Just as the hospital room was at its noisiest, the crowd by the door suddenly fell quiet and spontaneously parted to either side.
Lady Tsunade walked in, her dazzling blond hair and blue-violet diamond mark standing out above her loose kimono. She was full-figured and radiated such a powerful presence that the room fell silent the instant she appeared.
Her gaze swept over the children in the room before settling on Uchiha Ling in the hospital bed. There was a hint of scrutiny in her eyes, along with a trace of approval that was hard to detect.
"Big Sister Tsunade, you came too!" Kushina exclaimed, delighted to see her.
"Lady Tsunade," Namikaze Minato and the other students greeted her respectfully.
"Mm." Tsunade nodded and went straight to Uchiha Ling's bedside.
"Big Sister Tsunade, hurry and check whether Uchiha Ling was hurt anywhere!" Kushina clung to Tsunade's arm and pleaded sweetly.
Without another word, Tsunade extended a finger. A soft green glow of chakra appeared at its tip as she pressed it to Uchiha Ling's forehead, then slowly moved it downward, sensing his injuries.
"Hmm... His vitality is strong, and he's recovering even faster than I expected." Tsunade withdrew her hand. Her tone was calm but authoritative.
"Kid, you're lucky to be alive. The damage to your internal organs has mostly settled, and your wounds are healing well. Keep taking your medicine and stay in bed for a week. After that, you can start some light recovery training."
[Received professional approval from Tsunade +20!]
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Uchiha Ling replied respectfully.
He could feel that Tsunade's chakra was warm and powerful, brimming with vitality. Clearly, she hadn't just examined him; she'd also used Medical Ninjutsu to speed up his recovery.
"Don't thank me." Tsunade waved a hand and seemed to glance casually at Kushina beside her before saying meaningfully, "Protecting the people who matter to you comes at a cost. You did well this time."
At her words, Kushina's face flushed red again.
Without waiting for Uchiha Ling to respond, Tsunade turned and left the hospital room. Her arrival had been sudden, and her departure just as brisk.
But her visit and those words—"You did well"—were another clear affirmation of Uchiha Ling's actions. The others in the room looked at him with even greater respect.
Not long after Tsunade left, Lord Third Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived, wearing his Hokage Cloak and hat, with a pipe in his mouth.
"Lord Third!" Everyone, including Uchiha Ling, who was lying in bed, tried to pay their respects.
"No need for formalities, children." Hiruzen smiled kindly and motioned for them to relax as he walked to Uchiha Ling's bedside. "Just lie there, Ling. How are you feeling?"
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Hokage. I'm feeling much better," Uchiha Ling replied respectfully.
"Good. That's good."
Hiruzen nodded and looked over the young faces in the room. At last, his gaze settled on Ling, full of relief and emotion. "Ling, your actions this time truly embodied the Will of Fire. You knew the danger, yet still risked your life to protect your companions. The village is proud of you, and so am I."
His voice was not loud, but every person in the room heard the weight behind his words.
"It was what I had to do." Uchiha Ling let some of the excitement of being recognized show in his voice, which remained firm. "Kushina is my classmate, and more than that, my friend. Protecting my friends and my fellow villagers—that is my ninja way."
He spoke with genuine feeling, perfectly matching the image he had cultivated in his earlier essay, "Reflections on the Will of Fire."
The admiration in Hiruzen's eyes deepened. A Uchiha who embodied the Will of Fire was exactly the kind of example he had always dreamed of.
Relations between the Uchiha Clan and the village were growing increasingly strained, and Hiruzen had long hoped for someone who could serve as a bridge between the village and the clan.
He offered Ling a few words of encouragement and checked on Kushina and Minato before finally leaving under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room.
Several more groups of visitors came by afterward, including his teacher, Aoki Ken. Teacher Aoki was visibly excited. He patted Ling on the uninjured shoulder and repeatedly told him, "Well done," and "You didn't let me down," earning him another wave of Emotion Points.
The setting sun shone through the window, bathing the room in warm orange light.
Visiting hours were nearly over, and the nurse began gently urging everyone to leave. Gradually, the room grew quiet.
The commotion had faded, leaving only the flowers, fruit, and gifts filling the room, along with the lingering traces of various chakras and emotions in the air.
Uchiha Ling let out a long breath. The fatigue and embarrassment vanished from his face, replaced by a deep calm. He turned slightly and looked out the window at the clouds, rosy red in the setting sun.
He had gained plenty of Emotion Points from this incident, and the Emotion Points he had saved up at school were still unspent.
"System, show me my stats!" Uchiha Ling thought to himself.
[Host: Uchiha Ling] [Age: 11] [Bloodline: Two-Tomoe Sharingan] [Chakra: 0.7 cards] [Attributes: Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, Water, Yin, Yang] [Overall Combat Assessment: Elite Chunin (Iron Iron, I tell it like it is. I have no idea how you beat an elite jonin either)] [Skills: Three Body Technique (Proficient), Uchiha Style Body Technique (Proficient), Shurikenjutsu (Proficient), Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique (Proficient), Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu (Proficient), Fire Release: Fire Dragon Technique (Proficient), Hand Seals (Expert)] [Personal Items: Skill Mastery Scroll] [Emotion Points: 8640] [Overall Evaluation: A young hero of Konoha, already making a name for himself in the Shinobi World]
Uchiha Ling continued browsing the System Store.
[Advanced Chakra Refinement Method: Increases the speed and total amount of chakra refined, 500 Emotion Points] [Shadow Clone Technique: 750 Emotion Points] [Rasengan (Basic Version): 1500 Emotion Points] [Six Powers (Kami-e): 1200 Emotion Points] [Uzumaki Constitution (Basic): Greatly increases total chakra and vitality, 5000 Emotion Points] [Uzumaki Constitution (Advanced): Grants a vast, nearly Tailed Beast-level supply of chakra, immense vitality and recovery, and faster learning of Sealing Jutsu, 15000 Emotion Points] [Grade C Genjutsu Bundle (Proficient): 1000 Emotion Points] [Two-Tomoe Sharingan → Three-Tomoe Sharingan]: 5000 Emotion Points [Mangekyō Sharingan (ability based on the user's inner world): 15000 Emotion Points] [Choose one Kekkei Genkai: Ice Release, Lava Release, Boil Release, Magnet Release, Storm Release: 6000 Emotion Points]
Note: This isn't a case of holding back his progress. Read two more chapters; he'll find a way to earn a lot of Emotion Points.
Before you continue