Naruto: The Medical Ninja

Chapter 27: Chapter 26: Necessary evil

The village chief, the third Hokage, Hiruzen, was carefully going over stacks of mission reports that were arranged on his desk.

Suddenly, a figure materialised from nowhere. The ANBU codenamed Mouse, whose speciality was surveillance, bowed low before his leader before reporting his findings.

Hiruzen commanded him, ”What is the report, Mouse?”

Hiruzen had talked to Yuki earlier, but she had not provided him with much information about Ryu; all Hiruzen had learned was what he had deduced on his own from their conversation. After meeting Yuki, Hiruzen assigned this ANBU the task of pursuing Ryu, and now he was waiting for his report.

Mouse looked up and said, ”Ryu, the boy, is undeniably bright and ambitious, but it’s unfortunate that he is dying.”

A flicker of sadness crossed Hiruzen’s eyes as the ANBU’s confirmation added credibility to the information he had already gathered from Tatsuya and his brief encounter with Yuki.

”Doctors see no cure?” Hiruzen enquired, already knowing the answer.

Mouse shook his head solemnly. ”No, Lord Hokage. No conventional treatment has shown any promise. Yet, the boy refuses to surrender. He’s conducting some unorthodox experiments within a makeshift lab hidden in the library, away from public scrutiny.”

Hiruzen’s brow furrowed, and he asked, ”Unorthodox experiments? Elaborate on that. What exactly is this boy up to? And what kind of experiments are these?”

Mouse replied, ”Lord Hokage, the experiments appear to be biological in nature. This boy appears to be looking for a particular pathogen—one that might not seriously damage a human host but might be able to combat the very bacteria causing his deteriorating health.”

”It makes sense to fight fire with fire. A bold strategy,” Hiruzen said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. ”It is risky, but if it works, it could be revolutionary. The boy shows remarkable ingenuity.”

”Have they made any progress?” Hiruzen pressed, genuinely interested in the outcome of these experiments.

The ANBU replied, ”Not yet. They are still experimenting, Lord Hokage, but I heard them say that the experiments could be dangerous if precautions are overlooked.” He stopped for a second and then continued, ”The boy is cautioned. He prioritises safety the most, so I don’t think he would intentionally do anything wrong.”

Hiruzen nodded, a hint of approval in his eyes. ”Good. It’s reassuring to know he understands the gravity of his actions. Keep a close eye on those experiments, Mouse. We don’t want any unforeseen consequences. Anything else?”

The ANBU added, ”The boy saved a life yesterday.”

”How so?” enquired the Hokage, intrigued.

The ANBU explained, ”There was this old man who was having severe allergic reactions and was repeatedly admitted to the hospital. No doctor could find the cause of his illness. Every time he was admitted, he would be discharged the next day, as his condition improved the very next day. The boy identified the cause of his illness just by looking at his shoes.”

The ANBU then explained the boy’s theory about the lime dust sensitivities he deduced from the lime dust boots of the old man. Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his eyes widening slightly.

”It seems we have quite the prodigy on our hands,” Hiruzen said aloud, his voice a mixture of admiration and concern. ”Such talent... it could be a great asset to the village, but it could also attract unwanted attention.”

The old Hokage then asked, ”Anything strange you noticed?”

After a pause, the ANBU continued, ”Regarding Ryu, there’s nothing more unusual than what I’ve mentioned. However, I observed an ANBU-Root Ninja monitoring Dr Yuki from a distance.”

His posture stiffened, his eyes narrowing at the mention of Root. Their involvement has never, ever had positive consequences for the people involved. Hiruzen leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his gaze suddenly sharp and intense. ”Does the Root know about the boy and his experiments?”

The Mouse replied, ”No, Lord Hokage, they are surveilling only Dr Yuki from a distance, and they don’t know about Ryu and his experiments as of yet.”

Hiruzen’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but the tension didn’t leave his eyes. ”That’s good, at least. But Root’s interest in Dr Yuki is... concerning for me.”

