Obito Uchiha still didn't take it to heart, muttering things like, "What's wrong with a man having a few scars?" and "People look down on you if you're too clean-cut."
Rin Nohara asked, "What are you muttering about?"
Obito quickly denied it. "N-nothing."
"Rin, don't be mad. I'll walk you home."
Rin put on a stern face. "No need."
"You should be thinking about how to apologize to Nebula. He gave you a fine kunai, and you repaid him with a scar."
Obito protested, "I didn't even accept it... All right, all right, Rin, I'm sorry."
Rin said, "You'd better mean it."
"And, Obito, although Nebula is a little... a little flirtatious, he hasn't harassed me or ever gone too far."
"Stop giving him a hard time. You're putting me in a difficult position."
"Rin, I..." Watching Rin turn and walk away, Obito reached out his right hand as if to stop her, but in the end, he could only lower his head and sigh.
"Was I really wrong?"
"It's all Nebula Kotetsu's fault! Bastard, sooner or later I'll make Rin see what you're really like."
"Rin." "Ah!"
After turning a few corners, Rin, still angry with Obito, unexpectedly bumped into Nebula Kotetsu, who had been waiting for her.
Rin jumped in surprise. "Nebula, what are you doing here?"
Nebula steadied Rin by the shoulders, then let go at once.
"I was waiting for you."
Rin asked, "Why wait here? You scared me."
Nebula said helplessly, "Rin, if we go any farther, Obito will keep following you. You know he won't stay quiet if he sees us. And if we go the other way... your older brother is pretty fierce, too."
Rin looked a little embarrassed. "That makes sense. Nebula, what are you waiting for me here for?"
"Of course, to thank you." Nebula raised his bandaged right hand and waved it in front of her, saying earnestly, "Rin, if you hadn't helped, there's no way the old man in the infirmary could have treated it so well."
Rin said, "You don't have to be so polite. You've already thanked me."
"Oh, right." Rin suddenly remembered something. "Nebula, the kunai you asked me to pass along—Obito wouldn't take it. I tried to persuade him, but..."
"If he won't take it, then so be it." Nebula looked disappointed.
Seeing him like that, Rin could understand how he felt. Of course. He'd offered a gift to mend their relationship, only to get cut by a kunai in return. Anyone would be upset.
"Rin, I won't take the kunai. You can have it."
Rin was about to refuse, but Nebula continued, "Just take it as thanks for bandaging me so quickly."
Rin said, "But it's too valuable. I can't..."
"Besides, Rin, I've run into a few problems and was hoping you could help me," Nebula said. "If you have time."
He had fewer dates today than yesterday, only two, so Nebula Kotetsu got home earlier than usual.
When he got back, Kotetsu Hagane was in the yard, drenched in sweat as he practiced throwing shuriken.
He paused when he saw Nebula carrying a bag.
"Why are you home so early today?"
Nebula said, "I finished early."
Kotetsu looked at Nebula's hand. He didn't first notice the bag he was carrying, but instead spotted the white bandage. "You're hurt?"
"Yeah, just a minor scratch from sparring class. A classmate already treated it."
Nebula made it sound like nothing, but Kotetsu easily figured out that it had to be one of the boys who'd held a grudge against him for a long time.
It was simple: no girl would have the heart to lay a hand on his brother.
"A classmate? A girl treated it, right?"
Nebula gave him a thumbs-up. "You really are my little brother. Good guess."
Kotetsu curled his lip, then looked at the bag in Nebula's hand.
"What's in there? Why is it still moving?"
Nebula took out what was inside the bag to show him. It was two black chickens.
"Two and a half years old, black-boned chickens."
Kotetsu asked, "Why did you buy so many? Half of one would be enough for us to eat. You're not planning to raise them for eggs, are you?"
Nebula said, "Neither of us eats eggs. What would be the point of raising them? I got these to use."
Kotetsu was puzzled.
What else could you do with a chicken besides eat it?
Then he watched as Nebula took out the family's liquor, removed the cap, and, holding the bottle in one hand and the chicken by the neck in the other, poured liquor straight down its throat.
Before long, the chicken rolled its eyes.
Then came the plucking.
Once most of the feathers were gone, Nebula took a small package out of his ninja tool pouch.
It contained everything he needed: gauze, a portable scalpel, needle and thread, and more.
He used the knife to make a cut in the featherless chicken and laid it on the table. Then Nebula took out the needle and thread and began suturing.
Kotetsu, watching from the side, raised an eyebrow.
"You're practicing suturing?"
Nebula didn't even look up. "Yeah."
Kotetsu glanced around, curious. "What made you think of that all of a sudden?"
Nebula kept working. "Graduation's coming up. Mastering a skill gives me one more way to stay alive."
Kotetsu couldn't hold back a snort.
Graduation?
Bro, you've already been held back for two years. And you're still that confident?
He held back his complaints, but Nebula heard the snort and looked up anyway. "Why are you still standing there? Want me to practice on you?"
Kotetsu shut his mouth and walked away, shaking his head as he went.
Oh, big brother.
You can't cram at the last minute and expect to improve.
The future of the Kotetsu Clan rests on my shoulders. You can just relax and stay the dead last. When I become a jonin someday, I'll make you the clan's deputy leader!
Nebula had no idea his little brother was already thinking about taking over as heir to the Kotetsu Clan.
He focused entirely on suturing the chicken's external wound.
After asking Rin Nohara for advice, he had realized that the medical technique easiest for him to learn—and the most useful—was suturing external wounds.
To get the hang of it as quickly as possible, he had borrowed tools from Rin, hoping to develop a trait in the shortest time.
One stitch, two stitches, three stitches...
As Nebula sutured, he occasionally used his chakra—up to 0.31 cards' worth—to nurture the chicken's wound. It probably wouldn't do anything, but what if it did? He'd kept the chicken from dying for the moment so he could test how much of an effect nurturing it with chakra would have.
As he worked, the wound on the chicken's body slowly drew together.
Ten minutes later, Nebula looked at his handiwork, his expression serious.
Hmm...
...It was a little ugly.
No, it was way too ugly! It looked like a child's attempt at sewing a sandbag!
He casually flipped the chicken over, out of sight and out of mind. Then Nebula picked up the scalpel and efficiently made another cut.
The chicken twitched, but fortunately didn't wake up.
Nebula continued suturing.
I'll stitch, I'll stitch, I'll stitch and stitch.
After more than ten attempts, Nebula made another cut, and the chicken... woke up.
Before you continue