"Mmm…"
"Where… am I…?"
A soft, slightly hoarse voice broke the silence of the ward.
Uchiha Mikoto slowly opened her eyes.
For an instant, scarlet light flickered within her pupils.
Three tomoe spun faintly before disappearing just as quickly, her eyes returning to their usual deep black.
Hirakawa Seisui—standing beside the hospital bed—caught that fleeting moment clearly.
Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Just one year ago, Mikoto had only awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
Now, she had already crossed that threshold.
The speed of her growth made Seisui feel complicated emotions.
Envy… admiration… and a faint sense of helplessness.
"This is Konoha Hospital," Seisui said calmly, suppressing his thoughts.
"Your injuries have already been treated. However, you still need to rest for a few days before you can be discharged."
Mikoto blinked, her gaze gradually regaining clarity.
Then she smiled softly.
"So it really is you, Aomizu."
Her smile was gentle and weak, carrying the charm of a mature, graceful woman. Even in her injured state, she naturally evoked a sense of affection and protectiveness.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "I heard I was in pretty bad shape."
"You lost a lot of blood," Seisui replied truthfully. "But the wound avoided vital organs. You were lucky."
"Lucky…" Mikoto murmured, her eyes dimming slightly.
She quickly changed the topic.
"Oh, right. I haven't congratulated you yet."
She looked at him with warm eyes.
"Congratulations on becoming a Medical Ninja."
Seisui was momentarily stunned.
Mikoto had always been like this—gentle, perceptive, and considerate.
After experiencing the death of their instructor and the loss of comrades during the war, she treasured her remaining classmates deeply.
That was precisely why, when Seisui decided to abandon the front lines and pursue medical ninjutsu, she had been one of his strongest supporters.
After all, Medical Ninja usually stayed within the village.
Even when dispatched, they were protected by combat ninja.
Compared to frontline combat units, their survival rate was far higher.
"You deserve it," Mikoto continued softly. "This suits you better than the battlefield."
Seisui smiled faintly.
After exchanging a few more words, he ensured her condition was stable before leaving the ward.
---
Back in his office, Seisui sat down and closed his eyes, quietly recovering his chakra.
At the same time, his attention shifted inward.
The reward from treating Mikoto.
Genjutsu: Tree Binding Kill.
A high-level Genjutsu.
In the original history of the ninja world, this technique was famously used by Yuhi Kurenai against Uchiha Itachi.
The outcome, unfortunately, was disastrous.
But that failure had nothing to do with the technique itself.
It was simply that the Sharingan was too powerful.
Using Genjutsu against an Uchiha?
That was like showing off basic swordplay in front of a master swordsman.
Objectively speaking, Tree Binding Kill was an excellent Genjutsu.
Once activated, the caster vanished from sight.
Then, massive tree-like structures—resembling Wood Release—would erupt from the ground and bind the target.
At the moment the enemy panicked, believing they were facing Wood Release, the caster would emerge to strike.
This Genjutsu originated in the era of Hashirama Senju, when Wood Release dominated the battlefield.
Its true strength lay not in restraint, but in psychological fear.
Seisui exhaled slowly.
"It must be because Mikoto's strength reached Elite Jonin level that I received such a high-quality reward."
Once a ninja awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, they already possessed Elite Jonin-level combat ability.
That was the terror of the Uchiha Clan.
Seisui felt envy rise again.
Then he paused.
"…Wait."
"I have a system."
"…Alright, never mind."
He shifted his attention to the system's rules.
Through repeated testing, he had already confirmed that the orbs obtained from treatments were divided into four grades:
• White Orbs
• Blue Orbs
• Gold Orbs
• Colored Orbs
The higher the grade, the better the reward.
Additionally, for orbs of the same color, the difficulty of the treatment directly affected the quality of the reward.
