"Hello everyone, my name is Hyuga Takashi. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
A group of people were frantically looking for a medical ninja. Takashi figured it wouldn't be appropriate to just stand around in the periphery, so he stepped forward and introduced himself.
"Get lost, we're looking for a medical ninja. What are you from the Hyuga Clan doing here?"
"What Hyuga Clan member? Look at his eyes."
A Hyuga without Byakugan.
The crowd noticed the oddity. One by one, they all stared curiously at Takashi, wanting to know what was going on with his eyes.
Just then, two ninja wearing Jonin vests walked into the training grounds.
One of them, who had long black hair, shouted loudly, "Quiet!!"
The training grounds instantly fell silent. The long-haired Jonin spoke up again, "I am Kobayashi. You can call me Captain Kobayashi I hope we can get along during our time stationed at the border."
"We'll start roll call now."
When it was Takashi's turn, Kobayashi gave him an extra-long look. After confirming the details, he nodded and moved on to the next name.
Everything matched the information he had—a member of the Hyuga Clan, afflicted with Byakugan degeneration. To treat himself, Takashi had studied diligently and eventually became a medical ninja.
Everyone on the roster had arrived.
The Jonin standing beside Kobayashi was named Sarutobi Santou, and he held the position of the camp's deputy commander.
Once everyone was accounted for, Kobayashi waved his hand, "Move out!"
With the two captains leading them, dozens of people followed behind as they left the village, heading towards the border. Other than the two captains, no one knew which camp they would be assigned to for the rotation.
After leaving the village, Sarutobi Santou made a point of moving beside Takashi to strike up a connection.
As the only medical ninja in the camp, it was crucial to build a good relationship with him. If you got on the wrong side of a medical ninja, at best they'd mess with you a little. At worst, they'd let you die without you even realizing why.
The saying "medicine and poison are not separate" wasn't just a joke.
Being a student trained directly by Tsunade, Takashi knew his way around poisons, too.
"Before we set off, Lady Tsunade asked me to give you a bit of freedom to move around," Santou said with a grin.
I wonder if Tsunade would accept if I offered myself to her.
Ever since meeting her, Tsunade had been truly kind to him. Besides freeloading a few meals, she never really asked for anything in return.
Whenever something came up, she would help him without Takashi even needing to ask.
If it weren't for the fact that Tsunade barely had a penny to her name, Takashi would be tempted to hug her leg and shout, "Please take care of me forever!"
Takashi said, "When we get to the camp, I'll have to rely on the two captains and all of my companions to look after me, considering I'm only a medical ninja and not skilled in combat."
"Don't worry, as long as we're around, no one will be able to harm you."
The entire group pounded their chests in promise—they would absolutely ensure Takashi's safety.
The impression of medical ninjas having poor combat abilities was deeply ingrained in people's minds. Takashi's request made the ninja traveling to the camp rotation with him quite pleased.
Everyone wanted to get on good terms with the medical ninja, and this was the perfect opportunity.
Good thing Tsunade wasn't here, or she would've definitely punched him.
Captain Kobayashi even handed over two sealing scrolls to Takashi, containing various medical supplies. As the only medical ninja, Takashi was entrusted with organizing and keeping these supplies safe.
That way, when someone actually got injured and needed treatment, they wouldn't be scrambling around in chaos trying to find things.
The group reached their destination in two days, and the rotation went smoothly without any incidents.
Standing in the camp cabin, with his hands behind his back, Takashi looked up at the gloomy sky and the endless raindrops. He sighed, "A miscalculation… It looks like life is going to get quite boring here."
Takashi had thought about the possible rotation locations, but the one thing he hadn't expected was that their assigned camp would be on the border with the Land of Rain.
What kind of place was the Land of Rain?
The sun never shines for more than three days. It's perpetually shrouded in heavy rain—a land filled with nothing but endless downpours.
If one were to describe the economic situations of each village and nation in a single sentence: Sunagakure would say it's so poor there's nothing but sand; Iwagakure would complain it's so destitute there's nothing but bare rock; Kirigakure is so poor it can only eat tiny fish; Kumogakure is so poor it only has beef; and Konohagakure is poor with nothing but food.
But as for Amegakure, the Land of Rain? True to its name, it has nothing but rain.
When he first entered the camp, Takashi was interested in the weather, since he liked watching the rain from inside the cabin.
But after the first day, the second day, and the third day, that novelty turned into irritation.
Luckily, as a medical ninja, he wasn't required to take part in sentry duties or patrols. While others had to travel through the rain, Takashi could simply rest at the camp.
"Takashi, I brought you a gift."
Captain Kobayashi cheerfully walked into the camp carrying a deer on his shoulder.
"Captain, don't kid us. You just want some roasted meat yourself," someone teased.
"Hahaha, exactly. Captain's been complaining that everything tastes bland."
"Shut up, all of you!!"
Kobayashi's dark face began to flush as he pointed at those mocking him, yelling, "I'm greedy, huh? Bland food, huh? Then don't eat any of the roast when it's done."
