Setting aside the complicated thoughts of everyone present, the Yamanaka ninja who was currently probing Yuusuke Ame's memories was proceeding with extreme caution.
This was standard behavior for ninjas—especially those who specialized in mental techniques. Once a mind they were invading turned out to belong to a spy, traps could be triggered at any moment, and the possibility of counter-invasion always existed.
However, such caution was entirely unnecessary when applied to Yuusuke.
Within Yuusuke's memories, Yamanaka witnessed the process of his encounter with the Second Hokage—naturally, this portion was the highest priority. As for tracing further back, observing Yuusuke's "childhood years" spent wandering from place to place, the wars that ravaged his homeland, the deaths of both parents, and even going all the way back to his birth—none of these memories showed any sign of alteration or concealment.
That portion of the inspection was little more than a cursory glance.
And all of it was more than enough to prove that Yuusuke was a person with a clean background.
Thus, Yamanaka was able to confirm that Yuusuke's account of meeting the Second Hokage was entirely truthful, and the possibility that he was a spy from another village was eliminated.
Yamanaka then naturally withdrew his jutsu and, with a trace of fatigue, reported to Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others:
"There's no problem. Everything he said regarding the Second Hokage is true, and his identity poses no issue."
At this point, Yuusuke's personal situation no longer mattered. What mattered was that the Second Hokage's sacrifice had been confirmed a second time.
That said, from a results-oriented perspective, Yamanaka's inspection had been somewhat careless.
This was not because he neglected his duty, but because he was too conventional.
He examined Yuusuke's memories in a linear fashion, tracing backward from the present moment all the way to Yuusuke's birth. This was sufficient to establish what kind of life Yuusuke had lived.
But it only accounted for this life.
Had Yamanaka been able to cross the boundary of Yuusuke's birth and look further back, he would have made a discovery of historic proportions.
Unfortunately, such a hypothetical was impossible. Yamanaka had already completed his task.
His actions could not even be considered a mistake—after all, who could have imagined that such a secret would be hidden within an ordinary person?
And thus, through this coincidence of circumstances, Yuusuke truly passed the test. He was deemed an ordinary outsider with no threat to Konoha.
It had to be said—a small stroke of luck had descended upon him.
Moreover, because he had brought back critical information regarding the Second Hokage's fate, he was, in principle, someone who had rendered service to the village. As such, everyone was willing to acknowledge the agreement he had made with the Second Hokage.
In other words, Yuusuke was allowed to remain in the village and live a long-term, stable life.
"Send the child to the hospital," someone said. "There's nothing left for him to do here… it's obvious that his physical condition is extremely poor."
Yuusuke had already fulfilled his role. Even from a purely humanitarian standpoint, he should be admitted for treatment.
However—
The person who had just blocked his removal earlier was Shimura Danzō.And the one saying this now… was also Shimura Danzō.
He made this arrangement even before the Acting Hokage could speak, which drew a few surprised looks. Given Danzō's habitually demanding and unforgiving nature—especially since the Second Hokage's death, which had left him noticeably darker—one would not expect him to concern himself with the fate of an outsider.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded toward the medical ninja, indicating his approval of Danzō's decision. Only then was the unconscious Yuusuke taken away.
When Yuusuke awoke again, dusk was already approaching.
Compared to the oppressive heaviness he felt when he had been forcibly awakened earlier, his condition now was noticeably improved.
His fever had subsided. He found himself lying on a hospital bed and propped himself up halfway, seeing that his upper body was wrapped in layers of bandages.
This was a hospital—his injuries had been treated thoroughly.
However, the black vein-like markings on his injured arm were still present. Yuusuke frowned at the sight.
He reached for the patient's robe hanging nearby and slipped it on. But as he prepared to stand, a wave of dizziness washed over his weakened body.
"For now, it would be best if you didn't move around," a man who looked like a doctor said as he entered the room, just in time to see Yuusuke forcing himself up. "Physical strain combined with mental pressure can make you feel uncomfortable. But don't worry—you'll recover soon."
"Doctor," Yuusuke asked, "what exactly happened to me? What's my condition?"
Unaware that his memories had been examined, Yuusuke paid little attention to the mention of "mental pressure." Otherwise, he would have been far more unsettled.
What truly concerned him was what had happened to his body.
More specifically—what were the black markings on his arm?
"As far as external injuries go, there's no major issue," the doctor replied. "But I assume that's not what you're asking about."
As he spoke, the doctor stepped closer, rolled up Yuusuke's sleeve, and exposed the black patterns running along his arm.
"If you mean this, then this is a typical case of chakra erosion. Oh—chakra refers specifically to the energy used by ninjas."
Yuusuke roughly understood what he meant. After a moment's thought, he said,
"The wound on my shoulder was caused by the Second Hokage's ninjutsu. The Hokage himself was an extremely powerful ninja, and the technique he used was likewise very strong. Could that be the 'chak—'"
"Chakra," the doctor corrected him.
"…Right. So could that be the cause of this chakra erosion?"
The markings spread outward from the water-style injury on Yuusuke's shoulder, so the guess seemed reasonable.
However, the doctor shook his head.
"Not necessarily—or not entirely. I've heard that before arriving at the village, you defeated an enemy ninja. And prior to that, you were merely an ordinary civilian?"
"Yes," Yuusuke replied, gesturing for him to continue.
"The reason you were able to defeat that enemy is because chakra exists within you as well. Our examinations confirmed this without much difficulty. The likelihood of chakra erosion creating chakra within the victim is virtually nonexistent."
The doctor paused before continuing.
"So we speculate that during your interaction with the Second Hokage, he sealed a portion of his own powerful chakra inside your body, in order to ensure that you could reach Konoha safely. It may be the interaction between these two factors that caused your current condition."
"…."
Sealing chakra into someone else's body while on the brink of death?
Yuusuke found that difficult to believe. But the doctor had said it himself—it was only a hypothesis.
Yuusuke pressed on with the question that mattered most.
"Can the chakra erosion in my body be alleviated or eliminated? Will it cause serious harm?"
"If it becomes severe," the doctor replied calmly, "it can be fatal."