The medical bay was a cocoon of pain and slow mending.
The Jōtaki medic had done her work. The deep wounds were closed, the burns salved, the bones put back in place. However, the true healing, the kind that restored a shinobi to duty, required time, and training. Time they didn't have.
Commander Batto found Ryugo there, not resting, but performing slow, deliberate katas of the Amegakure kenjutsu style with a practice sword, his movements stiff, but recovering quickly.
"Should you be doing that?" Batto grunted, leaning against the doorframe.
"There is no rest for the wicked", Ryugo replied, not breaking his rhythm, "That much is nothing if I want to reach the pinnacle"
"Pinnacle, huh? You have great ambition...", Batto watched for a moment, his expression unreadable, "The Council's verdict is in. The parley was a success. Tanigakure has conceded operational control and is paying reparations. Your team is credited with a critical B-rank success"
[You have completed the B-rank mission [Nagare Lake Parley]. You have received 2000 EXP, 150 Reputation with Ameruyi, 100 Reputation with Takeda Clan, 50 Reputation with Southern Border Fort...]
Ryugo finally stopped: "Well this is good news"
Batto continued: "The Tower sees potential in you. Monumental potential. Be careful, too much attention is never good in the lands of Rain. When you return, the council will want to bound you to the Dark Hall Tower. The Amegakure General Corps will attempt to give you responsibility on a border. Hanzo...might conscript you to the JITE. Whatever you choose, you need to think wisely"
"My sword belongs to the Dark Hall Tower", Ryugo asked
Batto laughed: "I had a feeling you'd say that. This is not a bad choice. The council of the rain possesses enough resources to make you one of the pillars of Amegakure. But enough of that. The reason I came is to give you yet another mission with the rest of team 11"
Ryugo frowned: "Another mission? Surely you have seen Ameruyi's state, she is-"
"The border is a tinderbox," Batto said, stepping fully into the room. His voice dropped, pragmatic and grave, "The parley cooled things, but Tanigakure's faction is still out there. They'll try something else. Maybe a direct raid to save face, maybe sabotage elsewhere. My forces are stretched thin guarding the dam and patrolling the canals."
He fixed Ryugo with his dark eyes. "Your team is wounded, but your names are now known to the enemy. They fear you more than they fear me. That fear is a weapon. I am assigning Team 11 to a defensive rotation along the central canal network. Your presence alone will act as a deterrent. We are not at war with them. They will not attack"
It was a test. A mundane, grinding, essential test. Not glory, not assassination, but the unglamorous work of shinobi: holding ground. Patrol work. Unfitting missions for a dark hall asset of his talent, but...an opportunity to grow stronger with regular C-rank missions. Anyway, he was under the command of Jonin Batto. It was a win-win situation
[Chain Quest - Holding the border (C-rank) (Repeatable)
Commander Batto has requested team 11 to old the border through patrols and intimidation, using your reputation as a shield against Tanigakure initiatives.
Task: Complete patrol around the Nagare Lake (0 /1)
Rewards: 1000 EXP, 15 000 Ryô, +20 Reputation with commander Batto, +15 Reputation with Amegakure General Corps]
'The quest is repeatable too...This means it can be farmed. Plus, it might increase my chances to find out more about the Tanigakure players...', he analysed
"Understood, Commander," Ryugo said, bowing his head slightly. "We will stabilize the sector."
"Good. Your teammate Tetsu is already cleared for light duty. The Takeda girl…", Batto's gaze flicked to Ameruyi's still form, "The Takeda have been informed of her recovery. They will likely send a retrieval team. Until then, she's your responsibility. Dismissed"
Batto left, his heavy footsteps echoing down the metal corridor.
Clan retrieval team. The words sat like cold stones in Ryugo's gut. Once she left the border fort, she entered the Takeda clan's political labyrinth. He would not let that happen.
The night deepened. The fort settled into the wary quiet of a wartime outpost.