Orochimaru had only come to explain his situation.
After all, once you stepped onto the battlefield, no one could say how—or even if—you would return.
At the same time, Orochimaru told Bai Xing that, as an experienced genin, he could occasionally take Nawaki along on C-rank missions.
From his robes, Orochimaru took out a scroll. Inside was a C-rank Lightning Release ninjutsu.
C-rank techniques weren't something you could casually purchase. Aside from meeting mission-count requirements, you also had to pay over eighty thousand ryō—the starting commission price of a B-rank mission.
—Lightning Release was relatively rare in Konoha. This scroll alone was worth at least one hundred thousand ryō.
The scroll detailed the flow of Lightning chakra within the body, the corresponding seals, which areas of the body should react at each stage, and other practical knowledge to help the reader master it.
Most such scrolls were single-use sealed scrolls. Once opened, they only allowed enough time for a single reading before the text vanished, preventing copying, resale, and ninjutsu leaks.
"You possess talent in all five chakra natures. Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water—you've basically grasped them all…"
Orochimaru coughed lightly, recalling how this brat always messed up whenever his ninjutsu was tested.
Test Fire Release and Wind Release—Wind succeeded, Fire choked his throat.
(Reference: Uchiha Obito.)
Test Earth and Water—Water worked fine, but the earth wall collapsed on its own before they could even test its durability.
Orochimaru had nearly expelled him on the spot.
Utterly embarrassing.
"Now you're only missing Lightning Release."
"When I return, I hope your psychological issues will be completely resolved."
Even as your teacher, there's only so much I can do…
From the moment they arrived, Orochimaru had been observing Bai Xing. His expression had changed drastically—clearly because he'd heard about the gathering last night. It was obvious he was worried about mission failure, recalling the former members of Team Six, and hadn't slept at all.
Unaware of this interpretation, Bai Xing was deeply moved inside—but on the surface, he maintained a calm, unbothered look, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
"Thank you, Sensei."
"I'll do my best… to master it."
"Mm." Orochimaru didn't hold out much hope. He only wanted Bai Xing to be more responsible, to ensure Nawaki at least had some ability to protect himself. As a teacher, Orochimaru truly couldn't spare the time for comprehensive guidance.
The snowy season of the Land of Fire ended swiftly toward the end of January.
White clouds in the sky returned to the soft gentleness of spring's revival. Rising temperatures melted the snow into clear streams, nourishing the forests and rivers among the mountains.
Konoha Hospital, Inpatient Wing Rooftop.
"You're going to the battlefield?!"
"Mikoto, are you serious?!"
Now officially a nurse rather than an intern, Yakushi Nono stared in shock after hearing Uchiha Mikoto's news.
As someone who witnessed the sheer number and惨状 of battlefield casualties, Nono desperately didn't want her companions heading to the brutal front lines at such a critical time.
"But only this way…"
"…can I escape Uchiha Fugaku's pursuit within the clan. I've already made my decision."
"Today, I came to say goodbye."
The breeze beyond the railing brushed against the gentle girl's face. Seeing Mikoto forcing a smile, Nono understood—this was her choice.
"Have you told Bai Xing-sensei?"
Mikoto shook her head. "That's why I only came to you."
"When the time comes, just say I accepted a C-rank mission that requires leaving the village. That I… won't be back for a while."
"Sensei would never agree to this."
"You're still just a genin."
Nono tried one last time to persuade her.
"Why not think about it again? Maybe there's another way."
Mikoto shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Nono. This is the last option."
"These past six months, I've barely left the clan compound. I've been training under the clan's jōnin."
"Now… it's time to realize my goal."
Looking at Nono, whose eyes were also filling with tears, Mikoto spoke softly:
"During this time… thank you. To you, to Bai Xing-sensei, to Uncle Dai, Aunt Rin, to Nawaki…"
"You've given me so many happy memories…"
Before she knew it, tears streamed down the long-haired girl's face as she wiped them away.
"Thank you!"
Nono, tears also falling, stopped trying to dissuade her.
"Take care, Mikoto."
"Protect yourself. No matter what."
"Mm! You take care too, Nono!"
Night.
Perfectly synced with the night shift, Bai Xing—disguised once more as Kitada Aina—returned to Konoha Hospital.
