Doctor Nohara's Tenderness

A breeze blew past, and Obito felt a chill run down his spine, finally snapping back to reality.

Having been suppressed by the killing intent of the Sand Ninja jonin just moments ago, his back was already soaked with sweat.

"It's... it's over!"

As he caught his breath, he felt as if all his strength had been drained away. He tilted his head back, collapsed onto the ground, and stared blankly at the sky.

"I finally... survived."

In just a few short seconds, he had walked the edge of death. It was a feeling he never wanted to face again.

Kakashi sat down beside him, his face etched with exhaustion.

He was tired, having sustained significant injuries during the previous battle, and now he only wanted to close his eyes and get some sleep.

Yet, the question Sen Chisato had asked, along with the specific movements he had displayed during the fight, forced him to pull himself together.

When it came to swordsmanship, he was a professional.

His father, Hatake Sakumo, had carved out the fearsome reputation of the "White Fang of the Leaf" with nothing but a blade, and his own current combat style relied heavily on swordsmanship.

He still possessed a complete collection of sword techniques compiled by his father, and his foundations in both swordsmanship and ninjutsu had been laid by his father's own hands.

But his father was dead—gone five years ago, when he was only seven.

Since then, no one had taught him how to train; he had to figure everything out on his own, with no one to correct his mistakes. That he had grown to this point was a testament to his talent, but he had also put in an immense amount of sweat.

And today, someone had finally offered him guidance in this field, at the cost of a jonin's life.

So, even though Sen Chisato was younger than him, even though his swordsmanship differed greatly from what he had learned, and even though it was only a few movements, he kept them deeply etched in his mind, analyzing them repeatedly, and felt a heartfelt gratitude toward Sen Chisato.

But he would not say thank you.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he had forgotten how to express his emotions.

So, he could only desperately memorize those few movements, thinking about how to combine such a combat style with his own training and eventually evolve it into his own strength.

And if Sen Chisato ever needed help in the future, he would repay him with his actions.

While he was deep in thought, Nohara Rin, standing beside him, took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Both Obito and Kakashi had their attention drawn to her.

Obito immediately sat up, calling out with hesitation, "Rin..."

Nohara Rin did not respond; Obito's voice was too soft, and she hadn't heard him.

At this moment, she was busy psyching herself up, walking firmly toward Sen Chisato.

She wasn't close to Sen Chisato; after all, they had known each other for less than two days.

The strength Sen Chisato had displayed, the overwhelming killing intent that rivaled a jonin's during the fight, and the somewhat unapproachable personality he had shown over the last two days all made her feel intimidated.

But at this moment, she had a reason she could not back down.

Sen Chisato was currently holding an iron shovel, measuring the area to prepare a suitably sized grave for the team of Sand Ninja.

Finishing his measurements, Sen Chisato picked up the shovel and prepared to dig.

Although he had mastered quite a few ninjutsu, several of which could easily blast out a pit in seconds, he preferred this most ancient and simple method.

Besides, he had plenty of time, and he was idle anyway.

It was a small quirk of his; he always felt a greater sense of satisfaction when he received rewards after burying a body this way.

Just then, Nohara Rin walked up behind him.

"Something up?" Sen Chisato asked without looking back, driving the shovel into the ground with a heavy thud and stepping on it to sink it deeper.

Nohara Rin didn't answer; she simply grabbed his arm.

Sen Chisato frowned and turned to look at the girl.

Although he didn't shake her off immediately or look at her coldly, his face clearly read: You'd better give me a reasonable explanation!

Nohara Rin pulled Sen Chisato to a clean, open space nearby, reached out to place her hands on his shoulders, and pressed down with a bit of force to make him sit on the ground.

Mostly, it was because Sen Chisato didn't resist; otherwise, she wouldn't have succeeded.

"Honestly, if you're injured, you should find a doctor first. At least pay some attention to yourself," Nohara Rin scolded him, slightly annoyed, as she took out a canteen to begin cleaning his wound.

