Mikoto did not ask Aomizu why he wanted to wait a few years before marrying her.
To her, the timing of the wedding was not particularly important.
She didn't care whether the ceremony would be grand or simple.
A single promise from him was enough.
As long as he meant it.
Feeling the warmth and sincerity hidden in Mikoto's words, Aomizu chose not to explain further.
Instead, he lowered his head and gently kissed her soft lips.
His arm wrapped around her waist tightened unconsciously, as though he feared she might slip away if he loosened his hold even slightly.
Mikoto could feel the emotion behind the embrace.
She responded to his kiss just as passionately.
For a brief moment, the world outside seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them together in quiet warmth.
Only after they finally separated did Mikoto speak again.
"When I went out to buy groceries today," she said softly, "I ran into Ruine."
Aomizu blinked slightly.
"Ruine?"
Mikoto nodded.
"She said that she and the clan leader have already set their wedding date."
"A year from now."
"And she asked me to remind you to attend."
That was the true reason Mikoto had brought up the topic of marriage earlier.
Although Aomizu had never met the Ruine she mentioned, he knew exactly who she was referring to.
Ruine was Uchiha Fugaku's girlfriend.
Mikoto had mentioned her several times before.
Still, Aomizu hadn't expected that the two of them would move forward so quickly and already set a wedding date.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded.
"Alright."
"Just remind me when the time gets closer."
After all, it was an important event for Mikoto's clan.
It would be inappropriate for him to ignore it.
Respect had to be shown.
But as he thought about it further, another idea surfaced in his mind.
If Uchiha Fugaku was getting married soon…
Then Uchiha Itachi's birth probably wasn't too far away.
That name alone carried enormous weight.
Itachi.
A once-in-a-generation genius.
Perhaps even a genius among geniuses.
Yet his life had ultimately become a tragedy.
A large part of that tragedy could be attributed to his father, Fugaku.
What kind of father would bring his four-year-old son onto a battlefield?
That kind of upbringing would leave psychological scars on anyone.
It was no surprise that Itachi later developed such an extreme mindset.
Even within the Uchiha Clan—already infamous for emotional intensity—Itachi had become one of the most extreme individuals.
Everything had a cause.
And every cause eventually produced its result.
Still…
Things might not unfold the same way anymore.
With Aomizu's presence influencing events behind the scenes, the Uchiha Clan would likely avoid the catastrophic fate of annihilation.
At least, that was what Aomizu believed.
After considering the matter briefly, he decided not to dwell on it further.
After all, it wasn't directly related to him.
At least not yet.
Soon afterward, he tucked Mikoto under the blanket.
Holding her gently in his arms, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
Two and a Half Years Later
Konoha Ninja Academy
Medical Special Training Class
Aomizu stood calmly at the podium.
In his hands was a stack of freshly prepared exam papers.
He looked at the students seated before him.
"Alright."
"The final lesson of this stage is over."
"If anyone still has something they don't understand, now is the time to ask."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"If there are no questions, we'll begin the exam."
"Only those who pass will be able to enter the final stage of the course."
According to Aomizu's original teaching plan, the third stage of instruction focused on advanced medical theory.
This stage had been expected to last roughly two and a half years.
And now—
That stage had officially come to an end.
More than two years had passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, not only had his students grown stronger.
Aomizu himself had also undergone tremendous improvement.
Inside his mind, a familiar system panel displayed his current progress.
Chakra: B-Rank (604,860 / 1,000,000)
His chakra reserves had surpassed six hundred thousand.
Compared to the past, his growth was extraordinary.
At this point, Aomizu could confidently call himself a ninja with massive chakra reserves.
Aside from Jinchūriki or individuals possessing unique bloodline physiques, there were very few people in the ninja world whose chakra could rival his.
However, there was still a long distance to travel.
To advance from B-rank to A-rank chakra, he would need to reach one million units.
That was an enormous threshold.
But Aomizu wasn't worried.
He believed firmly that with enough time and persistence, he would eventually reach it.
Just as he finished speaking, a student immediately raised their hand.
"Teacher Aomizu!"
"There's something I still don't understand."
Aomizu smiled warmly.
Among the many students who had enrolled in the special training class at the beginning, only twenty-three had managed to persist until this point.
