In the blink of an eye, another ten days had passed.
The number of wounded in the field hospital had increased dramatically, and the medical-nin were now stretched impossibly thin.
The war between Konoha and Sunagakure had erupted in full force along the front lines.
To prevent the Sand ninja from breaking through the borders of the Land of Fire, more than two thousand Konoha shinobi had been deployed to fortify the frontier.
Leveraging favorable terrain and timing, they had successfully held off the numerically superior Sand forces at the River Country's edge, halting their advance cold.
But even so, Orochimaru, now serving as the frontline commander, found himself vexed. He couldn't decipher Sunagakure's true intentions.
If the Sand ninja launched an all-out assault on the border, the stationed Konoha forces would stand little chance of withstanding it.
True, the Sand would suffer heavy losses, but it would likely force Konoha to retreat nonetheless.
And yet, Sunagakure had done no such thing. Despite launching daily skirmishes, they had avoided any full-scale attack, instead sending small squads to probe and harass the Konoha defenses.
It felt like they were waiting… or scheming something in the shadows.
"Shikaku, what's your take on the Sand's tactics?"
In the command tent, Orochimaru looked at his strategist, Shikaku Nara, rubbing his temple in frustration.
Shikaku shook his head, unable to pierce the enemy's plan.
"Orochimaru-sama, I haven't figured it out yet."
Neither Orochimaru nor Shikaku could predict what Sunagakure's next move would be.
"We should call for reinforcements, Orochimaru-sama."
Though he hadn't cracked the Sand's intentions, Shikaku advised caution, urging that they request backup from the village.
Orochimaru nodded slightly.
"Mm. I was thinking the same."
"I'll also have someone infiltrate the Land of Wind to gather intelligence."
Shikaku had no objections to Orochimaru's plan and gave his approval with a subtle nod.
...
Back at the field hospital, Veigar had undergone over two weeks of treatment. Though he still couldn't move, he had regained the ability to speak.
More importantly, he had begun gathering chakra once again. Though the pain that wracked his body limited how much he could focus, it was enough to activate the Ultra-Fast Regeneration Technique.
That gave him hope.
So long as he could maintain that jutsu, he believed he could recover fully, it was just a matter of time.
Three days later, a group of unexpected visitors arrived in Veigar's hospital room.
Minato Namikaze, along with his three subordinates, Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara.
The moment Veigar saw Minato step into the room, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Sensei…? What are you doing here?"
Then turning to the others:
"Kakashi? Obito? Rin? Why are you here too?"
Minato had brought his team straight from Konoha after receiving a mission from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He was already aware of Veigar's condition, how badly he'd been injured, and the grim report from Tsunade suggesting he might never be a shinobi again.
After arriving at Mount Kikyo, his first priority had been visiting his former student.
Minato flashed his signature sunny smile.
"My mission brought me through Mount Kikyo, so I thought I'd check in on you."
"How are you feeling?"
Though he spoke lightly, a weight pressed on his heart. He'd read Tsunade's report.
Veigar returned his smile.
"I'm doing okay. I just need more time to recover."
Seeing Veigar's smile only deepened Minato's inner turmoil. It was hard to describe what he was feeling.
"When you're back on your feet, let's have a spar."
Kakashi's voice broke through the silence, cool and composed.
"Don't listen to him!" Obito interjected loudly. "When you're better, I'll be the one to beat you!"
Veigar laughed lightly from his bed.
"I'll be waiting."
"Hmph! Then you'd better hurry up and get well!" Obito declared proudly, lifting his chin. But when he caught Kakashi's subtle, dismissive glance, his temper flared.
"Hey! Kakashi, what was that look?! You don't think I can beat him, do you?!"
Kakashi shrugged. "I'm just surprised you're not being more of a dumbass than usual."
Obito exploded, ready to lunge at him, only to be stopped.
"All right, this is a hospital. Don't wake the patients."
Minato stepped in, gently placing a hand on both their heads, before turning to Veigar with a warm smile.
"Hmph… fine. I'll let it slide this time," Obito muttered. The warmth radiating from Minato calmed him down, and he even tossed Kakashi another mock-forgiving glare.
Rin stepped forward, her voice gentle.
"Veigar… I'm sorry. For the noise. Kakashi and Obito can be…"
Veigar gave her a reassuring look.
"No need to apologize. They didn't bother me."
The five of them, master and students, chatted for a while longer. But Minato eventually stood up. He couldn't stay too long. He had a mission to complete, and Veigar needed rest.
Sensing Minato's intentions, Veigar spoke up first.
"Sensei, may I speak with you alone?"
Though he wasn't sure what Veigar wanted to discuss, Minato nodded and turned to the others.
"You three, wait outside for a bit. I'll talk to Veigar alone."
With respectful nods, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin exited the room.
Once the door shut behind them, Minato looked back.
"Veigar, is something wrong?"
Veigar blinked slowly.
"Sensei… I assume you've read Tsunade-sama's medical report."
Minato replied softly.
"So… you already know?"
Veigar's gaze was steady.
"Sensei, I'm going to get better. Not only that, I'll come back even stronger."
Minato didn't refute him. He simply nodded, silently thinking Veigar was putting on a brave face, trying to comfort himself more than anyone else.
But Veigar could see it in his eyes.
No matter how many words he said, it wouldn't matter. What Minato needed wasn't promises. It was proof.
"Ultra-Fast Regeneration Technique."
Suddenly, Veigar activated the jutsu before Minato's eyes. A soft, green chakra radiated from his body as his cells began the accelerated healing process.
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