"Huh?"
Ren blinked, clearly stunned.
"There's… such a good thing?"
The words slipped out before he could stop himself.
The war had just begun—and his father had already been forced to retire from the shinobi ranks?
What kind of absurd luck was this?
In a battlefield where death was the norm, survival itself was already a miracle. And yet, his father had not only survived but had also escaped the endless cycle of missions, danger, and death.
From a cold, rational perspective…
It almost felt like winning the lottery.
You only lost a leg… but your teammates lost their lives.
Of course—
That thought, no matter how logical, sounded absolutely terrible when spoken aloud.
And unfortunately for Ren, he had said it out loud.
Tap!
Mikami Aoi lightly knocked him on the head.
"This child, what nonsense are you saying?" she scolded softly, though there was no real anger in her tone—only helplessness.
Ren rubbed his head awkwardly.
On the hospital bed, Mikami Tajima let out a chuckle.
"Haha, it's fine. Children speak without thinking."
He didn't mind.
If anything, there was a strange relief in his eyes.
He had survived.
That alone was enough.
---
After that, the conversation shifted.
Aoi began telling him everything that had happened at home over the past year—small details, daily life, quiet worries, and simple joys.
And eventually…
The topic turned to Ren.
"…What?"
Tajima's eyes widened.
"Ren graduated at the top of his class? He even defeated the Hokage's son and received a reward?"
He looked at Ren like he was seeing him for the first time.
"And your squad leader is Minato Namikaze? The one known for Space-Time Ninjutsu?"
Ren scratched his cheek.
"…Yeah."
"Hahahaha!"
Tajima burst out laughing, his voice filled with pride.
"As expected of my son! You're amazing!"
For a brief moment, he forgot everything.
The pain.
The injury.
The war.
But that moment didn't last long.
As his body shifted, the wound reacted. Blood began to seep faintly through the bandages, and his expression tightened.
Aoi immediately stood up. "I'll call the doctor—"
"Wait."
Ren stepped forward calmly.
He raised both hands and placed them gently over the wound.
A soft green glow bloomed from his palms.
The familiar warmth of healing chakra spread outward.
"Relax," Ren said.
The bleeding slowed.
Then stopped.
Tajima stared at him in shock.
"…You know medical ninjutsu too?"
Ren shrugged casually.
"I picked up a bit. I've been helping out at the hospital sometimes."
His tone made it sound trivial.
It wasn't.
---
At that moment, a small commotion rose nearby.
Voices lowered.
People straightened.
Some even tried to sit up despite their injuries.
Ren turned his head—
And saw her.
Tsunade.
Golden hair tied into twin tails.
Sharp eyes.
A presence that filled the entire ward the moment she stepped in.
She glanced around briefly, then walked straight toward Ren without hesitation.
"…Lady Tsunade?!"
The injured shinobi and their families reacted instantly, their expressions filled with respect and surprise.
Tsunade waved her hand casually.
"No need for formalities. You're all injured—focus on resting."
Then her gaze shifted.
Straight to Ren.
"Hey, brat. Is this your father?"
Ren nodded.
On the bed, Tajima was completely stunned.
"…Ren… you and Lady Tsunade…"
He couldn't even finish the sentence.
Tsunade answered casually.
"He's currently my student. More or less."
Her eyes flicked toward Ren with a hint of amusement.
"This brat has talent in medical ninjutsu. He's been studying in the medical division and helping me quite a bit."
Then she looked at Tajima again.
"I heard your father returned injured from the border, so I came to take a look."
Her tone softened slightly.
"Don't worry. Konoha Hospital won't neglect any wounded shinobi—especially someone like you."
Tajima hurriedly shook his head.
"I… I can't be called a hero…"
Tsunade's expression didn't change.
"Every shinobi who bleeds for Konoha is a hero."
Her voice was steady.
Not loud.
But undeniable.
---
To Ren, it was obvious.
Yes, Tsunade's visit was partly because of him.
But more than that—
It was political.
The war had begun.
The injured were returning.
Fear was spreading.
Someone like Tsunade stepping forward… wasn't just about treatment.
It was about reassurance.
Stability.
Hope.