So that was it!

Looking at the wound revealed on his palm after it was washed clean, Sen Chisato really wanted to tell her: If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have even remembered.

The Sand Ninja's blade had been heavy, and the wound on his palm was deep, but he hadn't cared at all.

Because he possessed a special trait—Seal-less Healing!

Never mind a small injury like this; even if he were stabbed in a vital spot, as long as he didn't die instantly, he could easily recover thanks to this trait.

Otherwise, how could he have casually caught someone's blade with his bare hand?

He might be a "good person," but he was never one to be helpful, let alone sacrifice himself for others.

If he hadn't wanted to avoid exposing too much and appearing too shocking, intentionally suppressing the effect of his Seal-less Healing, the wound would have already vanished by the time Nohara Rin saw it.

A mere scratch like this would heal in two seconds.

After some thought, Sen Chisato said, "This is just a minor injury, it's fine if it's not treated. Kakashi needs you more right now."

In other words, if you're bored, go find Kakashi and wrap him up like a dumpling, just don't bother me!

Unfortunately, Nohara Rin didn't catch the subtext. As she bandaged him, she said, "Kakashi is severely injured, and it will take a lot of time to treat him."

"In any case, I've already examined him. I'll bandage you first, and then I'll go treat his injuries. His wounds are extensive, and my chakra is limited... So, I'm sorry, I can only give you a simple treatment."

After bandaging Sen Chisato's palm with gauze and tying a small, delicate bow on the back of his hand, Nohara Rin let out a sigh of relief.

"Also..."

She stepped back two paces, crossed her hands in front of her, and bowed solemnly, "Thank you for saving me and Obito."

As she straightened up, the smile on her face was bright and gentle, as clean and clear as a stream, refreshing the heart.

Watching the girl happily skip away, and then glancing at the bow on the back of his hand, Sen Chisato clicked his tongue. "No wonder he's the girl that Kenji can't stop thinking about. She's truly too kind, her personality is so radiant, it makes one feel ashamed of themselves."

Despite saying that, Sen Chisato wouldn't show much mercy to Nohara Rin.

They didn't have that much of a relationship.

Moreover, if Nohara Rin didn't die, how could his plan proceed?

Looking up, he saw Nohara Rin already treating Kakashi's injuries, with Obito fussing around her.

Even so, Nohara Rin kept glancing in his direction.

Their eyes met, and Nohara Rin's eyes curved into a bright smile.

Clearly, Doctor Nohara didn't trust him, the injured patient, at all, fearing he might do something detrimental to his recovery.

After some thought, Sen Chisato decided to stop provoking the doctor's nerves.

He was about to begin special training for Team Minato, and he needed the three of them to obey him obediently. He didn't want to give them any excuse to challenge or retort to him at this time.

He had already shown his strength. If Team Minato—especially that idiot Obito—dared to talk back to him then, he wouldn't be smiling.

He wouldn't be spending much time with Team Minato, and he didn't want to waste time on such meaningless things.

Just then, Namikaze Minato returned, casually tossing two Sand Ninja corpses on the ground, and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Sen Chisato shook his head and asked curiously, "Why did it take so long?"

With Namikaze Minato's strength, dealing with those two minor characters should have been easy.

"I contacted Teacher and got an update on the general situation from headquarters," Namikaze Minato explained.

"I see."

Sen Chisato nodded in understanding and, without asking for specifics, changed the subject. He pointed to another part of the forest and said, "Please bring over the two Sand Ninja that Kakashi dealt with."

"Uh, I understand." Namikaze Minato glanced at the shovel stuck in the ground and didn't refuse.

He had already learned about Sen Chisato's personality and experiences before arriving.

A certain Jonin who had been Sen Chisato's captain for a day had even secretly revealed one of Sen Chisato's peculiar habits to him.

Compared to the help Sen Chisato had provided to Team Minato, this small favor was something he was happy to do.