Kato Dan was a child from a small Shinobi Clans, currently eighteen years old. He had been a Shinobi for six years, making him an experienced, cautious, and excellent Shinobi.
In Konoha, there were many such small clans and many such Shinobi.
A so-called small clan consisted of a few relatives with the same surname and a special secret Ninjutsu within the family.
Such small clans had little presence in Konoha, just as the young man himself had little presence.
He was seriously injured on this mission, the first time he had sustained such severe injuries in his six years of mission work. He didn't know if it was fortunate or unfortunate.
At least he didn't lose his life on the mission.
The young man thought optimistically.
"Your leg still can't move. At this rate, there's still half a year of recovery period, and it might have some impact on your future Shinobi career."
The doctor adjusted the splinted leg.
"Is the impact significant?" the young man asked, his gaze involuntarily drifting to a fleeting glimpse of golden hair passing by the window.
How beautiful, Princess.
"It's hard to say. It might recover very well, or it might affect your mobility. I suggest you rest peacefully and temporarily give up your Shinobi career."
The attending Medical Ninja's tone was a bit serious.
Feeling the heaviness, the young man said with difficulty, "That won't do. Not only do I have ideals I want to achieve, but I also need to earn money."
"I know, I know," the doctor said. "The Village has a mission injury disability subsidy you can claim, which should be enough to get through this difficult period."
"Isn't that Mystical Palm Technique very useful? Use that," the young man said, having conversed with some fellow patients. "Didn't Tsunade Hime also invent several incredibly powerful Medical Ninjutsu?"
The doctor shook his head and said, "Those Ninjutsu won't help your situation. Mystical Palm Technique requires an application, and the chances of your situation being approved are not high."
The young man felt a bit dejected. It wasn't a big deal for him to work harder, but his lovely younger sister would have to suffer with him.
As a useless older brother, he felt very distressed.
"But it's not without a solution. If you're insistent, you can try there," the doctor suggested. "Although I don't really want to suggest it."
"Is there a problem?" the young man asked cautiously.
"It's not a big problem, but it will leave some psychological trauma," the doctor sighed with a complex expression. "You need to be mentally prepared."
"If it can make my foot recover quickly and completely, I'm willing to try," the young man Kato Dan said.
"Alright then, the Medical Development Department on the third floor, it's that person's experiment, no, department. The Nurses all know, you can ask them."
"You seemed to say something just now," the young man said, looking suspicious.
"No," the doctor insisted. "You probably misheard."
"Alright," the young man said, getting up with his crutches and walking with a difficult limp.
On the way, the young man searched for the place the doctor mentioned in Konoha Hospital.
Since it was his first time being hospitalized, he wasn't familiar with the place.
He searched with a difficult limp.
What was the department called again?
Medical Development Department?
That's right, isn't it?
Just then, a Nurse carrying medical equipment passed by.
The young man stopped her and asked gently and politely, "Excuse me, where is the Medical Development Department?"
The moment he spoke, the Nurse's eyes became strange.
As a Shinobi, the young man was sure he caught this sensitive change.
Her eyes held three parts pity, three parts reluctance, plus three parts other inexplicable emotions.
She wanted to laugh.
What was so funny?
"It's over there, at the end of the corridor, the last room. Oh, and if the door is closed, don't open it. Just sit in the corridor outside for a while."
The young man couldn't help but ask, "What happens if I open it?"
"You'll die," the Nurse answered with unusual conviction. "Worse than death!"
"I understand," the young man said with a bitter smile. It seemed he had encountered someone difficult to deal with.
There was no time to ask further questions.
The busy Nurse left.
Looking down the deep corridor, the young man hesitated for a moment.
After a while, he gritted his teeth.
Since he was already here!
Wasn't he?
He limped towards the depths.
Before long, he reached the end and sat on a bench in the corridor outside the door.
What would happen?
The young man seemed a little uneasy.
But the next second, he laughed out loud.
Kato Dan, you are already a mature Shinobi. No matter what you encounter, don't be afraid!
Face it bravely and overcome it.
If you can't even do something like this, what's the point of dreaming of becoming Hokage?
After some self-reassurance, the young man calmed down.
However, the next second, an anomaly suddenly occurred.
The tightly shut door was violently burst open, and a large man stumbled out in a panic.
The young man was startled.
He knew this large man. In Jonin circles, he was famous for being captured by enemy Shinobi, secretly interrogated for a week, and never breaking. He was a renowned tough guy.
The young man greatly admired his deeds.
He often fantasized about becoming such a tough guy, such a hero himself.
But at this moment, this tough guy was in tears, tears and snot flowing freely.
His face showed an undeniable, intense fear.
He kept screaming in terror.
"I'm not getting treated!!!"
"Help!!!"
"Mom---Mom---!!!"
Watching the scene before him, all that was left in the young man's heart was shock.
Great shock!
A dense, black swarm of insects erupted from within the room, flying out wildly and ferociously.
Layer upon layer, they tightly wrapped around the tough guy.
They continuously dragged the tough guy back into the room.
His fingernails desperately scraped against the ground, emitting a piercing shriek as the swarm dragged him across the floor.
The young man snapped back to his senses.
His pupils contracted in fear to the size of pinpricks.
He suddenly stood up, grabbed his crutches, turned, and ran!
What was that!
What was that!
What was that just now!!!
Is this really a Hospital!?
As he thought, the young man found his crutches cumbersome, abruptly threw them away, and hopped desperately to escape!
His mind had only one thought.
Get out of this hellhole!
Are you kidding me!
This leg! I don't need it!
"Save..."
Before he could finish his words, the young man abruptly stopped running.
He stared blankly at the black wall of insects that had risen before him, blocking the corridor.
Innumerable tiny beetles squeezed together, wriggling densely and emitting a bizarre, hair-raising sound.
He remembered.
The legend from the academy, the terrifying Mushi-Hime who was three years his junior.
He heard she was a terrible girl with an awful personality who loved to feed people insects.
At this thought, his body naturally trembled.
"Hey, since you're here, where do you think you're going?"
The young man stiffly turned around and looked at the legendary girl.
The Aburame Hime, Konoha's Mushi-Hime.
If you angered her, you would die a terrible death.
His mind couldn't help but recall the horrifying memory of boys from his year whose bodies would tremble just hearing her name.
"I'm going to the restroom, I have to pee urgently," the young man said, forcing a stiff smile, devoid of his usual sunny and gentle demeanor.
He turned to look at the girl.
She wore a pure white, flawless hooded robe and red-strapped wooden clogs on her feet. Her face was hidden by the legendary mask she supposedly never removed.
The girl's figure was tall and slender, but just by her silhouette, it was hard to reconcile her with the terrifying stories.
She must be a very beautiful girl.
For some reason, the young man instinctively thought so.
"Come here," the girl beckoned.
"Yes!" Like facing a superior Jonin, the young man hopped forward.
What could he do?
Even if the person in front of him was in her infancy ten years ago, he couldn't beat her!
She was a monster through and through!
As a seasoned elite Chunin with six years of experience, he was well aware of this information.
Just as Tsunade Hime could send him flying with one punch.
The one before him would only be more terrifying.
He really would die...
The young man couldn't help but recall the Nurse's words, his eyes glistening with tears.
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