Naruto: The Medical Ninja

Chapter 19: Chapter 18: Person of Interest

”I will accept the Hamura surname, Grandpa,” Ryu said.

Ryu continued, ”I will make sure everyone remembers the Hamura clan and also remembers my grandmother.”

Dan’s grizzled face softened, years of regret and guilt seeming to melt away. His eyes, which had previously been filled with sadness, now gleamed with hope. One tear, a tear of regret mixed with hope—tricked down his cheek. He whispered, ”Ryu Hamura.”

Dan said, ”It has been so long since I have heard that name spoken with pride. Your grandmother would be overjoyed to see this moment.”

Taking a deep breath, Ryu continued, ”I shall bear this name and this legacy with honour. I will survive and become a great ninja, and one day, the name Hamura will be spoken with respect. I will bring honour back to this family one day and make you proud. This family’s name will eventually be well-known to all, and it will be listed in history alongside Senju and Uchiha.”

Ryu decided to reclaim the Hamura surname, which had been unjustly taken from his grandmother, Tsuki Hamura, when she eloped with Ryu Senju.

From now on, Ryu will be known as Ryu Hamura. He settled down in his new room. As he tried to sleep, Ryu thought about his next move. Realising the importance of preparing for the cure, he decided that the next day he would ask Dan to take him to Leaf Central Hospital to see Dr. Yuki, as promised by them.

The next morning was very hopeful for him. He was feeling much better than when he just reincarnated. Ryu thought, ’This mild recovery... it’s clearly the result of [Minor Healing] activating alongside my initial chakra. But it is an insufficient patch. [Minor Healing] only prolongs the game; it cannot win it against a complex systemic failure. I need Yuki’s help to begin phase two of the cure.’

That morning, Ryu decided to try his hand at cooking for the first time in this new life. He was picking things up fast. His mind was executing the cooking process step-by-step, the movements and temperatures perfectly recalled from a thousand observed meals. This was his [Eidetic Memory] at work, translating observation into instant skill. Ryu’s adoptive grandfather hosted their first breakfast together. Over breakfast, they continued their conversation.

Dan observed with a mix of pride as Ryu moved through the kitchen with unexpected ease. ”You’re a natural,” he commented, his eyes crinkling with a smile. ”Just like your grandmother. Even with the most basic ingredients, she could create a feast.”

”Grandpa, were you also a ninja?” Ryu questioned, his voice laced with curiosity.

Dan replied, ”Yes, At one point, I was a ninja. The Hamura clan served the prestigious Senju; therefore, we were trained from a very young age. We were entrusted with safeguarding the perimeter and homes.”

A flicker of pride illuminated his eyes as he said, ”I myself held the honour of guarding Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. A woman of immense strength and unwavering spirit. Under her tutelage, I also studied Fuinjutsu.”

Ryu leaned forward, his breakfast momentarily forgotten. ”Fuinjutsu? That sounds incredible, Grandpa! What kind of things could you do with it?”

Dan chuckled, a spark of his old enthusiasm returning. ”Ah, fuinjutsu is a mental art, complex yet powerful. With the right seal, you could store objects, create barriers, or even seal away the chakra itself. Mito-sama was a master of it. She could create seals so complex that it would take a lifetime to unravel them.”

Ryu whistled softly. ”A mental art... geometric programming combined with chakra. That’s a profound concept, Grandpa. Like creating a compressed, executable program file using a single symbol. That’s true genius.”

After pausing, he said, ”After my son passed away, I returned to being a ninja and resumed accepting missions. However, I suppose I would live out the rest of my days in retirement in peace while I watched you.”

Ryu thought, ”A fuinjutsu user, huh? That makes things somewhat easy for the future, but it does not do much for me right now. Maybe Mother Yuki’s help will be more helpful’.

He made a mental note to ask his adoptive grandfather to train him in fuinjutsu later. Ryu then asked, ”You earlier said that our clan used to be a clan of crafter. What happened to that aspect of our clan?”

Dan replied, ”Yes. But that was in the past. As for our situation now. Most of our businesses are in ruins, but I do possess a few properties inherited after the decline of the clan. They’re currently rented out to civilians who run shops in the area. The house we’re in now should be enough for the two of us, but those properties could provide some additional income, enough for both of us for a foreseeable future.”

The cheerful morning light of the Hamura home was starkly contrasted by a different reality, one hidden deep beneath the village roots.

At some unknown place, a sinister cloaked figure made its way to a hidden underground bunker. The clocked figure stopped on a platform surrounded by huge pillars. In the heart of the bunker, a dangerous man named Danzo sat at a desk.

The Root ninja codenamed Crow was there to report something he observed recently. Crow’s unexpected visit piqued Danzo’s interest.

The Crow said, ”Lord Danzo, one of the persons of interest, did something unusual.”

Danzo was now a bit interested in him. He commanded, ”Report.”

With a head bowed in respect, Crow handed him a scroll and replied, ”Yuki Sarutobi met Dan Hamura after leaving her orphanage. The following day, Dan Hamura went to the orphanage and picked out a kid to adopt.”

As he knelt before Danzo, the figure known as Crow delivered the news. Danzo studied the report in silence, his expression unreadable. Crow continued speaking, ”He adopted a terminally ill boy who may not have much time left to live.”

”Ryu,” Danzo carefully examined the file and read the name of the boy in question and spoke his name as if he was familiar with him. There was a sudden surprise on his face that lasted for a second, but as soon as it appeared, it vanashed. But his seasoned spy, trained to read people, noticed that surprise. The subordinate was taken aback by his Lord’s preoccupation with such insignificant details. His only responsibility was to report any unusual movements made by his target, Yuki Sarutobi.

The Crow enquired, ”Lord Danzo, your orders?”

”Ignore it,” Danzo finally said, his voice cold and dismissive. ”A desperate man who is determined to kill himself takes in a dying orphan. The boy’s fate is sealed; there is no need for us to intervene. And for the Dan hamura, he has not recovered from the loss of his son. He will die after the boy dies.”

Crow rose from his kneeling position, a hint of confusion clouding his features. Yet he knew better than to question Danzo’s orders. ”Yes, Lord Danzo,” he replied, his voice devoid of emotion. With a silent bow, he melted back into the shadows, leaving Danzo alone in his contemplative silence.

Giving Ryu’s file another side glance, Danzo mused, ”Ryu, now there is a name I have not heard in a long time. It brings back unpleasant memories.”

Little did Ryu know, a web of fate and power entwined his existence with forces beyond his comprehension, setting the stage for unforeseen challenges. Ryu has been noticed by someone Ryu would want everything in his power to avoid, and somehow, unknown to him, his fate was linked to that someone. His bloodline was not unknown and insignificant, as it had already attracted dangerous forces of the dark side on the ninja forces of the village.

As night fell over Konoha, two starkly contrasting scenes unfolded. In a cosy house, Ryu dreamed of a future bright with the possibility of curing himself. Meanwhile, in a shadowy bunker, Danzo was hoping both Ryu and Dan would die soon enough, and he wouldn’t have to give them a second thought. With young Ryu unintentionally at the centre of the looming chaos, a foreboding scene was set for an inevitable clash of wills and ideals.