”Maintain your surveillance,” he instructed. ”You need to keep Ryu and his experiments secret from ANBU-Root. If they are trying to look into Ryu and his experiments, eliminate them. Report any other significant developments, successes, or failures regarding those experiments. And most importantly,” Hiruzen added, his voice firm, ”ensure Ryu’s safety.”

”Understood, Lord Hokage,” the ANBU bowed deeply.

With a silent nod, the ANBU agent vanished back into the swirling smoke, leaving Hiruzen alone. He sighed and remembered his talk about Ryu with Dr Yuki. A necessary evil, he had called it, but the chilling resonance of Yuki’s pain reminded him that every necessity carried a moral debt he alone had to bear.

In Yuki’s office, the Hokage, Hiruzen, took a seat in the visitor’s chair. An aura of tense suspicion permeated the air, a stark contrast to the usual warmth Yuki has reserved for others.

”Lord Hokage,” she began, her voice laced with a barely concealed hint of suspicion, ”what brings you here today?”

”Can I not come to see my cousin and just say hello?” Hiruzen answered nonchalantly. However, he realised from the way she addressed him based on his status that he was not well liked.

Dr Yuki, ever perceptive, was quick to see through the facade. ”You came to see me, not as the Hokage, but as a sibling. A lie! The ever-busy Hokage sparing time to merely greet his cousin? I’m not buying it. Just say it, Hiruzen. Why have you come here? The only thing you’ve spared time for lately is that terrible hat.” She said with contempt etching her features.

As the tension mounted, Hiruzen, recognising her growing agitation, mustered the courage to question, ”Why are you so agitated?”

A brief silence followed, and then Dr Yuki finally let slip a disturbing revelation and said, ”The other day, Danzo was here, sitting right where you are now.”

Hiruzen was not surprised at all, as if he already knew. Yuki looked at Hiruzen and said, ”Now you know why I am agitated.”

Closing her eyes momentarily, she continued, her voice tinged with sorrow, ”I lost many children that day. Children entrusted to my care were snatched away.”

In response, Hiruzen sought to provide solace and said, ”They are not lost, Yuki. They have become part of something larger. Part of the village’s ANBU Ninjas, protecting the village from the shadows.”

Dr Yuki’s eyes flashed with anger as she said, ”Part of something larger? Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night, Hiruzen? These are children, not pawns in your political games!”

Emboldened by a mix of grief and anger, Dr Yuki retorted scornfully, ”They were my children. Why don’t you send your children and grandchildren to Root to belong somewhere and say that again?”

Hiruzen looked at her without saying a word. Dr Yuki continued, ”Your dear friend came here and threatened my children and my orphanage to get what he wanted, and you have the nerve to defend him and his organisation, knowing what will happen to them. How they will be utilised and transformed into emotionless tools.”

Hiruzen’s face paled, the weight of her words hitting him like a physical blow. ”Threatened? Yuki, I... I had no idea. Danzo overstepped his bounds. I will speak to him, I promise you.”

”Speak to him?” Dr Yuki scoffed. ”And what good will that do? Will it bring back the children he’s already taken?”

A tense silence hung between them until Hiruzen finally spoke, ”Root is the necessary evil. Root ninjas keep the village safe in the shadows, executing the missions that normal ninjas cannot handle, combating threats unbeknownst to the populace without seeking any individual recognition.”

Yuki met his gaze, her eyes blazing with a mixture of grief and defiance. ”Necessary evil?” she shouted. ”Is that what you call it, Hiruzen? Does a necessary evil prey on the innocent, stealing their childhood? What happens to their dreams and aspirations? Do they simply vanish because Root deems them expendable?”

Her gaze drilled into him, a silent accusation. ”Was the Hamura clan also a threat?” Hiruzen could not meet her eyes. The question was a low blow, an ancient scar reopened, and he had no good answer left to give her.