Ren turned toward Rin, surprised by how quickly she had responded to Tsume's offer.
Rin noticed everyone looking at her and became slightly embarrassed. "Well, I've always liked small, fluffy animals. I wanted to raise a little white dog at home, but I never had the opportunity."
Ren's expression became peculiar.
A white dog belonging to the Nohara family would inevitably be named Shiro. With parents named Hiroshi and Misae, the picture would be almost complete.
If they ever decided to have another child, Ren would have to suggest the name Shinnosuke. The coincidence would be far too perfect to waste.
Kakashi's interest in the ninken puppies was quieter but just as obvious. Unfortunately, the Hatake family possessed its own long-established ninken contracts, so raising one of the Inuzuka clan's dogs might cause complications.
Obito had no such concerns.
He spent the next several minutes attempting to convince Kuromaru that he possessed the qualities of an excellent dog trainer. Kuromaru responded by turning around and sitting with his back to him.
Two days after the spy incident, Minato's team prepared to leave Wildfire Outpost.
Hebiji entrusted Ren and Rin with a sealed recommendation letter addressed to Konoha's medical division. Commander Akiyama also completed a detailed mission report describing the discovery of the infiltrator, the pursuit, and the elimination of the Hidden Rain squad.
Fujiwara remained in Konoha custody at the outpost. The interrogation unit had yet to extract useful information about Wind Eye, but that investigation no longer fell within Team Minato's responsibility.
Their original mission was complete.
After saying farewell to Hebiji, Tsume, and the outpost's defenders, Minato led his four students back toward Konoha.
Unlike their journey to the border, the return trip passed without incident.
No bandits blocked the roads, no enemy shinobi attacked them, and no suspicious travellers attempted to follow their group. Even the weather remained clear for most of the journey.
Minato used the quiet days to continue teaching his students.
Whenever they stopped to rest, he explained combat positioning, chakra conservation, and the importance of adapting ninjutsu to the terrain. He also corrected several misunderstandings in Obito's Fire Release practice and helped Rin improve the efficiency of her chakra control.
Minato's personal fighting style revolved around speed, close-quarters combat, sealing techniques, and the Flying Thunder God Technique. He was not famous for overwhelming enemies with conventional elemental ninjutsu.
That did not mean he lacked knowledge.
As one of the Academy's greatest students and Jiraiya's disciple, Minato understood the principles behind all five basic chakra transformations. His explanations were concise, practical, and far easier to understand than most textbooks.
Kakashi occasionally added details of his own.
Obito wanted to ask Minato about the White Fang several times, but Kakashi was always nearby. Remembering Kakashi's expression in the forest, Obito swallowed the question each time.
The reason Kakashi remained near him was simple: Ren was no longer practising swordsmanship during their breaks.
For the entire return journey, Ren devoted nearly every available moment to improving his Healing Technique.
Great Fireball Technique remained the closest to reaching maximum favorability. With its current progress above ninety, Ren needed fewer than ten additional points to complete it.
Nevertheless, Healing Technique was more urgent.
Hebiji's recommendation letter could open the door to the Advanced Medical Class, but it could not guarantee Ren's acceptance. Tsunade would decide whether his talent deserved serious cultivation.
The Healing Technique's current level had impressed Hebiji. That did not mean it would impress the greatest medical-nin in the world.
Ren needed every possible advantage before meeting her.
While travelling, he looked for safe opportunities to practise. Injured animals caught in hunters' traps, fish wounded by river predators, and birds with damaged wings became temporary patients.
When naturally injured animals were unavailable, Ren created shallow, controlled wounds under sterilized conditions. He treated them immediately and released every animal that recovered properly.
Anything they had already hunted for food became part of that evening's meal after practice.
Rin eventually joined him.
She possessed excellent theoretical knowledge and precise chakra control, but she lacked experience treating living bodies outside the hospital. The practice allowed her to become more confident while Ren accumulated progress with the system.
Obito initially complained that watching medical training was boring.
