The Konoha Hospital, established less than a century ago, was not some "White Tower"—a rigid hierarchy where every position was fixed and one had to fight the old guard just to get a foot in the door.
On the contrary, the top brass of the Medical Corps placed immense value on the cultivation of medical talent.
Hyuga Yu was unaware that he had already been internally designated by Tsunade as a future high-ranking member of Konoha's Medical Corps.
But Furofuki knew.
The current arrangement for Hyuga Yu was both a test and a form of protection.
Because of the surgery the previous night, Furofuki vaguely sensed that a profound change might have occurred within Hyuga Yu. However, this matter involved the Hyūga clan—a powerful Great Clan with a bloodline limit—and its implications were vast. Even as a senior member of the Medical Corps, Furofuki knew she couldn't interfere. She could only pretend to be ignorant of the matter while providing Yu with assistance from a different angle.
Furthermore, upholding a strictly rigorous attitude toward medicine, Furofuki felt she had to suppress Hyuga Yu for the time being.
Having spent seven years together, Furofuki, who was the most demanding of Yu, was also among those who understood him best. She knew exactly what he wanted. But no matter what his goals were, in Furofuki's eyes, he absolutely could not squander his natural talent!
Some people were true geniuses, on the verge of becoming Jonin at a young age, like Kakashi Hatake. Others were geniuses of hard work who, through relentless cultivation, would eventually let their light shine, like Might Guy and his father.
But Hyuga Yu was different from them. He had no talent for Ninjutsu or Taijutsu, and his chakra reserves were pitifully small. Yet, he possessed a talent that others could hardly hope to reach.
He was a genius of the medical world!
He was a medical ninja prodigy who would eventually change the world through knowledge!
As a doctor, Hyuga Yu was already very mature, but as a medical ninja, he was still far from qualified. Right now, he should be immersing himself in study to thoroughly rectify his shortcomings, rather than impatiently jumping out to display his abilities to everyone while the situation remained unclear.
Furofuki knew her current mission was to guide Hyuga Yu onto the correct path. No matter how far he went or what he did in the future, the skills honed in the field of medical ninjutsu would be his strongest foundation.
Finally, what worried Furofuki the most was the current state of affairs.
The medical camps on the front lines gathered patients from all directions, and from their mouths, one could often gather the most authentic first-hand intelligence of the battlefield.
On the surface, the Eastern Front remained stable, with only minor tremors in localized areas. In reality, the situation across the entire Eastern Front had reached a precarious state.
The supply lines in the rear had been compromised until they were like a sieve. Spies from various nations moved through the area as if it were a wasteland, and even within Konoha's own positions, a significant number of enemy infiltrators had blended in.
It was difficult for Konoha's supplies to arrive and for personnel to be reassigned. Meanwhile, the enemy was waiting for the perfect opportunity. Once they launched a pincer movement to sever Konoha's transport routes—coupled with the sea routes opened after the fall of the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Waves—they could transport large numbers of troops to the Land of Fire for large-scale group combat.
If that happened, the Uchiha and Hyūga clans would find it nearly impossible to resist.
Before such an event, assassinating the "budding geniuses" of an enemy nation—those who had not yet fully grown—was often the most effective way to strike at enemy morale.
The Medical Department had already sent a large number of excellent prospects into the ninja squad system because of Tsunade's reckless suggestions, leading to many useless sacrifices.
For a "hidden treasure" like Hyuga Yu, who had been kept under wraps by the Medical Corps' leadership, Furofuki would rather tuck him away in the quietest, most deserted Corpse Processing Class than let him show his face at a time like this.
While Uchiha Ci was inside the Corpse Processing Class receiving guidance from Furofuki and learning the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique, a scene was unfolding on the other side of the camp near a grove of coconut trees.
A black pigeon, taking advantage of the dim, pre-dawn light, flapped its wings and landed. It lowered its head to peck at seeds that had been placed there in advance.
A tall figure quietly appeared. The hazy morning light hit her face, revealing a beautiful countenance.
By standard definitions, she was a "Grade A" beauty. However, despite her natural beauty, she wore no makeup and was dressed in a very plain Chunin flak jacket over a white lab coat. There was a slight puffiness under her eyes from staying up late, giving her a very grounded, steady appearance.
Or at least, that's how it should have been.
But at this moment, her eyes—slightly cold and swirling with a seductive, fox-like charm—sharply contradicted that reliable "doctor" persona.
She slowly reached into her pocket, seemingly intending to pull something out.
But just as she moved, a hearty, boisterous voice called out from behind her.
"Dr. Yumiko! You're up this early too!?"
Yumiko's body jerked violently. Her hand clenched inside her pocket as she turned her head stiffly, looking back with a guilty conscience.
She immediately saw him—the middle-aged "weirdo" in the green spandex suit with thick eyebrows who had been transferred to the camp yesterday. He was moving in a bizarre fashion: instead of walking on his feet, he was inverted, supporting himself with his hands. His "feet"—well, his hands—were flying as he zipped from a distance right up to her.
Then, he raised one hand—level with his legs in the air—and gave her a "super" thumbs-up. His bared teeth flashed with a shine more dazzling than the sun that had yet to rise over the horizon.
"Haha! So you're feeding the pigeons! I was wondering what you were up to!"
"Huh?!" Yumiko's heart tightened. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. She replied stiffly, "Ah... Mr. Dai. What did you think I was doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? Morning exercise! Morning exercise!"
"Dr. Yumiko, the moment after waking is when the flames of youth burn brightest! It's a real shame not to use such an early start for training!"
Yumiko's face twitched slightly, but she managed a polite nod. "Is... is that so?"
Might Dai immediately extended an invitation. "Dr. Yumiko, let's do some morning exercise together!"
"Ha—huh?! Uh, I don't think that's a very good idea."
"What's not good about it? This—this is Youth!"
As Yumiko watched the man's tears suddenly stream down while he remained in his handstand, she felt her skin crawl. Cold sweat soaked her back.
Dammit, what kind of freak is this?!
Why is he better at controlling his facial expressions than a spy? He doesn't even need to prime his emotions—the tears just burst out like an open fire hydrant!
"No, no thank you, Mr. Dai. As you can see, I still have to feed the pigeons."
"Well, that's a pity. See you around then, Dr. Yumiko!"
"1,214..."
"1,215..."
Might Dai lowered his head in disappointment but then immediately cheered up again. He began shouting strange numbers that made Yumiko's heart pound with confusion as he ran off, still upside down.
Yumiko finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
But soon, a realization hit her!
Why did this newcomer, Might Dai, know her current "name"? Why did he choose this exact moment to approach her? And those numbers he shouted as he left... were they some kind of code?
Shocked, Yumiko watched Might Dai's receding figure. She felt more and more that this man was unfathomable.
However, remembering the task at hand, she immediately looked down at the black pigeon pecking at the seeds on the ground.
To Yumiko's surprise, unlike previous times, this particular messenger pigeon had a small message tube tied to its leg.
Yumiko's expression instantly became grim.
————
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