Important Events in Memory

Life in Konoha's forty-first year flowed onward like a calm stream, orderly and uneventful on the surface. Kyohaku Uchiha continued his low-key, regular life at the academy, burying every abnormal edge of his talent deep within himself.

Yet peace was ultimately broken.

It was an ordinary-looking afternoon. The cultural theory class was only halfway through when unusual clamor and hurried, dense footsteps suddenly erupted from the street outside the classroom. The teacher paused his lecture in confusion and went to the window to look outside, his expression changing slightly.

On the street, squads of ANBU ninja wearing animal masks and standard uniforms, along with large numbers of Chunin and Jonin bearing Konoha forehead protectors, were moving and deploying at incredible speed. Grim-faced, they acted swiftly and silently, taking control of every intersection and high point in an instant. An invisible yet oppressive killing intent spread through the air, and the once-noisy village seemed to have had its mute button pressed.

"What happened?"

"Is it a drill?"

"Doesn't look like one..."

The classroom immediately filled with the restless whispers of children, and unease began to spread. The teacher quickly shut the window, trying to calm them. "Quiet! Continue the lesson! It may be a temporary village security drill." Yet he could not hide the uncertainty in his own eyes.

The lockdown continued until school ended. When the children left the academy gates, they found that the streets were still tense. There were far more patrol ninja than usual, and inspections had become stricter as well. Leaning on his cane, Kyohaku silently observed everything, thoughts racing through his mind. A lockdown on this scale was no small matter.

He had only just returned near his family's courtyard when he saw his cousin Maiyi Uchiha waiting there, her face carrying the exhaustion of a completed mission and a trace of lingering gravity.

"Maiyi?" Kyohaku showed just the right amount of confusion and timid concern. "What happened in the village? There were so many ninja uncles..."

Maiyi's expression softened when she saw him. Lowering her voice, she said, "It's fine now. It's been dealt with. Kumogakure spies slipped into the village this afternoon. They really had some nerve!" Her tone carried the Uchiha Clan's characteristic indignation toward those who dared provoke them.

"Kumogakure spies?" Kyohaku put on a surprised expression.

"Mm." Maiyi nodded. Since Kyohaku was also from the Uchiha Clan, she felt that some information could be revealed to him. "Those bastards were far too bold. They actually tried to secretly abduct someone in our village with a special Kekkei Genkai!" Perhaps feeling that she should not tell a child too much, she summarized, "Fortunately, they were discovered and stopped in time, so they didn't succeed. Be careful these next few days too. Come straight home after school and don't run around outside."

"Okay, I understand. Thanks, Maiyi." Kyohaku nodded obediently, wearing an expression of belated fear and understanding.

But beneath his lowered gaze lay an entirely different scene. Maiyi's words were like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of memories from his previous life.

Kumogakure spies... stealing a Kekkei Genkai...

This was no ordinary espionage incident! This was that crucial plot point from the original story—Kumogakure ninja attempting to abduct Kushina Uzumaki, a member of the Uzumaki Clan with special chakra, enough to become the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki!

The relevant memories immediately surfaced in his mind. Twelve-year-old Kushina had been abducted, but she cleverly left strands of her red hair behind as clues along the way. Meanwhile, thirteen-year-old Minato Namikaze, still an unknown young genius at the time, relied on his extraordinary tracking ability and combat talent to pursue them alone, cleanly dispatch three adult Kumogakure elite ninja, and successfully rescue Kushina. This incident not only displayed the nascent potential of Minato's "Golden Flash," but also picked up the red thread connecting his and Kushina's destinies, capturing the young girl's heart.

So it's already reached this point in time... Kyohaku thought. Minato Namikaze, the future Fourth Hokage and wielder of the Flying Thunder God, was still only a young genius who had just begun to shine. And Kushina, the future Nine-Tails jinchuriki... The gears of fate were slowly turning somewhere beyond his sight.

Once again, he felt a strange sense of detachment, as if he were standing at the edge of a stage and watching a play unfold scene by scene when he already knew the script.

Not long after that incident, another event confirmed the passage of time and the progression of the plot.

During a routine visit to Konoha Hospital for a follow-up examination of his right foot, Kyohaku keenly sensed that something about the hospital's atmosphere was different. It had always been busy, but there had also been an orderly, professional feeling to it. This time, however, the air seemed to carry a faint sense of anxiety and loss.

The Medical Ninjutsu practitioner examining him looked exceptionally exhausted, and some of the usual brightness had vanished from his eyes. During a pause in the examination, the hushed conversation between two nurses vaguely reached Kyohaku's ears:

"...Lady Tsunade's treatment plan really is effective, but this case is simply too complicated..."

"...If only Lady Tsunade were still here..."

"...Sigh, stop talking. Focus on your work..."

Lady Tsunade... the plans she left behind... If only she were still here?

Kyohaku's heart jolted. He immediately realized what had happened. Considering the timing, as well as the atmosphere throughout the hospital, as though it had lost its pillar of support...

Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, had suffered immense psychological trauma from the death of her lover Dan Katō and the early death of her younger brother Nawaki. She had developed a severe fear of blood because of war and bloodshed. She could no longer remain in a hospital that constantly reminded her of her pain, nor could she continue facing everything in Konoha. She had chosen to leave.

Taking Dan Katō's niece, Shizune Katō, she had left Konoha.

Tsunade has left too... Kyohaku lay on the examination bed, allowing the Medical Ninjutsu practitioner to inspect the still-weakened chakra pathways in his right foot, while turmoil surged through his heart. This means Konoha's medical system has temporarily lost its backbone. It also means... certain future possibilities have become more difficult for me, but perhaps... a gap has appeared?

His original plans had included making use of the Medical Ninjutsu system, especially the possibility of coming into contact with Tsunade or her legacy in the future. Tsunade's departure had undoubtedly added more uncertainty. Yet on the other hand, her leaving might also create gaps in knowledge or unmet needs.

The two incidents were like stones cast into a tranquil lake, their ripples gently rocking the small boat that was Kyohaku Uchiha, sailing with such caution. They reminded him that predetermined fate was still rolling inexorably forward, and that he, an unexpected variable, had to hide himself even more carefully and seek out those faint opportunities that belonged to him within the cracks between these major events.

The follow-up examination ended, and he slowly left the hospital leaning on his cane. The sunlight remained bright, but in his eyes, Konoha's sky seemed to have grown a little dimmer—and... a little more real.