His opinion changed after Ren handed him two roasted rabbit legs.
From that moment onward, Obito remained remarkably cooperative. He spent most of the sessions crouching beside Rin and offering unnecessary encouragement.
"Your chakra looks perfect, Rin!"
"Obito, you're blocking the light."
"I'll move. Do you need anything else?"
"Quiet would help."
Ren ignored them and continued practising.
The two days spent treating patients at Wildfire Outpost had already pushed Healing Technique close to its next threshold. The concentrated practice during their return journey was enough to complete the remaining progress.
Near the end of the third day, a notification finally appeared.
[Healing Technique Favorability: 75/100—Attachment]
[Third-Stage Reward Obtained]
[Physique +3]
[Trait Enhanced: Healing Brand]
[Wounds treated by the host will retain a subtle Healing Brand for up to three weeks. The brand will continuously repair damaged tissue until the affected area returns as closely as possible to its pre-injury condition.]
A warm current flowed through Ren's body.
His muscles tightened, his breathing became deeper, and the exhaustion accumulated during the journey faded slightly. More importantly, his understanding of the Healing Brand became clearer.
Previously, the brand remained for only several days and mainly accelerated the recovery of deeper injuries. Now it could survive for three weeks, continuously nourishing muscles, vessels, nerves, and skin.
The improvement was substantial.
Ren dismissed the interface with a satisfied smile. "This should be enough."
He looked ahead.
The familiar gates of Konoha had appeared in the distance.
Rin and Obito released relieved breaths almost simultaneously. After sleeping outdoors, crossing hostile territory, treating wounded shinobi, and chasing an infiltrator, the sight of home seemed to erase some of their exhaustion.
Even Kakashi's shoulders relaxed slightly.
Minato slowed his pace and turned to face them. "You all performed well during this mission. More importantly, everyone returned safely."
His gaze lingered on Obito for an extra second.
Obito immediately protested. "Why are you looking only at me?"
"No particular reason," Minato replied with an innocent smile. "Once we enter the village, I'll submit the mission report. All of you should go home and rest."
He raised one finger. "There will be no mandatory team training for the next few days. Focus on recovering properly. If you need to contact me and I'm not home, ask Kakashi. He knows where to find me."
Kakashi gave a small nod.
Minato then looked toward Ren and Rin. "When you meet Lady Tsunade, you may mention my name. She and my teacher, Jiraiya, have been teammates for many years."
Obito grinned. "Will she accept them because you're famous?"
"I hope she'll at least give them a little extra patience," Minato said. "A recommendation does not guarantee entry into the Advanced Medical Class. What happens after you enter the hospital depends entirely on your performance."
There was no reason for Minato to accompany them personally. Doing so might appear as though he were pressuring Tsunade to accept his students.
It was better for Ren and Rin to face her on their own merit.
Minato clapped his hands once. "Team dismissed."
"Yes, Minato-sensei!" the four students answered.
Kakashi gave the others a brief nod before walking toward his home. His solitary figure seemed even smaller as he moved through the crowded village street.
Obito watched him leave.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to call out, but hesitated and remained where he was. The mention of the White Fang still weighed on his mind.
Instead, he turned toward Ren and Rin. "What are you two doing now?"
"Going home, taking a hot bath, and sleeping in an actual bed," Ren answered. He stretched his aching shoulders. "We'll visit Konoha Hospital tomorrow."
Rin nodded enthusiastically. "I had the same plan. I feel as though the dust from the entire Land of Fire is stuck to me."
She glanced at Ren. "Come and get me before you leave tomorrow morning."
"I will."
Obito immediately stepped closer. "Then I'm coming too."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You don't have a recommendation letter."
"I know that." Obito placed his hands behind his head. "I still want to meet Lady Tsunade. Everyone calls her the greatest medical-nin in the world, so I want to see whether she's really as powerful as the stories claim."
"Do whatever you want," Ren said. "Just don't be late."
Obito looked offended. "When have I ever been late?"
Ren and Rin stared at him in silence.