Each of them possessed a genuine desire to become a Medical Ninja.
Their enthusiasm for learning was far greater than ordinary academy students.
"Which part do you find confusing?" Aomizu asked patiently.
The student quickly explained their question regarding chakra control during treatment procedures.
Aomizu answered carefully, explaining the principle in detail while drawing diagrams on the board.
The classroom atmosphere remained lively as several more students raised questions.
After nearly half an hour, the question-and-answer session finally ended.
"Alright," Aomizu said.
"Now we will begin the exam."
"You have one hour."
"Start."
The sound of pens scratching against paper soon filled the classroom.
Some students wrote confidently.
Others frowned in concentration.
For a Medical Ninja, theoretical knowledge was just as important as practical ability.
Without a solid foundation in anatomy and chakra control theory, medical ninjutsu could easily cause more harm than healing.
An hour passed quickly.
When time was up, Aomizu collected the exam papers and began grading them immediately.
His movements were swift and precise.
After finishing the last paper, he nodded with satisfaction.
All twenty-three students had passed.
Not a single person failed.
This meant that the entire group could advance to the fourth and final stage of training.
And that stage was the most important of all.
Learning Medical Ninjutsu.
One Week Later
The next session of the Medical Special Training Class began.
Aomizu stood before the students with a faint smile.
"First of all, congratulations to all of you."
"Starting today, you have officially entered the final stage of this training program."
He paused briefly.
"No one present will be eliminated anymore."
The moment those words were spoken, the classroom erupted with excitement.
Many students sighed in relief.
After working hard for so long, it would have been devastating to fail right at the final stage.
Of course, Aomizu's decision wasn't only based on sympathy.
Anyone who could pass the first three stages already possessed the ability required to learn medical ninjutsu.
The only difference between them would be how long it took.
"Of course," Aomizu added calmly, "if someone decides they no longer wish to become a Medical Ninja, you are free to withdraw."
"If you ever have doubts, you can come speak with me privately."
No one moved.
Not a single student wanted to leave.
Seeing their determination, Aomizu nodded approvingly.
"Very well."
"Today's lesson will begin."
"We will start by learning the D-Rank Medical Ninjutsu—Healing Technique."
As usual, Aomizu began the class with a demonstration.
From a container beside the podium, he removed a small fish.
The fish had been intentionally injured beforehand.
It lay weakly on the table, barely moving.
The students quickly gathered around.
They watched with intense curiosity.
Aomizu raised both hands.
Chakra began to gather within his palms.
Soon, a soft green glow appeared.
He placed his hands gently over the fish.
"The key to using the Healing Technique," Aomizu explained calmly, "is maintaining stable chakra output."
"If the chakra flow is too weak, the treatment will fail."
"If it's too strong, it will damage the patient's internal circulation system."
As he spoke, the green light gradually enveloped the fish's body.
Even while explaining the process, Aomizu's chakra output remained perfectly steady.
Within moments, the injured fish began to recover.
Its gills moved again.
Its body twitched.
Then suddenly—
It leapt back to life, flapping energetically.
"Wow!"
The students gasped in amazement.
Although they had studied medical theory for years, this was the first time many of them had seen real medical ninjutsu performed up close.
The skill required to treat a patient while simultaneously explaining the process was extremely high.
Seeing their expressions, Aomizu smiled slightly.
"Alright."
"Now it's your turn."
"Begin practicing individually."
"If you encounter a problem, raise your hand."
"Yes, teacher!"
The students returned to their desks.
Each of them had been given an injured fish prepared earlier by Aomizu.
Soon, faint green chakra lights began appearing throughout the classroom.
At the beginning—
Everyone failed.
Without exception.
Some students lost control of their chakra output.
Others couldn't maintain a stable flow.
Aomizu moved around the room, patiently guiding each student.
He corrected their mistakes one by one.
Gradually, the differences in talent began to emerge.
While most students were still struggling to stabilize their chakra…
Two students had already succeeded.
Rin Nohara.
And Shizune.
Both girls had successfully activated the Healing Technique.
Not far behind them was another talented student.
Kurenai Yūhi.
She was only slightly slower than the first two.
Watching their progress, Aomizu nodded with quiet approval.
The future of Konoha's Medical Corps had just taken its first step forward.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)