Having regained some of his strength, Tatsuma began to slowly practice Tai Chi within the confines of his room. Fortunately, his medical quarters were a "deluxe" private tent, so his movements didn't disturb any other patients.
Tai Chi followed the principle of "practice slow, strike fast." Through slow, deliberate movements, one could better perceive the subtle shifts in the body and the flow of internal force. For Tatsuma, who was recovering from severe injuries, this process was essential to recalibrate his physical coordination.
As he moved, a prickle of intuition touched his mind—the sensation of being watched. He stopped mid-posture, his eyes sweeping the room with a look of suspicion.
Just then, the tent flap was pulled back, and a middle-aged man with long hair stepped inside. Wearing a somewhat stiff, practiced smile, he addressed the boy. "Sakamoto Tatsuma... I am Hyuga Mitsuru, head of the Hyuga clan. I saw you were training and didn't wish to intrude, but I didn't expect your sensory talents to be quite this exceptional."
'You didn't exactly look away the second you realized I was training, either,' Tatsuma grumbled internally.
Outwardly, however, he offered a weak, polite smile. "Mitsuru-sama, I was just doing some light physical therapy. I should apologize for my rudeness; you led your clansmen and the village reinforcements to rescue me, yet I haven't expressed my gratitude since waking. Please, accept my sincere thanks for saving my life."
Mitsuru narrowed his eyes slightly. As the leader of a clan specialized in the Gentle Fist, his eye for detail was razor-sharp. Through his Byakugan, he had observed some of Tatsuma's movements earlier; they carried a distinct shadow of the Gentle Fist's fluidity, yet the underlying principles were entirely different.
He didn't believe for a second that it was mere "physical therapy," but he wasn't about to call the boy out. He kept his smile steady. "You are the benefactor of the Hyuga clan. If anyone should be giving thanks, it is I..."
"Please, Mitsuru-sama, you flatter me too much. I can't accept such a title."
Tatsuma was quick to shoot down the high praise. He had had quite enough of "fame." The small taste of notoriety he'd gained on the battlefield had already resulted in him being targeted by Suna's elite. If he added "Benefactor of the Hyuga" to his resume, he wouldn't just be targeted in the field; he'd be the subject of endless gossip back in the village. Even if it was positive, it was a headache he didn't want.
Seeing Tatsuma's almost reflexive rejection of the honor, Mitsuru found it both amusing and intriguing. He didn't force the issue and instead changed the subject.
"I also recovered a weapon that day. It appears to be a gift from Sakumo. I've brought it back for you today—returning it to its rightful owner."
With that, Mitsuru reached into his wide sleeve and produced the chakra short sword. Tatsuma blinked, only just remembering he'd left it behind in the chaos. He stepped forward to take it, smiling with genuine relief.
"Thank you, Mitsuru-sama. If I had truly lost this, I don't think I could have looked Sakumo-sama in the eye."
"It was no trouble," Mitsuru waved it off. Then, his tone shifted slightly, becoming more somber. "Regarding that day... what exactly did Miyako and Kai encounter? Aside from the Third Kazekage, who else was involved?"
The smile vanished from Tatsuma's face. When he had initially reported the incident, Tsunade had intentionally glossed over the finer details, focusing mainly on the Third Kazekage's intervention. Very few people knew the specifics of what happened to Hyuga Miyako, but clearly, the man standing before him was one of them.
Tatsuma pursed his lips. "That day, I was focused entirely on fleeing for my life. I never got a clear look at the Suna assassins. The only ones I can confirm are the Third Kazekage and... his disciple, Sajin. However, it's highly likely the Kazekage's personal guard and other disciples were involved in the ambush."
Mitsuru watched Tatsuma's face closely as he spoke. After a moment, he concluded that the boy wasn't lying or hiding anything. He nodded and placed a hand on Tatsuma's shoulder.
"Thank you. Your help to the Hyuga will be remembered. If you have the time in the future, please come visit our clan. Young Chinto has lost his family; he could use the company of a friend like you."
Tatsuma looked up, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Mitsuru's attitude was almost too welcoming. Seeing the boy's reaction, Mitsuru didn't bother with further obfuscation.
"Miyako had no children," Mitsuru said quietly. "In his line, there is only Chinto and Chinto's grandfather left. It's a pity... Miyako once had a girl he loved very much, and there were women who loved him in return."
Hearing this, Tatsuma suddenly remembered something: Hyuga Chinto had never gone out of his way to hide his forehead. Tatsuma had previously wondered why Chinto hadn't been branded with the Caged Bird seal yet.
Now, it made sense. It wasn't that Chinto wasn't old enough; it was that the succession for the Main House candidate in his specific line hadn't been settled.
