Once I distanced myself from Mr. Isamu, I began a walk through the town.
I visited some of the shops the Chinoike clan had selling their wares. Overall, it was quite similar to the Uchiha clan, the only difference being the number of stalls and residents in the town.
The Uchiha clan was more prosperous and had a good reputation for strength. The Chinoike clan, on the other hand, had a smaller population and its reputation was slowly declining.
While walking through the streets, I suddenly felt a blow to my shoulder, causing me to stumble.
Falling to the ground, I saw the person I had collided with, a woman in her 20s.
Jomei: "I'm sorry, I wasn't there." The woman's furious voice left me speechless.
"You shouldn't be here." Her gaze was fixed on my feet, while her voice and expression reflected unrelenting rage.
Jomei: "I'm actually really sorry. It's just that I have a meeting with..." I sat up and brushed the dirt off my shirt.
"Just shut up, damn it!" she exclaimed furiously. The woman glared at me with contempt and left immediately.
I couldn't understand what had angered her so much, and at the same time, I didn't give it much thought. I thought it was because I wasn't part of her clan.
As I brushed off my pants, I saw a piece of wood in the shape of an elk lying shattered around my feet.
In that instant, I understood the situation completely, but I hadn't expected that response from her.
Looking at the store the woman had come from, I went in to buy an identical figurine.
It only cost 4,000 ryo, so I asked for it to be wrapped in a gift bag, so I paid 5,000 ryo in total.
...
Inside a house in the northeast corner of the clan.
"Mom, what did you bring me as a gift?" a boy about 3 years old asked anxiously.
"I'm sorry, son, I couldn't get anything. But don't worry, I'll bring a gift for you in a few days." His heartbroken voice reflected deep resentment.
"Don't worry, Mom. On my next birthday, you can give me something even better than what you could have gotten this time." The boy comforted his mother, seeing the sadness in her eyes.
I was standing outside the house, about to knock on the door, but upon hearing this, I wrote a note and arranged the things I had brought at the entrance. After that, I knocked on the door a few times.
"I'm coming, wait a second. Son, I'll be right back." She immediately opened the front door, but saw no one there, so she thought it was a joke.
As she closed the door, her gaze focused on the objects arranged in the entryway, seeming surprised.
"Mom, who's there?" The boy, seeing that his mother hadn't spoken to anyone, decided to go to his mother.
She was carrying the packages that were in the entryway.
"Mom, thank you so much. I thought you hadn't actually bought me anything." Happiness radiated from her smile.
The woman, not understanding what was happening, forced a smile at her son, who happily began to open the gifts.
When she opened the first gift, the woman's eyes were completely surprised; she couldn't believe what was inside that gift bag.
This figure was identical to the one smashed by the child I had accidentally collided with.
...
For my part, I was on the roof of a house eating a bowl of ramen, watching the countless stars shining in the night.
Izamu: "Jomei, I finally found you. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted. It wasn't the best course of action. Perhaps you want to keep your affairs private, that's normal for a ninja." He expressed sincerely, upon reflection, since that was how the ninja world was run.
Jomei: "*Sniffle*. It's alright, Mr. Isamu. I think we all have our own secrets." I responded with a nod.
Izamu: "That's true, but I'm puzzled by how you managed to obtain that information." He hoped Jomei would somehow open up to him.
Jomei: "I'd like to know how some cuts only go through, Mr. Isamu." I said this, hoping he'd understand that each of us had information we were hiding.
At this moment, the simple sound of the wind could be heard, due to the silence surrounding us.
Izamu: "It's true, I think we all have our secrets." Saying this, he sat down next to me.
Izamu: "By the way, do you have some ramen for me?" He cupped his hands, hoping to receive some.
Jomei: "No, but I know where they make it."
Izamu: "Well, what are we waiting for?"
Mr. Izamu stood up while I finished my bowl of ramen. But not before giving him a little advice.
Jomei: "Mr. Izamu, don't overuse that technique."
Mr, Izamu froze upon hearing these words. "Don't worry, it's just a new technique I'm developing." His lips forced a smile. His response was a complete lie, but I still didn't want to continue that conversation until he felt comfortable talking about it.
