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Konoha Hospital Ward
"Sasuke-kun, I heard…" Haruno Sakura's voice trailed off as she hesitated, her gaze fixed on Uchiha Sasuke. His body was covered in bruises and bandages, and the sight made her hands tremble. Anger flared in her green eyes. "This is just too much!"
"I'm fine," Sasuke replied, his tone as flat as ever. Though he appeared calm, the recent fight with Naruto Uzumaki had shaken him. It forced him to confront the weight of his goals: defeating Itachi, uncovering the truth about his family, and perhaps, finding remnants of the Uchiha who escaped destruction—like his mother, Mikoto, whose fate now lay shrouded in mystery due to Natsume's intervention.
But the pain from his injuries was a reminder of how far he still had to go.
"As for the bruises," Sasuke added, his tone laced with faint irritation, "they're from Naruto."
"Wait, what?!" Sakura's voice rose, her shock mirrored by Yamanaka Ino, who stood frozen for a moment before whipping around to glare at Naruto.
"Uh…" Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I mean, it wasn't really like that—"
"Explain yourself, Naruto!" Sakura snapped, standing up with clenched fists. Her face was flushed with anger, though her worry for Sasuke lingered in her wide eyes. "How could you do this to Sasuke-kun?!"
Sasuke sighed, almost smirking at the scene. However, the tug of his bruised face wiped away any humor, leaving him grimacing instead.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura immediately leaned toward him, concern overtaking her anger. "Does it hurt? Let me—"
"It's fine," Sasuke interjected with a shrug. "You don't need to yell at Naruto. I wanted to fight him."
"What?" Sakura blinked in disbelief. The idea made her head spin. Don't blame Naruto? Sasuke-kun wanted to fight? Her mind whirled into a frenzy, and an inner voice shrieked, What if Naruto damaged him permanently?! Can Sasuke-kun even have kids now?! No!
Meanwhile, Ino smirked knowingly, her sharp gaze analyzing Naruto's awkward expression. For all his loud antics, Naruto had a way of bringing out raw honesty in people. Sasuke's newfound focus seemed tied to their fight—something Ino wouldn't dismiss easily.
Just then, the door creaked open.
"Oh, it's lively in here," Natsume said with a smile, stepping into the ward.
Ino's heart skipped a beat, though she quickly looked away, her cheeks turning pink.
Natsume placed a fruit basket on the bedside table. "Sasuke, I brought you some apples."
"I'll peel one for you!" Sakura jumped at the chance, grabbing an apple and a small knife from the basket.
Natsume glanced at Sasuke's bruises, his expression darkening slightly. "Why didn't you call for a medical-nin?"
Naruto piped up quickly, "The nurse said the medics were busy and we'd have to wait. Plus, we got here so early that most of the staff weren't even in yet."
Natsume sighed, pulling out a communication scroll to summon help. However, before he could write anything, the door opened again.
"Vice Director?" Natsume greeted warmly. "Nono-san, what brings you here?"
The woman who entered was serene, with kind eyes that seemed to hold an ocean of wisdom.
"I could ask you the same thing," Nono Yakushi replied, her soft chuckle filling the room. "You always seem to blend right in with the kids, Natsume."
"Who's she?" Naruto asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"She's Nono Yakushi, the hospital's vice director and the head of the orphanage," Natsume explained with a fond smile. "I grew up there, so I know her well."
Naruto blinked in surprise. "An orphanage?" He had assumed Natsume came from a prestigious clan. His cheerful and capable demeanor didn't match the image of someone who grew up without a family.
Ino glanced at Natsume with a pang of sympathy, her heart clenching. Poor thing. She bit her lip and glanced away, her cheeks burning. I just want to hug him and tell him it'll be okay…
Nono stepped forward, her hands glowing with a gentle green light of medical chakra. "Let's get you healed up." She carefully pressed her hands over Sasuke's bruises, the chakra weaving through his skin and muscles to mend the damage.
Watching Nono work, Sakura's eyes sparkled with admiration. Her hands gripped the knife as inspiration struck. Maybe I should learn medical ninjutsu. I could… hehe… heal Sasuke-kun every day.
Nono retracted her hands, the glow fading as Sasuke's bruises vanished. "There, much better," she said softly.
"Thank you," Sasuke murmured, tilting his head slightly in gratitude.
Nono turned to the group, her tone shifting slightly. "The Hokage will be visiting later. Prepare yourselves."
Sasuke remained silent, though his dark eyes flickered briefly at the mention of Sarutobi Hiruzen. Naruto, however, perked up, unable to hide his curiosity.
The room grew quiet for a moment, tension simmering under the surface. Rumors had been circulating since morning—rumors that the Uchiha clan's destruction was tied to the murder of Sarutobi Seinosuke, the Hokage's son.
As the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, the resolve in Sasuke's eyes only grew sharper.
Konoha Hospital Ward and Beyond
True or not, Naruto couldn't say. But he had fond memories of Seinosuke Sarutobi, who had once trained him briefly. Seinosuke had treated him seriously, dedicating time to teaching him the fundamentals of chakra control and taijutsu. Now, they would never meet again. Naruto's usual cheer dimmed, leaving him unusually quiet.
