"Forget it, just leave it like this. Let the eye stay open." Kakashi struggled a bit, then rose from the bed without saying another word. He simply walked out of the tent.
"Perhaps Obito, he wants to keep seeing this world for a little longer," Kakashi thought to himself.
"Do as you wish." Since the patient didn't mind, Hyuga Mirai didn't press the issue, though he was quite fascinated by the Sharingan.
The destruction of the Rock ninjas' supply line was a morale-boosting event for Konoha. Minato's name once again spread far and wide across the shinobi world. Alone, he had crossed multiple layers of enemy defenses to destroy the most important supply route of the Rock ninjas. His strength was now being compared to that of the legendary White Fang.
While the ninjas in the Land of Grass were celebrating the news, some had already speculated that the Rock ninjas might make a last-ditch effort, so they remained on high alert, waiting for the enemy's supplies to run out.
As night fell, Hyuga Mirai was in his tent, reviewing the documents sent by Unit 18. After a while, he felt someone approaching. A familiar voice called from outside the tent.
"Mirai-kun, are you asleep?"
"Not yet. If you have something to say, please come in, Rin," Mirai responded, lighting the lamp inside his tent.
Though space was tight in the medical camp, Mirai had a large, private tent. He didn't give up his own space for the sake of appearances—after all, putting on a show was foolish, not a way to win people over.
Rin entered, her mood clearly down.
"Rin, what's wrong?" Mirai asked first, sensing that if he waited for Rin to speak, he'd be up all night listening to her.
"Mirai-kun... do you think... maybe I shouldn't be on the battlefield?" Rin's voice was quiet as she asked this, her emotions heavy.
"I keep thinking... if I had listened to you and Kakashi, maybe Obito wouldn't have died. With the strength of our sensei and the others, they could have easily completed the mission. But with me there, Obito got caught in the enemy's trap while trying to save me..."
"Rin, I'm not great at comforting people, so I'll be straightforward." Hyuga Mirai spoke calmly, his voice steady. "Why do you think we don't use kunai or shuriken to perform medical procedures? Why don't we use explosive tags to heal wounds or healing seals to defeat enemies or engage in combat?"
With each word, Rin's head lowered more and more.
"I've heard Kurenai say that your strength lies in using shuriken, kunai, and explosive traps to ambush enemies, which is helpful, but when you're caught off guard, you're the best target for the enemy."
"The reason medical ninja assessments are different from those of other ninjas is because our role is completely different. Rin, even though I passed the standard Chūnin exam and became a Jōnin earlier than Kakashi, I may not be as strong as him. For tasks that don't match my abilities, I would never accept them."
"Think about what Tsunade-sama always said about the principles of medical ninjas."
Mirai had said a lot, and his last words about Tsunade's principles weighed heavily. Tsunade, being the most knowledgeable about medical ninjas, had laid out several rules. One of them was that medical ninjas should not go to the front lines unless they had mastered advanced techniques like the Yin Seal or regenerative healing.
Rin had violated this principle. Not only had she gone to the front lines, but she had also ventured behind enemy lines. While others might not understand, Rin should have known better. In the end, for the sake of "team bonds," her decision had been reckless.
"What's done is done. Just be more careful in the future. The war isn't over yet, so you should look ahead," Mirai said, his tone firm. He wasn't trying to be a therapist. He just disliked the blind faith that some people, like Minato and Miyamura, had in teamwork.
He found people who relied solely on ideals without reason to be frustrating. If Tsunade had been there, she would never have allowed Rin to go on a mission behind enemy lines. At this point, with Konoha's medical supplies already in short supply, sending a medical ninja on a risky mission was only diminishing their value. Rin's participation in the mission was more of a burden than a help.
Rin opened her mouth to say something, but Mirai had already made his point. Anything else she said would only cause more trouble if it reached Minato.
Hyuga Mirai used the excuse of needing rest to send Nohara Rin away.
Konoha had suffered heavy casualties on the battlefield in the Land of Grass. Even with an advanced medical system, nearly two hundred names would be carved into the Memorial Stone. However, thanks to Mirai's presence, Konoha's losses were still lower than those of the Sand and Cloud villages.
By the end of the war, Konoha was expected to have lost over a thousand shinobi—twice the number from the Second Shinobi World War.
