Naruto : Konoha Light

The Next Day at Noon

As the school bell rang, students cheered and rushed toward the cafeteria. However, a small group remained behind, gathering around Shimizu.

"Hm? Are you all planning to visit Mizuki at the hospital with me?" Shimizu asked, glancing at his companions.

"I looked into it… It seems like he got hurt because of me," Asuma said awkwardly, scratching his head. "No matter what, I have to go see him."

Shizune clenched her small fists near her chest. "I'm also worried about Mizuki's condition."

Seeing Shimizu's expression, Kurenai quickly added, "I'll come too. School is boring anyway."

"Alright, let's go together."

On the way, noticing Shimizu's serious expression, Asuma assumed he was still worried about yesterday's incident. Trying to lighten the mood, he patted Shimizu's shoulder and said, "Don't stress about it! If the Uchiha clan tries to cause trouble, I'll… I'll go complain to the old man!"

Hearing that, Shimizu couldn't help but smile. With Asuma's usual arrogant and stubborn personality, it must have taken him a lot of effort to even consider asking the Hokage for help.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Shimizu shook his head. After a brief silence, he muttered, "When I was giving Mizuki first aid yesterday, I noticed… his injuries might be worse than we thought."

Asuma frowned. "Really? But he seemed fine yesterday."

Shimizu sighed. "I hope I'm wrong."

The hospital wasn't far, and soon, they arrived at Mizuki's ward.

"Mizuki! We came to see—" Asuma started loudly, but his voice caught in his throat at the sight before him.

Mizuki lay stiffly on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His eyes were lifeless, as if all hope had been drained from him.

"…Mizuki? What's wrong?" Asuma panicked. "No way—Did he die?!"

SMACK!

"Ow! Who hit me?!" Asuma yelped, rubbing his head.

A young nurse stood behind him, hands on her hips. "Little brother, be careful with your words!"

"Huh? So he's not dead?"

The nurse sighed. "Of course not. He's breathing just fine."

Relieved, Asuma chuckled awkwardly. "Then… what's wrong with him?"

The nurse turned to Shimizu, her tone gentle but serious. "Shimizu, I need to tell you something. Your friend… he won't be able to continue training as a ninja."

Asuma froze. "Wait… What do you mean?"

She sighed again. "His injuries were severe. He's lost the ability to be a ninja. But maybe that's a blessing in disguise—at least he won't have to risk his life on missions anymore."

"No way…" Asuma clenched his fists and punched the wall in frustration. Under normal circumstances, he might not have been so upset. But now, knowing that Mizuki's fate was tied to his own actions, guilt weighed heavily on him.

Shizune and Kurenai sniffled quietly, their eyes brimming with tears. Even though they hadn't been particularly close to Mizuki, seeing a familiar classmate lose his dream was painful.

Through the somber mood, Asuma suddenly remembered something. He turned to Shimizu, eyes shining with hope. "Shimizu, you must have a way to fix this, right?"

Hearing Asuma's words, Mizuki's dull eyes lit up slightly. He turned his head weakly toward Shimizu, waiting for an answer.

"Maybe… but," Shimizu hesitated, deep in thought. "Elder Sister Yumiko wasn't wrong. The life of a ninja is dangerous. If…"

"No! Please, give me a chance!" Mizuki suddenly cried out, his voice trembling but determined.

Shizune and Kurenai gasped in surprise.

"Mizuki, you're talking again! You're awake!"

"Mizuki, are you okay?"

Ignoring them, Mizuki kept his eyes locked on Shimizu. "I have no family. No friends. I don't want to lose everything in the end."

"You're wrong—we are your friends," Shimizu said firmly. His gaze softened before turning serious again. "But if you're certain, I can try to help."

Asuma leaned in. "What do we need to do?"

"With Mizuki's current condition, if he wants to become a ninja again, he'll need surgery. But in the entire Hidden Leaf Village, there's only one person capable of performing it."

"I know! It's Tsunade-sama!" Asuma exclaimed.

Shimizu nodded. "I ran into Tsunade-sama at the hospital a few days ago. If only I knew this would happen, I would've found out where she lives ahead of time."

Asuma stroked his chin. "The old man should know. I'll go ask him."

At that moment, Shizune hesitantly raised her hand. "Actually… Tsunade-sama is staying with me right now."

"Perfect!" Asuma cheered before pausing in confusion. "Wait, why is Tsunade-sama staying with you? Are you her long-lost daughter or something?"

Shizune's face turned red with embarrassment. "No! She was my uncle's lover. After he passed away, she took me in."

"Oh, I see." Asuma shrugged. "Then let's go ask her to save Mizuki!"

But Shizune hesitated. "The thing is… Tsunade-sama hasn't performed surgery in a long time."

Kurenai frowned. "If she's the only one who can do it, shouldn't she at least try?"

Shizune shook her head. She wasn't sure how to explain it, but she knew that tsunade's fear of blood was a closely guarded secret.

Sensing the difficulty, Shimizu turned to Asuma and Kurenai. "You two don't need to come for the next part."

"Huh? Why not?" Asuma protested.

"It's related to certain medical regulations," Shimizu said vaguely. "Only medical ninjas are allowed to participate."

Though disappointed, Asuma and Kurenai reluctantly nodded. "Fine, but keep us updated."

At that moment, Mizuki, still lying on the hospital bed, spoke up. "Please… let me come too! I just… need to know if I still have a chance."

Shimizu glanced at Shizune. "What do you think?"

Shizune hesitated for a moment before nodding. "As the patient, he has the right to know."