Meanwhile, Natsume, unimpressed by Hiruzen Sarutobi's so-called "noble" front, excused himself from the ward alongside Nonō Yakushi.
"Dean, how have you been lately?" Natsume asked as they walked through the quiet hospital halls.
Nonō glanced at him, her gaze steady but shadowed by old memories. "I've been fine."
What she didn't say was that she had once been a Root spy under Danzo Shimura's control. Her every move had been dictated by the enigmatic and ruthless leader. But thanks to Natsume's intervention—and Tsunade's firm backing—she had been transferred to the hospital, severing her ties to Danzo's machinations.
Danzo had been livid but powerless to openly challenge the Hokage. Ever since then, Nonō had found freedom. The orphanage had been rebuilt, and she could devote her energy to helping children in need. For all of this, she silently owed Natsume a debt she could never repay.
"There's a little girl looking for you," Nonō remarked suddenly, nodding toward the end of the hall where Yamanaka Ino hurriedly emerged from Sasuke's ward. Her tone was laced with faint amusement as she added, "I should advise you to keep things simple—unless you enjoy trouble."
Natsume blinked in confusion until he caught the faint, knowing smile on Nonō's lips. He frowned, realizing she had likely seen him chatting with Hinata Hyuga earlier that week.
"Dean, you've got it wrong!" Natsume protested, his tone flustered. "Ino and I have only met twice!"
Nonō chuckled softly but didn't respond, leaving him to stew in embarrassment as she walked away.
---
"Hi, I'm Yamanaka Ino," Ino said, approaching Natsume. Her cheeks were faintly pink, and her posture was just a bit too formal.
Natsume raised an eyebrow. "Why are you introducing yourself again? We've already met, haven't we?"
Ino blinked, then quickly recovered, flustered. "W-Well, I thought we should properly introduce ourselves this time. It didn't feel formal before!"
Natsume chuckled lightly. "No need to be so proper."
"My mom says it's important to show good manners when meeting people," Ino replied proudly, puffing up slightly.
"As expected of the Yamanaka clan," Natsume remarked with an amused smile. "You, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru are the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, right? Before long, you'll be as famous in the shinobi world as your fathers."
Ino's face brightened at the recognition. He knows about me!
Seeing her reaction, Natsume chuckled inwardly. "I was about to leave—want to join me?"
"Of course!" Ino agreed enthusiastically.
"Didn't you come to see Sasuke?" he teased.
Ino shrugged nonchalantly. "I came with Sakura—she's the one who's head over heels for Sasuke."
Natsume grinned and started walking. "Alright, let's swing by your family's shop."
Ino blinked, surprised. "H-Huh?"
"To buy flowers," Natsume clarified with a laugh.
Ino relaxed and then perked up, eager to show her expertise. The Yamanaka flower shop was her pride, and she wasn't about to miss a chance to shine.
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At the Yamanaka Flower Shop
"Mom!" Ino called as they entered the shop, spotting her mother, Misa Yamanaka, behind the counter.
Misa glanced up and raised an eyebrow at the sight of Natsume. "Did you bring a friend?"
"No, not exactly. This is Natsume, Naruto's older brother," Ino explained quickly. "He's here to buy flowers."
Misa's eyes widened slightly. Naruto has an older brother? But she simply nodded, her expression thoughtful. "What kind of flowers are you looking for?"
"Don't worry, Mom, I'll help him!" Ino interjected eagerly, stepping forward.
"What's the occasion?" she asked, turning to Natsume.
"It's… for a funeral," Natsume said softly, his voice tinged with sadness.
Ino's expression shifted, her usual brightness dimming with understanding. "White flowers are traditional: chrysanthemums, lilies, or carnations."
"I'll take all the white chrysanthemums you have," Natsume decided. "Could you deliver them to my teacher's residence?"
Ino grabbed a pen and paper. "Of course. Just leave the address."
Natsume chuckled as he wrote it down. "You don't know my teacher's address? She's pretty famous."
Ino glanced at the paper, and her eyes widened at the name: Tsunade Senju. "Lady Tsunade?! Wow!"
Natsume smiled faintly and turned to leave. "Feel free to visit sometime."
Ino beamed as she watched him go, clutching the note like a precious keepsake. Today had been more exciting than she'd expected.
---
Once outside the village, Natsume activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, reappearing deep in the wilderness near the Fire Country border. He formed a series of seals, entering Sage Mode, and his senses expanded rapidly.
Beneath him, he detected a vast underground chamber teeming with chakra signatures. Orochimaru's secret base was still operational, though the Snake Sannin himself wasn't present.
Natsume narrowed his eyes, his focus sharpening. Among the signatures, one stood out—a faint but familiar chakra.
Uchiha Shin.
A twisted experiment of Orochimaru's, Shin might now hold value as leverage or perhaps even as an ally. Natsume's resolve hardened. It was time to act.
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