Naruto: Rise of the Medical Ninja

Fuu, now back in her village, represents the military strength of Takigakure. Though the ninja forces of Takigakure are not particularly formidable, they cannot be easily plundered by rogue ninjas or those from the major ninja villages.

The major ninja villages are prohibited from interfering in the politics, military affairs, or development of smaller villages. This is a consensus in the ninja world. Influence is permitted, but control is not. This is how smaller ninja villages survive, serving as buffer zones between the major ninja villages. Without these smaller villages, conflicts between major nations would erupt directly, leaving no room for negotiation.

This was evident during the Second Ninja War. While the major nations clashed, it was smaller ninja villages, like the Land of Rain, that bore the brunt of the war's devastation.

After Minato made his arrangements, he distributed several Flying Thunder God Kunai to the group. "Take these kunai. I'll find you after I've dealt with things here," he said.

Minato then retrieved a scroll from his ninja pouch and handed it to Kakashi. "This summoning scroll can be activated by channeling chakra into it. I'll arrive as quickly as possible."

With that, Minato created several shadow clones, which transformed into the group's likenesses and continued along the original route.

As Minato walked away, Kakashi reviewed the new route. "Let's move. We can't slow Sensei down. Our priority is to get Fuu back to Takigakure as fast as possible." He waved his hand, and the group set off instantly.

Rin shifted Fuu, who had been in her arms, onto her back. "Fu, we need to hurry. Want to feel the wind with big sister?" she asked.

"Okay!" Fuu replied cheerfully, clinging to Rin's back.

By the river, the group darted swiftly through the trees. As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, Dosuke, Kakashi, and the others stopped before a towering rock wall.

"According to the map, Takigakure lies beyond this rock wall," Kakashi said.

"Whoa, how are we supposed to climb that?" Obito exclaimed, staring at the nearly vertical cliff.

"Obito, have you and Rin mastered tree-climbing?" Dosuke asked, running his hand along the rock wall. Though not smooth, the surface had enough texture to allow tree-climbing techniques.

"I can do it, but I'm not consistent," Obito admitted, scratching his head embarrassedly.

"I'm okay, but I'm worried my chakra won't last," Rin added.

After a moment's thought, Dosuke said, "I'll carry Fuu and Obito. Kakashi, you take Rin."

"Alright. Let's move quickly. If you can't keep up, speak up, and Dosuke and I will help," Kakashi replied.

Dosuke gently took the sleeping Fuu from Rin's back, pulling clothes from his backpack to wrap her securely against his chest. He then used a Water Barrier to form a vest-like shield around her.

"Dosuke, is that the ninjutsu you used to block my close-range attack during the ranking match?" Kakashi asked, pointing to the Water Barrier.

"Yeah, but it's still not perfected," Dosuke answered.

"She's fast asleep," he added with a smile, looking at Fuu, who was snoring softly and grinding her teeth.

"Minato-sensei said Takigakure's sealing technique is flawed," Rin explained, pulling a rope from her ninja pouch and tying it around her waist. "Fuu's constantly affected by Chomei's chakra, which makes her drowsy. She's too young to be a jinchuriki."

With Obito and Rin ready, Dosuke and Kakashi exchanged a glance. "Let's go," they said in unison.

Chakra surged to their feet, and the group began scaling the cliff. Halfway up, the chakra on Obito's left foot weakened, causing him to lose balance and drop.

"Ahhh!" Obito screamed as he fell.

Hearing his cry, Rin slowed her pace, instinctively turning to look back.

"Rin, don't look back, keep going!" Kakashi barked, noticing her hesitation.

"Dosuke's got this. Trust him," he added firmly.

"Mhm…" Rin nodded, quickening her pace and charging upward.

Meanwhile, Dosuke, startled by Obito's shout, paused. Though he had prepared for accidents, the sudden crisis still threw him off. He spat a slender stream of water from his mouth, which rapidly extended downward, wrapping around Obito's ankle.

"Phew, I'm saved," Obito gasped, looking as though he'd narrowly escaped death.

"Relax, Obito. Hold on tight," Dosuke called, maintaining the chakra-infused water stream.

Obito exhaled deeply, gripping the water stream to stabilize himself. He planted his feet on the cliff and slowly climbed back to Dosuke's side.

"All good. Let's keep going," Dosuke said, dispersing the water stream and nodding to Obito.

Above them, Kakashi glanced at the now-safe duo from the corner of his eye, quietly relieved.

The rest of the climb proceeded without incident, and the group reached the top of the rock wall.

"Take a break," Kakashi said, looking at Rin and Obito, who collapsed in exhaustion.

He then approached Dosuke, who was scanning the surroundings. "Don't you need a rest?"

Dosuke waved him off. "No, I'm fine. I know my limits."

Though Dosuke's chakra reserves weren't as vast as Kakashi's, his precise chakra control far surpassed the others. He maximized every bit of chakra, wasting nothing.

After a brief rest, Obito and Rin recovered. Watching Dosuke and Kakashi survey the terrain.

Kakashi said, "Dosuke and I found a safe path down. Let's move."

The group got up and descended the mountain. Under Kakashi and Dosuke's lead, they navigated the descent smoothly.

They walked along a field path, surrounded by waterfalls that fed into ponds of various sizes. Winding channels directed water from the ponds to irrigate the fields. In the quiet night, the chirping of insects echoed from the rice fields.

"Kakashi, how do we find Takigakure's people?" Dosuke asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Though their mission was to return Chomei's jinchuriki to Takigakure, their uninvited entry could be seen as an invasion.

"I don't have a solid plan yet," Kakashi admitted, lowering his head and spreading his hands helplessly. "We'll take it one step at a time."