These bastards. I've been patrolling in the rain, caught a deer on my way back just to give everyone a treat, and now they're teasing me?
"Laugh? You still want to laugh? Go clean up the deer, and grab some firewood. Make sure it's dry!"
The saying goes that as long as you are in the Land of Fire borders, you won't lack game, but it's the firewood that's difficult to get. Because of the constant rain, the surrounding plants and trees are damp. Wet wood is not only hard to ignite, but also produces a lot of smoke.
The firewood used in camp was gathered earlier and kept inside the cabin to dry before being used.
Thanks to his medical ninja status and decent cooking skills, Takashi quickly integrated into camp life and became a favorite among his comrades.
Looking at the firewood on the ground, Takashi chuckled at himself, "I never expected the camp's medical room to turn into its kitchen before even opening."
"Hahaha."
Takashi's comment made everyone laugh out loud.
Complaints aside, the meat still needed to be roasted. Captain Kobayashi might've been complaining about bland food, but Takashi was no better off—eating dried rations every day wasn't sustainable.
It was no wonder that the camp's stationed ninjas all wanted to go back to the village, to their homes. Life in the camp was simply grueling.
Soon enough, the cleaned deer was brought to the medical room. Captain Kobayashi personally helped with the fire, while Takashi handled the roasting.
Deputy Commander Sarutobi Santou did fewer patrols and duties outside and spent most of his time in the camp.
After observing for a few days, Takashi noticed that this deputy commander seemed to always be keeping an eye on the medical room.
Was he secretly protecting it or watching over it?
It helped that he was from the Sarutobi Clan. If it had been a member of the Shimura Clan instead, Takashi would've assumed surveillance without question.
The scent of roasted meat soon wafted through the camp, and everyone was eagerly waiting, clutching their dried rations in anticipation.
"Form a line, no pushing!"
Once the meat was done, Captain Kobayashi brought out a brand new kunai, cleaned it, and started distributing the meat.
A whole leg was reserved just for Takashi, while everyone else got a smaller piece.
No one had any objections to Captain Kobayashi favoring Takashi in this way.
After receiving their share of the roasted meat, everyone scattered, heading back to their cabins to enjoy the treat.
"Deputy Commander Santou, can we talk for a moment?"
Just as Sarutobi Santou was about to leave, Takashi called out to him.
Sarutobi, who was holding his roasted meat, paused, then smiled and nodded, agreeing to Takashi's request.
"Tomorrow's weather might be quite cold."
Sarutobi Santou glanced at the snowflakes mixed in with the rain as he stepped into the wooden hut, closing the door behind him.
Takashi took out two bottles of fruit wine from the village, inviting Sarutobi Santou to take a seat.
"Everywhere else has already turned into a blanket of snow. Only the Land of Rain's unique geography has spared it from being covered. Still, sleet like this will make the temperature even colder."
"I didn't expect you to have something nice like this on hand. Pity it's not sake."
Santou took the opened bottle and downed a couple of gulps. The only downside was that the fruit wine was rather light, more like a drink than an actual alcoholic beverage.
Takashi took a sip of the fruit wine, joking to himself, "I'm still young, not quite old enough for drinking yet."
Sarutobi Santou was taken aback, but after a few seconds, he burst out laughing.
"If you hadn't said so, I'd have almost forgotten you're not even fourteen yet. Quite impressive. When I was fourteen, I was just a Chunin, tagging along behind my sensei on missions, getting scolded constantly."
Hearing this, Takashi smiled as well and then delivered a straightforward question.
"Captain Santou, would you care to explain why you've been circling around me this whole time? Are you secretly protecting me, or monitoring me?"
The laughter abruptly ceased. Sarutobi Santou, who had just been drinking fruit wine and munching on roasted meat, froze with the bottle still in mid-air. He looked at Takashi with a startled expression, hesitated for a moment, then forced a bitter smile.
"I didn't expect you'd notice."
"Then, Captain Santou, could you enlighten me a bit?" Takashi didn't bother explaining how he had figured it out.
Setting the bottle on the table, Sarutobi Santou sighed helplessly.
"Before I came here, the Hokage specifically asked me to protect you in secret. Originally, I wasn't even on the rotation list for this mission."
"Captain Kobayashi also knows about my secret mission, so most of the camp patrol duties are personally led by him, while my role is primarily to stay stationed at the camp and prevent any accidents."
This also explained why Captain Kobayashi, as the commander, had to personally lead patrols while Vice Captain Sarutobi Santou could stay back at the camp.
Protecting?
Sarutobi Santou didn't seem to be lying. But why would the Third Hokage pick someone from his clan, a Jonin no less, and insert him into the rotation just to protect him?
Did the Third Hokage foresee that he would be assassinated?
Linking the limited clues together, Takashi realized that his inclusion in the camp's rotation list was likely not a stroke of bad luck but a deliberate choice.
