If you can use medical ninjutsu to assist in Orochimaru's research on forbidden techniques, it would be a dream come true for Chao Qianren.
Looking at the sky, it was late. After returning home, Chao Qianren took a hot bath to wash away the exhaustion of training. Lying on the bed, he began to recall the entire encounter with Orochimaru.
The appearance of Orochimaru was indeed surprising, but he did not express any intention of recruiting Chao, which left him disappointed. Moreover, Orochimaru never revealed the purpose of his visit, leaving Chao puzzled.
Perhaps Orochimaru felt that Chao still lacked the value needed to be of use!
After eliminating several possibilities, Chao concluded that he hadn't fully matured yet. If he were to die in the future battlefield, it would be pointless for Orochimaru to recruit him now.
After contemplating Orochimaru's visit, Chao carefully planned his future path before finally falling asleep.
The next morning, Chao arrived at the meeting place on time and began his mission.
Spring turned to autumn, and time passed quickly. In the day-to-day routine of missions and practice, two years flew by. It had now been ten years since Chao Qianren came to the Naruto world.
The year was Konoha 43.
Chao's two-year ninja career had been both thrilling and uneventful. It consisted of missions and training in the village with little to no entertainment.
But for Chao, training was his greatest joy. He could feel his strength growing daily as he overcame powerful enemies, giving him a sense of achievement similar to leveling up and defeating bosses in his previous life.
Notably, at the end of last year, Chao was promoted to Chunin due to his exceptional mission performance and Ueno-sensei's recommendation. That same year, his fellow classmates from the Ninja Academy—Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Yūhi Kurenai, Shizune, and Sarutobi Asuma—graduated and became Genin.
They invited Chao to their celebration after graduation, knowing it might be the last time everyone gathered together.
As for Hatake Kakashi, who had often clashed with his teammates and struggled to find common ground, he finally met his fated teammates Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. Under the leadership of Minato Namikaze, they began carrying out simple missions.
The rookie Genin, of course, didn't immediately take on intelligence-gathering tasks like Chao did when he graduated. Most of their tasks were simple, assigned by the villagers of Konoha.
Chao found himself curious about Kakashi's reaction to such low-level tasks.
In the past two years, Chao and Kakashi had crossed paths a few times, but they never spoke—only nodded at each other before moving on.
"Chao, are you heading to Konoha Hospital again?" Hoshinohara asked as she looked at him.
This morning, their team had gathered to take on a mission. However, Ueno received an urgent call to attend a Jōnin meeting at the Hokage building, leaving the team disbanded temporarily. Naturally, Chao and his teammates returned to their own training.
"Yes. Do you want to come along?" Chao asked.
"No thanks. You know I'm not that interested in medical ninjutsu," Hoshinohara said with a laugh.
"I'm heading home too!" Keita Hyuga added.
"Geez!" Hoshinohara sighed. "One of you is going home, and the other is going to the hospital. It's been ages since our team practiced together."
Chao felt uneasy about the village calling a sudden meeting of Jōnin. Something important must have happened—perhaps they were on the verge of war.
Thinking this, Chao said, "It really has been a while since we hung out. Let's grab some barbecue together tonight!"
Then, turning to Hoshinohara, he said, "Hoshinohara, if you're free, inform Ueno-sensei at the Hokage building about the dinner."
"Sure! Let's meet at six o'clock sharp, no latecomers!" Hoshinohara waved and left.
"See you tonight!" Chao said, then walked toward Konoha Hospital.
"Chao Qianren, you're here to help again!"
"Chao, aren't you supposed to be on a mission today? What brings you here?"
Upon entering the hospital, several staff members greeted Chao warmly.
Over the past two years, Chao had gained significant knowledge of medical ninjutsu, even mastering the difficult [Mystical Palm Technique]. Now able to treat regular injuries, Chao was warmly welcomed at the hospital.
During this time, Chao had met Tsunade a few times, but no matter how much effort he put in, he couldn't establish a deeper connection with her. Still, Tsunade occasionally offered him some guidance, impressed by his talent in medical ninjutsu, though it was far from Chao's ultimate goal.
"Yes, Ueno-sensei had something urgent come up, so the team disbanded for the day. Is there anything I can help with here?" Chao asked.
"We just received a few new injured patients. Could you help out?" a medical ninja asked.
"Sure."
At around five in the evening, Chao finished his duties at Konoha Hospital and headed to the barbecue restaurant.
When he arrived, Ueno-sensei, Hoshinohara, and Keita Hyuga were already seated and had ordered the food, waiting for him.
The moment Chao sat down, he noticed Ueno's troubled expression. His suspicion grew stronger—something significant must have happened in the ninja world.
"Ueno-sensei, is something going on?" Chao asked.
"Why do you ask?" Ueno replied, curious.
"Your expression gave you away, sensei. Isn't a ninja supposed to hide their emotions?" Chao said with a faint smile. "You're wearing your heart on your sleeve, which means something big is about to happen."
"You're as sharp as ever. It looks like the village may soon be at war." Ueno sighed.
"What? War?" Hoshinohara exclaimed.
"Keep your voice down! Don't let others overhear," Ueno scolded.
"What's happening?" Keita Hyuga asked seriously.
Ueno sighed again and said, "I suppose it's alright to let you know since it affects you too. A few months ago, the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure disappeared. Sunagakure suspects Konoha's involvement and is demanding that we hand over the perpetrator."