Konoha Year 59.
Cherry blossoms bloomed, casting a light, rich pink hue over Konoha's streets, ushering in the spirit of spring.
"It's already been so long!" muttered Hotaru Tsuchigumo, walking along the street, gazing at the now-familiar surroundings. The sigh that escaped her was laced with complexity—a sentiment fitting for an eleven-year-old, whose emotions often took on intense highs and lows.
She had first come to Konoha five years ago, in early autumn, with her mentor. The passing seasons had blurred together, with time flying like an arrow. Before she knew it, over five years had slipped away through her fingers.
And just like that, it was spring again.
"Hotaru, hurry up! If you keep dawdling, we're leaving without you!"
The girl at the front turned back, now walking backward, laughing as she chided her lagging friend. She moved with graceful ease, her smile radiant, her long black hair swaying gently in the spring breeze as pink petals drifted through her hair—a sight too beautiful to be put into words.
In that moment, even Hotaru, a fellow girl, felt her heart skip a beat.
The human pursuit of beauty is never confined to gender.
She took a deep breath, quelling her drifting thoughts, and retorted, "It's you who's too fast, Fujika! Look, even Yakumo isn't walking that fast! Though, well, maybe just a tiny bit faster than me… In any case, Fujika, you're the one rushing ahead. What's the point in getting there early? We'll just end up listening to a bunch of idiots arguing in the classroom."
"Huh?"
A question mark seemed to pop up over Yakumo Kurama's head. How did she get pulled into this?
"Talk all you want, but leave me out of it."
After five years of knowing these two friends, Yakumo knew their personalities well. Calling them "unruly" might be an exaggeration, but they were certainly not the kind to sit still and play by the rules.
If she got dragged in, she'd undoubtedly end up with a headache.
But—
She'd underestimated her friends' sheer audacity.
"See? Even Yakumo said you were too fast, Fujika. And walk properly! You'll bump into someone that way. Turn around already." Hotaru's twisting of Yakumo's words was shamelessly bold, leaving Yakumo momentarily speechless.
"How could I possibly bump into anyone?"
Uchiha Fujika puffed up her chest confidently.
"Even without looking, I can sense anyone nearby. And Yakumo didn't say anything…" As she spoke, she really did close her eyes and kept walking backward. Yakumo could only sigh as she watched her friends bicker.
Those two… they never seem to tire of it!
Just then, she noticed a familiar figure rounding the corner. The person placed a finger to their lips, signaling silence, so Yakumo swallowed the words that had been on the tip of her tongue and cast a sympathetic glance at her friend, who was still walking backward with her eyes closed.
Without a sound, a hand chop descended from above.
It landed precisely on Uchiha Fujika's head.
"Ouch! Who hit me?!"
Catching a surprise chop, Fujika immediately exploded in indignation.
She opened her eyes, looking around fiercely to find the culprit… only to see Hotaru and Yakumo still standing where they had been when she last had her eyes open. Did they ambush her with a Shadow Clone?
A moment later, however, the deep, steady voice from behind dispelled her suspicions.
"Fujika, why are you messing around, walking backward? Are you planning to perform tricks at the zoo with the monkeys?"
"Eh? Brother? Why are you here?"
Fujika rubbed her head, completely forgetting her plan for vengeance. She turned around, staring in surprise at Uchiha Sōgen's unexpected presence.
"Master," the other girls greeted, swiftly stepping closer to him.
"What, am I not allowed to be here?"
Sōgen nodded to his students, signaling there was no need for formalities, but he still continued lecturing his sister.
"Aren't you supposed to be at the Hokage building?"
"I'm out on business, can't I?"
"I didn't say you couldn't… but you, personally, coming out for business? Is there something big happening?" Fujika's eyes lit up, clearly eager for some excitement. She was no longer the girl who once played Ninja Games.
In these peaceful times, perhaps it was no big deal. But in wartime, kids were on the battlefield by age six—Sōgen himself went to war at seven, and Kakashi Hatake, for an even more extreme example, had graduated from the Academy and headed to the front lines at five. By six, he was already a Chūnin.
Now, all Fujika could think about was graduating from the Academy and becoming a real ninja.
"Move along; this doesn't concern you," Sōgen said, delivering another chop to his sister's head. He looked up at the sky, adding, "If you keep dragging your feet, you're going to be late. And if you don't pass due to tardiness, don't expect me to make any excuses for you."
"Humph… Fine, don't say anything, but why hit me again? Let's go, Yakumo, Hotaru."
Fujika muttered, rubbing her head and calling her friends to join her as they headed off.
Clearly, the threat of repeating a grade was effective. If she were held back, she wouldn't be able to graduate with Yakumo and Hotaru next year. She might be smart, scoring perfect marks on exams in her first two years, but recently, her interest in academics had plummeted, focusing all her energy on ninjutsu and taijutsu training. Barely passing her exams was only thanks to her still-sharp mind and Yakumo's help. Hotaru was no different, struggling with academics just as much.
In every test, they managed to pass—by clinging to Yakumo's coattails!
"Master, we're off," Yakumo and Hotaru called, waving.
"Off you go!"
Sōgen watched as the girls disappeared down the street, carried by the spring breeze. Then, he turned around and leapt toward the Akimichi clan's grounds. The reason he was here today was simple: the Fifth Hokage, Chōza Akimichi, had fallen ill once again and couldn't make it to the Hokage's office.
