After a period of internal cleansing, the Konoha ninja forces operating externally finally stabilized. Everyone received appropriate handling: some were suspended, some were sent to prison, and those who were released were arranged to wait in the rear's psychological medical team, due to avoiding suspicion and recovering from psychological trauma.
Uchiha Ken was also to be arranged there, and unknown to others, he was also secretly monitored by Fumori masaki, who placed a higher emphasis on him. As the reincarnation of Indra, he would be a key figure in future battles against Black Zetsu, so his every move had to be carefully watched.
Before he left, Fujimura Yuuki and Kurihara Kana came to see him off. They already had new teammates, but they hadn't forgotten Uchiha Ken. Although they had more flexible combinations, it didn't mean their camaraderie would be weaker. On the contrary, precisely because of the higher degree of combination, the relationships between each Konoha ninja would become even closer, unlike the small three-person circles in the original story.
"We'll wait for you to come back," Fujimura Yuuki stepped forward, patted Uchiha Ken heavily on the shoulder, and said solemnly.
As a girl, Kurihara Kana naturally wouldn't be as intimate as Fujimura Yuuki. She said to Uchiha Ken, "I hope you can come back soon."
"Mm." Uchiha Ken seemed to want to say something in response to their wishes, but he stopped himself, choosing not to speak, and responded with a lukewarm acknowledgment.
The incident with Uchiha Setsuna had caused serious suspicion in Uchiha Ken's heart. Although it hadn't been confirmed, if Uchiha Setsuna was indeed behind his father's death, then he would find it difficult to trust those close to him, because they could all be like Uchiha Setsuna, appearing kind on the surface but completely different underneath!
Fujimura Yuuki and Kurihara Kana's attitudes were very friendly, but Uchiha Ken couldn't help but feel such suspicion, wondering if their desire for him to return had another motive, such as hoping to rely on his powerful strength to help them survive better.
Of course, Fujimura Yuuki's strength was already formidable. As a descendant of the Senju clan, and one with a very pure bloodline, he possessed naturally powerful chakra. His family's heritage and the meticulous education after the school's reform allowed him to grow rapidly, and he had a high degree of mastery over the traditional Senju Water and Earth Release.
Even Uchiha Ken himself acknowledged that defeating Fujimura Yuuki would not be easy; the difference between them was roughly six to four. However, as his Sharingan progressed to the Mangekyo Sharingan, this gap should widen further, but the other party didn't know about this, so it naturally couldn't be taken into consideration.
For someone with such strength to say they would rely on Uchiha Ken for protection would naturally be laughable, but somehow, these dark thoughts kept emerging from the depths of Uchiha Ken's heart. Sometimes, he even felt he was despising his current self.
Fujimura Yuuki and Kurihara Kana didn't react to Uchiha Ken's attitude. Both understood Uchiha Ken's recent experiences and only hoped he would recover quickly in the psychological medical team, return to his former self soon, and clear his name on the battlefield.
Next, Uchiha Ken and the others set off for the safe zone in the rear. The psychological medical team was small in number, and its safety was of utmost importance. If it weren't for the war, some of them wouldn't have been sent to the front lines. This place was very safe, functioning somewhat like a sanatorium.
Those going for psychological treatment were not only from the Uchiha clan; some were ordinary Konoha ninjas. They had contact with Uchiha Setsuna in their daily lives, but collusion was unlikely. The reason they were implicated was that they were the inevitable "tumors" that had emerged in the village's development over the years. Unreliable individuals had already been escorted away with the Uchiha traitors, while these people, though somewhat unreliable, were considered redeemable.
Therefore, as long as they could correct their mindset, they could return and serve the village again.
Uchiha Ken walked forward silently, and the others also had no interest in speaking to him. Since they were required to undergo psychological treatment, they naturally all had certain psychological issues, and due to Uchiha Ken's identity, even these people were reluctant to approach him too closely.
Uchiha Ken, of course, didn't care about these people, but their actions subtly increased his psychological pressure, and the gloom in his eyes grew thicker.
