harleyscars Page 323
Page 323
There were two people standing at the office door.
A boy who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old was wearing worn but clean clothes and had a pale face.
His eyes held a mixture of the terror of surviving a disaster and a hint of stubbornness;
The other was a middle-aged man who looked to be around fifty years old, wearing a faded traveling doctor's robe.
With a kind face and gentle eyes, he carried a huge, seemingly very heavy medicine chest on his back.
“This is Yu Liu, a survivor from the last village. His family was killed in the attack by the Sky Ninjas…” Sakura’s voice lowered, and she didn’t continue.
Upon hearing this, the boy named Yu Liu lowered his head, clenched his fists tightly, and trembled slightly.
The middle-aged doctor-like man immediately patted Yu Liu's shoulder gently.
He then stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Tsunade, and said in a calm and reassuring voice: "Your Excellency, the Fifth Hokage, my name is Shennong, and I am a traveling doctor."
"We happened to be passing through that village when we were attacked by the Sky Ninja. Luckily, we escaped with this young friend Yu Liu."
"Fortunately, we were rescued by these Konoha ninjas."
He spoke earnestly, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant: "Yu Liu is now all alone and helpless, and the village has been almost completely destroyed."
"Although I am willing to take care of him, I have been wandering around for many years and have no fixed abode, so I really cannot provide him with a stable environment."
"I've heard that Konoha is the most prosperous and peaceful village in the ninja world. I wonder if I could humbly request the Hokage to have mercy and temporarily take in this poor child for a while?"
"To give him at least a place to shelter from the wind and rain."
Yu Liu also raised her head, looking at Tsunade with pleading and helpless eyes.
Then he subconsciously moved closer to Shennong, clearly showing his great dependence on and trust in the doctor who had taken care of him along the way.
Sasuke added from the side, "We checked them, and there were no traces of chakra on them. They are indeed ordinary villagers and a wandering doctor."
"Nothing suspicious was found on the way back."
Although his Sharingan cannot read minds, it can still observe subtle chakra flows and determine whether someone is lying.
Sakura and Hinata nodded in agreement.
They traveled together, and Shennong not only had excellent medical skills, but also took great care of Yu Liu. His words and actions were like those of a true benevolent doctor.
Tsunade sized up the two people before her. As a renowned medical expert and the Hokage, her eye for people was extremely sharp.
This doctor named Shennong had clear eyes and a steady breathing pattern; he certainly didn't seem like a ninja.
Moreover, his composure and doctor's demeanor, honed by experience, seemed genuine.
The boy named Yu Liu's emotions were genuine, and his dependence on Shennong was obvious.
The village has just been attacked, so taking in a war orphan with an innocent background is reasonable and justifiable, and it also demonstrates Konoha's benevolence.
After a moment's thought, Tsunade nodded: "Alright. Since we've encountered this, Konoha will naturally not stand idly by."
"Jingyin, make arrangements to take Yuliu to the orphanage for temporary accommodation, and provide her with necessary living support and psychological counseling."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shizune replied.
"Thank you so much, Lord Hokage! Your kindness will surely be rewarded!"
Shennong smiled gratefully and bowed deeply once more.
Yu Liu thanked her quietly and followed Jing Yin out of the office, turning back every few steps, her eyes following Shen Nong until the door closed.
Shennong then expressed his gratitude to Tsunade, Naruto, and the others once again.
He politely excused himself, saying it was inconvenient to disturb the Hokage's work, and left the Hokage building, seemingly intending to continue his itinerant doctor's journey.
The office was temporarily calmed down.
Naruto looked at the closed door and scratched his head: "I feel like... I forgot to ask something?"
A subtle, indescribable feeling flashed through my mind, but it was quickly overshadowed by the relief of completing the mission and my concern for the village.
Sasuke frowned slightly, but after carefully recalling the details of the journey, he found no flaws and suppressed his doubts.
Tsunade rubbed her temples: "Alright, the matter of the Sky Ninja is temporarily settled."
"This attack has also served as a wake-up call for us."
"Everyone, stay vigilant during this period and speed up the reconstruction and construction of fortifications! Go and rest, there will be plenty of work tomorrow!"
The group accepted the order and dispersed.
No one noticed that the "wandering doctor" named Shennong glanced back at the magnificent building after leaving the Hokage Building.
The kind and gentle smile on his face gradually became deep and enigmatic, and a faint, eerie curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
His plan wasn't completely ruined; there was still a chance to salvage it, but he still needed to wait.
Chapter 345 Father-Son Showdown!
The wounds inflicted on Konoha Village by the air raid are slowly healing, and ninjas and villagers can be seen everywhere on the streets busy repairing houses and clearing away ruins.
Naruto walked down the street, looking at everyone's tired yet resilient figures.
