Stepping away from the operating table, Hyuga Yu shed his blood-stained surgical scrubs. He grabbed a clean white lab coat, draped it over his shoulders, and walked out the door.
Furofuki, the captain of the Medical Corps, watched Yu's retreating back in silence. The act of donning the white coat seemed to mask the sharp, murderous intent he carried as a shinobi, allowing him to blend seamlessly into the medical environment. He looked like a true doctor.
But the Hyuga kid before her now was a far cry from the cautious, unassuming figure Furofuki remembered from the Konoha Hospital. It was as if he had undergone a radical transformation—some catalyst that had finally broken him out of his cage.
He was no longer hiding his brilliance.
Furofuki glanced at the surgical timer, which had stopped at 1:56. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to recall how long it had taken him to perform a surgery of this caliber before. Wasn't it... 3 hours and 12 minutes?
And now? 16 minutes?
Realizing the staggering gap between those two numbers, even Furofuki—one of the high-ranking members of the Medical Corps who had long shared a tacit understanding of Yu's hidden talents—couldn't help but feel her face twitch. Her gaze flickered intensely, searching for answers.
Inside the field operating room, the astonishment among the Konoha medical ninja hadn't subsided; instead, the conversation shifted.
"Why is this Hyuga kid so incredible, yet we've never heard of him? We've barely even seen his face."
"I know why—apparently, because of his Byakugan, he caught the eye of the Medical Corps higher-ups early on. He was allowed to assist in high-level surgeries as an 'extra-curricular' aide. It seems he performed so well that they just kept him by their side."
"Well, of course he's good! It's the Byakugan! What doctor wouldn't want a portable CT scanner that gives results in seconds?"
"Ugh, why is the gap between people wider than the gap between humans and dogs? I'm still grinding for seniority as an assistant, while this kid is already the lead surgeon and outclassing all of Konoha!"
"Say, a doctor this talented... surely he's caught Lady Tsunade's attention by now?"
"Do you think he'll become Lady Tsunade's disciple and the youngest high-ranking member of the Medical Corps?"
Even the six medical ninjas working on another operation nearby couldn't help but prick up their ears at this. At that moment, however, Furofuki's expression darkened.
"Are you all that idle?" she barked. "Get moving and bring in the next patient!"
The exhausted young medical ninjas immediately looked dejected. Not daring to talk back to their superior, they ended their gossip and filed out to prepare for the next surgery.
Once everyone had left, Furofuki fell silent, a look of regret crossing her face as she shook her head. A qualified doctor and a qualified medical ninja were, after all, two different things.
Hyuga Yu possessed the perfect talent for medicine and an incredible work ethic. He was the most flawless lead surgeon Konoha Hospital had produced since its founding. The Medical Corps leadership had even invited Tsunade, one of the Sannin, to secretly observe one of Yu's surgeries to recommend him as her student.
Unfortunately, after assessing Yu's situation, Lady Tsunade spoke bluntly: Yu's chakra reserves were so meager that even if he learned the three A-rank medical ninjutsu, he would never master them. He simply lacked the talent to be a "qualified medical ninja."
Even if his chakra reached Level 4 [Sei 4] by adulthood, allowing him to barely perform A-rank techniques, he would still fail to meet the requirements for Tsunade's S-rank jutsu. Her verdict was that Yu should be fast-tracked into the Medical Corps leadership upon reaching adulthood, but she would not take him as a disciple.
Furofuki sighed at the memory. But then, her brow furrowed, and she whipped her head around to look at the empty operating table.
"Wait... even if he was hiding his skill, it's impossible to cut down surgery time by that much!"
"During that surgery just now, that kid definitely used chakra!"
"And even if the patient was his fiancée, with his personality, he wouldn't waste chakra like that unless..."
Thinking of the rumors circulating through the camp, Furofuki's gaze sharpened.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, a medical ninja named Yumiko was organizing the surgical instruments. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the timer stopped at 1:56, a cold, venomous light flickering in them.
"Has Konoha produced another future 'Sannin'?" she whispered. "Hehe..."
In a corner where no one could see, a bloodthirsty, murderous sneer twisted Yumiko's face.
Stepping out of the field operating room, Yu saw Hyuga Hizashi stand up abruptly. The man approached him, frowning. "How is Natsu's condition?"
Yu knew Hizashi wasn't asking about her physical health—as one of the high-ranking commanders on the Eastern Front, Hizashi didn't have the luxury to worry about the health of a Branch House member. Yu nodded at him.
"There are no problems."
"That's good," Hizashi let out a sigh of relief.
No one else was around; Hizashi had already dismissed the clansmen who were anxiously waiting for news of other surgeries. He remained silent for a moment, deep in thought, before looking at Yu.
"The fighting in the Land of Waves is intense. I won't be here long; I leave tomorrow. Regarding the Head House... I assume you already know?"
Yu nodded. Receiving a clear answer, Hizashi continued, "I know who you are, Hyuga Yu. Three years ago, I was there the day you defied Hiashi Hyuga."
This was a declaration of his stance. From the moment Hizashi referred to his older brother by name, he was no longer Hiashi's brother—he was Hizashi of the Branch House. This was why he had covered for Yu and why he had pointedly ignored the blue chakra he saw earlier.
Yu looked at him and asked, "What are you trying to say?"
Hizashi narrowed his eyes. "The ones who came with me are my confidants; they won't leak intel. I will also hold off the pressure from the Head House for now. But," he paused, "paper cannot wrap fire forever. My word can only delay the inevitable. The Head House will become suspicious. As the war intensifies, the next batch of Branch House members will arrive with orders to conduct a more thorough investigation."
"As soon as they see your chakra, the Head House won't care about your excuses or disguises; they will recall you to the clan immediately."
Hizashi spoke plainly: "Have you thought about your next move?"
Yu nodded. "I have."
"In that case, I won't ask." Hizashi nodded back, but after a moment's thought, he offered one final piece of information: "The discussion within the Head House regarding the future of the Hyuga clan is not unanimous. There is one person who can help you."
"Who?" Yu asked instantly.
"The man you served for thirteen years: Elder Hyuga Chongguang. He seems to know many things—"
Hizashi tried to recall what he had seen and heard during his childhood as a member of the Head House.
"That likely includes the chakra you possess. His time is short; he likely won't last more than two years. As a medical ninja, you should know that better than I. If possible, you should find the time to go see him."
————
Supporting me on Pa-treon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .c-om/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Pa-treon normally.)