Konoha Hospital,
Konoha Hospital was a busy place, with people constantly moving in and out, not just the medics and patients but the families and friends of those who were injured or sick.
With his Observation Haki, Ryou could feel his senses instantly overwhelmed by the blend of emotions. Not just sadness and worry, he could also feel joy, relief, and many other emotions.
As he stepped through the main door, Ryou noticed the bandaged ninjas, medics in white coats going between rooms, and concerned families waiting.
Not knowing exactly where to go, he stood still for a moment, looking around.
Then, a familiar figure caught his eye: Rin Nohara. She stood beside a stretcher, healing a shinobi who had just returned from the frontlines. Her hands glowed softly with a green light as she used her chakra to treat the injured man, who winced slightly under her touch.
Seeing her working seriously, Ryou remembered that he and Rin knew each other, but they weren't particularly close. Their parents were acquaintances, so they had met a few times when they were younger.
After joining the Ninja Academy, they didn't meet much. The last time Ryou had seen her was around a year ago when his parents died. Rin had attended the memorial service with her family.
Watching her now, Ryou had to admit she had become a skilled medic-nin and a ninja.
As Rin finished bandaging the shinobi, she glanced up and noticed Ryou standing at the entrance. Her eyes widened slightly in recognition.
"Oh... you're Ryou, right?" she asked a hint of surprise in her voice. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Rin. It's been a while," Ryou replied, walking closer and raising his left hand, revealing the burn injuries. "I came to get my hand treated."
Rin showed her concern as she looked at his hand. "How did you get such an injury?"
"Well... I was practicing my ninjutsu, and things got a little out of hand," Ryou said with a sheepish smile.
"What kind of ninjutsu were you practicing? You should be careful," She gently scolded and activated her Mystic Palm Technique.
A soft green glow emitted from her hands as she placed them over his injured hand. Ryou could immediately feel the warmth of her chakra pouring into his hand, accelerating his body's natural healing abilities.
The slight pain in his hand began to fade, replaced by a soothing and itchy sensation, a sign of his injury being cured.
Seeing the miraculous nature of Medical Ninjutsu, a thought crossed his mind. 'I think I can try to learn Medical Ninjutsu when I have free time. With my Nature Physique, it would be an added advantage.'
Clearing his throat, Ryou spoke softly, "I heard about Obito. I'm really sorry for your loss."
Though he knew Obito was still alive, it was still a fresh wound for Rin, but he couldn't avoid mentioning it.
At the mention of Obito, Rin's expression changed slightly and her hands paused shortly before continuing the healing. For a moment, silence lingered in the air.
Rin gave a small, sad nod, her voice soft and tinged with sorrow. "Thank you. Obito was... a good friend. Kakashi and I still couldn't accept the fact that he was gone.
But we have to keep going, right? That's what he'd want."
A faint smile touched her lips as she remembered Obito's warm smile, his kindness, and his fierce rivalry with Kakashi. Rin cherishes these memories very much.
After some time, Rin finished her treatment and bandaged Ryou's hand. She said, "That should do it. Be careful, and don't practice any ninjutsu for two or three days."
Ryou nodded, "Got it. Thank you."
--
As Ryou was about to leave the hospital, he noticed two familiar faces entering the building, Kakashi and Minato. They seemed to be here for Rin.
"Kakashi... Minato-sensei," Rin greeted them with a smile. "Sorry for the delay. I was caught up in a treatment."
Kakashi, who had his usual calm and detached demeanor, raised an eyebrow at Ryou. He asked, "You are...?" Kakashi seemed to have seen him somewhere but couldn't remember.
"I'm Ryou," Ryou introduced himself to Kakashi, then looked at Minato and greeted, "Minato-san."
Minato's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he instantly recognized Ryou, having witnessed his wonderful sword style just a few days earlier. He was surprised to meet him here.
"What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked.
Ryou gave Kakashi a strange look before holding up his injured hand that was bandaged by Rin. "Had a little mishap with my training. Came to get treated."
Kakashi felt a bit embarrassed for not noticing the obvious injury but quickly masked it.
Minato, smiling warmly, said in a friendly tone, "You should be more careful with your training. You wouldn't want to miss the Chunin Exams because of an injury." Then he added, "You're participating, right?"
Ryou's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the Chunin Exams, surprised that Minato seemed to know him. Thinking back to the sensation of being secretly observed during his training a few days ago, he figured it must've been Minato.
Still, he acted surprised. "How did you know I was participating in the Chunin exams, Minato-san?"
Minato chuckled lightly and told the encounter without concealing anything "I saw you training the other day and figured someone with your strength wouldn't stay a Genin for long.
I apologize for watching in secret, I didn't want to disturb you while you were practicing seriously."
Ryou appreciated Minato's honesty. 'No wonder everybody likes him.'
"All the best with your exams! If I'm free, I'll come and watch," Minato said encouragingly.
"Oh, I didn't know you were participating in the Chunin Exams, Ryou. Good luck!" Rin added.
"Thanks. I'll do my best," Ryou replied with a nod.
Kakashi gave Ryou another glance but said nothing, he quickly turned his attention back to Rin. "Rin, can we leave? We're running late."
"Yes, Kakashi," she replied.
Rin offered Ryou a quick smile before saying, "See you, Ryou," as she, Kakashi, and Minato left the hospital together.
Once they were gone, Ryou left the hospital as well. Checking the time, he headed toward the training ground where he had agreed to meet Shisui and Tenga.
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