Hokage Building
The Jōnin meeting had ended. While most had already returned home, a few remained behind to discuss urgent matters.
In the Hokage's private lounge, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura sat in elevated seats, their expressions solemn.
Kneeling respectfully below them were Uchiha Naraku, Uchiha Fugaku, and Tsunade-hime. A small table with tea sat between them, its gentle steam curling into the air.
Hiruzen was taking the matter of Naraku's proposed Mind Recuperation Division seriously—an initiative that had gained wide support among the Jōnin. To evaluate its feasibility, he summoned the director of the Medical Corps, Princess Tsunade, to review the plan and offer her opinion.
After reading the submitted reports, Hiruzen handed them to Koharu, exhaled a ring of smoke from his pipe, and said with a rare tone of reflection, "In the past six months… I never expected so many cases of shinobi suffering mental collapse due to unstable emotional states and trauma. I have indeed neglected the inner wounds of Konoha's protectors."
"Lord Third, as Hokage, you bear countless responsibilities," Koharu responded gently. "No one can see every shadow."
Koharu passed the report to Homura, who scanned its contents in silence and then looked up. "What matters now is not the past, but whether Uchiha Naraku's suggestion is workable."
"I believe it is," Hiruzen replied thoughtfully. "Those suffering from deep psychological trauma—grief, guilt, loss—may benefit from Genjutsu-assisted therapy. If illusions can guide them to say farewell to their departed loved ones, they may find closure and healing."
The idea had clearly impressed the Hokage. Contrary to Uchiha's cold reputation, Naraku's plan reflected a surprisingly compassionate understanding of human suffering.
Tsunade had also finished reading. Once a bold and commanding figure in the Medical Corps, Tsunade had lost much of her early optimism after the deaths of her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan. Though her strength remained undiminished, she was now colder, more distant. Alcohol, gambling, and detachment masked her grief.
Reading Naraku's report, Tsunade found herself oddly moved. For the first time, she considered a truth she'd long overlooked: even when a body is saved, the mind may still be broken.
As a master of medical ninjutsu, she had always believed that if someone was still breathing, they could be saved. Yet she had never considered that psychological wounds—like her own hemophobia—might be treated just as deliberately.
Once Hiruzen finished, Homura calmly added, "Naraku's idea has merit. I suggest we assign Yūhi Kurenai to lead the development of the project within the Medical Corps."
Naraku's calm expression faltered slightly. While he wished to help Konoha with this mental healing initiative, he also had his own motives: this was a domain where the Uchiha, experts in Genjutsu, could regain some influence. Assigning the project to someone outside the clan felt like a deliberate slight.
"Lord Homura," Naraku said, his voice steady but firm, "Yūhi Jōnin is skilled, but the Uchiha clan has generations of mastery in Genjutsu, backed by the Sharingan. Why overlook us?"
His question was direct—and justified. The idea had come from a Uchiha. To then sideline them for someone else, even a capable shinobi like Kurenai, was deeply disrespectful.
"That's correct," Fugaku added, speaking in his usual composed manner. "While I won't claim to be the best Genjutsu user in the village, I believe our clan's depth in this field surpasses that of Yūhi Jōnin."
Homura hesitated, momentarily silenced. What Naraku and Fugaku said was true. But in his heart, he—like many elders—preferred to keep the Uchiha at arm's length, assigning them only to positions like the Military Police, rarely to public-facing or respected institutions like the hospital.
Hiruzen blew another smoke ring, visibly disapproving of Homura's bias.
Yūhi Kurenai was indeed a Genjutsu specialist—but she was also Hiruzen's student, and her recent promotion within the Anbu made her politically convenient. Hiruzen had shared Homura's initial thoughts… until Naraku and Fugaku raised their points.
Instead of rejecting them outright, Hiruzen shifted tact: "The effectiveness of illusion therapy has yet to be proven. For now, we should recruit Genjutsu-capable shinobi from across the village—Uchiha included—and assess the results through trial programs."
His answer was deliberately neutral but politically astute. The actual execution would remain in the Hokage's hands. As long as the department was created, he could decide its staffing quietly.
Still, one voice carried unexpected weight.
"This Mind Recuperation Division is essential," Tsunade said firmly. "It should fall under the Medical Corps, not be fragmented among departments. As for Genjutsu experts, the Uchiha are the obvious first choice—particularly Uchiha Naraku, who proposed the method and understands its application best."
Tsunade's endorsement carried more than just professional weight—it was personal. She, too, wished to see if this new kind of healing could truly work.
In her view, all treatment methods—physical or mental—must be tested before clinical use. Though Naraku's plan was only a theory, it was a promising one. And the idea of healing others not just in body but in soul struck a chord even in her weary heart.
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