The hospital morning began amid the smell of medicine and faint groans. Kyohaku woke from a restless, chaotic dream, where fragments of Chen Cheng's memories of the future intertwined with explosions from Kyohaku's own memories.
The year 40 of Konoha... the war has ended... This realization weighed on his heart like a heavy cornerstone. He not only knew where he was, but also how cruel the future path of this world would be. This "foresight" brought not an advantage, but a suffocating sense of urgency.
A new wounded man had been moved into the neighboring bed, his entire left arm tightly wrapped as a medical ninja changed his bandages. Kyohaku immediately pricked up his ears—this was the perfect chance to verify his memories and learn the details of the current situation.
"Those Sunagakure bastards..." the wounded man cursed through gritted teeth. "That last wave of attacks took three more of our brothers..."
"The war is over, Kento," the medical ninja soothed softly. "What you need now is rest and recovery."
That confirms one thing: the war really is over, and one of the opponents was Sunagakure. Kyohaku lowered his head and pretended to fiddle with his cup, concealing a focus that did not suit his age. That matches the main enemies from the Second Shinobi World War in my memories.
"Yeah, it's over." The wounded man named Kento sighed. "But how much did we pay for it? I heard Iwagakure didn't get off easy either. That old fox, the Third Tsuchikage..."
Ōnoki... Iwagakure... These keywords further anchored his understanding. A multi-sided melee—this really was the pattern of the Second Shinobi World War. He needed more information to assess Konoha's exact current state, as well as his own circumstances.
"Kid, were you a victim of the war too?" Kento noticed the unusually quiet child, and his tone softened.
Kyohaku nodded and pointed at his bandaged leg, answering simply in a childish voice, "The day of the entrance ceremony..." He carefully controlled the conversation, avoiding any display of knowledge beyond what a five-year-old should possess.
"Ah, I know about that." Kento's expression dimmed. "I'm sorry about your parents. They were heroes."
Kyohaku lowered his head at the right moment, putting on a sorrowful expression. It fit his persona and spared him from having to discuss it further.
That afternoon, he used his desire to learn how to read as an excuse and asked a medical ninja to take him to the hospital library. He hoped to find more official records to confirm the details of history.
"I want to learn about... the village," Kyohaku explained, trying to sound like a curious child. "Dad always said I should become an outstanding ninja who protects the village."
The medical ninja smiled approvingly and helped him pick out several beginner readers with plenty of illustrations.
But when the ninja was not paying attention, Kyohaku quickly pulled out a copy of Konoha Annals: Recent Years and hid it beneath the picture books.
Back in the ward, he eagerly began reading. The text was obscure, but with his fused memories, he painstakingly deciphered it.
Year 37 of Konoha: Border friction escalated; full-scale conflict erupted with Sunagakure and Iwagakure...
Year 39 of Konoha: Fierce battles within the Land of Rain; an unknown force was suspected to be active... He saw a chilling note.
Midyear, Year 40 of Konoha: A decisive victory against Sunagakure was achieved within the Land of Rivers...
Autumn, Year 40 of Konoha: All parties signed a ceasefire agreement...
Closing the book, Kyohaku took a deep breath. The historical sequence basically matched his memories, but the note about an unknown force sent a chill down his spine—this meant those distant threats were no fantasy. Their roots had already been planted long ago. (Root?)
Near evening, a sudden clamor and cheering rose from outside the window. Kento struggled upright and looked out. "Are the troops returning from the front?"
Kyohaku looked outside as well. Crowds surged along the main road, throwing flowers and cheers toward groups of returning ninja, dusty from travel but standing tall. The setting sun gilded them in gold, and the atmosphere of victory infected everyone.
Triumphant return... Kyohaku watched the scene, but felt little joy. They're cheering now, never knowing this is only a lull before the next, greater storm arrives.
The end of war was always accompanied by cheers, but Kyohaku knew clearly: how long could this illusion of peace last?
He touched his injured leg, which still ached, and an icy, urgent sense of crisis seized him. In this world destined to be filled with danger, he had to gain strength as quickly as possible and find his own way to survive.
"The war is over," Kyohaku murmured, his gaze passing through the cheering crowd toward the silent Hokage Rock in the distance.
The real trial had only just begun for him, a disabled Uchiha orphan who knew the future.
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