Stone Ninja Camp.
"You're telling me you can't find it?"
Onoki furrowed his brow, staring at the subordinate kneeling before him. His tone was filled with disbelief.
When he used Dust Release, his goal wasn't to kill the Five-Tails, but to disable it.
After the attack hit its mark, he focused on dealing with Orochimaru and Jiraiya's combined assault. But after driving them back, the Five-Tails was nowhere to be found in the entire Rain Country battlefield.
He sent out countless ninjas to search, but they found nothing. The only evidence suggested that after being hit, the Five-Tails simply vanished into thin air.
"Keep searching! A Tailed Beast that size doesn't just disappear!"
---
Konoha's New Camp.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya, having just returned from their fierce battle with Onoki, were handling post-war matters under Orochimaru's command.
They had also learned that Nawaki's 17th Squad was the trigger for the entire incident.
Ninjas had already recovered Jonin Akira Hyuga's body at the epicenter of the Five-Tails' rampage. His three Genin subordinates were missing, and given the devastation, the outlook was grim.
Orochimaru frowned as he worked. Jiraiya sat beside him, looking equally distressed, wondering how he would explain this to Tsunade.
"Report! Members of the 17th Squad... have returned." A ninja pushed open the door to report.
"Who returned?"
Orochimaru and Jiraiya looked up sharply, their gazes intense. Under the scrutiny of two Kage-level powerhouses, the ninja stuttered nervously.
"They... they all returned. They are currently receiving treatment in the medical unit."
"?"
Jiraiya looked confused. Orochimaru's brow relaxed slightly, and the tense atmosphere in the tent eased.
After the messenger left, Jiraiya asked unnaturally:
"Orochimaru, tell me the truth. Did you falsify the 17th Squad's roster?"
Orochimaru was speechless. It was indeed bizarre. The 17th Squad was at ground zero of the Five-Tails' outbreak. Even their Jonin leader was confirmed dead.
And now you're telling me three Genin came back in one piece? Even three Jonin would have struggled to survive that.
Orochimaru sped up his work. Jiraiya couldn't wait and rushed to the medical unit to check on Nawaki.
In the medical unit, the medics were equally shocked by the trio's survival. "Returned in one piece" was a bit of an exaggeration. Nawaki and Shibi were covered in wounds with severe internal injuries.
But Night's condition was terrifying. His meridians were completely shattered, countless bones were broken, and there wasn't a single uninjured spot on his body.
Jiraiya's arrival caused a stir, but the three patients couldn't move.
With his limited medical knowledge, Jiraiya could only call their survival a "medical miracle."
Soon after, Orochimaru arrived. As a future renowned "human body scientist" with significant medical expertise, he examined their charts. His gaze lingered on Night's diagnosis for a long time.
Jiraiya might just see severe injuries, but Orochimaru knew: This kid is finished as a ninja.
His personality didn't allow for sugarcoating. He stated directly that even with Tsunade's help, recovery was highly unlikely.
Hearing this, Nawaki got agitated and tried to sit up. "Night-nii did this to save us! There must be a way!"
Shibi nodded heavily beside him. They refused to believe that a star as bright as Night would fall like this.
Night, the person involved, looked calm, as if he expected this.
Combined with Nawaki and Shibi's account of their escape, Orochimaru and Jiraiya gained a new respect for this "civilian genius"—and felt even more regret.
In reality, Night was suffering in silence. He wanted to use "Rapid Body Repair" immediately and be up and running in no time.
But if he did that, he'd be dragged into a Konoha lab to see if he had awakened Hashirama's cells.
So, he had to lie there and wait to perform a "medical miracle" later.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya didn't stay long. As commanders, they were busy. Only Nawaki's special status warranted a personal visit.
After they left, Nawaki was still agitated, constantly assuring Night:
"Don't worry, Night-nii! My sister is the best medical ninja. I'll make sure she cures you."
"Mn."
Having exposed so many trump cards to save them, Night could only respond faintly.
To Nawaki, this reaction looked like despair. He believed Night must have worked incredibly hard to gain his strength.
Nawaki swore internally to help Night recover, even if it meant exhausting the Senju clan's resources.
The Next Morning.
Night opened his eyes on time. The three of them were being transferred back to Konoha. Nawaki and Shibi just needed rest, but Night's injuries required Tsunade's personal attention.
The journey back was uneventful, escorted by a squad returning for rotation.
Upon arriving in Konoha, they were sent straight to the hospital. Tsunade, in her white coat, was already treating the wounded.
After finishing her current patient, she rushed into their ward.
First, she checked Nawaki. Confirming his injuries matched the report, she sighed in relief.
Then she moved to Night's bed. Her hands glowed green with medical chakra as she examined him carefully.
Surprisingly, his physical condition had improved significantly overnight. His flesh and bones were healing rapidly. Only his chakra meridians remained a chaotic mess, the situation grim.
Tsunade's beautiful face grew heavy. She looked at Night with pity.
After a full examination, she spoke solemnly: "Don't worry! As Nawaki's savior, I will do everything in my power to heal you."
Feeling she might have promised too much, she added, "Even in the worst-case scenario... the Senju clan will support you for the rest of your life."
Nawaki nodded vigorously in agreement.
Night listened to the siblings and felt something was off. Thinking it over, he mused to himself:
"Wait... did I just secure a sugar mommy because my teeth aren't good enough for hard rice?"