At evening,
Mikami Yuu's group returned once again to Oborozuki Castle.
Behind them were more than fifty Konoha ninja wearing dark green standard-issue flak jackets and spiral-marked forehead protectors.
That's right.
These were the reinforcements from Wildfire City. While Yuu's group had been attacked by Chiyo and the others, this force had also run into a Suna interception unit, resulting in a fairly intense encounter battle.
But because this Konoha force had plenty of people, including several jōnin, while the remaining chūnin were all well trained, plus Minato later rushed over with Flying Thunder God to help relieve the pressure, the unit ultimately suffered only minor losses and returned together with Yuu's group.
Worth mentioning was that among these reinforcements, there was someone Yuu knew—
"Huh, Hizashi-senpai? You came too?"
That's right.
It was Hyūga Hizashi, whom Yuu had met back in Konoha, the father of the not-yet-born Neji.
Hizashi had once sparred with him and given him some advice in taijutsu.
But that had been before Yuu graduated from the Ninja Academy. Back then, Yuu had only just learned Great Fireball. Nearly a year had passed since then, and their situations had changed quite a bit.
Mikami Yuu had become a member of Team Minato and had subtle ties with all three of Konoha's Sannin.
Hyūga Hizashi, meanwhile, seemed to have become a squad leader on Konoha's side and was one of the people in charge among this reinforcement force.
"…Mikami Yuu. Long time no see."
Hizashi's Byakugan, capable of seeing chakra pathways, lingered briefly on Yuu. A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
"It seems your time on the front line has brought you considerable gains. The current you is probably already beyond Homon's reach."
Mm… he meant Hyūga Homon.
Yuu still had some impression of him, since they had fought during the graduation exam. But Homon was probably still doing patrol missions near Konoha and wasn't yet qualified to be sent to the front line.
"You flatter me, Hizashi-senpai."
"Heh. If we get the chance, let's spar again."
Hizashi said.
"I'd be honored."
Yuu answered casually.
Although his current strength should already be higher than Hizashi's, the latter's Byakugan was still worth taking seriously. It could be a good chance to test just how much Overload Pulse could accomplish in front of those eyes.
At this moment,
at the gate of the outpost,
Inuzuka Tsume led several Konoha ninja who had stayed behind to greet them. She looked Yuu's group up and down for a moment, then half-jokingly said, "Tsk, tsk. Looking at you all, did you go raid Suna's main camp as a group? How'd you get this battered?"
"…Sigh. We were ambushed halfway by that old hag Chiyo! Suna really is despicable. No idea where they got the details of our movements, but they set up that ambush. If Minato hadn't arrived quickly, our reinforcement force probably would have taken serious losses!"
The leader of the reinforcement unit said.
Minato was very modest. "Not at all. Everyone performed well. By the time I arrived, the Suna ninja were already close to being defeated. I only did a small, insignificant thing."
"Alright, enough humility from all of you… Huh, why is there a Suna ninja here?"
Tsume noticed Pakura.
The Sunagakure forehead protector on her head, along with the rope binding her hands, made her stand out completely from everyone around her.
"Ahem. This is a prisoner Yuu captured. Pakura of Sunagakure."
Minato explained.
"Oh, so it's her…"
Tsume looked surprised. "Pakura of Scorch Release. That name's been making a lot of noise lately. Quite a few Konoha squads are terrified at the mention of her. I didn't expect you to actually capture her. Congratulations. Suna's really going to have a headache now."
"Alright, let's go inside first. We've already cleared out your barracks. I'll have someone help guard this prisoner."
Soon,
the group entered the camp.
Most people began organizing their packs and following Tsume to familiarize themselves with the outpost's layout.
Mikami Yuu and Rin, meanwhile, worked with the medical ninja attached to the reinforcement unit to treat and detoxify the small number of wounded.
That's right.
Although this reinforcement force hadn't suffered many casualties, quite a few had been poisoned. The poison Suna used was a new type of toxic gas developed by Chiyo. The antidotes Konoha had prepared in advance weren't very effective, and several people already had blue-tinted faces, clearly deeply poisoned.
