Yakushi Nonō

Not long after the Konoha group hurried away, an eerie misty rain began to drift through the mountain forest, where not a single raindrop had fallen. One figure after another appeared, their eyes cruel and bloodthirsty.

"Just now, a bunch of rats slipped through here. Konoha Genin, were they?"

"What does it matter? Let's show those Konoha fools just how strong the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist really are!"

The Kirigakure Ninja, each with teeth like sharp fangs, wore expressions hungry for blood as they crossed into the Land of Fire, led by one of the Five Great Nations, the Mist Village.

The Land of Water had been keeping its distance, but now it was slowly baring the Mist Village's fangs toward Konoha.

A night passed. As the eastern horizon gradually brightened, Uchiha Hanazuki slowly opened his eyes in a bed at Konoha Medical Hospital. His long, dark golden hair, hanging in front of his face, swayed slightly.

"Please don't move around. You've only exhausted your chakra. A few days of rest should be enough. You must have gone through an unimaginable battle."

Her smile was gentle and calm, seeming to hold a motherly glow of compassion. The round glasses before her eyes and her soft features made people lower their guard without even realizing it.

"Am I in the hospital? That's good, then. At least I won't have to go to the battlefield. I suppose I can count myself lucky to be alive. What happened to the others?"

"Your friends? They've already gone back. Those two girls were very worried about you. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any of your family come by. Are they busy with a mission?"

Her gentle manner made Hanazuki instinctively look up at the gleaming ceiling. He answered softly.

"My family? They're dead. They died on a mission. That's why I hate people like this—shinobi who send children onto the battlefield. It's such a pain."

"I'm sorry. It seems I brought up something I shouldn't have. Please get some rest, and live a healthy life, carrying your father and mother's love with you."

The petite, smiling woman gently touched Uchiha Hanazuki's forehead. The notification that appeared made him pause.

[Character Check-In: Yakushi Nonō]

[Abilities: Mystical Palm Technique, Chakra Blade, Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique, Delicate Illness Extraction Technique...]

[Random selection in progress... Check-in successful. Today's reward: Chakra Blade!]

More than the offensive techniques of a medical ninja, Hanazuki was interested in her name.

Yakushi Nonō, the current head of the Medical Team, was known as the Wandering Miko. Her intelligence-gathering abilities and medical ninjutsu were undoubtedly among the top five in Konoha.

Most importantly, she was Yakushi Kabuto's adoptive mother, one of the few people in Konoha willing to take in orphans. For the children to survive, she was a kindhearted woman who would risk her life without hesitation.

Unfortunately, Danzo never trusted her. He arranged a plot that would make a son kill his mother, ultimately leading to disastrous consequences. It indirectly helped bring about the Fourth Shinobi World War and added many elite fighters to the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Her figure gradually disappeared from the room. She moved gently, quietly closing the door behind her.

After a moment of silence, Hanazuki sighed.

"What a good woman! She's already exhausted herself like this. It wasn't a waste of effort to pretend to be sick. Now I won't have to go to the battlefield, right?"

At his mental command, bags of snacks rained down onto the pale blue water, earning an approving nod from the Black Nine-Tails.

"Since you've shown such sincerity, I'll forgive you. Is that forbidden jutsu any good? Back in the day, when Menma collected Kekkei Genkai and forbidden jutsu, he relied on foxes with me as their host. Wahahaha..."

"I suppose it's decent. At least it's useful for reconnaissance. But instead of Nine Mask Svāhā, I'd rather have the scroll in your stomach. When are you going to hand it over?"

Hanazuki's strange, intricate Mangekyō Sharingan stared at the Black Nine-Tails' belly as he probed softly. The Black Nine-Tails immediately shot back.

"Damn Uchiha brat, are you dreaming? That's my hope of returning to the world. You may be pretty reasonable for a brat, but I still want my freedom back."

"If it weren't for that thing, my chakra would've resonated with the Nine-Tails in this place already. Then you'd get captured too, brat. If you understand that, then..."

"If Konoha dares reach its claws toward me, I'll chop off every one that comes. I put my own safety above everything else—not some so-called village."

The Black Nine-Tails stared blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter, sending ripples across the water.

"Hahaha! I knew I was right about you. You're not as hidebound as I thought. You're ruthless, just like Menma, who killed his own father and teacher without hesitation!"

Ignoring the Black Nine-Tails as he devoured the snacks, Uchiha Hanazuki closed his eyes to rest. The claim that he had exhausted his chakra was nothing more than an excuse to avoid going to the battlefield.

What Jinchūriki would end up in a hospital bed just from using too much chakra? Even a Jinchūriki who hadn't made peace with their Tailed Beast had several times the chakra of an ordinary person.

And inside Hanazuki was the Nine-Tails, the fox with the greatest amount of chakra among them. Though it was the opposite Nine-Tails, there was no difference in the amount of chakra.

"I can't believe I ran into the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and the Fourth Raikage of all people. My luck is as terrible as ever. I hope I didn't attract too much attention, or else..."

He raised an eyebrow and instinctively covered his eyes. The Mangekyō Sharingan really could make you go blind if you used it too much.

In the Hokage's office in Konoha.

Looking over the mission report in his hands, Konoha's true leaders—the Konoha F4—exchanged glances. In the end, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the first to speak.

"You ran into the AB Combo—the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki—and no one was killed. Was it all thanks to Uchiha Hanazuki's Flying Thunder God Technique?"

Sarutobi Hina nodded solemnly. Hatake Kakashi, who had been summoned to corroborate her account, gave a slight nod as well.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked over the report again, breathing out purple smoke. As the tobacco burned slowly, his thoughts returned to the boy who had looked so dismissive during the prewar briefing.

"In any case, we know that Uchiha Hanazuki protected his comrades on the battlefield, completed the mission, and indirectly foiled Cloud Village's plans. You two should rest up and prepare for your next mission."

After the two had left, the gloomy old man, who had remained silent all along, his face mostly hidden beneath bandages, spoke coldly.

"He's only ten years old, yet he managed to come through an encounter with the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and the Fourth Raikage unscathed, saving all the shinobi with him. And the only injury he suffered was from excessive chakra loss?"

"Someone like that would be given special training by the village, no matter which clan they belonged to. But of all clans, he's an Uchiha..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly rose to his feet and sighed softly.

"Uchiha Hanazuki was willing to save his comrades, which shows that he still believes in the Will of Fire. He's worth cultivating, and he could help mend relations with the Uchiha Clan..."

"Don't be naive, Hiruzen! What if this brat chooses the same path as that man? We should follow the Second Hokage's dying wish and eliminate the threat before it can take root. Kill him."