Treatment

The moment he entered the hospital, all manner of noise came rushing at him.

Hyuga Seisen's head buzzed from the clamor.

His consciousness had already begun to blur, and his vision was shrouded in haze.

After battle upon battle, then traveling such a long distance while injured, he had only made it back to the village by relying on sheer willpower.

In a daze, he was carried onto a hospital bed and taken around for various examinations.

Through the haze, a tall medical worker with delicate features appeared in his field of vision.

She carefully and gently examined him. Then green light rose from her hands as she pressed them over his abdomen.

The light was warm, and the area beneath it felt tingly and numb, incredibly comfortable.

It was comfortable enough to make him sleepy. Ever since he had transmigrated here, he had either been fighting or traveling. He was exhausted in both body and mind, and now he only wanted a good rest.

"Tian Lu, how is he?"

Yuhi Shinku looked at the refined-looking medical worker and asked in a low voice.

Tian Lu frowned, her expression grave. "Three broken ribs and two knife wounds on his back. One of them was only one centimeter from his heart."

"But judging from the scabbing, these wounds are already seven or eight days old, and someone treated them before."

She paused before adding,

"But all the wounds tore open again afterward."

"Also, there are signs of bone fractures in both his arms."

A trace of surprise flashed through Yuhi Shinku's eyes.

"He fought another intense battle after being injured, and still managed to make it back to the village."

"Not many children his age have that kind of willpower."

He looked at Hyuga Seisen lying on the bed, admiration in his eyes.

A moment later, Tian Lu withdrew her hands and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"I've given his wounds temporary treatment, but they've become infected. He needs surgery."

"Good work. Notify me immediately when he wakes up," Yuhi Shinku instructed.

"Yes, Lord Shinku."

Hyuga Seisen did not wake up until three days later.

The ample sleep and effective treatment made him feel completely refreshed, though his body was still somewhat weak.

But the pervasive, agonizing pain had vanished.

He instinctively stretched, feeling every muscle and bone in his body loosen up.

Just then, he caught sight of a figure seated beside the bed from the corner of his eye.

An elderly woman with a head full of white hair sat with her head lowered, unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes between her hands.

Her wrinkled face was full of worry. She had not even noticed that he was awake.

Sunlight streamed through the window onto her face, illuminating the ravines carved by time. Her silver hair shone brilliantly beneath the light.

"Grandma."

Hyuga Seisen called out instinctively.

The old woman trembled and raised her head in disbelief.

When she saw her grandson's clear eyes looking at her, overwhelming joy instantly appeared on her face.

"Little Seisen..."

She practically threw herself at the bedside, wrapping her withered hands around Hyuga Seisen. Her eyes immediately welled up.

"Thank goodness, Little Seisen. It's wonderful that you're all right..." she choked out incoherently. "Amaterasu has blessed us..."

"Grandma, I'm fine."

Hyuga Seisen tried his best to give her a reassuring smile.

The old woman wiped away her tears. The worry on her face instantly turned to joy, and her grin deepened the creases in her face.

"Are you thirsty? Grandma will get you a glass of water, then peel you an apple."

Her face was full of affection and indulgence as she spoke, trembling as she tried to stand.

"No need, Grandma."

Hyuga Seisen hurriedly got up and hopped off the bed, holding down his grandmother before she could start bustling around.

"Then are you hungry? Grandma will go home, cook something, and bring it back for you."

"Ah, no need!"

"Grandma, I'm already better. The hospital's healing techniques are amazing."

Seeing how restless the old woman was, he could not help but smile, though there was helplessness in his eyes.

His grandmother in his previous life had been the same way.

Whenever he got sick, she would sit beside his bed and watch him with a worried expression.

The moment she saw him wake up, she would start fussing over this and that, constantly checking whether he was cold or hungry.

Later, when anti-addiction restrictions prevented him from playing games, he used his grandmother's ID to verify his account.

Whenever facial recognition was required, his grandmother would always happily lean into the frame.

She thought her grandson wanted to take a photo with her, so she would give the camera her warmest smile.

