Ninjas Judge by Deeds, Not by Heart

Twisted black threads surged from Toji's palms.

He had yet to reveal the existence of Earth Grudge Fear within Konoha.

Seeing this, Tobirama's brows twitched violently. A sense of unease gripped him, and he instinctively moved to intervene, only to be stopped by Hashirama's raised hand.

"Brother!" he exclaimed, his tone laced with urgency.

Hashirama cast a calm glance at him, his expression remarkably steady, and shook his head. "Trust Toji."

Toji ignored the brothers' exchange, focusing entirely on manipulating the Earth Grudge Fear.

The black threads separating from his palms began as a single strand, but in an instant, they split repeatedly, transforming into a dense cluster of over a dozen. The threads pierced Toka's torso with surgical precision, stitching the severed arm to her body at the perfect angle with intricate, fine sutures.

But that was far from enough.

While the severed arm could be reattached, the meridians and nerves destroyed by the Lightning Release could not be restored by Earth Grudge Fear alone.

Toji's expression remained composed as he let out a low command: "Mystical Palm Technique!"

Pale green Mystical Palm chakra snaked down along the black threads, injecting itself point-by-point into Toka's body to meticulously repair and activate her shattered nerves and meridians.

The entire process was fluid and seamless.

It took less than a minute from start to finish.

"Mystical Palm Technique..." Tobirama lowered his voice, gasping in surprise. "Brother, did you even give him that?"

"Heh, Toji is truly remarkable. To think he could apply the Mystical Palm Technique to that Yang Release creation."

Hashirama crossed his arms, looking smug, as if he were the one standing at the operating table. "It's equivalent to having ten hands performing the Mystical Palm Technique at once; both the healing speed and the precision have seen a qualitative leap."

About five minutes passed.

Toji retracted his hands, his face etched with exhaustion, and nodded in satisfaction as he looked at his handiwork.

Channeling chakra through the Earth Grudge Fear was a brand-new experiment for him as well.

"The surgery was a success, my lords," Toji said slowly.

"I have reconnected all of the patient's nerves and chakra meridians. I replaced the completely necrotic parts with my 'Heavenly Mercy Thread.' However, she must not put any strain on her arm for at least the next three months."

The Senju brothers looked at each other.

Even someone as knowledgeable as Tobirama could only describe what he had just witnessed as miraculous.

Tobirama stepped forward to examine her and found that Toka's breathing had stabilized, which eased his mind. At the same time, he voiced the doubt in his heart:

"What is the 'Heavenly Mercy Thread'?"

"It is an application of my ancestral secret technique, the 'Heavenly Mercy Grudge,'" Toji said, wiping his hands with a calm expression. "Chakra threads imbued with life force; they can replace parts of human tissue when necessary."

Because "Earth Grudge Fear" sounded like it might conjure images of darkness and resentment—which clashed with his image as a divine healer and saint—Toji simply draped the technique in a makeshift alias.

"Fortunately, the patient only suffered damage to her arm. If it had been her internal organs, I would have been powerless to save her."

Life force...

Hashirama nodded thoughtfully. "It seems, Toji, that you have a great talent for Yang Release."

"Yang Release? What is that?" Toji feigned ignorance.

"It is the power of Yang, which uses the physical energy that governs life as its source. It gives form to life and is also a type of chakra attribute."

Hashirama explained, his gaze growing increasingly appreciative. "Toji, you have a connection to my Senju Clan."

"My Senju Clan is also adept at Yang Release, but no one has yet been able to materialize it to directly repair organs."

With that, Hashirama suddenly raised his voice: "Tobirama!"

"Here!" Tobirama stiffened, responding instinctively.

"When it comes to medical ninjutsu, you need to learn from Toji! Stop spending all your time researching those strange techniques; you can't even heal the people you care about."

"...Yes, Brother."

"And thank Toji."

"Thank you, Toji." Tobirama extended a hand toward him, his expression solemn. "I am Senju Tobirama, the Hokage's younger brother. Thank you for healing Toka's arms. I owe you a favor."

Seeing the old ghost Tobirama so thoroughly tamed, Toji found it secretly amusing.

Regardless, he had secured a favor from Tobirama.

Hashirama patted Tobirama on the shoulder. "Haha, in any case, this is a happy ending for everyone. Toji, your work for today is finished, right?"

"Yes, it is off-the-clock time now."

"Good! My treat—let's go to Yakiniku Q tonight for a meal to celebrate."

Since someone else was paying, Toji had no reason to refuse. "Yes, Lord Hokage."

"We're off the clock, so don't use my title. Just call me Hashirama."

Yakiniku Q was arguably the most popular dining spot in Konoha.

Inside a private room, even the aloof Tobirama looked a bit tipsy, rambling, "Back in the day..."

"Lord Hashirama, I think I've had enough. I'll head back to study medical ninjutsu now." Toji stood up to take his leave; he needed to continue training his Earth Grudge Fear.

Once he had left, the drunkenness on Tobirama's face vanished instantly, his expression returning to its usual composure.

"Brother..."

"Hm? Tobirama, you weren't drunk?"

"A ninja is never truly drunk." Tobirama shook his head. "Toji arrived in the village half a month ago, didn't he?"

Hashirama swirled his glass, his eyes bleary. "Not exactly. I saw him practicing medicine and saving lives in the Tanzaku Town area long before that."

"And before that? Is he really just from a distant land? And that Heavenly Mercy Grudge—I've never heard of such a secret technique. From those twisted black threads, I sensed a sinister, ominous chakra."

"It felt just like... the Sharingan."

Hashirama's hand paused, his tone turning calm. "I know what you're thinking, Tobirama. But remember: judge a ninja by their actions, not their heart. If you judge by the heart, no ninja is perfect."

"Over these past two weeks, Toji has been a great help to the village. Many villagers have been treated by him. I believe a man like that cannot be a bad person."

"Brother, you are being naive."

Tobirama sighed softly. "Sometimes, one saves lives only to kill more effectively later. If Toji is a spy, once he leaks the village's intelligence, or if he has other motives, the number of people who die because of it will far exceed those he has saved."

Bang!

Hashirama slammed the table. "Tobirama, you are still so suspicious. It was like this with Madara, and it's the same with Toji."

"These are necessary precautions for the sake of the village," Tobirama replied firmly.

"Alright, alright." Hashirama softened, waving his hand. "I will keep an eye on Toji. Besides... with me here, even if Toji really is a spy from another village, so what?"

So what?

That was a good question.

Tobirama realized that as long as his brother lived, no one in the Ninja World—save for Uchiha Madara—could ever cause substantial damage to Konoha.

This was the absolute self-confidence of the God of Shinobi.

But, what if one day, his brother...

Tobirama sighed, unwilling to entertain such a terrifying possibility, and drank a cup of wine by himself. "It is my fault."

"That's the spirit!" Hashirama patted Tobirama on the shoulder.

"Toji joining us is definitely a good thing for the village. You need to let go of your prejudice against outsiders and get along with him. Exchange some ideas on medical ninjutsu."

"He is a talent in that field."