---
After a brief exchange, Tsunade's attention shifted to Ren's hands.
The green chakra was still glowing faintly.
"How is it?" she asked.
Ren checked carefully before answering.
"…Stable. No immediate danger."
Tsunade nodded.
"Good."
She paused, then added—
"I'll personally examine him tonight and create a treatment plan."
Ren's eyes flickered.
"Treatment plan?"
"To see if there's any possibility…" Tsunade said calmly, "…for him to stand again."
---
Ren fell silent.
That sounded good.
Too good.
Because if his father recovered enough to stand…
There was a chance—
He might return to the battlefield.
Become cannon fodder again.
Ren almost spoke.
Almost stopped her.
But in the end—
He said nothing.
"…Thank you."
Tsunade nodded once, then turned and left.
---
After she was gone, Tajima finally found the chance to ask.
"So… the medical division?"
Ren explained briefly.
Training.
Assisting.
Learning under Tsunade.
Tajima listened, eyes shining with pride.
"Hahaha! As expected of my son!"
He coughed lightly, still grinning.
"I can see it—you've got the potential of a jonin!"
Ren didn't respond to that.
But he didn't deny it either.
---
Then Tajima suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right."
He shifted slightly.
"I learned a couple of ninjutsu during my time at the border. Might be useful to you."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"…What techniques?"
"Great Fireball Technique. And Phoenix Flower Fire Technique."
"…."
Ren paused.
What a coincidence.
He already knew both.
He even knew one more advanced variation.
But that wasn't surprising.
For a chunin, accessible ninjutsu were mostly C-rank.
And among Fire Release techniques—
Those two were the most common.
"…I see."
Tajima scratched his head awkwardly.
"Ah… so you already know them."
He looked slightly embarrassed.
But then he straightened.
"It's fine. I've earned quite a bit of merit from missions over the past two years."
His voice grew more serious.
"I should be able to exchange it for one or two C-rank techniques. Maybe even a B-rank if I push it."
He looked at Ren.
"If there's anything you want to learn… I can get it for you."
---
Ren didn't answer immediately.
He was tempted.
Very tempted.
But he also understood something clearly.
For his father—
Those merits were everything.
Years of risk.
Years of life on the line.
Now that he could no longer be a shinobi…
That was all he had left.
"…Let's talk about it in a few days."
Ren said finally.
Tajima nodded.
He didn't press further.
---
That night—
Aoi stayed at the hospital.
Ren returned home alone.
At the street intersection, he ran into Rin and her father.
They had clearly heard the news.
"Is your father okay?"
Rin asked softly.
"He's alive."
Ren replied simply.
That was enough.
They talked briefly. Rin mentioned visiting in a few days, then left with a worried expression.
---
The next morning—
Team Minato's meeting point.
Ren arrived first.
Then Kakashi.
Then Rin.
Even Obito—
Who was almost always late—
Arrived on time.
That alone showed how serious things had become.
A few moments later, Minato appeared.
He looked at them.
"All here?"
Everyone nodded.
Minato took a breath.
"As you all know… Konoha and Sunagakure are now at war."
No one spoke.
"The village will continue sending shinobi to the front lines."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"And as a jonin… I may be assigned additional missions at any time."
That meant one thing.
"I won't always be able to stay with you."
The words landed heavily.
Then—
Minato's expression softened.
"That's why… while I'm still in the village for now, I've decided something."
A brief pause.
"I will reduce external missions."
"And instead…"
He looked at each of them.
"Conduct special training for all of you—for the next one to two months."
Obito's eyes widened slightly.
Rin straightened.
Kakashi remained silent—but attentive.
"The training will be harsh," Minato continued.
"Much harder than before."
His tone was calm.
But firm.
"This is for your future."
Another pause.
"You must have enough strength to protect yourselves…"
"Before the worst-case scenario arrives."
---
Silence.
Then—
Ren spoke first.
"…Understood."
Kakashi nodded.
Rin followed.
Obito clenched his fists, determination flashing across his face.
"We understand, Minato-sensei!"
---
The air shifted.
War had begun.
And now—
Their real training was about to begin too.
--------------------------------
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