The slight agitation in his heart caused by the destruction of Kongren gradually subsided.
After helping with some heavy lifting, he went alone to a secluded training ground on the outskirts of the village.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns. In the center of the training field, Naruto sat cross-legged and slowly closed his eyes.
It wasn't a rest, but rather a immersion of consciousness into that familiar mental world, composed of water ripples and a massive cage.
As soon as his consciousness gathered, he saw Uchiha Madara standing on the giant head of the Nine-Tails with his arms crossed.
Her dark eyes, like two cold stars, were looking down at him.
The phantom images of Minato and Kushina stood to the side, their faces showing some worry.
"Dad! What did you call me for?"
Naruto looked up and called out, somewhat puzzled.
Madara usually spends most of his time resting with his eyes closed or bickering with Kurama (the Nine-Tails), and rarely takes the initiative to contact him.
Madara's figure descended lightly from the top of Kurama's head as if it were weightless, and stood in front of Naruto.
The red, layered armor seemed to flow with flames under the light of the consciousness space.
“Starting today,”
Ban spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "As long as there are no missions, you must come here and train with me."
"Huh? Training?"
Naruto looked completely bewildered and pointed around, "Training here? What's the difference between training here and training outside?"
A faint smile seemed to curve at the corners of Ban's mouth, but his eyes were as sharp as a blade: "The difference is, your opponent is me."
Naruto was completely stunned, almost thinking he had misheard.
“Spar with me.”
Madara repeated, his tone devoid of any joking tone: "You can use all your power and means, including the chakra that scruffy fox lent you, but I..."
His Eternal Kaleidoscope glowed faintly, and he exuded a chilling aura: "...I won't hold back either."
"Wait! Mr. Madara! This is too dangerous!"
Minato's phantom appeared instantly in front of Naruto, his face filled with anxiety and opposition: "This is Naruto's consciousness space. If his spirit is severely damaged, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
"And your power..."
Kushina immediately floated over, her long red hair seemingly about to explode, and shouted protectively, "That's right! Absolutely not! If my son gets hurt, I'll never forgive you!"
Madara didn't even lift his eyelids, completely ignoring the anxious Namikaze couple.
His gaze remained fixed on Naruto, as if he were assessing an unfinished weapon.
"Naruto, you are indeed very strong now."
Madara's voice remained calm: "Sage Technique, Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and even your chakra reserves and destructive power have reached an astonishing level. But—"
He abruptly changed the subject, his words like a cold dagger piercing the core: "What you lack is truly top-notch, honed combat skills and practical experience."
Naruto instinctively wanted to retort, "But Dad, my fighting skills are also..."
Having experienced so many fierce battles and defeated so many powerful enemies, he believed that his combat experience was extremely rich.
"It's more than enough to deal with those small fry or to crush the opponent with sheer force."
Madara interrupted him without any politeness, his tone carrying a hint of condescending disdain: "But what if in the future, the enemy you face is me, or someone of the same level as me, or even stronger?"
Madara slowly raised his hand, pointing at Naruto and also at the void: "Your fighting style relies too much on instinct and massive chakra tactics. In my eyes, it's full of flaws."
"In a true showdown, victory or defeat often hinges on the slightest difference. A minor mistake or an intention that is seen through can be enough to decide life or death."
Naruto frowned, still somewhat puzzled: "But Dad, how could I be your enemy? We're not..."
"Who knows."
For the first time, Ban's tone carried a hint of elusiveness. He tilted his head slightly, as if he were also pondering the question: "No one can say for sure what the future holds."
"Because of my incomplete memory, I have no intention of being your enemy."
"But why do I exist in this remnant soul state deep within your consciousness? That in itself is a huge question."
His gaze deepened: "If... I am merely a fragment of the original body, a lingering obsession."
"So in the future, if someone is proficient in forbidden techniques like the Impure World Reincarnation, they can summon me back from the Pure Land, the one with complete memories and power..."
"When that time comes, the 'Uchiha Madara' who appears in front of you probably won't be as easy to talk to as I am now."
Naruto was shocked: "No way! Dad, with your personality..."
Although Madara is always arrogant and cocky, Naruto has come to realize over the years that he is not entirely devoid of warmth.
"My current memory is incomplete."
Madara shook his head, his tone tinged with self-mockery and coldness: "But based on your fragmented descriptions of the future, and the remaining fragments of myself..."
"In my complete state, I inevitably have some extreme and obsessive goal or ideal that I must accomplish, in order to achieve that goal..."
Ban's Eternal Kaleidoscope suddenly focused, and that domineering aura of looking down on the world surged forth once again: "...No matter who I encounter along the way, whether it is a relative, a friend, or even my former self, I will never show any mercy."