Yakushi Nonō

Not long after the Konoha group hurried away, an eerie, misty rain began to linger in the mountain forest, where rain had never touched before. Several figures emerged, their eyes cruel and bloodthirsty.

"A group of rats just scurried away from here. Were they Konoha genin?"

"What does it matter? Let those Konoha fellows see just how strong the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist truly are!"

The Mist ninjas, each possessing sharp, fang-like teeth, wore expressions of bloodlust as the Land of Water—one of the Five Great Nations—stepped across the border of the Land of Fire.

The Land of Water, which had been in a state of observation, slowly bared its fangs toward Konoha Village in the Land of Fire.

A night passed, and as the distant horizon began to pale, Uchiha Hanazuki, lying in a hospital bed at the Konoha Medical Center, slowly opened his eyes. His long, deep-yellow hair, which had been hanging before his face, swayed slightly.

"Please don't move around so much. It was just a simple case of excessive chakra exhaustion; you only need to rest for a few days. You must have been through an unimaginable battle."

Her smile was gentle and calm, seemingly imbued with a maternal kindness. The toad-shaped glasses she wore and her soft features made it easy for one to let their guard down.

"A hospital? That's fine. At least I don't have to go to the battlefield. I suppose I've managed to save my life. What about the others?"

"Your friends? They have already returned ahead of you. Those two girls were very concerned about your condition. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any of your family members visit. Are they busy with missions?"

Her tone was soft, causing Hanazuki to look subconsciously at the smooth ceiling as he replied quietly.

"Them? They're already dead. They died on a mission. That's why I hate these ninjas who send children onto the battlefield. It's such a nuisance."

"I'm sorry, it seems I mentioned something I shouldn't have. Please get some good rest and live a healthy life, carrying the love of your father and mother with you."

The petite woman with the gentle smile touched Uchiha Hanazuki's forehead lightly, and a message popped up, causing him to freeze slightly.

[Character Check-in: Yakushi Nonō]

[Abilities: Mystical Palm Technique, Chakra Scalpel, Creation Rebirth, Chakra Dissection Blade...]

[Random Draw in progress... Check-in successful, obtained Chakra Scalpel today!]

Compared to the offensive methods of a medical ninja, Hanazuki was more concerned with the name.

Yakushi Nonō, the current head of the Medical Corps, known as the "Walking Miko." Her intelligence-gathering capabilities and medical ninjutsu were definitely among the top five in Konoha.

Most importantly, she was the foster mother of Yakushi Kabuto, one of the few in Konoha willing to take in orphans. She was a kind soul who would risk her own life just to ensure the children could survive.

It was a pity that, in the end, she was not trusted by Danzo, who orchestrated a tragedy where child was forced to kill mother. This led to dire consequences, indirectly contributing to the Fourth Shinobi World War and adding many elites to the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Her figure gradually exited the ward, her movements soft as she quietly closed the door.

After a moment of silence, Hanazuki let out a faint sigh.

"What a good woman. I'm already this exhausted, so it wasn't in vain that I put in the effort to fake being sick. At least I don't have to go to the battlefield now."

As his thoughts shifted, bags of snacks descended from the sky onto the pale blue water, causing the Black Nine-Tails to nod in satisfaction.

"Since your sincerity is so ample, I'll forgive you. Is that forbidden technique useful? Back in the day, when Menma collected bloodline limits and forbidden techniques, he relied on using me as a host, wahahaha..."

"It's alright, at least the reconnaissance aspect is good. Compared to the Nine-Faced Svaha, I really want that scroll in your belly. When will you bring it out?"

His strange, intricate Mangekyō stared at the Black Nine-Tails' abdomen. Hanazuki probed quietly, immediately drawing a rebuttal from the beast.

"You bastard Uchiha brat, are you dreaming? That is my hope for returning to the world. Even though you're a sensible brat, I still want to regain my freedom."

"If it weren't for this thing, my chakra would have already resonated with the Nine-Tails here. If that happened, you'd be captured too. If you know what's good for you..."

"As long as those Konoha fellows dare to reach out their claws, I'll chop them off one by one. Compared to so-called villages, my own personal safety comes first."

Stunned for a moment, the Black Nine-Tails couldn't help but laugh out loud, causing ripples to spread across the water.

"Hahaha! I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You aren't as pedantic as I imagined. Just like that Menma who killed his father and teacher without hesitation, you're ruthless!"

Ignoring the Black Nine-Tails as it gorged itself, Uchiha Hanazuki closed his eyes to rest. The "excessive chakra exhaustion" was entirely a pretext to avoid the battlefield.

What kind of Jinchūriki would end up in a hospital bed from chakra exhaustion? Even a Jinchūriki who hadn't reconciled with their Tailed Beast possessed several times the chakra of an ordinary person.

Not to mention that Hanazuki held the largest portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra. Although it was the "Black" Nine-Tails, the quantity of chakra was no different.

"I didn't expect to run into the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki and the Fourth Raikage. My luck is as terrible as ever. I hope this doesn't attract too much attention, otherwise..."

He raised an eyebrow and subconsciously covered his eyes. The Mangekyō Sharingan was something that would truly make one go blind if used too much.

Konoha Village, inside the Hokage's office.

Looking at the mission report in his hand, the actual power-holders of Konoha, the Konoha F4, looked at each other. Finally, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke first.

"You encountered the AB combination of the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, and there were no casualties in the end? Was it all thanks to Uchiha Hanazuki's Flying Raijin?"

Sarutobi Hina nodded solemnly, and Hatake Kakashi, who had been called in to testify, gave a slight nod.

Re-examining the report, Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a puff of purple smoke. As the tobacco burned slowly, his thoughts drifted back to the boy who had been so dismissive during the pre-war mobilization.

"In any case, we already know that Uchiha Hanazuki protected his comrades on the battlefield and successfully completed the mission, indirectly crushing the Cloud Village's efforts. You two should take a rest and prepare for the next mission."

After the two retreated, the gloomy old man, who had remained silent with most of his face covered in bandages, said coldly.

"Only 10 years old, yet he was able to retreat unscathed in front of the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki and the Fourth Raikage, and even saved a group of fellow ninjas. And the injuries he sustained were merely from excessive chakra exhaustion?"

"Such talent, regardless of which clan they belong to, would be heavily cultivated by the village. But it just had to be an Uchiha..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up slowly and sighed softly.

"Uchiha Hanazuki was willing to save his comrades, which shows that he still identifies with the Will of Fire. He is a talent worth cultivating, a bond that could ease relations with the Uchiha clan..."

"Don't be naive, Hiruzen! What if this brat chooses the same path as that person? We should follow the teachings of the Second Hokage: nip the threat in the bud and kill him."