However, the decision to select personnel for the rotation ultimately rested with the Third Hokage. So, why did the Third Hokage choose to send him here and also assign someone to protect him?
Wouldn't it have been simpler not to let him leave the village if they wanted to protect him?
So perhaps it wasn't the Third Hokage who insisted on his inclusion in the list; it was someone else who wanted him here. And the Third Hokage, not wanting anything to happen to him, arranged for protection.
Who could be targeting him?
The Elders?
Unlikely. The Elders shared the same stance as the Third Hokage, and he hadn't done anything to offend them.
That left Danzo Shimura!!
Being stripped of his position as the Hokage's Advisor—that would leave anyone feeling resentful, let alone someone like Danzo Shimura, who was both petty and ambitious.
Given the previous warning, Danzo wouldn't dare act against him in the village. Under such circumstances, if Danzo still wanted revenge, the only way would be to get him out of the village.
Hence, Takashi's name ended up on the rotation list.
How would Danzo make his move?
Takashi was the camp's only medical-nin, and he wouldn't leave the camp easily. Plus, there were dozens of other ninjas in the camp—trying to kill him under the watch of so many would be no easy task.
"Looks like I'll be relying on you quite a bit from now on, Vice Captain."
"It's my duty, as long as there are no misunderstandings." Santou looked awkward. Being tasked with secret protection, only to be found out within days—that was embarrassing.
A failure. A complete failure.
Assigned to secretly protect a medical ninja, only to be immediately discovered—if word got out, Sarutobi Santou's reputation would be ruined.
After a hearty meal, filled with frustration, Sarutobi Santou slinked out of the medical tent, feeling defeated.
Takashi walked to the fire, staring through the crack in the door at the dark night outside. After a long while, he returned to the table, took out a sealing scroll, and retrieved some materials and a dead crow.
It was a bird he'd caught on the way to the camp, and he planned to turn it into a puppet for sending messages.
Takashi had originally intended to create puppets during the New Year, to send greetings to Tsunade, Kushina, and the others. But now it seemed they'd have to be put to use ahead of schedule.
With materials prepared, Takashi took out his tools and skillfully began working on the crow's corpse.
Once the bird's body was ready, he inserted various components and a puppet core, then infused it with the unique chakra of the Tenseigan.
"Caw!!"
The once lifeless crow suddenly blinked its eyes, jumped up from the table, and began hopping back and forth.
Takashi took out a pen and a special message scroll, wrote down the recent happenings at the camp, set up an encrypted code, then attached the small scroll to the crow's leg, instructing it to fly to Konoha.
The puppet crow, with the scroll in tow, took off into the pitch-black sky, flying through the rain towards Konoha.
Takashi controlled the crow's direction and route, ensuring there would be no mistakes in delivering the message to the right place, to the right person.
The crow flew swiftly, crossing the border of the Land of Rain in a matter of hours, finally landing at the Senju ancestral home, hopping toward Tsunade's location.
Once in position, the crow pecked twice at the glass.
Tsunade woke from her sleep, flipping up and opening the window, grabbing the puppet crow on the sill.
"Whose summoned beast brought a scroll to me?"
Thankfully, she didn't use too much force; otherwise, she would have realized the crow wasn't a summoned beast at all but a puppet.
She untied the hairband on the crow's head, bound its wings, and tossed it aside, switching on the light to examine the scroll.
The scroll needed a password to open.
Tsunade was instantly annoyed. She didn't even know who had sent the scroll—without a password, how was she supposed to open it?
"T?"
Turning the scroll over, Tsunade noticed a single character written on it: T.
Could it be a message from Takashi?
Then the password must be…
Suddenly, Tsunade had a thought. Her delicate face instantly darkened, and she cursed under her breath, "Hyuga Takashi, you'd better watch out when you get back!"
Two-five-zero!
The password worked.
"Damn it!"
Tsunade cursed aloud.
The other day at the casino, she had lost all her money, down to just a couple of coins, which, when counted, totaled two hundred and fifty. Takashi had laughed at her several times because of it.
And now he'd used that number as the password—wasn't this just rubbing salt in her wounds?
Hyuga Takashi!
Even when sending a message, he found a way to poke fun at her?
When he gets back, he's dead meat!!
Suppressing her fury, Tsunade opened the scroll, and after reading a few lines, her anger towards Takashi vanished. Or rather, it was redirected—straight at Danzo.
"Danzo, you've really outdone yourself."
Cursing quietly, Tsunade took the scroll and went to find Uzumaki Mito.
Awoken in the middle of the night, Uzumaki Mito wasn't in the best spirits. But after reading the scroll her granddaughter handed her, she knew Tsunade wouldn't stand by and do nothing.
"Little Tsunade, what do you want to do? Do you need Grandma's help?"
"Granny, I need a letter sent to the Daimyo's residence. I plan to visit the Daimyo myself."
"Of course, it makes sense to visit, especially with the New Year approaching," Uzumaki Mito agreed, fully supportive of her granddaughter's decision.
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