Inside the medical tent, chakra lamps emitted a soft, warm glow.
Nangō Kumoi leaned back on a simple folding cot. Although his complexion was still somewhat pale, that pair of eyes had already recovered its past clarity.
He held a cup of hot tea in his hands, and wispy steam spiraled under the light, adding a rare tranquility to this tent filled with the smell of medicine.
The tent flap was gently lifted, and Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in.
Seeing that Kumoi was already able to sit up, a trace of relaxation finally appeared on his tight face: "Hokage-sama, is your body feeling better?"
"Senior brother, how many times have I said it? In private, you should still call me Kumoi."
Kumoi put down the teacup, smiled, and patted the edge of the bed: "Come sit. My chakra is already recovered seventy or eighty percent, it's just that my meridians are still a bit sore, not a big problem."
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not sit. Instead, he first carefully looked his junior brother over from head to toe, confirming that he really showed no signs of forcing himself, before taking a thick scroll from his bosom and spreading it out on the small table beside the bed.
"As long as you're fine."
His tone turned serious again: "But this time, you were too reckless. Charging alone into the encirclement of the Four Kage, just in case something went wrong... You must never do this again in the future."
"Haha, alright, alright, senior brother."
Kumoi waved a hand, though there was not much remorse on his face: "Look, didn't I come back safe and sound? Besides, this trip... the harvest was not small."
He paused, reined in his smile, and his gaze fell on that stack of scrolls:
"However, you came to see