Who Exactly Was It?

Tsunade returned to her tent, baffled. She sent an Anbu guard to investigate, and after a long while, he finally came back.

"How did the investigation into the Medical Station go?"

"We can confirm that the Medical Station was kept running thanks to a Chunin. During that time, a Hidden Sand spy tried to attack him, but he killed the spy. The traitor even tried to blow himself up and destroy the Medical Station as he died, but the Chunin stopped him. You could say he saved everyone there."

"What did that Chunin look like? Did anyone recognize him?"

"The wounded and the doctors gave strange accounts. Some said he was a tall man. Others said he was a short, thin woman. Some said he was fat, and one person even claimed it was a six- or seven-year-old child."

It seemed most people had kept their promise and hadn't revealed anything about Riyue. They also didn't know that Tsunade's Anbu guard was investigating. When questioned, they remembered that Tsunade's disciple had asked them to keep things secret, immediately assumed someone might investigate, and started making up all sorts of stories. Unfortunately, a few people told the truth, but no one believed them.

"Phew, did you check all the Chunin?"

"Yes, but we haven't found anything so far."

Tsunade rubbed her head, completely at a loss. Who could this person be?

"Starting tomorrow, you'll stand guard at the Medical Station! That person should go back again. Keep watch until he shows up. I want to see who's so capable that he can save the Medical Station but refuses to show his face!"

"Lady Tsunade, I'm your guard. I should be by your side..." The guard hesitated.

"This is for the Medical Station's safety, too! We can't let some unknown person wander in!"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

The next day, the fighting was still intense. Chiyo and Ebizo led an elite Hidden Sand force into battle once more, and Tsunade continued to clash with them, trading blow for blow. Riyue went to the Medical Station again. Everyone greeted him when they saw him, making him feel as if he'd returned to his previous life. Back when he went to work, people had constantly greeted him. After returning everyone's greetings, Riyue got to work as a doctor. He created four Shadow Clones again, and they quickly got to work.

"Red-tagged patient. Unconscious and in shock. I need to intubate him immediately." Riyue's Shadow Clone made an initial diagnosis, then began performing an endotracheal intubation. Once the Shadow Clone had finished, a doctor beside him helped by squeezing the resuscitation bag again and again to provide oxygen and help the patient breathe. Watching Riyue skillfully deliver oxygen straight into the patient's trachea, the doctor couldn't help praising him.

"Red-tagged patient. Extensive, severe burns. He inhaled superheated air and has burns to his airway. We need to perform a tracheotomy and begin emergency treatment immediately!" Riyue's Shadow Clone called for a nurse to help take the patient straight into the operating room.

"Yellow-tagged patient. Broken ribs and internal organ damage. I'll leave this one to you." The nurse fastened a yellow wristband around the patient's wrist, and a doctor hurried over to treat him.

In the operating room, Riyue himself had already performed emergency surgery on the burn victim. He had opened the trachea and inserted an oxygen tube to keep the patient from suffocating. Now he was treating the burned areas. The clothes had stuck to the skin and flesh, and he was carefully peeling them away, bit by bit.

The entire Medical Station was running smoothly and at full speed. Tsunade's Anbu guard watched the whole process from the shadows, astonished. The Chunin really was a six-year-old child—and that child really did have such superb medical skills.

He immediately went back to check the records. First, he searched through all the Genin records but found no one matching the description. Then he checked the Chunin records and quickly found a very recent file. The child really was a Chunin.

"Hyuga Nichigetsu, became a Chunin at five years old. Wait, he's... Lady Tsunade's disciple..." The guard was thrown into confusion, grumbling to himself, Hey, Lady Tsunade, he's obviously your disciple. Why are you pretending not to know? Well, who else could have medical skills this incredible? You must have sent him to the Medical Station, right? Or maybe he didn't tell you he was there. Perhaps there's some reason for that. But none of this has anything to do with me as your guard!

The guard was torn. Phew! What a headache! Maybe Hyuga Nichigetsu has some deeper reason for doing this. Would telling Lady Tsunade actually make things worse? Or maybe she already knows, and the two of them are putting on a show for someone else. Who? A Hidden Sand spy? Right, Lady Tsunade is putting on a show for the spies. After all, that kid killed one yesterday, didn't he? The guard came up with an explanation on his own.

The guard decided to sound Tsunade out before telling her Nichigetsu's identity. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and end up causing trouble instead of helping.

At dusk, Riyue left the Medical Station. Tsunade also returned to camp after a fierce battle with Chiyo.

"Lady Tsunade!" The Anbu guard knelt on one knee and bowed.

"How did the investigation go?" Tsunade was exhausted. She leaned back in her chair, utterly limp. She had spent the previous few days figuring out Chiyo's poison, and for the last two days she'd been fighting the Hidden Sand until the skies darkened. She really was worn out.

"I've more or less figured it out..."

"Mm." Tsunade closed her eyes and nodded.

"That person really is a Konoha Chunin."

"Mm. Which one?"

"Uh... Lady Tsunade should know who he is." The guard lowered his head, waiting for Tsunade's response.

"Mm," came Tsunade's quiet reply.

That settles it, the guard thought. He said, "Since you already know, Lady Tsunade, it's probably best if I keep it confidential. I wouldn't want to interfere with your plans."

"Mm..."

"Then, then I'll take my leave, Lady Tsunade."

"..."

The guard waited a while, but Tsunade didn't respond. When he looked up, she had fallen asleep in her chair. He shook his head, covered her with a blanket, and left. What he didn't realize was that Tsunade was so tired she hadn't heard a word he said. She had only answered him sleepily. It was much like how, after becoming Hokage, she often dozed off over piles of documents...

On the third day, Riyue went to help at the Medical Station again for a while. In the afternoon, the supply convoy finally arrived, and Riyue hurried over to receive the goods. This shipment contained a wide variety of medicines, and the blood supply crisis among Konoha's forces was finally resolved. The doctors cheered and embraced one another, and many wept with joy.

This was a great victory on the silent battlefield that was the Medical Station! Everyone was overjoyed.

Tsunade also arrived and watched as the convoy unloaded box after box of medicine, her delight plain to see. After a night's rest, she seemed to have regained all her energy and was now full of vigor. Everyone was thrilled to see her, their admiration and gratitude evident.

"Lady Tsunade will win! Konoha will win! Lady Tsunade will win!" They chanted and cheered again and again.

Tsunade was swept up in the excitement, even though she still didn't know exactly who that Chunin was.

"I wonder how the Anbu guard's investigation went. Wait, didn't he report to me yesterday? Uh... what did he say? At the time... I think I fell asleep... Damn, I sent that Anbu guard back to Konoha this morning with some important documents." Tsunade scratched her head, frustrated with herself for having fallen asleep.

"But whoever you are, you've done Konoha a great service! You're a hero of Konoha." Tsunade smiled, beaming with joy.

At the Hidden Sand camp, Chiyo and Ebizo looked grim when they received the news.

"Damn it! Konoha's supply convoy arrived! Our plan failed, and those shinobi died for nothing!" Chiyo said furiously.

"Elder sister, there's no need to worry about a temporary victory or defeat," Ebizo consoled her.

"That accursed Monster Strength Woman! It seems our spy inside Konoha has been eliminated, too!" Chiyo crushed her teacup in one hand.

"Don't worry, elder sister. I have a plan. The next time I fight Tsunade, I'll eliminate this major threat!" Ebizo said confidently, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.