— Kunimaru Meido, — introduced his neighbor, a young, handsome guy who looked only a few years older than me and had an impressive amount of chakra even for a clan member of his age, excluding the founders and the red-haired ones.
— Shinji Uchiha, — nodded the easily recognizable possessor of the dojutsu, quite venerable for a shinobi of his age—nearing forty.
— Minami Okuno, — the only woman in the group introduced herself with little emotion in her voice.
Last of the five was a non-clan kunoichi with a rather notable height, just a few centimeters short of mine (considering my one hundred ninety with a tail!) and stunning blue eyes. However, their emptiness was quite unsettling, as they reminded me of Keiko's gaze not so long ago. Ugh, another victim of war.
As if I hadn't seen enough of them both on the front lines and in the hospital. She's not the first and won't be the last. My modest abilities aren't enough for everyone. By the way, almost three-quarters of such cases involve non-clan fighters. Proper upbringing and training from early childhood make a difference.
— I gather almost everyone here commands a team? — I inquired as the introductions concluded.
— Except for me, I represent the clan and escort our Genin, — the dojutsu user waved his hand lazily. — The kid recently awakened the Sharingan, so the elders decided to play it safe.
— Actually, that's how I ended up as an escort, — I shared with the Jonin, nodding. — But given the huge workload at the hospital, instead of the officially assigned medical shinobi, they retroactively added me.
The faces around grimaced in unison—the topic of medical assistance was a painful one for almost every third fighter by the end of the war.
— A second-degree specialist instead of a potential bungler? — Kei snorted. — I'll take two! At least now I'm reassured about the kids in case of serious injuries.
— Speaking of kids, — I remembered, — on the next break, bring Naoki-chan to me, and I'll check her back, as I've been so busy lately that I missed this.
— As you say, you're our medical shinobi, though she hasn't complained about anything, — Shibatari agreed and explained to the others, running his finger over a vertical scar on his face. — Ryo-san replaced my eye and treated my injured student as soon as he learned about my encounter with the nukenin during the cleanup mission.
He didn't mention that I hadn't charged any money, but he hinted quite directly, earning several envious glances. Of course, clans like the merchant Sarutobi or the wealthy Uchiha can afford such very expensive operations for their members, but for others, it's more difficult, not to mention the non-clan kunoichi, who basically has nothing but her own savings.
— Alright, folks, the leadership has arrived, — Shinji interrupted the conversation, looking over my shoulder.
However, even without his hint, I felt the arrival of two solid chakra sources behind me, so I turned around and saw who would be in charge of things in the near future. To my surprise, I knew both men personally. The first Jonin, with pale yellow hair and a famous blade, was unmistakable, as Hatake Sakumo was almost as well-known as the Sannin.
Under the second Jonin, I had already been on a mission—still the same steadfast tin soldier with long dark hair in the white clothing of his clan, Hyuga Hizashi was instantly recognizable. I approached them with a surprised chuckle, noting that the others followed suit.
— I didn't expect that you two would be the ones to lead the escort, — I shook my head as I got closer.
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