Fortunately, Mikami Yuu and Rin had studied toxin analysis under Tsunade for a while, and they were carrying the newest antidote Tsunade had developed, which had not yet been broadly distributed. It now began to show its value.
And the special event attached to Yuu's Healing Technique also reacted to this string of actions:
[Special Event "Personally Treat 100 Patients" progress: 69/100]
Mm… still a way to go before 100.
But not that far.
Since leaving Konoha, Yuu had mostly been carrying out reconnaissance and patrol missions. At most, he treated his teammates now and then, so he hadn't had many opportunities to work on Healing Technique's mission. This time, he had finally found a chance to grind it properly.
"Huh, are you two the children Hebishi-senpai mentioned before? As expected of children personally guided by Lady Tsunade. Your Healing Technique mastery really is impressive. You're almost at the level of a medical jōnin."
A medical ninja couldn't help praising them.
"Not at all, not at all. I only have a little experience."
Yuu smiled.
Beside him, Rin looked at him with faint admiration.
While the two of them were busy helping with treatment,
on the other side,
Obito was wandering all around the camp with his freshly awakened Sharingan active. Whenever he caught someone, whether he knew them well or not, he would go over and chat for a couple of lines.
"Huh, you're Big Brother Murata from yesterday, right? Oh, I'm Obito, Minato-sensei's disciple. I awakened the Sharingan just a few days ago!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm from the Uchiha clan. How else could I awaken the Sharingan?"
"Hey, Inuzuka-senpai! How did you know I awakened the Sharingan?"
How should one put it…
Although the Uchiha clan's reputation in Konoha wasn't great, they were still comrades. And Obito's performance on the front line lately had been decent. Most people who knew him were still polite to him, whether sincerely or otherwise, and would offer a few words of praise.
But…
the problem was that Obito was jumping around way too much.
Finally, Inuzuka Tsume couldn't take it anymore and grabbed Obito by the collar.
"Seriously, kid. It's just the Sharingan. Do you really need to mention it in front of me three times in one day? Those Uchiha in the Military Police all have the Sharingan, and none of them are as flashy as you!
"Go, go, stop causing trouble here. Go play with Kakashi and Yuu!"
"Alright then…"
Obito scratched his head and obediently went to find Kakashi.
"Kakashi, what do you think of my Sharingan? Isn't it way cooler than that dirty book of yours?"
"?"
Kakashi, who was sitting in the corner reading Icha Icha Paradise, had a small tremor in his hand, seemingly startled by the phrase "dirty book."
However, because he wore a mask, his expression didn't show. After calmly glancing around to confirm no one was paying attention to them, Kakashi tucked the book back into the depths of his tool pouch, then looked up and said coldly,
"Idiot. Minato-sensei already said that keeping the Sharingan active constantly consumes chakra and mental energy. Do you want to faint outright during patrol later?"
"Hmph! You're just jealous! Jealous of my Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai! I feel great right now! My chakra's overflowing!"
Obito stuck his neck out and argued back.
"Is that so?"
Kakashi beckoned. "Come to the open space outside. I'll spar with you and see just how powerful your Sharingan really is."
"Fine! Who's afraid of who?"
Seeing Kakashi and Obito walk out together,
not far away, Minato rubbed his forehead, looking a little helpless.
Ever since Obito awakened his eyes, this excitement had lasted an entire day. He was like a peacock with its tail spread. But as his teacher, Minato really couldn't say too much. He could only hope Kakashi would help Obito recognize reality.
The Sharingan was indeed a powerful kekkei genkai, but awakening it didn't mean instant invincibility. To truly use it well, one still needed diligent training. With Kakashi's strength, he should be able to make Obito realize that.
"…Let them be."
Kakashi and Obito's spar took place in the open area behind the camp, not in front of everyone.
As for the result…
Obito finally stopped going around shouting, "How did you know I awakened the Sharingan?" Instead, he began reflecting on the pain and resumed training ninjutsu and taijutsu, clearly intending to raise his strength and wash away his humiliation.