Just like Neji in the future, who was only branded after Hinata was born. If Hinata and Hanabi had never been born, Neji might have had his fate delayed or even altered, just like Chinto. Unlike Hyuga Hizashi, however, Hyuga Miyako had chosen to never start a family, keeping the status of his line "in suspense" until the moment of his death.
A Branch member wasn't worth the personal attention of the Clan Head, and certainly not worth Tatsuma building deep ties over. But if we were talking about a potential branch of the Main House... that changed the calculation.
"I understand, Mitsuru-sama. When the time is right, I will pay my respects."
Friendships born of political utility aren't pure, but Tatsuma knew that pure friendship was a rare luxury. To have two or three was a blessing from fate; to have even one was fortunate. Having none at all was the reality for most.
His friendship with Minato was pure on Minato's end, but Tatsuma knew his own initial approach had been calculated. He had come to value Minato as his best friend over the years, but he couldn't deny the utilitarian roots of their bond. He didn't expect "purity" from the world, so he didn't mind approaching Hyuga Chinto with a bit of pragmatism.
After Mitsuru left, Tatsuma resumed his training. He continued until noon, when Minato arrived to interrupt him.
Minato didn't stay long. He was carrying a stack of lunch boxes, having apparently been integrated into the logistics team. His current job was essentially a "Yellow Flash Delivery" courier.
Watching Minato vanish in a blur of yellow, Tatsuma couldn't help but think of the "Fastest Delivery in Konoha" slogan.
With no further distractions, Tatsuma spent the next five days in quiet recovery. Between the accelerated healing provided by Katsuyu and his own daily exercises, his body was nearly back to peak condition. He decided it was time to speak with Tsunade about returning to active duty.
However, Tsunade had been incredibly busy lately. The medical camp was becoming louder and more crowded as more casualties arrived—a clear sign that large-scale clashes had resumed.
The wounded didn't seem particularly despondent, though. Despite their injuries, the general consensus was that the enemy had suffered far worse.
It was logical. Orochimaru had gambled on Tatsuma's extreme tactics and successfully wiped out the Suna vanguard's elite. That single battle had skewed the numbers in Konoha's favor, and from there, the Leaf's advantage was only growing.
With the initial scouting phase over, the war was getting ugly. Suna wanted to reclaim their losses, and Konoha wanted to strike while the iron was hot. Both sides were becoming aggressive, bringing their hidden trump cards to the field—like Chiyo's poisons.
Tatsuma noticed several new, cordoned-off tents in the camp. Stretchers were carried in constantly, but aside from medical ninja, he hadn't seen a single patient walk back out.
Clearly, these people were victims of Chiyo's latest concoctions. If it were a standard injury, Tsunade's usual methods or a summon from Shikkotsu Forest could have fixed them. Even the poisons she called "old stock" had established antidotes. For Tsunade to be buried in work for two days straight meant she was facing something entirely new.
Since she was so busy, Tatsuma didn't bother her. Compared to ninjas dying of poison, his request to return to the front was a minor matter.
But he didn't plan on staying idle. While he couldn't go to the front without orders from Tsunade or Orochimaru, "lying flat" wasn't in his nature.
High execution power was one of Tatsuma's greatest traits—a habit dyed into his soul from his past life in a world of hyper-competitors. Furthermore, since arriving in the Shinobi world, his own lackluster innate talent meant he didn't have the luxury of slacking off. He wasn't quite the "King of the Grind" like Might Duy, but he was a man of action.
A new, busy figure appeared in the medical camp. Facing the massive influx of wounded, Tatsuma didn't try to play the hero by treating everyone personally; instead, he used Katsuyu to assist in mass triage.
Katsuyu's healing capabilities were beyond reproach and were particularly effective in a war zone dealing with trauma. However, Tatsuma could only maintain this during lulls in the fighting.
The issue was still his chakra reserves. For some reason, he and Minato required significantly less chakra to maintain a summoning contract than others, but it still wasn't a bottomless well. The size of the summoned Katsuyu was directly proportional to the chakra consumed. If he tried to heal an entire army on the battlefield, he would inevitably lose his ability to fight.
To help others while remaining a frontline combatant required a chakra pool on the scale of Tsunade's. Without that, it was a pipe dream. And even Tsunade risked chakra exhaustion and collapse when summoning a large enough portion of Katsuyu.
After a week of laboring in the medical camp, the sealed tents were finally opened. The poisoned ninjas began to walk out into the sunlight.
As Tatsuma stood among the crowd of ninjas celebrating their "rebirth," Tsunade appeared behind him. She leaned an elbow on his shoulder and asked, "Looks like you've recovered well. So, kid... ready to head back to the battlefield together?"