Naruto: Rise of the Medical Ninja

"Eight or nine jonin, along with countless chunin and genin, enough to spark a small war, yet one person dealt with them all. The ninja world hasn't seen such a figure in years. This is a ninja who will surely become renowned across the ninja world," Mizusuke said.

"Mizusuke, don't harbor such thoughts. Right now, our focus is to demonstrate Takigakure's goodwill."

*And if they discover the properties of the Hero Water, those with ambition will choose to stay on their own,* Takikage thought. He turned to silently review the latest intelligence on his desk. Sunlight angled across the table, faintly illuminating the words "Intelligence Analysis" on a scroll. At its open corner, photos of Dosuke and the others were visible.

*Without talent, when will Takigakure rise to the status of a major ninja village? Will it always rely on a mediocre leader who bows to others?* Takikage mused. Unseen by him, Mizusuke's face twisted beneath his breathing mask, his gaze boring into Takikage's back.

The group, having returned to their assigned room, gathered in the living room.

"So, what do we do next?" Rin asked.

"While it's almost certain Takikage bears us no ill will, let's stay in the house and wait for Minato-sensei to arrive before making any plans," Kakashi said, leaning back in a chair and staring at the ceiling.

By their calculations, even at his slowest pace, Minato should have reached the vicinity of Takigakure by last night or this morning.

At noon, they enjoyed a lavish lunch delivered to their door. This time, none of them refused the meal, and they ate eagerly.

After lunch, Fuu, as usual, fell asleep. Dosuke and the others relaxed on the tatami, rubbing their full stomachs. The warm afternoon sun bathed them, easing them into a drowsy state.

Tap, tap, tap.

Just as they began to drift off, a knock woke them.

"Sirs, a Konoha ninja claiming to be your sensei is here. Lord Takikage has instructed me to bring him," a voice replied.

The news energized Kakashi, Obito, Rin, and Dosuke. Dosuke rushed to the door in an instant and opened it to find Minato, clad in a green jonin vest, his short blonde hair catching the light, standing behind Mizusuke.

"Hi, Dosuke, how are you all?" Minato greeted, raising his right hand with a warm smile, his eyes narrowing into gentle curves.

Dosuke stood speechless.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

Kakashi appeared beside Dosuke, followed by Rin. Obito shouted, "Sensei Minato, you're finally here!"

"Minato, I'll take my leave," Mizusuke said, observing the joyful reunion.

Minato had entered Takigakure through the main gate, passing the guards and notifying the village's leadership, arriving as Konoha's representative. "Thank you for your trouble, Mizusuke," he said, clasping his hands in gratitude.

"You're welcome. If you have any requests, inform the village patrol, and they'll relay them to me," Mizusuke replied before turning toward the village's office building.

Minato smiled at the group blocking the doorway. "Not going to let me in?"

Dosuke and the others hurriedly stepped aside, welcoming Minato into the house.

"Was your journey to Takigakure smooth after we parted?" Minato asked, looking at his students gathered around him.

He listened quietly as Kakashi, Dosuke, and the others recounted their experiences since their separation.

"So, Fuu is the current Takikage's daughter?" Minato asked, glancing at Fuu, who was still sleeping soundly.

"If Takikage's words are true, she should be his child," Dosuke confirmed.

"Sensei, whether or not Fuu is Takikage's daughter, she's Takigakure's jinchuriki. We've delivered Chomei's jinchuriki, so let's retreat," Kakashi said, meeting Minato's gaze.

"Kakashi, how can you say that? Fuu is a human being! What if she doesn't want to stay in Takigakure?" Obito stood up, fists clenched, his voice sharp with indignation.

"But she is, above all, a jinchuriki, Takigakure's human pillar," Kakashi countered, his tone steady.

Obito's clenched fists slowly relaxed, and he sank back down, his energy fading.

Watching Obito slump, Dosuke spoke up. "Brother Minato, let's leave tomorrow. Our mission is complete. The rest isn't our concern."

Looking at Dosuke and Kakashi, Minato nodded. "Alright, we'll depart tomorrow. Rest well today."

That evening, Mizusuke and the chef delivered another dinner.

"Eating this kind of food long-term can increase chakra?" Minato asked, visibly surprised. In the ninja world, chakra is derived from a combination of physical and spiritual energy. He had never heard of a method to directly increase chakra. Even military ration pills only accelerated chakra extraction by stimulating the body.

"I tested it, no toxicity," Dosuke said. "The specific principle would require detailed experiments to uncover. But after today's lunch, I felt a slight chakra increase. If not for my chakra sensitivity, I wouldn't have noticed."

The additional chakra was so subtle it was nearly imperceptible to anyone else. Only someone with Dosuke's precision could detect it. But consumed over time, the effect could accumulate significantly.

"This must be incredibly valuable to Takigakure," Dosuke continued. "I plan to analyze the composition of this Hero Water when we return." Having long coveted methods to enhance chakra, he was determined not to let this opportunity slip.

After dinner, Rin took Fuu to bed, while Kakashi and Obito slept in their clothes, ready for action. Minato spread a sleeping mat in the living room and lay down to rest.

Dosuke approached quietly, holding a medicine bottle.

Minato opened his eyes to see Dosuke standing by his sleeping mat. "Dosuke, what's the matter?"