Hearing Reiki's request, Tsunade glanced warily at the Seven-Tails. Though she trusted her student's skills, she remained vigilant, ready to intervene at a moment's notice.
"If you want to try, then go ahead," she said, nodding. "But remember, this is still a tailed beast. Be cautious."
"Understood, Teacher." Reiki walked closer to the Seven-Tails, his posture calm but his focus sharp.
Chomei eyed the young ninja warily, its voice rumbling in irritation. "Human, what do you think you're doing? Step away if you value your life…"
Undeterred, Reiki took a deep breath and spoke. "Seven-Tails, I am Reiki, a medical ninja from Konoha. I train under Tsunade, the medical sage of our village. I'm here to treat you, and I hope you will accept."
The beast paused, clearly taken aback. It had expected threats or intimidation, not a polite request for treatment. "You… want to *treat* me?" Chomei muttered, bewildered. "Since when do humans offer healing to tailed beasts?"
"In my eyes, any being with an injury deserves treatment," Reiki replied earnestly. "You're no different."
With these words, Reiki raised his hands, his chakra radiating a soothing blue energy that wrapped around Chomei. As the healing energy flowed, Chomei felt its hostility wane, replaced by a calm that settled deep into its soul. It was as if a heavy weight had lifted.
"Soul damage… and physical injuries too," Reiki murmured, his focus intensifying as he analyzed Chomei's condition. For years, he had wondered if tailed beasts were simply chakra entities or if they had true physical forms. Now, as he worked, he realized they indeed had bodies—and, more importantly, souls.
"Teacher, I'll need your assistance," he called to Tsunade.
In an instant, Tsunade moved behind him, placing a hand on his back to support his chakra flow. As she did, she felt Reiki's unique healing power working in tandem with hers, a gentle but powerful force with no apparent side effects. The realization brought a smile to her face; Reiki's potential was remarkable.
In front of him, Chomei's soul appeared within Reiki's mind's eye, scarred and worn from years of battles and resentment. Reiki moved his hands, drawing on both his chakra and the energy Tsunade lent him, healing the wounds layer by layer.
*This… energy,* Reiki thought, as a strange, familiar sensation surfaced within Chomei's soul. *Where have I felt this before?* But before he could pinpoint it, he noticed the chakra barrier around them begin to dissipate as dawn approached. As light spread across the horizon, birds took flight, and dewdrops sparkled on the leaves around them.
Outside, Takigakure ninjas observed the weakening barrier and sprang into action.
"Inform Lord Takikage!"
"Send reinforcements to the northwest!"
But inside, Reiki's work was almost complete. The system chimed in his mind:
> **[Ding! Physical trauma treatment completed: 521 solid chakra gained, 66 medical points, and a super medical gift pack.]**
> **[Ding! Primary soul repair completed: 128 solid chakra and 27 medical points gained.]**
The last notification triggered a memory in Reiki's mind: *The Uchiha clan!* The sense of soul erosion he'd detected within Chomei felt eerily similar to the damage he'd observed in the Uchiha. There was a dark power lingering in both, something that gnawed at the soul.
*This whole situation… it's connected to something much larger than I realized,* he thought grimly.
"Human, thank you," Chomei's voice resonated in his mind, interrupting his thoughts. "I… acknowledge you."
Reiki blinked in surprise. "You're… you're speaking directly to me?"
"Through the treatment, I've linked a part of my essence to yours. You can now access some of my power, should you need it," Chomei explained. "But now, I must leave."
Without another word, Chomei burrowed into the ground and disappeared.
"Teacher, he's gone," Reiki said, turning to Tsunade.
"Good," Tsunade replied, smiling with pride. "Let's head back. There's unfinished business in Takigakure Village."
---
Soon after, a team of Takigakure ninjas arrived at the scene, their leader taking note of the surroundings. "Shigeaki's escaped. And Tsunade and the others… left without a trace of the tailed beast's chakra. Report this at once."
---
Back at their accommodation, Reiki returned to find Shisui and Nozuki waiting anxiously for him.
"Reiki!" Shisui called, his eyes full of concern. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Reiki smiled, waving off their worries. "Relax, I'm fine. It was a bit chaotic, but nothing I couldn't handle."
Pressed by their questions, he recounted the events, though he left out the details of Tsunade's peril and the political scheming he suspected. Instead, he explained how he had assisted Tsunade in subduing Shigeaki.
Once he finished, Shisui and Nozuki stared at him in awe. "You really healed a tailed beast? That's… incredible!" Nozuki exclaimed.
Reiki shrugged, smiling modestly. "I figured I'd give it a try. It's all part of the job as a medical ninja, right?"
>>>>>
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