Guarding the psychological medical team was Konoha Ninja Village's reserve unit, equivalent to the unofficial Fifth Combat Unit, primarily responsible for internal security, serving as a transit point between the front lines and the village, and providing immediate support and reinforcements when front-line units faced personnel shortages.
Uchiha Ken and his group entered the interior. After their identities were verified, they were arranged to go to the psychological medical team's location. They weren't fully aware of Uchiha Ken and the others' backgrounds, simply treating them as people sent back from the battlefield due to psychological issues. Many such cases had appeared during the Sand Village's gas warfare in the past, so they showed a certain level of concern in their words during the reception process.
In Uchiha Ken's heart, this was the first time he had encountered normal human kindness since leaving the interrogation room, but he couldn't help but wonder if they would still have this attitude if they knew why he and the others were sent here. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt.
For personnel experiencing psychological issues during the war, by order of the Hokage, Konoha Ninja Village provided them with good living conditions. Everyone had a private room and wasn't rushed to the psychological treatment team immediately, allowing them to rest first.
After a period of travel, although Uchiha Ken's body wasn't particularly tired, his heart was very heavy. Since it was allowed here, he followed their instructions and rested well in the tent assigned to him. It was evening in no time, and someone came to call him for dinner.
After dinner, Uchiha Ken felt a little better and said to the Konoha ninja beside him, "Can I go see my psychological therapist?"
"Yes, absolutely no problem. They are always waiting for your consultation," the other party replied with a smile, asked Uchiha Ken's name, and then led him to the psychological medical team's location. After checking the roster, they were taken to the corresponding medical ninja tent.
"Good luck, I hope you recover soon. This medical ninja is very skilled," the Konoha ninja said to Uchiha Ken before leaving.
Uchiha Ken was a little curious. He didn't know much about psychological medical ninjas, only that such a type existed, so he naturally couldn't know what kind of people were among them. He vaguely remembered that in the roster he had just seen, his psychological medical teacher's name seemed to be Lisa.
Uchiha Ken took a deep breath, spoke outside the tent door, and after receiving a reply from inside, he gently lifted the curtain. He saw a woman sitting inside, looking very young, probably under thirty. Her appearance was quite refined, and her physique was also very beautiful. As a young man full of vigor, he had to admit she possessed a unique allure.
At this moment, the other party was looking through some documents. After Uchiha Ken entered, she stopped, turned to face him, and smiled, exuding an excellent pure aura, as if all the darkness in one's heart could be purified.
"Hello, you must be Ken-kun, right?" The other party's voice was very gentle; just listening to it made one feel comfortable. "My name is Lisa, and I will be your psychological therapist from now on. Please take care of me."
Uchiha Ken nodded slightly and said, "Please take care of me." Besides that, he didn't know what else to say; it was his first time interacting with a psychological medical ninja.
"Please sit," Lisa gestured to a nearby chair, indicating that Uchiha Ken could sit down.
After Uchiha Ken sat down, he looked at the other party and said, "I'm really sorry for coming so late."
"It's alright, you can come even later," Lisa said with a smile. "As long as you need me, I'm always waiting for your consultation, no matter how late."
Hearing this, Uchiha Ken was even more at a loss for words. On the surface, this medical practitioner's attitude was certainly very friendly, but he couldn't be sure if she knew his past, or if her friendly demeanor towards him was just the usual way she treated people with psychological issues.
Uchiha Ken didn't know that the woman named Lisa in front of him was not a simple person. He thought Lisa was under thirty, but in reality, Lisa was already close to forty. The reason she maintained such a youthful appearance was due to the secret techniques of the Senju clan and the medical ninjutsu she practiced.
Yes, she was indeed Senju Lisa, a member of Fumori masaki's team. After the Senju clan went into seclusion, she no longer used that surname. Only a few people knew she was from the Senju clan. As Fumori masaki's confidante, she had always held a position in the Medical Department and was a pioneer in the psychological treatment system.
Undoubtedly, Lisa, as a senior in the Medical Department and a confidante of the Hokage, being assigned to provide psychological treatment to Uchiha Ken, showed Fumori masaki's high regard for him. She thoroughly understood everything Uchiha Ken had experienced, and she also knew what goals Fumori masaki hoped to achieve.
