Konoha Hospital
In the hospital monitoring room
Uchiha Naraku, Uchiha Fugaku, and Yūhi Shinku all looked pale and overworked.
All three had responsibilities beyond the hospital—they were not full-time medics.
Naraku was the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force. Fugaku, as his senior and secretary, bore even heavier administrative burdens. Though Naraku held the title of captain, much of the actual work was delegated to trusted subordinates.
Yūhi Shinku was one of the known squad leaders of the ANBU. While the ANBU officially had four squads of seventeen members each, only two squad leaders were publicly identified: illusion specialist Yūhi Shinku and elite Jōnin Mitarashi Shisho. The identities of the other two squad leaders remained classified.
Technically, the ROOT was a special subdivision of the ANBU under Shimura Danzō's direct command. Though ROOT was unofficial, Hiruzen Sarutobi generally turned a blind eye due to Danzō's usefulness in covert operations.
Compared to the fatigued trio, Jōnin Kurama Ryouta looked far more relaxed.
Ryouta was a rare Jōnin specializing in genjutsu healing. Having been reassigned to the Spiritual Healing Department, he no longer undertook missions and had become part of the village's institutional framework.
The Spiritual Healing Department included ten medical-nin specialists. Naraku and Fugaku were not part of this roster; they were listed only as external consultants for genjutsu-related issues.
Among the ten:
Two Jōnin from the Uchiha clan
Three Jōnin from the Kurama clan
One Jōnin from the Yūhi clan
Four others from smaller clans or civilian backgrounds
The Yūhi clan was small. Besides Shinku, there was only one other Jōnin, who relied heavily on the Hokage's patronage.
Uchiha Jiichiro, age 26, was a Three-Tomoe Sharingan wielder skilled in illusions, kenjutsu, shurikenjutsu, Fire Release, and advanced ninjutsu.
Uchiha Masao, age 19, was also a Jōnin, an elite-type shinobi focused on illusions, shurikenjutsu, Fire Release, and complex ninjutsu.
Naraku intentionally chose these two, ensuring they were far enough apart in age to avoid camaraderie that might make them vulnerable to manipulation. They rarely interacted closely but consulted when necessary.
Naraku had positioned them within the healing unit both to boost the Uchiha's influence and with the long-term goal of expanding Uchiha's presence in the department. If they could outshine their peers and open the way for more Uchiha shinobi, all the better.
---
Suddenly—
"Something's wrong!"
Yūhi Shinku and Fugaku, both staring at a monitor, bolted from the room and sprinted toward the psychiatric ward.
Naraku, distracted, quickly followed.
Inside the mental health clinic, a genjutsu patient appeared frenzied. His eyes were bloodshot.
"Hanzo of the Salamander! I'll kill you!"
He had relapsed into a wartime trauma episode, screaming the name of the famed Amegakure warlord.
The civilian genjutsu medic on duty was barely dodging the patient's wild swings.
"Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death!"
Shinku arrived instantly and completed a seal. Thick roots erupted from the ground, pinning the patient in place.
The relieved medic collapsed to his knees, drenched in sweat.
"Thank you, Lord Shinku!"
"What happened here? Why did he go berserk?" Fugaku asked.
"He must have seen something deeply disturbing," replied the medic. "I used Genjutsu: Naraku Illusion – Kai Version. It shouldn't have caused this reaction."
The team slowly began to understand.
The original Naraku Illusion was a D-rank genjutsu. It projected a target's deepest fears into vivid hallucinations. The stronger the fear, the more dangerous the reaction.
The improved "Kai" version, however, was altered to show what one cherished most—happy illusions intended for psychological healing. In theory, the object of love should not intersect with one's deepest fears.
"Use it on me," said Shinku coldly.
The Chūnin nodded.
"Genjutsu: Naraku Illusion – Kai!"
Two seconds passed. Shinku's chakra pulsed.
She woke up—face flushed with embarrassment—and glared at the medic.
"You're fired. Pack up and leave."
"Huh?! Lady Shinku, why?!"
"You missed the original technique! You mixed up Naraku Illusion and its Kai variant! I'll be investigating whoever approved you for this position!" she barked.
Naraku chuckled quietly.
"I suspected as much from the reaction," he muttered.
Tsunade and Kurama Ryouta arrived moments later, informed of the disturbance.
After listening to Shinku, Tsunade frowned. As department head, she took a moment to weigh the matter.
Finally, she spoke with her usual authority:
"You're on thin ice. Do this again and it won't just be your job—you'll be held personally accountable. Think carefully about whether you're ready for this responsibility."
The Chūnin looked between Shinku and Tsunade, then bowed deeply.
"I-I'll take this seriously. Thank you for the chance, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade waved him off.
"Go."
The medic departed, shamefaced.
As he turned, Naraku noticed something subtle. The man shot a fleeting look of resentment at Shinku—quick and hidden, but unmistakable.
---
Konoha Hospital Director's Office
Tsunade sat behind her desk. Naraku sat across from her.
After the incident had been dealt with, she had personally requested a one-on-one.
The young Uchiha looked refined in his black robe embroidered with golden rice stalks, layered with a dark violet haori. There was nobility in his presence—if not for his commanding aura, one might mistake him for an heir of a daimyo family.
Naraku waited silently.
He had previously tried pulling connections through the Uzumaki network to get more Uchiha personnel into the hospital system, but Tsunade had flatly refused.
Since then, he had grown disinterested in winning her over.
Tsunade bit her lip. She seemed unsure how to begin.
Naraku said nothing.
He knew better than to offer assistance before being asked—it diminished the value of the request.
Finally, Tsunade broke the silence.
"Naraku-kun, I want to ask you… a favor."
---