Entrustment (1)

"Cough, cough."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

"Huff, huff, huff..."

Elder Uchiha Raimon's breathing was ragged, his complexion turning deathly pale. His eyes had lost their luster; his mental energy was damaged, and the forced extraction of Chakra had pushed his body to its breaking point. He would be unable to fight for the foreseeable future and required absolute rest to have any hope of recovery.

Not to mention...

The toll this had taken on his lifespan.

At this rate, he likely didn't have many years left to live!

"Elder Raimon, are you alright!"

Uchiha Tenshu stepped forward anxiously, placing his hand over Uchiha Raimon's wounds, preparing to cast a healing jutsu to ease his suffering.

The moment the light of the healing jutsu flared, that warm, gentle radiance flowed into Uchiha Raimon's body like a clear spring.

As the jutsu took effect, the pallor of Uchiha Raimon's face, which had been white as paper, gradually began to show a faint, ruddy hue under the glow.

His tightly shut eyes fluttered, and he slowly opened them, his pain clearly subsiding.

However, despite the slight improvement brought by the healing jutsu, Uchiha Raimon's body remained extremely frail. Though his breathing was no longer as labored and difficult as before, it still appeared strained. His body had stopped trembling violently, settling into a relatively stable state.

Yet, it had to be understood that this healing jutsu, which Uchiha Tenshu had enhanced by several levels, was ultimately based on a low-level technique.

Even though Uchiha Tenshu had developed and utilized this jutsu extensively, he could not transcend the inherent limits of a low-level technique; he had no way to bring someone back from the brink of death.

At this moment, Uchiha Tenshu felt a desperate yearning for his medical ninjutsu to be stronger.

If he possessed the medical prowess of Tsunade from the original story, an injury of this magnitude would be easy to treat, rather than leaving him feeling so helpless.

But as of now, Tsunade hadn't even been born yet.

Medical ninjutsu across the entire Ninja World had yet to be effectively developed; it was a barren wasteland.

There was no way to pursue specialized study in medical ninjutsu, leaving him to rely solely on self-study to grow.

As for the healing jutsu that seemed somewhat useful at the moment:

While it could alleviate some of Uchiha Raimon's physical pain, it could never defy the heavens to change his fate.

It was like a lone boat in a raging storm—though it could temporarily withstand the assault of the waves, it could not escape its ultimate destiny of being swallowed by the sea.

"Damn Tobirama Senju, and those traitors within the clan. Sooner or later, I will make you pay in blood!" Uchiha Tenshu swore fiercely in his heart once more.

A moment later.

Uchiha Tenshu withdrew his hands; all of Uchiha Raimon's wounds had been treated.

In truth, the body beneath Uchiha Raimon's bandages was not as severely injured as the external wounds suggested.

It was merely superficial flesh damage.

But because he had forcibly extracted energy from his body to fuel his mental energy, his physical form had lost its ability to recover. Without absorbing energy from an external source, his condition would likely only worsen, eventually leading to the total exhaustion of his body's energy and his death.

Uchiha Tenshu had no solution for this loss of life-force caused by the forced extraction of Chakra.

Throughout the history of the Ninja World, the result of forcibly extracting Chakra far beyond one's limits was always death caused by the collapse of mind and body.

In Uchiha Tenshu's view, this touched upon the realm of Yin-Yang Release—something far beyond the reach of an ordinary person.

As for the external injuries, the Uchiha clan had plenty of secret medicines to provide the external energy needed to repair such flesh wounds, so there was no need for Uchiha Tenshu to worry about that.

The most I can do is ease his pain, Uchiha Tenshu thought with helpless resignation.

"Don't worry, the clan's physicians have already checked me. At the very least, I don't need to worry about my condition for a few years."

Uchiha Raimon forced himself to wave a hand, a warm smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he spoke to Uchiha Tenshu.

Even if Uchiha Raimon acted as if he didn't care, who could truly be indifferent to their own life?

"I fear I don't have much time left! I am not worried about Lingyue; her talent is exceptional, and in time, she will surely become an outstanding ninja, fully capable of protecting herself in this world filled with crises."

"However, my younger daughter Yukino's health weighs heavily on my heart. If it were Yukino..."

Uchiha Raimon pondered silently, his brows furrowed tightly, his anxiety plain to see.

Unlike Lingyue, Yukino had a gentle disposition and suffered from an illness triggered by her innate Kekkei Genkai, making it impossible for her to train. To survive in this cruel Ninja World, her own strength would be far from enough.

After much deliberation and years of observation, Uchiha Raimon had actually made up his mind long before Uchiha Tenshu arrived: he would entrust his second daughter, Uchiha Yukino, to Uchiha Tenshu.

Uchiha Tenshu was not only gifted and intelligent but also resourceful; no one could ever get the better of him.

While he couldn't be called upright or kind, he was a man who valued loyalty and gratitude deeply. Through his personal guidance over the past few years, combined with the contact he'd had with Yukino, their bond was quite deep. Even with his ambitious nature and refusal to be subservient, he was capable of leading the subordinates he would leave behind.

With his strength, as long as he was given a few years to grow, he wouldn't be easily victimized in the struggles of the Ninja World.

After all, with that boy's eight hundred schemes and sharp wit, he was actually the most trustworthy person in the entire Ninja World.

If he entrusted his younger daughter Yukino to him, Uchiha Raimon believed that even if he were to leave this world one day, Yukino would receive the best possible care and protection.

Having made this decision, Uchiha Raimon felt his mood lighten slightly.

He knew this was the best arrangement for Yukino at the moment. Despite the lingering reluctance in his heart, he had to do this for his daughter's future.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Raimon hesitated no longer. He gently placed his palm on Uchiha Tenshu's shoulder, stared directly into his eyes, and suddenly spoke, "Tenshu, what do you think of Yukino?"

"Yukino?" Faced with the sudden question, Uchiha Tenshu replied without the slightest hesitation, "Yukino has a gentle personality and is very cute. I like her a lot—much cuter than Lingyue!"

Uchiha Tenshu praised her, inadvertently mentioning Yukino's older sister, Lingyue.

He thought of that tsundere girl who was always looking for trouble, nitpicking his flaws, and keeping a constant watch over him and Yukino.

Strange.

Now that he thought about it, why hadn't she appeared today?

A flicker of confusion crossed Uchiha Tenshu's mind.

The next moment, his thoughts were interrupted by Uchiha Raimon's words.

"What if I told you I intend to entrust Yukino to you? What do you think? Are you willing?"

Uchiha Raimon gazed intently at Uchiha Tenshu, speaking with earnestness and without a hint of hesitation.

"Huh!" Uchiha Tenshu was confused at first, but his expression turned serious the next moment. He patted his chest and said, "Although I don't know why you made this decision, Elder Raimon, I only know that Yukino is one of the most important people in my life. No matter what happens, at any time, I will never allow anyone to hurt her. I swear it on my life."

Uchiha Tenshu's eyes were filled with determination; whether a mountain of blades or a sea of fire lay ahead, nothing could shake his resolve.