Obito's confidence weakened. "Fine. I'll set two alarms."
They separated soon afterward.
Ren returned home, washed away the dirt from the journey, ate a proper meal, and slept through the night without dreaming of Rain shinobi, poisoned patients, or talking ninjutsu.
The following morning, he met Rin outside her home.
She carried Hebiji's recommendation letter in a small waterproof case and had dressed more neatly than usual. Although she tried to appear calm, the tension in her movements revealed how nervous she was.
Obito was nowhere in sight.
Ren waited for several minutes before shaking his head. "As expected."
Rin laughed helplessly. "Maybe he'll catch up."
"If he wakes up before noon."
The two left without him.
Konoha Hospital was already crowded when they arrived. Civilian patients waited in the reception area while medical-nin moved between rooms carrying medicine, reports, and sealed equipment.
Ren presented Hebiji's letter at the front desk.
After examining the seal, the receptionist asked them to wait.
Several minutes later, a young girl with straight black hair descended the stairs. She appeared to be around ten years old, but the medical uniform she wore and the composed way she carried herself made her seem older.
"You're Ren and Rin Nohara, correct?" she asked.
"That's us," Ren replied.
"I'm Shizune. Lady Tsunade asked me to bring you upstairs." She looked between them before turning toward a secured corridor. "Please follow me, and don't touch any equipment unless you're given permission."
Shizune led them away from the hospital's public section.
They passed through two restricted doors and entered a quieter internal building. The shinobi stationed there had suffered injuries too complicated or dangerous for ordinary treatment.
Some rooms were guarded. Others were protected by seals designed to prevent contamination, poison, or unstable chakra from escaping.
Shizune stopped outside a large intensive-care ward.
Before opening the door, she looked back at them. "Lady Tsunade has already read Senior Hebiji's recommendation. She's treating several difficult cases this morning, so do not interrupt unless she addresses you."
Rin swallowed and nodded. "Understood."
Shizune pushed the door open.
A strong mixture of medicine, blood, and disinfectant rushed toward them.
Rows of hospital beds filled the room. The patients lying on them had complicated wounds—crushed limbs, severe burns, damaged organs, and chakra networks distorted by unfamiliar techniques.
Several medical-nin worked in tense silence.
Ren's gaze moved past them and settled on the woman standing in the far corner.
She wore a grey kimono-style blouse beneath a jade-green haori. Her long blonde hair was tied into two loose tails, and a violet diamond-shaped mark rested in the centre of her forehead.
Even with her back turned, her presence dominated the entire ward.
She was not merely beautiful. She carried the pressure of someone accustomed to deciding whether the people around her lived or died—and being obeyed the moment she spoke.
As if sensing their attention, the woman turned.
Her brown eyes swept over Rin before stopping on Ren. Irritation remained on her face, probably from whatever problem she had been dealing with before their arrival.
Ren instantly recognized her.
Tsunade of the Sannin—the greatest medical-nin in the shinobi world and Konoha's infamous Legendary Sucker.
Tsunade held Hebiji's recommendation letter in one hand.
"So, you're the two children he praised so heavily," she said. "Ren and Rin Nohara."
Rin bowed immediately. "It's an honour to meet you, Lady Tsunade."
Ren followed with a respectful greeting. "Thank you for agreeing to see us."
"I haven't agreed to anything yet." Tsunade unfolded the letter and tapped one particular line. "Hebiji claims that one of you can leave healing chakra inside a wound even after ending the technique."
Her sharp gaze returned to Ren.
"That was you, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
The irritation in Tsunade's eyes faded.
What replaced it was far more intimidating—the focused interest of a master who had discovered something unusual.
She turned and pointed toward an unconscious shinobi lying on the nearest bed. A deep wound ran along his side, surrounded by bruised, swollen tissue.
"A recommendation can get you through the door," Tsunade said. "It cannot earn you a place in my Advanced Medical Class."
She stepped aside, leaving the patient exposed.
"Come here, Ren. Show me whether Hebiji's praise was deserved."