His practical application of the Hemostasis Technique was now basically mastered.
He'd even been called in for two surgeries—one as an observer, one hands-on.
The observation was Tsunade's stage.
She flawlessly used the Chakra Scalpel and Chakra Threads to extract poison and necrotic tissue from a ninja who'd returned from the Rain front lines, having been exposed to salamander toxin.
That surgery left Bai Xing genuinely shaken.
Because whether it was the Ope-Ope Fruit or basic medical ninjutsu, those were only crude, preliminary tools.
The Chakra Scalpel? He was barely at the "can use it" stage.
As for actual surgery—
That time he treated a ninja who'd broken his leg during a mission, reconnecting bone, stopping bleeding with hemostasis, fixing steel plates…
A whole chain of procedures.
Aside from two nurses assisting, it was basically all done by her alone.
And afterward, Bai Xing still had to pretend he was exhausted.
Night rounds were conducted jointly by nurses and the duty doctor.
At this moment, Bai Xing stepped out of Tsunade's resting office on the fifth floor, heading to the fourth floor to check whether Aunt Rin's condition was stable.
Then—
He saw moonlight pouring through the windows, reflected across the cold hospital corridor floor.
A blonde girl in a nurse's uniform stood before Room 404.
On the wall beside the door hung the nameplates:
Might Rin and Kitada Hama.
"Nono-san, you're standing outside Room 404. Did something happen?"
Nono froze and turned around.
Bai Xing immediately saw her tear-streaked face.
Don't tell me Kitada Hama pissed her off…
If I'd known, I would've "accidentally" left a pair of scissors inside him during surgery.
If not for his sister's sake, this "professional doctor" wouldn't have rarely—(read: gritted his teeth)—stepped in at all.
Spring arrived, the temperature rising noticeably, though it still hovered in the single digits.
Sheets and blankets hung across the rooftop endlessly. Every discharge meant more laundry to wash and dry, ready for the next injured ninja needing bed rest.
The air was damp.
Leaning against the railing, Bai Xing listened to Nono unburden her heart. The two fell silent.
He gazed for a long time at the star-filled sky, then looked toward the moon—ancestral to a certain Ōtsutsuki.
"Nono-san."
"What do you think… the meaning of life is?"
Nono leaned on the railing, looking at the scattered lights still glowing among the village buildings.
"I… I think it's protecting your family and friends."
Bai Xing shook his head.
"No. That's your purpose. Be more specific."
"Then… becoming a strong ninja? Becoming Hokage?"
He shook his head again. "Still incomplete."
"Then—?!"
Seeing her agitation, Bai Xing smiled gently and patted her head.
"The meaning of life… begins with living."
"Using the finite—or infinite—time you have to do what you want."
"To see landscapes and wonders you've never seen before."
"That's the meaning of life."
"Am I right… Jiraiya of the Leaf?"
Without turning around, Bai Xing already knew who had emerged from the center wall of the rooftop.
A man with mid-length white hair, no forehead protector, wearing specialized battle armor.
That youthful, handsome face—and the distinctive red markings—made his identity unmistakable.
"You're not wrong."
Jiraiya's expression was grave, his gaze sharp.
"But explain yourself."
"Why are you impersonating Doctor Kitada Aina?"
"And what is your objective?!"
"The surgery the other day… that was the village testing me, wasn't it?"
Bai Xing continued calmly, still rubbing the soft blonde hair.
"But if I remember correctly, I didn't expose myself during the procedure."
"So why keep watching me so closely?"
"And with that kind of…"
At that moment, the image of Kitada Aina began to blur and dissolve. The air itself revealed the original form beneath.
Under the moonlight on the rooftop stood a man wearing a colorfully patterned rabbit mask, clad in a high-collared white cloak that gleamed in the darkness.
The black eyes of the mask locked onto Jiraiya.
"…bloodthirsty gaze."
"Are you interested in experiencing a surgeon's exclusive operation firsthand?"
PS:
Here, the protagonist is simply revealing his strength and establishing the identity of the Surgeon.
Next comes the prologue to the Whirlpool Country War arc. In that arc, the protagonist mainly plays a supporting role, subtly altering everyone's fate and leading to very different outcomes.
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