As anticipated, Iwa's forces made a final, desperate attempt to break through Konoha's defensive line. However, Konoha had long been prepared, setting up an ambush. The battle left hundreds dead and wounded on both sides, with over three hundred casualties on Iwa's side alone. One-third of those were slain by Namikaze Minato himself.
With his victory against the Fourth Kazekage in the Land of Rivers and his unparalleled speed and lethality, the name "Yellow Flash" now echoed across the shinobi world, surpassing even the legendary Sannin in notoriety. Though Orochimaru and Jiraiya were undoubtedly powerful, neither had ever single-handedly slain dozens of enemies in a flash. Because of this, many began to believe that Minato was stronger than the Sannin, basing their assumptions solely on his battlefield achievements.
With Iwa's surrender and retreat, Konoha's forces secured the borders before preparing to return home. Upon hearing the news, many shinobi wept openly in the camp—not from grief, but from sheer relief.
They had survived.
Throughout the war, they had faced death countless times, never flinching at Iwa's kunai or jutsu. But the moment they learned they could go home, the emotions they had buried finally erupted.
Too many had died. Even the Hyuga Clan had lost more than ten shinobi, while other clans suffered even greater losses.
Yet, despite the tragedy, there were rewards to be reaped.
As the main force prepared to depart, Kiyo Hyuga approached the medical unit and called out to Mirai.
"You really are something else. The combined efforts of me and every other Hyuga here barely match your contributions."
Ever since Kiyo learned that Hyuga Nichirin had caused trouble for Mirai, she had stopped addressing him as "Uncle." She had always disliked the rigid, old-fashioned types within the clan.
Mirai glanced at her and asked casually, "Do you really need that much credit?"
He had already earned a considerable amount of merit, but there was little he could actually exchange it for. The Scroll of Forbidden Jutsu would never be opened to him, and he had no need for standard elemental jutsu. Aside from banking his achievements for a future promotion, there was little else he could gain.
Besides, most of his battlefield contributions would be credited to the Hyuga Clan as a whole.
Kiyo smirked. "It could be used to secure benefits for the clan—business concessions, positions in the village... If you wanted, I could—"
"Forget it, Kiyo. I'm twelve."
Before she could finish, Mirai cut her off. "If I had to sit in some office all day handling paperwork, I'd rather go fishing by the river."
He waved a hand dismissively. "You can have all my credit. I don't need it."
Kiyo's lips curled slightly as she glanced at him, then pressed them together thoughtfully. "What will you do when we get back to the village?"
"I'm sure I'll be assigned somewhere. The war in the Land of Grass may be over, but the Cloud forces are still stirring, and Hidden Mist isn't staying quiet either." Mirai sighed. "At this rate, my fishing rod is going to rust."
As long as the war continued, medical shinobi would never truly get to rest.
It was ironic. Their job was to save lives, yet their status in the village remained mediocre at best. It made no sense—but then again, chakra, a force capable of creation, had long been repurposed into a tool for killing. When viewed from that perspective, it all made perfect sense.
…
Upon their return to Konoha, the returning shinobi were met with a hero's welcome.
They were the ones who had repelled the invaders.
Once the injured were treated, the fallen honored, and diplomatic talks initiated with Iwa, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally turned to distributing battlefield rewards.
Chunin and genin had their merits processed by the Hokage's assistants, while Sarutobi personally handled the awards for jonin. After all, jonin formed the backbone of Konoha, and rewarding them in person gave Sarutobi an opportunity to consolidate their loyalty.
Following the war, the ANBU would need reinforcements. Those who had survived the battlefield had already proven themselves capable, and among them were candidates well-suited for the job.
Mirai was among the last to be summoned. His contributions were simply too significant. Aside from Namikaze Minato and a select few others, even Konoha's elite jonin had achieved less than he had.
It was said that anyone who made it to Mirai's medical unit had a high chance of survival.
Rumors spread in whispers throughout the village—Hyuga Mirai was the greatest medical prodigy since Tsunade.
Hiruzen was well aware of these rumors, but he did nothing to stop them. The ones speaking so highly of Mirai were not nobodies—they were shinobi, many of them commoners, who had been saved by him.
Praising an individual was never a crime in Konoha. If it were, then half the village would have been arrested for claiming that Hiruzen himself was the strongest Hokage in history.
Despite being a branch family member of the Hyuga Clan, Mirai had won the admiration of many common-born shinobi.
And admiration could easily turn into influence.
Hiruzen had to be cautious.
(End of Chapter)
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