But not until after she passed away did he realize that there was not a single photo of him with his grandmother on his phone.

He cried for a long, long time that day, until his eyes were swollen. All he could think of was his grandmother's kind smile.

It had remained one of his deepest regrets...

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

Yuhi Shinku and Tian Lu entered together.

"How do you feel? Is anything still bothering you?" Yuhi Shinku asked.

"I'm fine now. Thank you... uh, sir."

Hyuga Seisen nodded in thanks, forcibly changing the "Lord Shinku" that had almost left his mouth into "sir."

There had been no connection with Yuhi Shinku in the original owner's memories. He should not know Yuhi Shinku.

"I'm Yuhi Shinku. This is Tian Lu from the medical unit, and she was also the doctor responsible for your surgery," Yuhi Shinku introduced simply.

Tian Lu? Hyuga Seisen's heart stirred.

As he recalled, among those who had helped deliver the Fourth's child,

aside from the Third's wife, Sarutobi Biwako, there had also been a beautiful medical worker named Tian Lu.

So it was her. A medical worker trusted to deliver the Hokage's child—there was no need to question either her medical skill or loyalty.

Tian Lu tilted her head and gave him an exceptionally friendly smile. "Just call me Sister Tian Lu."

"Yes. Thank you for saving me, Lord Shinku."

"Thank you for treating me, Sister Tian Lu," Hyuga Seisen replied politely.

"Hehe, what a handsome little brother."

Tian Lu seemed quite interested in him. Grinning, she reached out naturally to pinch his cheeks.

Though Hyuga Seisen repeatedly dodged, he still suffered quite a bit of unwanted groping.

Yuhi Shinku watched the scene, coughed, and beckoned to Hyuga Seisen.

"Seisen, come outside with me for a moment."

As soon as they left the ward, Yuhi Shinku began asking about the injuries covering his body.

Hyuga Seisen had long prepared his story for this.

He told Yuhi Shinku everything, from leaving the village on the mission to returning after being injured.

He only left out the part about the big man coming back.

As for killing the two bounty ninja, he changed it to say that he had been captured by them.

However, the two had turned on each other during the journey, fighting until both were severely injured.

He had seized the opportunity to kill them, though he had been injured as well.

For the time being, he did not want to reveal the Quincy abilities.

Once his abilities were reported, such unprecedented ninjutsu would very likely draw Danzo and Orochimaru's attention.

If he was lucky, Danzo's collector's obsession might get him recruited into Root and branded with a tongue seal.

If he was unlucky, Danzo might get a sudden whim one day and hand him over to Orochimaru to be stuffed into a jar.

But he did not intend to hide forever, either. Only by showing that he was worth cultivating could he obtain preferential resources and protection.

Hiruzen Sarutobi placed considerable importance on the younger generation. Any promising young talent could receive training.

Therefore, Hyuga Seisen had his own ideas about revealing his Quincy abilities.

It was not that he would never reveal them.

He would reveal them methodically and in stages, before people capable of cultivating him, according to the circumstances.

Ideally, he would demonstrate them directly before Hiruzen Sarutobi. That would be far more effective than having someone else recount it.

After listening to Hyuga Seisen's account, Yuhi Shinku nodded, indicating that he had noted everything down.

"Because this involves the destruction of an entire team, it must be reported to the Hokage. You don't need to submit the mission report. I'll submit it together with mine."

"Other personnel may come to ask you about the details later. Cooperate with them properly."

"Yes, thank you, Lord Shinku." Hyuga Seisen bowed respectfully.

Yuhi Shinku patted Hyuga Seisen's shoulder, then turned and left.

Hyuga Seisen also returned to the ward, preparing to help his grandmother home so she could rest.

Before leaving, Tian Lu secretly slipped a piece of paper into his clothes.

She even winked at him, her face flushed as she gave him a meaningful look.

Hyuga Seisen pinched the note, which still retained her body warmth, and watched Tian Lu's lighthearted departing figure.

His heart skipped a beat.

No way?