A hush fell over the cafeteria as Ryu confidently declared his diagnosis. Isao, his eyes widening in surprise, stared at the young man with newfound respect.
A relaxed silence fell between Ryu and Isao as they finished their meal. Ryu excused himself and made his way to the library, eager to read more of the books. While Ryu made his way to the library, Isao headed to the office of Dr. Yuki.
As Ryu disappeared down the corridor, Isao couldn't help but marvel at the boy.
"To think," he mused to himself, "that such a brilliant mind is housed in such a young body."
He told everything he observed to Dr. Yuki and then said, "I am telling you. The boy is brilliant; he diagnoses the man based only on a glance at his shoes. Although it is too soon to declare the diagnosis to be accurate, no other hospital staff members reached the same conclusion."
"Isao, it is not just about making a diagnosis," Dr. Yuki said, leaning back in her chair. "It's about the process. The way he connects unrelated facts and asks insightful questions showcases more than just intelligence; it demonstrates a truly analytical mind in action."
Dr. Yuki listened to his attendant silently and then finally spoke, "You reach out to that man and confirm Ryu's diagnosis."
Isao replied in affirmation, "Yes, ma'am."
As Isao was about to leave, Dr. Yuki asked another question: "What about the equipment the boy asked to arrange?"
She paused and continued, "Do you know what he is going to do with the equipment?"
Isao, with a sorry look, replied, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you about it."
Dr. Yuki looked at him with a deadpan face and thought, 'I gave him a single responsibility.'
Isao then said, "He is conducting some experiments."
Dr. Yuki replied, "I already know that. I want to know what kind of experiments to do. What's mouldy bread for?"
Isao smiled at his foolishness and replied, "He understands that his body is unable to fight the infection on its own, so he is trying to find some pathogens that can fight his infection in his stead. Like fighting fire with fire."
Previously unsurprised, Dr. Yuki was now taken aback and began to think. She then said, after thinking for a brief moment, "Genius."
She thought, 'Fighting infection with infection. No one has ever thought of it before. If the boy succeeds, he is going to change the medical world.'
Dr. Yuki's mind raced with possibilities. She thought, 'This approach... it's unconventional but borderline revolutionary. If successful, it might lead to completely new treatment options for a variety of infections that we face, not just Ryu's illness.'
She turned to face Isao and said, "Isao, we have to keep a close eye on this. For Ryu's safety as well as the possible influence on medical research in general."
"I want daily reports of everything Ryu does. Do you understand?" She said it with a serious face. Isao bowed and nodded in agreement before departing Dr. Yuki's office.
Meanwhile, in a different part of the village. One old man was smoking a pipe while looking at a document at his desk. He said to himself in a tone filled with exhaustion, "This paperwork is going to kill me someday."
"Perhaps," he mused aloud, "it's time to start thinking about a successor. Someone younger, with fresh ideas and the energy to match."
He suddenly heard a knock on his door. He said, "Come in."
Suddenly, a man came inside. The old man was surprised by his sudden visit. Hiruzen asked him, "What brings you here, Tatsuya?"
Tatsuya said, "I have something to report, Lord Hokage."
The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, asked him, "Okay, tell me what it is about."
Tatsuya bowed respectfully and said, "I have something to report regarding Dan Hamura."
Hiruzen's body tensed up. A flicker of something like dread flickered in his old eyes as the name jolted him. He closed his eyes for a moment, the burden of unresolved tensions and old disputes pressing down on him.
"Dan," he finally murmured, his voice low. "Is it bad news?"
Tatsuya swiftly responded, "No, Lord Hokage," noticing the change in atmosphere. "Nothing like that. He is… well, more than fine, I would say."
Hiruzen was surprised. He had assumed that Tatsuya, who approves the missions for jonins, had come to inform him of Dan's passing, but this was not the case.
He was aware that Dan had been going on risky missions ever since his family passed away. Old Hokage, who has seen many deaths in his long life, knew exactly what he wanted to achieve. He instructed his mission approver to give him missions that, although they looked dangerous, were not.
Dan was someone from his generation; not many of them are now left in the village. It served as both a means of providing for him and an act of atonement for failing to defend his clan when they needed it.
Old Hokage then asked him, "If it's not bad news, then what? Has he finally given up on planning to die on a mission?"
Tatsuya chuckled softly and said, "No, Lord Hokage, quite the opposite, in fact. It seems Mr. Dan has adopted a child."
The old Hokage was surprised by the sudden news. He thought, 'Has that old fool finally come to his senses and started looking at life with new hope?'
In Hiruzen's chest, a glimmer of hope appeared. He thought, 'Could this be the turning point Dan needed?'
Tatsuya continued, "I became worried when Mr. Dan failed to appear at the mission desk for several days. He always took a few missions every week. But when he did not take the mission for a few days, I took it upon myself to investigate. That's when I discovered the truth—Mr. Dan had adopted a young boy."
He stopped for a moment, then continued, "I was happy for a moment, but then I found out that the child he adopted is terminally ill, leaving me at a loss for how to process the information."
The old Hokage was again surprised by this. He wondered, 'Why would someone who has lost his entire family willingly choose to adopt a terminally ill child?'
Hiruzen's heart sank. The cruelty of fate seemed relentless. He thought, 'To open one's heart again, only to face inevitable loss... Dan, my old friend, what are you thinking?'
As the old Hokage was thinking, Tatsuya said, "I was thinking the same."
The old Hokage looked at Tatsuya without saying anything. Tatsuya continued, "I was curious about the boy, so I followed them."
He then continued, "They went to Leaf Central Hospital and entered the library, which is off-limits to all but the staff."
Tatsuya then said, "Wanting to see the boy myself, I waited at the cafeteria, and I am glad I did."
This got the attention of the old Hokage; he was listening to him with interest. Tatsuya then continued , "There was a man with a strange medical condition that all the doctors failed to diagnose even after so many months of testing. He was annoyed at the hospital staff for not being able to help him. "
He paused and continued, "While I was watching the boy, he looked at the man, reached him, and told him his theory about what his condition was. I thought the doctors needed to confirm his theory, but still. He came up with a diagnosis that no doctor even thought of."
He explained to the third Hokage about Ryu's diagnosis of the old man about double exposure. After listening to him, the Hokage thought, 'What a brilliant boy. He could be the next Tsunade. It's a shame.'
Tatsuya said, "I thought the same. He could be the next Lady Tsunade. It's a shame."
After a brief pause, he exclaimed, "He is an exceptionally brilliant boy!"
Third gave him a mocking glance and remarked, "Stop attempting to express my thoughts aloud. Do not push it, even though your attempt is admirable—you are not a mind reader like a Yamanaka."
He then bowed and said, "Yes, Lord Hokage. I wanted to share something about this peculiar boy I met today. So I was a little excited. Please forgive me."
The Third inquired, "What is the name of the boy adopted by Dan?"
"I think someone called him Ryu Hamura," Tatsuya remarked.
The name struck a chord. The Third Hokage pondered, 'Ryu, that name. Could this be a mere coincidence?'