Lisa had studied Uchiha Ken's file. She believed he was a very intelligent child. His being deceived by Uchiha Setsuna wasn't because he was foolish or anything; it was simply that his deceiver was too seasoned. For an experienced ninja who had lived through the Shinobi World Wars to deceive a young child was by no means difficult. This was not Uchiha Ken's fault.
Based on Uchiha Ken's past personality, upon learning the truth of his deception, he would easily develop distrust towards others. In severe cases, he might not trust anyone at all, constantly viewing the world with suspicion. At its core, this stemmed from his desire not to be hurt by deception again.
In her years of studying psychotherapy, Lisa understood that everyone, more or less, had some psychological issues, varying only in severity. In the ninja environment of the Warring States period, where children also had to go to battle, it was very easy to develop severe psychological problems. Even if they survived the battlefield, it would affect their actions later in life.
After Konoha Ninja Village entered an era of peace, young children did not have the experiences of the past, and as they grew older, their psychological resilience would also increase. It was precisely because of this that, although Uchiha Ken had encountered betrayal, he had not reached a point of complete distrust of others.
In fact, Lisa felt that if it weren't for the Mangekyo Sharingan—which Fumori masaki suspected Uchiha Ken might have already awakened, and out of trust in her former captain, she tentatively believed this—Uchiha Ken's condition might have been even better.
Due to the special nature of the ninja profession, there were quite a few people with psychological issues, which provided sufficient data for the Medical Department. Even so, as a discipline that had only started less than twenty years ago, it couldn't quickly form a system like other medical ninjutsu. Psychological treatment sounded simple, but delving deeper, it was an equally complex thing.
In Lisa's experience, when dealing with such individuals, one should approach them from a position of equality and listen to their thoughts. One should not, just because they are a psychological medical ninja, adopt a condescending attitude to guide the other person, as that would cause resentment, especially in someone like Uchiha Ken, who might harbor subconscious suspicion towards others.
Therefore, when the other party addressed her as Dr. Lisa, Lisa said, "You don't need to call me that. Just call me Lisa."
Uchiha Ken hesitated. The other person was clearly his senior, and by convention, calling her by her first name might be disrespectful. But Lisa said, "No need. Outside, I am a jonin of the village, and you are a chunin. We have a superior-subordinate relationship, so addressing me respectfully is perfectly fine. However, here, there is no superior-subordinate relationship; we are equals, Ken-kun. You must understand this."
Uchiha Ken hadn't expected the woman in front of him to be a jonin; this truly surprised him. Looking into Lisa's eyes, he hesitated for a moment and then said, "Alright, Lisa."
"Thank you, Ken-kun," Lisa smiled. "Now, tell me about your troubles. How you overcome them is up to you; I am merely a facilitator. Hmm, if you don't want to talk about that, we can talk about something else, like some things from your childhood."
Lisa's tone remained calm throughout, carrying a reassuring quality. Uchiha Ken also felt her gentleness. After a moment of silence, he decided not to talk about recent events and, as she suggested, began by recounting stories from his childhood.
Lisa listened quietly. She didn't intend to speak proactively, only offering her thoughts when Uchiha Ken seemed confused, guiding him to correctly understand himself. Of course, the story Uchiha Ken was telling hadn't reached that point yet, so she could continue to be a listener and slowly enter Uchiha Ken's inner world.
For Uchiha Ken, there was also a longing in his heart. He lost his mother at a young age and had almost no memory of her. In Lisa, he could sense the gentleness of a mother that ordinary people spoke of. However, since he had never experienced it, he didn't know if it was truly so.
However, Uchiha Ken truly hoped that he could find a sense of comfort and tenderness with Lisa. Although Uchiha Setsuna was his only remaining family after his father's death, Uchiha Setsuna was not a gentle person at heart, at least not in the way that could give him the feeling he needed. His feelings for Setsuna were mainly due to the importance of his only relative, but after the betrayal, those feelings had vanished completely.