Renowned Throughout Leaf Village

Hyuga Tianyi was awakened by a jumble of voices.

He struggled to open his eyes, his vision gradually sharpening from a blur.

What came into view was the ceiling of a crude medical tent.

Aoba Tachibana, standing nearby, saw Tianyi wake up. "Sister Aoi! Sister Aoi! He's awake!"

"...Aoba Tachibana, keep it down!" Mitarai Aoi's slightly weary reprimand came from outside the tent.

Tianyi tried to move, but soreness and dull pain immediately flared throughout his body.

His ribs in particular were tightly bandaged, and even the slightest movement tugged at the wound.

His chakra had recovered considerably, without the stabbing pain of overexertion. Clearly, he had received excellent treatment and rest.

Memories came flooding back: the poisonous mist, the desperate battle, the explosion, and finally, darkness.

"Little Sansho Fish... Nawaki and the others..." he muttered, struggling to sit up.

"Tianyi! You're finally awake!!"

An energetic voice rang through the tent, brimming with undisguised excitement.

Nawaki bounded to the bedside in a few strides, his face lit by a brilliant smile completely at odds with the postwar atmosphere of the camp.

"How are you feeling? Do your injuries still hurt? Do you know? You've rendered great service! Enormous service!"

Nawaki spoke as rapidly as a barrage of bullets, his eyes sparkling.

"Right now, the entire camp—no, the news has probably already reached the village. Everyone is talking about you!"

Tianyi was a little dazed by the noise. "Talking... about me?"

"Of course!" Nawaki nodded vigorously, gesturing animatedly.

"By yourself, you took down one Hidden Rain Village Jonin and four Chunin.

You even severely injured Hanzo's second summoned beast, completely destroying the source of the poisonous mist!

You directly changed the course of the local battlefield! If you hadn't badly wounded that poison-spewing Ibuse,

Moonlight Kaede and I wouldn't have been able to save so many people. The frontline casualties would have been far worse!"

He leaned closer and lowered his voice, though he could not hide his excitement.

"And most importantly, the demigod Hanzo remembered you!"

Tianyi's heart skipped a beat.

Nawaki failed to notice the subtle change in his expression and continued excitedly.

"My sister, her teacher, and the other three successfully held Hanzo back in this battle.

They displayed strength capable of contending with him, so Hanzo personally named them Konoha's Three Sannin!

What an honor and recognition!"

He paused, looking at Tianyi with eyes full of shared pride.

"And you, Tianyi, caught Hanzo's attention too! Although he didn't speak to you directly,

before retreating, he stared in your direction for a long time, then told my sister and the others..."

Nawaki imitated Hanzo's hoarse, icy tone with startling accuracy.

"I never expected my final plan to be ruined by a little brat from Leaf Village.

Yet beneath poisonous mist of this scale, so many of you Leaf Village ninja survived.

Judging from your expressions, this little brat also cured my poison.

It seems this battle has been won by you Leaf Village ninja.

So I will spare your lives.

The three of you are all powerful,

and you survived even under such circumstances.

From this day onward, I, Hanzo, shall call you Konoha's Three Sannin!

As the price of surviving,

each of you shall bear the weight of your own fame."

"Then, listen, Hanzo pointed in your direction and said:

'That little brat from Leaf Village—I, Hanzo, will remember him. One day, I will personally take his head.'"

Tianyi was completely stunned.

A chill crawled up his spine.

He had been personally marked by Ibuse Hanzo, the demigod of the Ninja World?

How was that an honor?! It was clearly a death sentence!

A tree that rises above the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Fame without sufficient strength to support it was meat roasting over a fire!

He could already imagine that from now on,

"that Hyuga kid remembered by Hanzo,"

"even Hanzo knows him"... these labels would act like magnets,

drawing endless curiosity, jealousy, scrutiny, and... enemy targeting!

"This... damn Hanzo..." Tianyi's lips felt dry as he muttered a curse.

He would rather remain an inconspicuous Branch House Genin and quietly build his strength.

He did not want to be shoved into the spotlight so early, especially in this way.

Nawaki froze, apparently not expecting Tianyi to react like that.

"Tianyi? What's wrong? This is a good thing! It means even Hanzo acknowledges how dangerous you are!"

At that moment, the tent flap was lifted, and Mitarai Aoi walked in.

She looked even more haggard than she had a few days ago, with faint shadows beneath her eyes, but her gaze remained clear and gentle.

She first nodded to Nawaki, then walked straight to Tianyi's bedside.

Naturally, she placed a hand over Tianyi's forehead, then gently pressed against the bandaging around his ribs.

She carefully sensed the flow of his chakra and the recovery of his injuries.

"Your chakra is recovering faster than expected. Under the Mystical Palm Technique, your broken ribs have already begun to heal.

But you must not engage in strenuous activity for at least three days," Aoi said softly.

Only after finishing her examination did she look at Tianyi, her calm eyes seeming to see through the worries in his heart.

"Don't worry." Aoi's voice was soft, yet it carried a reassuring strength.

"Lady Tsunade is here."

Those few words loosened the tight knot in Tianyi's heart slightly.

That was right. He was not entirely without support now.

He had saved a great many Leaf Village ninja, including core members of the Medical Corps.

That favor and those achievements were tangible.

And Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin and the princess of the Senju Clan,

undeniably held considerable influence in Leaf Village. Since she had acknowledged Nawaki's friendship with him,

then to a certain extent, he had also come under her protection.

At the very least, there would be far less open harassment within Leaf Village.

Aoi watched the change in his eyes and nodded slightly, as though she knew he understood.

Just then, a stern voice came from outside the tent.

"Hyuga Tianyi, orders from headquarters. If your injuries permit, report to the central command tent immediately."

Nawaki immediately stood up, an expression of just as I thought appearing on his face.

Excitedly, he grabbed Tianyi and pulled him up. "Come on, come on! It must be my sister and the others who want to see you and reward your merits!"

Tianyi was half-pulled, half-dragged out of the medical tent by Nawaki.

Outside, the rain had stopped, but the sky remained overcast.

The camp was filled with the distinctive mingled scent of the aftermath of battle.

Quite a few Leaf Village ninja who were resting or working looked over when they saw him emerge.

Their gazes carried curiosity, admiration, and gratitude.

Many ninja also began murmuring among themselves.

"Look, that's Hyuga Tianyi..."

"I heard he dealt with the monster that released the poison all by himself..."

"Hanzo even said he would personally..."

"Is he really only a Genin?"

Tianyi did his best to keep his gaze straight ahead. Following Nawaki beneath the watchful eyes of the crowd,

he headed toward the largest tent at the center of the camp.

Tianyi steadied himself and drew a deep breath.

What had to be faced would eventually have to be faced.