He intended to check in on him and had spotted Fujika and her friends along the way.
As for Chōza's illness, it had come and gone repeatedly. Four years ago, the Anbu had finally tracked down the ever-elusive Tsunade, but she still refused to return to Konoha.
The Anbu dared not force her.
In the end, Shikaku Nara had to go himself, offering to settle Tsunade's debts if she agreed to treat Chōza. But even Tsunade was human, not an all-powerful deity; Chōza's condition was half illness, half old age.
A complete cure was simply impossible.
Even so, Tsunade really lived up to her reputation as the top medical ninja in the shinobi world. Thanks to her treatment, she managed to stabilize Torifu Akimichi's condition, extending his life by over four years. Although he suffered several relapses during this time, Tsunade's prescribed medicine kept his condition under control.
Upon arriving at the Akimichi Clan's grounds, the gatekeepers quickly sent someone to inform the clan. They didn't dare to stop Lord Sougen, the Hokage's advisor, and accompanied him inside instead. After all, this wasn't his first visit—over the years, he'd often come to check on Torifu during his illness.
To be honest, Sougen knew the Akimichi estate well enough to navigate with his eyes closed. Before he had gone far, Choza Akimichi rushed over, apologizing, "Lord Sougen, thank you for coming once again. We're truly sorry for the trouble."
"Enough apologies, Choza. How's the Hokage's condition?"
Without wasting time on pleasantries, Sougen cut straight to the point.
"Not great," Choza replied, his forced smile fading into a worried frown. "The elder has already taken the medicine Tsunade-sama left behind, which usually has an immediate effect, but this time…"
He paused, looking around to ensure no one else was nearby. In a low voice, he added, "Uncle… can't see anymore." (To clarify, Choza is Torifu's nephew, not son. Torifu, like Danzo, never married or had children, making him a lifelong bachelor.)
For large families like the Akimichi, nephews and sons aren't much different. If someone has no children, it's common to pass on the family legacy to a nephew.
Upon hearing this, Sougen's expression shifted. Blindness—it explained the vague reports and Choza's grim expression. Losing vision would be devastating for anyone, especially for a shinobi. For most people, 80% of the external information they receive comes through vision.
Aside from the pain and suffering of blindness, an individual unable to see would be incapable of continuing as Hokage. If this couldn't be healed, it might change everything.
"Are there medical ninjas here?" Sougen suppressed his racing heartbeat, asking calmly, "Have they arrived?"
"They're currently in consultation. The hospital director got here just five minutes before you."
"Good, if it's Yonoyu, then… though he doesn't quite match up to Tsunade-sama, he's still likely the second-best in Konoha."
"Once we realized the severity of the situation, we sent someone to call Director Yonoyu immediately," Choza explained, his heavy tone conveying deep worry.
In five years, Konoha had undergone many changes. For example, after struggling to maintain the orphanage's growing expenses, Yonoyu founded a new hospital, with guidance from his adopted son, Kabuto, named after himself—the Yonoyu Hospital.
Of course, Yonoyu didn't have the money for a large-scale build. It was Sougen who lent him a substantial sum on behalf of the Uchiha clan, interest-free, in exchange for training twenty Uchiha children less inclined toward combat in medical ninjutsu.
Not all Uchiha, after all, are fighters like Chiyaku Uchiha. Some want to become shinobi but find it hard to endure the bloodshed. In the past, such clansmen would either give up on being shinobi or die early in battle… but now, they had a new path.
For those who dislike fighting on the battlefield, they can stay back and treat the wounded. Besides, even if they never awakened the Sharingan, most Uchiha still have more chakra than the average civilian ninja. Although it's often compared to the Senju and Uzumaki, their chakra levels remain above average.
Plus, if they do awaken the Sharingan—even with just one tomoe—it grants Uchiha sharper insight and better chakra control, both crucial for medical ninjutsu.
Guided by Choza, Sougen entered a bedroom. The six-tatami-mat room was sparsely populated, with most people waiting outside. Only a select few were permitted inside.
There were Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Yonoyu treating Torifu, and Uchiha Izumi assisting as Yonoyu's apprentice.
"Uncle, Lord Sougen is here to see you," Choza said softly, kneeling beside Torifu, who was lying on the tatami, his eyes closed.
"Is that you, Sougen?" Torifu turned his head, eyes open but devoid of light, blindly gazing around. Sougen realized, beyond a doubt, that the Fifth Hokage couldn't see.
"Yes, I'm right beside you, on your left," Sougen replied, kneeling beside him.
"Thank you for coming to see me in this state."
Torifu, now seventy-one, sighed. His gray hair and weakened voice conveyed an air of resignation and loss.
"Why would I laugh? People grow old, and even the moon waxes and wanes—it's just nature's way. Someday I'll be like this too. Besides, with Director Yonoyu here, if need be, we can call Tsunade-sama."
"The village has Shikaku and me to handle things, so don't worry. Focus on getting well."
"Haha!" Torifu chuckled. "Sougen, you don't need to comfort an old man like me. I think… never mind. Otherwise, Choza and Shikaku will start arguing. For now, let's leave things as they are. Please, Sougen, look after the village for me while I take this rare opportunity to rest."
"It's my duty," Sougen replied earnestly.