"And where do you think you're going instead of class?" Mizuki intercepted me halfway there.
Damn it. Not now.
"Please, Mizuki-sensei! Let me through! I need to get to the hospital—it's urgent!"
He gave me a thorough once-over, but of course, found nothing wrong with me.
"And why exactly? You don't look sick to me."
His tone was slightly mocking, but not in a cruel way—just his usual manner.
Future traitor or not, he still didn't seem like a bad guy.
"My guardian is there! Yūgao is in the hospital! Please—I just want to visit her! I'll come straight back to the Academy after!"
Sometimes, it's useful to be a kid with a very expressive face.
An adult would've been shut down immediately.
Although, Mizuki…
Yeah, this guy might actually drag me back to class if I read him right.
"The first two classes are mine, and I'm feeling particularly absentminded today."
He set me back on the ground and continued toward the Academy.
"But I'd recommend not being late for Iruka's third-period lesson."
If he had looked back, he would've seen my jaw practically hitting the floor.
Shit!
I swear, I'll talk his ears off until he gives up on that betrayal nonsense!
There's no way a guy like this could turn into a complete bastard like in canon.
Then again… That's life, isn't it?
There's no such thing as pure white or pure black.
"Thank you!"
I hope he heard me.
Two minutes later, I burst into the hospital reception area.
I almost vaulted over the counter to grab the patient registry, but—I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and forced myself to calm down.
When I spoke, my voice was even and controlled.
"Excuse me, could you tell me which room Uzuki Yūgao is in?"
The receptionist stared at me.
Not at the registry.
At me.
No, I get it.
A kid trying to act serious is adorable and all…
But this is serious business, and I don't have time to waste.
Finally—thank God—she opened the registry and found something.
Then…
She looked back at me.
Like she just remembered something important.
Great.
I was hoping looking cute and being persistent would be enough.
"And what's your relationship to her?"
Of course. Standard security questions. She's about to politely turn me away. At least, now I know she's here."She's my guardian!"
I made sure to sniffle convincingly.
And then, I spun a beautiful tale—Complete with teary eyes and perfectly placed pauses.
"...and when she didn't come home last night, and she wasn't there for breakfast, I… I…"
I dramatically trailed off, looking as small and pitiful as possible. Technically?
I wasn't even lying. Just… embellishing.
A lot. But in a way that a smart, concerned kid would.
After a few minutes, she gave in.
Honestly? I thought I'd have to trick her into leaving the registry open, then sneak a glance.
But no—Weak.
I took a breath, braced myself, and stepped into her hospital room on the second floor.
First impression?
Not bad.
"Phew!"
I slumped against the doorframe. She's alive.
No missing limbs. Not too many bandages.
"Naruto?"
Yūgao sounded surprised.
"Mhm."
I pulled myself together. I was getting too emotional.
I could blame it on this body—But that was only partially true."Someone decided to skip class?"Her stern tone didn't match the fact that she was still lying down, arms folded in a scolding pose.
It looked hilariously ridiculous.
"And someone skipped both breakfast and dinner!"
A moment later, I realized—I was standing in Yūgao's favorite pose. She chuckled first, and then it got to me too.
"How are you? Does it hurt a lot? What happened? When will they discharge you?"
Before I knew it, I was right next to her, bombarding her with questions. I really was worried.
Her expression darkened immediately. She was about to lie—but I remembered one important detail.
A quick movement, and I was already at the foot of the bed, where the patient chart rested.
"She can't feel her lower body?"
That's bad. Fixing this would take Tsunade's level of skill, and she's not here. Maybe Kabuto could help, but right now, he's barely older than me, and even if he wasn't, getting him to expose himself this early wouldn't be possible.
Alright, Naruto, make a choice. Do I keep my secret and leave Yūgao here for who knows how long, or do I take the risk and try to fix it myself?
There's no question. The real problem is whether my skills are good enough.
"Yūgao-san, do you trust me?" I asked grimly, tearing my eyes away from the chart.
"Yes."
She blinked, clearly surprised by my reaction.
"Then turn over onto your stomach. I'll handle your legs."
"Wha—"
"No questions. Just do it."
Helping her turn over, I pulled up her hospital gown and settled at the base of her spine.
"Hey!" she protested.
"Don't move! If I mess this up, you'll regret it. Some of these points are dangerously close to nerves. Medics focus so much on chakra that they forget the importance of proper acupressure. They know anatomy better than me, but I know acupressure better than them."
I rubbed my hands together to warm them up, so she wouldn't flinch from the cold. Closing my eyes, I recalled the visions from my dreams—the memories of Li Shuwen. I also entered the Boundary Sphere state. The fewer distractions, the better. If your heart is in it, even a stone can be drilled through.
I began.
Fingers moved lightly, tapping precise points, releasing blockages. Another touch. Then another. Bit by bit, I forced the body to accept what should be and reject what shouldn't. Twice I made mistakes—lack of practice, not yet instinctive. I repeated the process over and over, not stopping until the negative status finally vanished from Yūgao's profile.
"Done. Be careful for a while, Yūgao-san, and focus on light exercise. I'll just take a quick nap. Wake me up in an hour?"
I collapsed onto the bed beside her, exhaling heavily. I was an idiot. I forgot that using the Boundary Sphere state drained chakra. I should have done this in two sessions.
I felt myself slipping off the bed, but before I could hit the floor, strong yet soft arms caught me. The last thing I registered was the familiar warmth and chakra surrounding me.
Yeah, I could already tell—Iruka was going to scold me later.