Konoha Village, Hokage's Office
"…That's everything."
Link finished reporting the mission details and events, excluding the specifics of his own jutsu and combat techniques, but thoroughly describing the enemy's abilities.
Whether Sasori and Deidara had already spilled that much information themselves, he didn't care—he was just making sure Konoha had all the details.
He also handed over the items he had collected from Orochimaru's base. Since he couldn't decipher them himself, it was better to let the village's cryptography unit analyze them.
And, of course, there was Danzo. That old schemer had mysteriously appeared in the Land of Rivers, and his subordinates from Root had attempted to steal Link's mission objective. There was no way Link wasn't going to report that.
Especially since he had Danzo's coded scroll as evidence.
That was a solid piece of proof.
"Explosion Release user and Sasori of the Red Sand…" Hiruzen Sarutobi folded his hands together, his expression serious. "You've done well on this mission. We will discuss the Akatsuki situation with Sunagakure and see if we can have them officially labeled as an international criminal organization."
Up until now, the Akatsuki had been viewed as just another faction within Amegakure's internal conflict—a splinter group from Land of Rain.
But with the chaos in the Land of Rain, its leadership was in no position to respond to external condemnation. Even though they harbored several S-rank rogue ninjas, the major nations had largely turned a blind eye to them.
Now, however, the Akatsuki weren't just targeting Konoha shinobi; they had destroyed the Land of Rivers' capital and were linked to the death of the Third Kazekage—a death that had triggered a war and Sunagakure's decline.
With proof that Sasori, once a prodigy of the Sand, possessed the Third Kazekage as a human puppet, there was now a strong basis to reopen old grievances.
The Third Hokage paused before continuing, "As for Danzo, I will have a talk with him."
There wasn't much he could do about his old comrade.
The hawkish faction within Konoha would never disappear. The Shimura clan had sacrificed much for the village, and Danzo himself, with his extensive experience and considerable strength, was a pillar of that faction. The internal struggles within Konoha were fierce, but they rarely escalated to outright elimination.
To completely suppress an internal faction required a major event that severely threatened the village—like the Uchiha massacre.
Link nodded and left the office.
The rest wasn't his concern anymore.
As he departed, members of the ANBU arrived to take the scrolls from Orochimaru's base.
Mitokado Homura finally spoke. "It looks like Danzo messed up this time, Koharu."
"This was partly my responsibility as well," Utatane Koharu admitted frankly. "Danzo must be held accountable for this. Tomorrow, we will meet with the Daimyō."
Mitokado Homura said nothing, silently agreeing.
The two village elders often served as intermediaries between the Hokage and the Fire Daimyō. Even if their opinions occasionally clashed, there were no open disputes. Their role was not just as messengers, but also as mediators who ensured the noble class and the shinobi village remained in balance.
"The news about Sasori should be sent to Sunagakure. Arrange a meeting with the Kazekage, and have someone establish contact with Amegakure," Hiruzen ordered, setting the gears of diplomacy in motion.
...
Outside Konoha Hospital – On the Lawn
[One thousand…]
"Thud!"
Rock Lee collapsed onto the grass, drenched in sweat after completing 1,000 push-ups.
His body had recovered significantly over the past half-month of treatment, and he was constantly increasing the intensity of his training in hopes of regaining his pre-Chūnin Exam condition as soon as possible.
"Isn't this a bit too much?" Link smiled down at him. "You should wait until you're fully recovered before pushing yourself so hard."
"Link!" Lee sprang to his feet, eyes practically glowing with enthusiasm. His hospital gown was soaked with sweat. "You're back!"
"Come on, it's time for your treatment," Link called, turning toward the hospital entrance. "Overexerting yourself right now will just put more strain on your body…"
"Yes, sir!" Rock Lee listened intently. He might not take everyone's advice seriously, but the man who had essentially given him a second chance at life? Every word of his was gospel.
As they entered the hospital room, Link conducted a routine examination.
[His recovery is progressing fast. Even without my jutsu, he'd probably be back to normal in another two weeks at most.]
[Once I removed the trickier injuries with my Delicate Illness Extraction technique, normal medical ninjutsu and treatment protocols could take care of the rest.]
[Still, training with underlying injuries has slightly delayed his full recovery, and in some areas, it's made things worse.]
Link cast another Delicate Illness Extraction to realign a few misaligned bones, listening to the faint cracking sounds as everything settled back into place.
Then, with a pat on the shoulder, he smiled and said, "Congratulations. You'll be discharged no later than the day after tomorrow."
Rock Lee, overjoyed, immediately tried to throw himself into Link's arms.
Link dodged with practiced ease. "But for the next two days, absolutely no training. You need to let your body fully recover."
[No way am I letting a sweaty, exhausted guy hug me.]
"Lee~! I came to visit again!"
A cheerful voice rang out as the door burst open. Tenten entered, carrying a bento box. When she saw there were others in the room, she greeted them, "Long time no see~"
Link nodded in return. He was somewhat familiar with her by now. It was clear she cared about Rock Lee, though…
"Link says I'll be discharged soon!" Lee announced excitedly.
"Congrats!" Tenten beamed, setting down the bento before turning back to him. "That means—"
"You promised to go to the movies with me…"
"This is the blazing passion of youth!!!"
Tears streamed from Rock Lee's eyes like waterfalls, gushing dramatically. The entire atmosphere of the scene suddenly shifted into something almost surreal.
Link took two steps back to avoid getting splashed by tears and snot, glancing at Tenten with mild sympathy.
Liking someone like Rock Lee… that had to be exhausting.
Now that he thought about it, Team Guy's three students were an odd bunch. Neji was clearly the best-looking one, yet Tenten was interested in Lee—a loud, eccentric guy who wasn't exactly handsome.
Love really was a strange thing.
"Link-sensei~"
Temari peeked into the room with a playful grin. "I knew you'd be here."
Link's frequent hospital visits to treat Rock Lee weren't exactly a secret.
"The mission was a success! Kankurō and I were thinking—why don't we have a little celebration dinner tonight?"
Link took a deep breath.
[As your teacher, I should remain firm…]
Then Temari added, "How about barbecue? My treat~"
[Damn it, temptation! Stay away from me!]
~~~
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