Besides, I also had some secrets I haven't revealed to anyone, but I did it anyway so Mr. Izamu wouldn't lose sight of me.
...
Izuna: "Brother, it's been detected that they've begun to attack our clan." He rushed almost shouting into the room where Madara was.
His brother's words made an alarm start ringing in his head. "Are they from the Senju clan?" He immediately asked, placing the documents on the table.
Izuna: "It's unknown. The ninjas who managed to defeat the attackers report that they weren't carrying anything."
Madara: "*Sigh*. Well, they must be wandering ninjas. Don't worry, I'll send a team to the locations where they appeared." At this point, he relaxed for a few moments, taking some documents for review.
Izuna: "Brother, these clashes have occurred in the region near the Shimura and Sarutobi clans. I don't think they are wandering ninjas." He expressed his thoughts on the situation.
Patriarch Madara closed his eyes for a few moments, remembering Jomei's warning. Upon opening his eyes, he placed his hands together in front of him.
Madara: "Okay, inform General Kenji, tell him to reinforce the border with the Shimura and Sarutobi clans, no matter how many ninjas it takes."
Izuna: "Brother, give me the opportunity to be part of this operation." He expressed with great enthusiasm, staring at Madara.
Madara: "*Sigh*. Okay. Build a forward camp and take the medical team with you."
Izuna instantly left the room to report the patriarch's instructions.
...
In a classroom designed to hold at least 30 people, it was completely full. At the front, Kai was supervising his 'students'.
Kai: "No, do it more carefully, feel how the chakra flows inside the fish, be patient, and you'll be able to feel every part of it and understand what it needs." His words radiated despair.
This was because the people who had enrolled, either voluntarily or forced due to their condition, were unable to advance in the medical ninjutsu practices.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Izuna appeared, quickly advancing toward Kai.
Izuna: "Kai, how many members of the medical ward can attend a battlefield?"
As soon as these words were heard, everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at Izuna.
Seeing this, Izuna coughed a few times. "I'm sorry, I think we should talk somewhere else."
Pulling Kai along, Izuna led him outside the building. "Continue your training. When I return, I want to see your progress." These were Kai's last words before leaving the classroom.
Kai: "Who are we fighting this time? The Senju again?" His expression was a little worried.
Izuna: "No, it's just a precautionary measure. A large number of wandering ninja have entered our clan lands, so it's just a precautionary measure."
Kai: "I see. It's good to know the Senju keep their word, but tell me, how many medical ninjas do you require?" Kai's words didn't go down well with Izuna, mainly because the "wandering" ninjas were likely from clans that would eventually join the Senju alliance.
But the main thing was the selection of the medical ninjas. "All you have."
Kai: "I don't think the people in here can perform their duties well." He pointed out the problems that could arise if they were sent.
Izuna: "So none of the medical ninjas could be sent on this mission?"
Kai gave a suppressed smile. "It's not that, it's just that there are very few of them."
Izuna: "Really?" He asked, a little excited.
Seeing this, Kai flinched slightly, but quickly answered. "Only three mid-rankers and five beginners."
These new terms left Izuna with a dubious look. "What are those ranks?"
Beginner Rank = Medical ninjas who can heal minor wounds, for example, scrapes or small cuts, without the ability to heal major wounds.
Mid-Rank = Medical ninjas who can heal medium-sized cuts, for example, cuts from swords, kunai, or shurikens.
Advanced Rank = Medical ninjas who can even reattach lost limbs.
Expert Rank = Medical ninjas who can reconstruct bones or internal organs.
This was how Kai explained the different levels of medical ninjas, based on Jomei's explanation.
Izuna: "I understand, then call everyone. We'll leave tomorrow at sunrise." As soon as he said this, he began to prepare to leave, but Kai's voice made him stop.
Kai: "I'm sorry, but if we send everyone, the classes in this technique will be delayed." His index finger was pointing at the building from which he had been forcibly removed.
After careful discussion, it was agreed that Kai would stay to continue teaching. Since he was one of the mid-ranking ninjas, only two mid-ranking ninjas would be able to attend. The other two he was referring to were obviously Kotetzu and Fuyuko.