Medical Corps Selection?

"Kakashi?" Danzo asked doubtfully.

"Yes." Aburame Ryoma continued:

"The other team consisted of one Chunin and two Genin."

"All three members of the team were dead. Based on the mission report, Kawata Nao killed all three."

Danzo instinctively focused his attention on Kakashi.

"Penetrating wounds... Kakashi..."

Was it Chidori?

Danzo could not be certain.

Aburame Ryoma suddenly recalled something else and added:

"Lord Danzo, the other squad had also brought along a member of the Hyuga clan."

"The Hyuga are arrogant. Why would one of them join a Genin squad?"

"He was a Ninja Academy student named Hyuga Qingchuan."

"Hyuga Qingchuan... There's no need to investigate him. Focus your efforts on Kakashi's teammates instead."

"Yes, but this Hyuga Qingchuan was also connected to the deaths of the other two bounty ninja. Those two bounty ninja had also provided us with experimental subjects."

Danzo frowned, irritation rising within him.

Why was it Hyuga Qingchuan again?

Why was this person like a fly, constantly buzzing by his ear? He was everywhere.

Ever since Hiruzen had recommended him, that person had disgusted him every day.

At that thought, the nameless fire in his gut burned ever hotter.

"Sound out Hyuga Qingchuan. See whether he knows anything."

"Yes."

"Has the personnel application been approved yet?"

Shimura Danzo suddenly remembered this matter.

Ever since Sarutobi Hiruzen had refused his request for personnel last time, he had switched to bombarding him with paperwork.

Under the banner of Konoha's grand development plan, he applied pressure every few days.

He used righteousness to bind Sarutobi Hiruzen.

But that bastard Hiruzen had agreed on the surface.

In reality, he had fobbed him off with a batch of deadweights like Obito Uchiha and Hyuga Qingchuan.

The two sides had gone back and forth several times without any result.

In truth, after several rounds of wrangling with Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo felt some regret.

He should not have used Asuma Sarutobi to provoke him in a moment of anger. After all, he was the Hokage.

But regret was regret. Asking him to bow his head and admit fault was impossible.

It would only further fuel his determination to become Hokage.

Aburame Ryoma could not quite keep up with Danzo's train of thought. How had the conversation suddenly shifted to this?

Still, he quietly answered, "Not yet."

"If Hiruzen tries to fob us off with this Hyuga Qingchuan again, just accept him."

"Once we get him here, whether he knows anything or not..."

"As long as he enters Root and receives the cursed seal, it will no longer be up to him."

"If he truly is useless, send him on a mission and get him killed. That way, he won't disgust me every day."

"Focus the rest of your efforts on investigating Kakashi."

"Yes."

The next day.

Hyuga Qingchuan went to the hospital as usual to work himself to the bone.

As he passed a crossroads.

He suddenly felt a chill behind him.

His senses detected a sharp gaze fixed upon him.

He was startled. Why did this feeling seem so familiar?

Pretending not to notice, he continued forward.

"Hyuga Qingchuan!"

The person behind him called out to stop him.

Only then did Hyuga Qingchuan turn around in confusion.

A ninja wearing an ANBU mask stood on a rooftop, looking down at him from above.

"Who are you?"

The other person leaped down, though his chin remained slightly raised as he looked down at Hyuga Qingchuan with extreme arrogance.

"I am an ANBU member. I am here to conduct a routine inquiry."

"A routine inquiry?" Hyuga Qingchuan was somewhat puzzled.

"Regarding the deaths of the three members of your squad, as well as your killing of two bounty ninja."

After Yuhi Shinku had submitted the mission report, had ANBU not already come to learn the details?

Why were they here again?

Feeling the cold aura and killing intent radiating from the other person, Hyuga Qingchuan came to a realization.

This was probably Root.

Without betraying anything, he repeated the same story he had made up for Yuhi Shinku.

Sure enough, this "ANBU" used the deaths of the three squad members as a pretext for questioning, yet rarely asked about the details of how they had died.

Instead, he showed great interest in the big man and the two brothers.

Fortunately, after ANBU's previous inquiry, Hyuga Qingchuan had already prepared a response for every detail of this part.

He recited his prepared explanation point by point.

During the process, he noticed something.

This "ANBU" had been going in circles, trying to conceal his true purpose from Hyuga Qingchuan through repeated questioning.

At the same time, he was verifying the truthfulness of the events Hyuga Qingchuan described.

But Hyuga Qingchuan had prepared for all of that. His powerful spiritual energy made his mind far clearer than that of an ordinary person.

Moreover, he was not a child. He could more or less sense from it all.

What this "ANBU" was truly interested in.

Was whether the fragments of conversation from those three people had revealed any intelligence.

He had nothing to hide in that regard, so he told the truth.

After all, he really had not obtained any information from them.

The materials seized from the three had also all been submitted.

Seeing that he could not extract any other information, the "ANBU" did not even say goodbye before vanishing with a Body Flicker Technique.

"Looks like Root has deep ties with those bounty ninja."

Hyuga Qingchuan thought to himself.

He suddenly felt a sense of urgency. Once he had dealings with Root.

It meant he had already entered their field of vision.

Now, there was not only the Third Shinobi War, but also the threat posed by those rats within Konoha.

He headed straight for the hospital.

Delayed by Root for quite some time, he was already somewhat late when he arrived at the hospital.

He hurriedly changed into medical protective clothing and began his rounds for the day.

Konoha Hospital had only just been established, so it was not yet like it would be in the future.

It had not strictly divided itself into numerous departments according to symptoms.

However, the nurses were responsible for recording the patients' feelings and conditions.

He was only responsible for checking the patients' recovery.

With medical ninjutsu, a godlike technique that defied all reason, there were not as many hospitalized patients as there would be in the future.

And with the Byakugan, examinations went very quickly.

Soon, the rounds were over.

He hurried to the conference room to attend the daily morning meeting and discuss treatment plans for difficult cases.

The hospital did not know where Hyuga Qingchuan had learned such extensive knowledge and experience.

But given that his medical knowledge was more solid and comprehensive than that of most doctors.

And that he could offer highly practical suggestions every time.

He had to attend the daily discussion meetings as well.

The moment he entered the conference room, he noticed that far fewer doctors than usual had attended the morning meeting.

Even Hattori Yoshiko, the leader of his group, and Ishida Yuki, the deputy leader, were nowhere to be seen.

The case under discussion at today's meeting involved severe injuries, and they discussed it for a full two hours without reaching an end.

Yet after all that time, there was still no sign of his two group leaders.

He poked his colleague Chiba Yuzu beside him and asked softly:

"Yuzu, where are our two group leaders? Why aren't they here?"

"Ah! They didn't come?" Chiba Yuzu turned and looked around. Sure enough, neither of them was there.

"Maybe they went to take part in the Medical Corps selection."

Hyuga Qingchuan was startled.

"Medical Corps selection?"