quit smoking, or I will report you to the Hokage and have you dismissed."

Shiraishi Yoshijo: ""

They had only just brought in three new medical ninja, and she already wanted to fire him? There was no need to be this ruthless in burning bridges.

It seemed the director had been enduring him for a long time.

No wonder she insisted on him attending the welcome party today; she had been planning this all along.

Shiraishi Yoshijo thought about it and decided that Hiruzen Sarutobi would not let him go home, and since Danzo had arranged for Yakushi Nonō to be at the hospital, he wouldn't let her do this either, so he felt quite secure.

"It's impossible for me to change my clothes, and it's impossible for me to cut my hair. As for cigarettes, they are my lifeline. If the director doesn't like it, feel free to report me to the Hokage. It would be nice to go home and rest for a few days."

"Shiraishi Yoshijo!" Kaori slammed the table in anger, her voice loud enough for the entire hospital to hear.

Digging at his ear, Shiraishi Yoshijo felt there was no point in staying any longer, so he patted his backside and pushed the door open to leave.

In the hallway, he ran into Takemoto Anna.

"Are you not planning on staying at the hospital anymore, provoking the director like that?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo said indifferently, "You can probably guess why I came to the hospital in the first place, and now there really is no need to stay."

"So you are planning to join a ninja squad?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo frowned: "I won't starve to death relying on the family assets, so why would I join a ninja squad?"

Takemoto Anna's mouth twitched: "You intend to hole up at home and never go out?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo nodded and retorted, "Isn't rotting away at home just right for someone like me?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo left the hospital.

Takemoto Anna watched his retreating figure, her expression indescribably dejected.

In the past, she could still guess some of Shiraishi Yoshijo's thoughts, but now she could no longer fathom the mind of this madman.

Ever since Shiraishi Eizawa died, she felt that Shiraishi Yoshijo had completely spiraled out of control.

It wouldn't be strange for someone like him to do anything; even truly rotting away at home wasn't impossible.

After returning home, Shiraishi Yoshijo sat on the veranda and sighed.

Rotting away was naturally a lie, but staying at the hospital under the surveillance of Yakushi Nonō was even more uncomfortable.

Yakushi Nonō was an elite spy from Root; as long as he showed the slightest trace of suspicious behavior, she would definitely be able to detect something.

Danzo clearly intended to have Yakushi Nonō monitor him long-term; staying at the hospital was like staying right under Danzo's nose.

What else could he do? He could only say that Danzo lived up to his reputation—the shadier the person, the shadier the methods.

Taking advantage of the situation to slip away from the hospital before Danzo noticed anything was the best policy.

Coincidentally, after Shiraishi Eizawa's death, he no longer had a reason to stay at the hospital.

As for reputation or such, why would someone planning to defect need that kind of thing?

But what should he do next?

Staying at home and researching Sealing Technique like this didn't seem bad either.

Take it one step at a time, Shiraishi Yoshijo thought as he lay down on the floor of the veranda.

The afternoon sun was just right, shining on him, feeling both warm and cozy.

With nothing on his mind, Shiraishi Yoshijo stretched, feeling as though he hadn't been this relaxed in a long time.

For the past two years, the matter of Shiraishi Eizawa had been weighing on his heart, never letting him have a moment of ease.

Now that the person was dead, he was finally at peace.

Chuckling twice, Shiraishi Yoshijo lamented, "It's better that he's dead. Once you close your eyes, everything is easy."

He closed his eyes as well, gradually drifting into a dream.