Chapter 21: Yoshitoki
Arashi quickly recovered from his shock. He immediately grasped the immense benefits this plan could bring to the Yotsuki clan and understood why Dana had only included the two of them. He began to seriously consider the chain of events it would set in motion. The future Fourth Raikage was no brainless brute.
Dodai, on the other hand, was now triple-checking the sound-proofing barrier. He took the scroll with the detailed plan from Dana, and it felt as heavy as an S-rank mission scroll.
This scroll was far more important than any S-rank mission.
"I've written down all the other details in the scroll," Dana said. "Show it to Dad later. I've already put Kitanouji on hold with the promise of a big order. His experience and skills are indispensable, so there's no need to cut him out completely. The business network he's built up over the years is very valuable. If this works out, just give him the shares he deserves."
Given the dominant position of the Five Great Villages, Kitanouji would be lucky to keep even ten percent. But that ten percent could be worth far more than the single blacksmith's shop he currently owned.
"But the sooner we move, the better," Dana concluded. "It's possible someone else has already noticed the potential. The faster we act, the fewer variables we'll have to deal with."
"Young Master Dana," Dodai said, his voice urgent, "may I have your permission to return to the village immediately and report this to Lord Raikage? This is a matter of great importance to the village."
"Of course," Dana replied. He had no reason to disagree.
"But if I leave, your protective detail will be shorthanded," Dodai hesitated. He was the strongest of the three Jonin; his departure would significantly weaken the team.
"It's fine," Dana said, waving his hand dismissively. "We're so close to the Land of Lightning, what could possibly happen? Besides, even without you, we still have two Jonin, several Chunin, and Arashi is nearly Jonin-level himself. We'll be perfectly fine."
Dodai considered it. He was right. And if he traveled at top speed, he could be back in three or four days.
"Then I shall depart tonight."
"Go on, go on."
The day after Dodai left with the scroll, Dana's group finally arrived at their destination: a small village near the capital of the Land of Hot Water, where the old physician lived.
The village was small and dilapidated, with only a few dozen residents. It was clear the doctor hadn't been living here for long; otherwise, he'd have a hard time finding any patients.
Dana had prepared himself for what he might find, but when he finally saw the old man, he was still taken aback.
Arashi had been conservative in his description. The man didn't just look like he could die at any moment; he looked like a corpse that had just clawed its way out of a coffin.
His face was covered in what might have been age spots, and every wrinkle looked deep enough to hold a handful of coins. His skin was stretched thin over his bones. When Dana saw him, the old man was trimming a bonsai tree, moving at a glacial pace of about one movement every ten seconds.
"Oh... it's you, young man," the old man said, his voice trembling. "Your companion has been here for a while. Are you here to take him home?" In the time it took him to say one sentence, it sounded like a glob of ancient phlegm had made a round trip up and down his throat several times.
To ensure the old man didn't wander off, and also to keep an eye on him in case he did suddenly drop dead, Arashi had left one of the Chunin from his squad behind.
"Grandfather," Arashi said politely, "I told you before about my little brother's condition. I've brought him with me this time." He gently pushed Dana forward.
The old man looked Dana up and down. "Wait a moment," he rasped. "Let me finish with this flower."
"..."
They waited for over two hours.
"Bro," Dana whispered, "you think he's gonna die mid-snip?"
"Hmm... it's a definite possibility," Arashi replied with a perfectly straight face.
Just as Dana was about to lose his mind, the old doctor finally finished with the bonsai, though Dana couldn't see any discernible difference. The old man then led them into his courtyard and began to wander around aimlessly.
The entire group stood in a line, watching in bewilderment as the old man shuffled back and forth. Sometimes he'd go left, sometimes right. Sometimes he'd disappear into his house for a few minutes before reappearing. His eyes were unfocused, and he was muttering to himself, as if performing some kind of ritual. One by one, the shinobi tilted their heads, their expressions slowly going blank.
"What is he doing?"
"I have no idea."
"You don't think he's just going to... wander himself to death, do you?" one of the Jonin wondered aloud.
The others seriously contemplated the likelihood of this happening.
Just then, the old man stopped. He pulled a chair out from behind a broken door panel. "I knew it was around here somewhere."
He had been looking for a chair!
Just as they thought he was about to sit down, the old man placed the chair in front of them.
"Wait here. I'll go borrow a few more chairs from the neighbors."
There was no way they were going to let him go on that quest; he might not make it back by sunrise. One of the shinobi immediately used an Earth Release jutsu to create a few simple stools and pulled the old man back. The others had gotten the message: it was best to just do things for him.
They got the old man settled, brought him tea and water, and fetched whatever he needed. They even tidied up his small courtyard. The efficiency of the group shot up dramatically.
"Thank you, young people," the old man said cheerfully. "You've done so much for me."
If you're slow enough, someone will eventually get fed up and do the work for you.
While they waited, Dana started to chat with the old man, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Sir, how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Hmm... let me think..." The old man trailed off and fell silent. Dana discreetly glanced at him, but it was impossible to read anything from his overly ancient face. But Dana would bet Uzumaki Hiroto's life that this man had been born in the distant Warring States Period, and was far older than anyone he knew of, including Hashirama Senju.
"Are you planning on living here permanently?"
"Ah, I've traveled to many places. I don't feel like moving anymore. This place is nice," the old man said with a grin.
"What should I call you?"
"You can call me Grandpa Yoshitoki. Hahaha."
Finally, the attendants had everything ready, and it was time for Dana's examination.
Old man Yoshitoki had Dana take off his shirt. He then reached out with an arm that was barely thicker than a broomstick and took Dana's hand. He didn't check his pulse, as Dana had expected. Instead, he began to feel his way up Dana's arm, occasionally squeezing. Dana then remembered that pulse diagnosis was a part of traditional Chinese medicine; this was the ninja world.
"Be careful, sir," Dana warned. "My condition is a bit... special. I sometimes discharge electricity uncontrollably, and it can be quite powerful."
After a general examination of Dana's body, the old man made a gesture in front of his chest, and a faint white light appeared at his fingertips.
It took Dana a moment to realize what had just happened. The old man had formed a hand seal. His movements were just so slow that no one had even considered the possibility.
A one-handed seal. Was he a ninja?