The system's judgment was clear and ruthless:
• Genin-level or below → White Orb
• Chunin / Special Jonin → Blue Orb
• Jonin / Elite Jonin → Gold Orb
• Kage-level → Colored Orb
In short—
The stronger the patient and the more severe the injury, the better the reward.
After resting briefly, Seisui returned to work.
Over the course of the day, he completed three additional treatments.
• One Genin
• One Chunin
• One Special Jonin
The system responded faithfully.
One White Orb.
Two Blue Orbs.
He opened them without hesitation.
White Orb Reward: +10 Chakra
Blue Orb Reward: +30 Chakra
Blue Orb Reward: +50 Chakra
No ninjutsu rewards.
No bloodline techniques.
But Seisui was extremely satisfied.
At his current stage, chakra quantity mattered more than anything else.
Without chakra, even the strongest medical ninjutsu was useless.
He checked his updated stats.
His maximum chakra had increased noticeably.
Although his chakra consumption was fast, his recovery speed was equally impressive.
"It seems white and blue orbs mainly focus on chakra growth."
"That's perfect."
Seisui's gaze sharpened.
"Then I'll set a small goal first."
"Raise my chakra to 10,000 points."
"That's C-Rank chakra capacity."
Even in Konoha—the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages—Jonin were considered core combat strength.
Their numbers were limited.
That meant…
Most of the patients he treated daily would be Genin and Chunin.
Which perfectly aligned with his plan.
As long as he stayed at Konoha Hospital and continued treating patients, his chakra pool would steadily increase.
Safe.
Stable.
Efficient.
A perfect growth route for a fragile Medical Ninja.
---
Meanwhile—
A red-haired figure rushed into Konoha Hospital.
Her long crimson hair fluttered wildly as she ran, eyes filled with panic and worry.
Uzumaki Kushina.
She had rushed over the moment she heard the news.
"Mikoto! Mikoto!"
She burst into the ward without knocking.
"Are you okay?!"
Mikoto winced.
"Lower your voice," she said irritably.
"This is a hospital. You'll disturb the other patients."
Kushina scratched her head and laughed awkwardly.
"I was worried! I heard you were badly injured—I almost died of fear!"
Seeing Mikoto sitting up, pale but clearly alive, Kushina finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness…"
Mikoto shook her head helplessly.
Yet, Kushina's noisy concern dispelled some of the heaviness in her heart.
This mission…
She had been leading three Genin on a routine assignment.
They were ambushed by a rogue ninja organization.
She fought desperately to protect her students.
In the end, she killed all the enemies.
But she failed.
Only one girl survived.
That girl had dragged her back to the village.
The rest…
Mikoto closed her eyes briefly.
"Oh, right," she said after a pause. "Do you know who treated me?"
"Who?" Kushina asked.
"Aomizu."
Kushina froze.
"…Aomizu?"
"Yes. He's a Medical Ninja now."
"And he treated my injuries."
Kushina's eyes widened.
"That guy?"
"He's only studied medical ninjutsu for about a year, right?"
Since arriving in Konoha, Kushina had lived under the care of Uzumaki Mito and Tsunade.
She understood better than most how difficult medical ninjutsu was.
For ordinary people, becoming a qualified Medical Ninja took years—sometimes decades.
"I was surprised too," Mikoto admitted.
"I didn't expect his talent to be that high."
Kushina nodded slowly.
Then she smiled.
"I'm happy for him."
After chatting a bit longer, Kushina left the ward.
But she didn't go home.
Instead, she stormed straight toward Seisui's office.
She slammed the door open.
"Aomizu, you bastard!"
"You became a Medical Ninja and didn't even tell me?!"
"Do you not consider me a friend anymore?!"
Seisui nearly choked.
"I literally became one today," he said helplessly.
"I didn't even get the chance."
Kushina snorted twice, crossing her arms.
"Hmph."
"I'll forgive you… this time."
---
The path ahead was clear.
Set small goals.
Accumulate strength.
And survive.
The Medical Ninja's road had officially begun.