The reason Gekkō Samukaze resisted the examination was simple—he was terrified that the strange green light in his mind would be discovered.
That light was his ultimate secret weapon, the cheat that would one day let him dominate the entire shinobi world. If anyone found out about it, he might end up dissected and studied like some lab rat. After all, Konoha had both Danzō and Orochimaru—two maniacs who would happily carve him up without hesitation. Just the thought was enough to make him despair.
Unfortunately, right now Samukaze had no strength to resist the overwhelming authority of Gekkō Hoshino and his wife, Etsuko.
With the couple's iron grip, he was directly dragged off to Konoha Hospital.
This was Samukaze's first time ever stepping inside.
Konoha Hospital was enormous. In a village where most buildings were only three stories high, the hospital towered seven stories tall—a miracle of architecture and Earth Release ninjutsu combined.
"Follow me," Etsuko said briskly.
Once inside, she led Hoshino and Samukaze upstairs as though she knew every corner of the building. Along the way they passed many doctors and nurses; Etsuko greeted each politely.
Hoshino also ran into several acquaintances, ninja wearing forehead protectors, but all pale-faced and bandaged, clearly badly injured.
Samukaze trudged behind them, lifeless, like a pig being led to the slaughterhouse—completely devoid of energy.
"Samukaze, cheer up," Hoshino encouraged. "If they find a kekkei genkai, you'll become an excellent shinobi!"
"Come on, Fū-chan, do your best!" Etsuko added warmly, ruffling his hair.
"Heh…" Samukaze gave a cold laugh. It felt like he was already walking toward the end of his life.
Before long, the three of them arrived at the top floor of the hospital. Etsuko guided them down the hall to the director's office.
Knock, knock!
She knocked respectfully twice.
"Come in," called a man's voice from inside.
"Director," Etsuko greeted politely as she pushed the door open.
"Lord Nara," Hoshino added with a bow.
Samukaze's eyes flickered.
Nara? Could it be someone from the Nara clan?
Of course. The Nara were not only a shinobi clan but also owners of vast mountain forests where they raised deer and cultivated medicinal herbs. They were Konoha's largest supplier of medical resources—the giants of the village's pharmaceutical trade.
So it was no surprise that the hospital's director was a Nara.
Samukaze looked up. The man inside had a lean face and a ponytail pointing straight upward—a signature Nara feature. No doubt about it, he was one of them.
"Hoshino, Etsuko," the director greeted with a smile. "Here to check on Hayate?"
"Yes, Lord Nara," Hoshino said respectfully. "Has Hayate's kekkei genkai been confirmed yet?"
"Still under examination," the man—Nara Shikii—replied. "We'll know exactly what type it is by tomorrow." Then his eyes fell on Samukaze. "And this is your child?"
"Yes, Lord Nara," Hoshino said, bowing again. "This is our son. His name is Samukaze."
Samukaze just stood there silently.
Hoshino reached over and gave him a light smack on the head.
Samukaze glared up at him.
Hoshino coughed awkwardly.
Etsuko was more direct—she grabbed his ear and twisted. "Fū-chan, children can't be this rude~"
"Ahh! Ow, ow!" Samukaze cried. Left with no choice, he relented. "Hello, Uncle Nara!!"
"Good, good. Hahaha, very spirited boy," Nara Shikii chuckled.
"Lord Nara," Hoshino said hesitantly, "could I trouble you to also examine Samukaze? I suspect he may have awakened a kekkei genkai as well."
"Oh?" Nara Shikii's brows lifted. He smiled. "If that's true, then the name of the Gekkō clan will surely echo across the shinobi world."
He stood and approached Samukaze.
"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Nara," both Hoshino and Etsuko said, bowing deeply.
"Come with me," Shikii said.
Led by him, the four entered a small laboratory. Strange glass containers lined the shelves: some filled with human organs floating in liquid, others with red and yellow solutions bubbling faintly. The place had an eerie, unsettling atmosphere.
This… this isn't Orochimaru's lab, right? Samukaze thought nervously, half-expecting a snake to slither out of the shadows and swallow him whole.
"Samukaze, we'll need to draw a little blood for testing. Don't worry, it won't hurt much," Shikii said kindly, holding up a syringe.
Samukaze blinked. Blood?
Of course! Kekkei genkai were tied to DNA. A blood test was more than enough—no need to scan his brain.
Relieved, he obediently rolled up his sleeve and offered half a vial of blood.
Shikii carefully divided the sample into several dishes, then took down a row of sealed test tubes containing liquids of various strange colors. He poured the contents into the dishes one by one, marking each with a number, then watched intently for reactions.
Time passed quickly. Half an hour slipped by.
Shikii's brows furrowed as he studied the blood. After some thought, he drew another sample from Samukaze and ran additional tests. But in the end—nothing.
Hoshino and Etsuko exchanged a glance, sighing heavily.
"I'm sorry," Shikii finally said. "I couldn't find any trace of a kekkei genkai in him."
"It was greedy of us to hope," Hoshino admitted with a bow. "Apologies, Lord Nara, for troubling you."
But Shikii shook his head with a smile. "Not at all. I enjoy conducting these tests. If more villagers awakened kekkei genkai, Konoha's strength would only grow, and other villages would think twice before provoking us. Now then, Hayate should be nearly finished with his examination. Let's return."
The group left the lab and returned to Shikii's office.
"Director, Uncle Hoshino, Aunt Etsuko, brother," came a voice inside.
It was Gekkō Hayate, standing there after completing his own tests.
Whenever a blood sample showed signs of a kekkei genkai, more detailed examinations were performed to identify the type. Results, however, wouldn't be available until the following day.
"Hayate, the future of the Gekkō clan rests on your shoulders now," Hoshino said, his voice filled with both pride and sorrow.
"I understand, Uncle Hoshino. I'll do my best," Hayate replied earnestly, nodding over and over, though who could say if he truly grasped the weight of those words?
Samukaze, however, understood. In the original timeline, Gekkō Hayate had likely been crushed by this same clan pressure, forcing himself into relentless training until his young body broke down from exhaustion.
Samukaze sighed, walked over, and patted Hayate's shoulder. In a serious tone, he advised, "Little brother, don't push yourself too hard. Play it safe, grow slowly—got it?"
The words had barely left his mouth when—smack!
Hoshino's hand cracked down on his head, his face twitching with frustration. "That's only because your talent is so poor!"
"Eh? This is my fault?!" Samukaze looked up, stunned. No way! I'm not taking the blame for this one!
…
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(End of Chapter)