Encrypted Call

Excluding the three security squads, the primary members of this expedition consist of medical personnel from the hospital.

Old Director Chosokabe Masayuki sits in command of the main force, which goes without saying.

Joining the front-line support team alongside him is Usami Hanbei, a representative of the hospital's new generation of core talent, as well as other young doctors eager to make a name for themselves.

Since the Uchiha Fugaku incident, the hospital's upper management, centered around Director Chosokabe, has made their exclusion of Soji quite apparent.

Thanks to this, the boy's identity has become highly tethered to the new generation, allowing him to strike up conversations with many of the young doctors in the team.

However, it is difficult for an intern like him to find opportunities to approach a hawk-faction leader like Deputy Director Usami—in that sense, this field hospital construction mission has actually created an opening for Soji.

Of course, considering the relatively tense external environment, one cannot use the cheesy, aimless small talk of peacetime to successfully strike up a conversation during a mission.

Therefore, after a bit of observation, Soji decided to leverage his dual identity as both a guard and a physician, taking the initiative to take over the task of coordinating camp placement from Motochika-sensei.

In this way, he gained the opportunity for official, business-like interactions with Dr. Usami during the march!

Using this as a breakthrough, he skillfully inserted his own agenda, successfully completing the most difficult ice-breaking work.

In just a few short days, the boy jumped from being a talented "nobody" in the other's eyes to a casual acquaintance with whom one could nod and smile upon meeting!

This means that, excluding Deputy Director Inoue—who cannot be brought into the light—Soji finally has his first big shot in the hospital's network who has barely managed to squeeze into the upper echelons.

In the long run, this is undoubtedly of milestone value for the boy's future self-development plan!

"Dr. Usami, I'm afraid I have to trouble you again today."

"Nonsense, Yamada-kun. You are the one working hard—not only ensuring the safety of the main force's lives and property during the day, but also coordinating personnel housing and equipment storage after setting up camp."

As the sun sets, the brilliant afterglow falls upon Usami Hanbei, adding an extra halo to this naturally handsome and refreshing man.

From Soji's perspective, this filter of brilliance mixed with a hint of blood fits Dr. Usami's personality perfectly.

—This is a standard hawk-faction up-and-comer with a highly deceptive exterior.

His intense ambition has fostered a unique personality that is strict with himself and equally strict with others.

Therefore, facing Dr. Usami's polite pleasantries, Soji cannot simply brush them off as he does with Motochika-sensei; instead, he must honestly waste his breath, repeating the same daily social scripts.

"The guard duty is a constraint of the mission, while coordinating accommodation is my responsibility as a front-line physician—since the old director specifically chose me for this, how could this young subordinate fail the trust of his seniors?" The boy placed emphasis on the word "trust," the deeper meaning of which was self-evident.

"I see. It seems our thoughts truly have much in common."

Dr. Usami's eyes drooped slightly, revealing a warm yet restrained smile.

...As a talent capable of serving as a deputy director in an era where the conflict between old and new forces is so severe, Hanbei's intelligence is beyond doubt.

He heard the subtext in Soji's words and thus greatly appreciated the boy's soft-yet-firm, airtight phrasing.

Coupled with the goodwill accumulated over the past few days, Dr. Usami finally took the accommodation schedule and took the opportunity to issue a subtle invitation to Soji: "It is truly a blessing to be paired with Yamada-kun for this operation. It is just a pity that there is a conflict between the ninja system and the medical system; I fear there will be little chance for us to interact once we return to the village."

(I appreciate your ability, but we work in different units and lack space for cooperation. If you are interested, you can transfer to my team.)

"Actually, I feel the same way." Soji took two quick steps to move to the other's side, then slowed his pace, falling slightly behind Dr. Usami: "The days spent with my colleagues at Konoha Hospital have indeed been very pleasant, and subjectively, I cannot bear to leave those patients in urgent need of treatment.

However, I am, after all, a fresh graduate of the Ninja Academy, and the current situation is becoming tense. If I were to trouble my seniors to plead my case to the Hokage, it would only give others ammunition to use against us, which is not the act of a brave man."

(Thank you for your concern, sir. It is just that my background limits me; I must fulfill my duties as a ninja. Moreover, with war looming, using connections to get out now would easily label me a deserter and become material for the conservatives to attack me.)

"Yamada-kun is right; it was my lack of consideration."

Dr. Usami raised an eyebrow.

Although his proposal was indirectly rejected by Soji, because every word the boy said was out of consideration for him as a deputy director, Hanbei was not angry; instead, he valued Soji even more.

"Fortunately, you are still young and have infinite possibilities in the future. Even if you cannot become a famous doctor who saves the world, I see great potential for you to carve out your own path in the field of ninjas."

(The world is vast, and there is much to be done. We shall watch over and help each other; once you make a name for yourself, there will be opportunities for cooperation.)

"You praise me too much. In my view, the roles of ninja and doctor are not actually in conflict—the mythical era of Lord Hashirama's generation has already ended. For mortals who may bleed and be injured at any moment, the value of medical ninjas will become increasingly prominent in future conflicts."

(We don't have to wait for the future. With a great war looming and the loss of the deterrent of super-weapons, the slaughter between villages will become even more brutal. Konoha Hospital will not be limited to treating patients in the rear; it will inevitably be more deeply integrated with the entire ninja system.)

Soji deliberately slowed his speech, striving to ensure every word was clearly delivered to the other's ears while leaving sufficient room for thought.

Only after collecting enough information from Dr. Usami's micro-expressions did the boy continue to reveal the answer: "I imagine Director Chosokabe and the others have also treated countless warriors who bled and sacrificed for the village in battle after battle. As the younger generation, we should inherit the will of our predecessors and write a page in the history books of the future that we can be proud of!"

(The power of the old director and other conservatives stems from their achievements in the last war. By the same token, as long as we seize the opportunities brought by this turmoil, the new generation can also rise through war merits!)

"Ha, Soji-kun, we truly met too late." Hanbei changed his form of address without a trace.

"In fact, I feel the same! I hope you will give me much guidance in our future cooperation, Director Usami." Soji immediately followed up, dropping the "Deputy" title that sounded so awkward.

The two looked at each other and smiled, their hypocrisy laced with a touching sincerity...

Meanwhile, in the cargo unloading area not far away, all of this was observed by a certain male nurse.

He wore a light blue medical mask, and even his hair was covered by a surgical cap, blending in among a group of doctors; not a single identifiable feature could be found on him.

...Only the eerie movement technique, slowly dissolving into the shadows, faintly revealed the man's true origin.