When Aburame Ryoma heard Sarutobi Hiruzen say they should act as if this had never happened, he felt as though he'd been saved and immediately asked, "Lord Hokage, when you say we should act as if this never happened, you mean you won't tell my father about it, right?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at him and said coldly, "No. If I don't explain what happened, how will your father know what happened to you?"
"The Aburame Clan will think one of their own was bullied, and accuse me of treating them unfairly."
"So I'll tell them what happened to you. I'll just make them keep it secret and not reveal who injured you."
Aburame Ryoma's face darkened at those words.
Guessing what Aburame Ryoma was thinking, Sarutobi Hiruzen added in a gentler tone so the child wouldn't blame him. "Of course, I'll keep my word. You're just a child, so I won't punish you. And your injuries are serious. I'll have the Anbu take you to the hospital right away, then ask Tsunade to treat you both."
Sarutobi Hiruzen beckoned. Two tall, muscular Anbu appeared beside Aburame Ryoma and Pumpkin Head with the Body Flicker Technique. They picked the boys up and carried them to the hospital.
Aburame Ryoma and Pumpkin Head had kidnapped a girl. It was an extremely serious matter, and they'd expected to receive severe punishment.
They'd even prepared themselves for being locked up in Konoha Prison.
To their surprise, the Hokage not only didn't punish them, but also showed concern for their injuries and had the Anbu take them to the hospital.
Most importantly, he'd even asked Tsunade to treat them.
Although Tsunade wasn't much of a fighter at the moment, she was known as Konoha's princess and held a lofty status. Her skill in Medical Ninjutsu was also exceptionally high.
In a way, she was the dream girl of every male ninja in Konoha!
The boys were overwhelmed that Sarutobi Hiruzen could have the princess treat them.
They could also feel how much he cared about them.
They were both filled with gratitude toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The Hokage was truly great!
But Aburame Ryoma and Pumpkin Head had no idea.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had sent Tsunade to treat them not because he cared about them, but because he wanted them to recover quickly and return to the battlefield.
The one he cared about was Konoha!
Uchiha Kurohane held Yakushi Nonō's small hand. After they'd walked for a while, he realized she seemed to be in shock. She was like a puppet, staring blankly and not saying a word.
He stopped and looked at the blonde girl before him with concern. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Yakushi Nonō came to her senses, cupped her hands over her chest, and said gratefully, "I'm not hurt. Thank you for saving me!"
"If you hadn't been there, I don't know what might have happened to me. You saved my life!"
"I'll repay you for your kindness. If you ever need anything, just tell me. If there's anything I can do for you, I will."
Yakushi Nonō's clear eyes sparkled as she gazed at Uchiha Kurohane with the burning look of a girl in love.
Her gaze made Uchiha Kurohane's cheeks grow faintly warm.
If you ever need anything, just tell me. If there's anything I can do for you, I will.
Those words, coming from a beautiful girl, packed quite a punch. Uchiha Kurohane couldn't help letting his imagination run wild.
But he didn't let it go to his head.
Yakushi Nonō had become a spy who'd moved between the various shinobi villages without being exposed, successfully gathering information. That showed how clever she was.
Even if she didn't know the truth now, she'd figure out what had really happened sooner or later.
Rather than let her discover she'd been deceived, he decided to tell her himself.
"Yakushi-senpai, you've misunderstood. Aburame Ryoma and Pumpkin Head weren't trying to kidnap you. Their real target was me. They wanted revenge."
"They misunderstood when they saw me talking to you earlier. You were actually the victim. I'm the one who dragged you into this."
Yakushi Nonō blinked her big eyes in confusion. After thinking for a moment, she understood what had happened.
Then she widened her eyes and looked at Uchiha Kurohane in disbelief. "Why would you tell me this yourself?"
Yakushi Nonō didn't understand.
Wouldn't it have been better to say nothing and let her repay him?
Every boy coveted her looks. Surely they'd all do the same thing?
Uchiha Kurohane looked straight into her puzzled eyes and smiled. "It's my sense of justice not to deceive girls."
"I dragged you into this, so saving you was my responsibility. That's part of my sense of justice too. You don't need to thank me, and you certainly don't need to repay me."
"If anything, I'm the one who should apologize to you."
Yakushi Nonō was stunned.
He wasn't like Danzo had said!
Danzo had told her that all men were liars and bad people. They'd stop at nothing to get what they wanted.
But Kurohane was different!
He wasn't the kind of man who'd stop at nothing. He was a man of justice!
Justice!
As an orphan and a Konoha ninja, Yakushi Nonō had never cared about that word.
After Danzo's brainwashing, she'd believed the world was dark and that justice didn't exist.
But when Uchiha Kurohane spoke of justice, it sounded so cool, so inspiring.
He was like sunlight breaking through the darkness, warming Yakushi Nonō's heart and making her feel as if she'd been saved.
Like a moth, she was drawn to that warm light.
Yakushi Nonō was filled with longing for Uchiha Kurohane's sense of justice.
For the first time, she felt that the world was beautiful, and she found hope.
"Do you understand? I'm the reason you were attacked. I sincerely apologize. Can you forgive me?"
Yakushi Nonō shook her head earnestly. "No, it wasn't your fault. And you really did save me. You don't need to blame yourself. I still ought to repay you!"
Ji~ Yakushi Nonō considers you someone she can trust. Achievement unlocked: "Trust of Yakushi Nonō." You received the entry "Yakushi Nono's Melee Talent A."
*(Yakushi Nono's Melee Talent A: Yakushi Nonō is a kunoichi skilled in hand-to-hand combat.*
She excels at close-quarters fighting with weapons such as kunai and short blades.
She can expertly use Jujutsu techniques such as the rear-naked choke, mount, and joint locks.
*The host has mastered all her melee skills.)*
Uchiha Kurohane wasn't especially thrilled when he saw the reward.
He'd originally hoped to get an entry for medical knowledge from Yakushi Nonō. He hadn't expected to get this instead.
Kunai weren't enough to kill anyone, and even Ninja Blades were no longer useful.
Later on, it was all Chakra Cloaks and Susanoo—just charging straight ahead. Who used Taijutsu techniques?
Even Guy just opened the Eight Gates and relied on overwhelming strength.
Trying to stab someone with a little kunai was just ridiculous.
But Jujutsu techniques seemed like they might still come in handy.
Maybe they'd be a tiny bit useful at night.
More important than the reward was earning Yakushi Nonō's trust.
Now that he had her trust, he could get closer to the heart of this reserved girl.
Uchiha Kurohane ventured, "I don't need you to repay me, and I'm not your savior. If you want to thank me, become my teammate and study medical knowledge with me."
Worried Yakushi Nonō might think he had ulterior motives, he added, "Those books are too complicated. I'm having a hard time knowing where to start on my own."
Yakushi Nonō smiled warmly and handed him the book she was holding. "Of course. You can have my medical textbook. I've filled it with notes and annotations, so it'll be much easier for you to study."
Uchiha Kurohane took the medical textbook, which weighed more than a brick, and flipped through it.
He found notes written in all sorts of colored ink, and every page was covered with little slips of paper.
Yakushi Nonō had put a great deal of effort into it. If Uchiha Kurohane truly wanted to study medical knowledge, her notes would be a huge help.
The problem was, as someone who'd transmigrated, Uchiha Kurohane didn't want to go back to studying and memorizing books like some wage slave...
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