Mikami Yuu didn't pay too much attention to that.
Compared to the secret chicken-fight between Obito and Kakashi,
his attention at the moment was mainly focused on another person—
"Morning. Have you eaten?"
Inside a single-person cell next to the medical room,
Yuu pushed open the door and looked toward the orange-haired girl in the corner.
At this moment, Pakura looked rather battered. The rope around her hands had already been removed, but a shackle at her ankle locked her to the side of the bed, restricting her range of movement.
More importantly, the real restraint was the Five Elements Seal Minato had personally placed on her. Five tadpole-like chakra symbols were firmly branded onto Pakura's abdomen, effectively disrupting the flow of chakra in her body.
In this state, she basically couldn't perform any ninjutsu. Even refining chakra was difficult, cutting off any possibility of escaping from the camp.
That said, the injuries on her body had been handled quite well. The wound on her shoulder in particular had improved greatly compared to when she was first hurt after being bandaged and treated, though raising and moving her arm was still somewhat stiff.
To be honest, if an ordinary person had suffered Pakura's injuries, they might already have been crippled. For her to recover this much in just a few days, thanks to timely treatment and her own physical constitution, was already quite impressive. Strictly speaking, she should have kowtowed to Yuu in thanks.
But in reality…
"…You again, Hatake Yuu!"
Pakura raised her head. Her amber eyes carried icy hatred as she stared hard at Mikami Yuu, who had just entered from outside.
"You'd better kill me now. Otherwise, as long as I, Pakura, still have one breath left, one day I'll make you pay for today's 'mercy'!"
"Is that so?"
Yuu's tone was flat. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. You'll regret it!"
Pakura said fiercely.
Yuu smiled. "Hmph. I'm the winner."
"…"
As a Suna ninja, Pakura clearly didn't understand the Konoha meme of "you regret, I win." She just stiffened her neck and glared at Yuu, full of hatred, as if trying to prove she meant every word.
As for Yuu,
he only found it funny. He even felt a little pity.
Pakura, injured and not yet recovered, with her chakra sealed, looked much weaker than when they had fought before. Her face was pale. In this state, her behavior didn't look like a threat. It was more like a large orange cat throwing a tantrum.
"Fine. Say whatever you want. In any case, you're already a prisoner now."
"As for me… those who have been defeated by me will no longer be regarded as opponents. I will give you time to chase after me, until you can no longer even see my back."
"?!"
Pakura's eyes widened sharply, almost spitting fire.
She understood the words, of course, but emotionally, she couldn't accept them. According to Yuu's statement, he clearly did not regard her as a goal. Instead, he was looking down at her challenge from above. That feeling was something Pakura, a genius herself, had never experienced before.
Not even Sasori of the Red Sand had ever spoken to her like that!
But unfortunately, Pakura had no way to refute him. She could only press her lips tightly together, her nails digging deep into her palms, swallowing the humiliation and suffocating frustration.
At this moment,
Yuu walked up in front of her and, under Pakura's slightly resistant gaze, checked her injuries.
Technically, this task should have been left to a female medical ninja, like Rin.
But Yuu figured he was upright and proper, and more importantly, only around ten years old, so he couldn't be bothered to make things complicated. Surely no one would think a ten-year-old child could do anything to Pakura, right? Though in theory, children in the ninja world did develop quite quickly…
Mm… come to think of it, Pakura's development speed was also quite impressive. Though she was only a young adult, her figure was already very striking—only a size smaller than Tsunade's by rough estimate. That could also be called outstanding talent.
When Yuu touched Pakura's shoulder through her clothes, he couldn't help sneaking a few glances there, then quickly shifted his gaze away before Pakura noticed.
"Mm… other than the injury on your shoulder, you're basically fine. I'll have Rin come help you change the dressing later."
Yuu stood back up from in front of Pakura and pointed at the boxed meal he had just placed on the table.
"Since things are already like this, eat first. After you've recovered for a few days, I'll come find you again to study Scorch Release."
"…"
Pakura said nothing.
Yuu closed the door and turned to leave.