A week passed quickly.
This morning, early in the day...
Yakumo rose early, left the Kurama clan's grounds, and headed toward the Shinobi Academy.
She had walked this path countless times. Turning a corner, she passed the Hyuga clan's residence. Crossing a long street, she reached the Aburame clan's territory.
Then, after passing through a few bustling commercial streets, the towering building of the Shinobi Academy came into view from afar.
"It's the Kurama clan's heiress!"
"Yakumo, up so early?"
"Lady Yakumo!"
Along the way, all sorts of passersby—shinobi and civilians alike—greeted Yakumo warmly, and she responded with polite courtesy.
In the past, when she walked this road, neither shinobi nor ordinary villagers paid her much attention.
After all, the Kurama clan had long since fallen from prominence. Even though Yakumo was the clan's main branch heiress and the future clan leader, she went largely unnoticed.
But ever since her awakening of the Koryugan was revealed, she became Tsunade's apprentice and successfully endured the First Hokage's cell transplant surgery. Her status skyrocketed at a visible pace.
As a result, the Kurama clan's reputation surged as well.
Soon, Yakumo arrived at the Shinobi Academy.
As she crossed the training field, her peers eagerly greeted her. Even when she occasionally encountered academy instructors, they spoke to her with solemn respect, treating her as an equal colleague rather than a mere student.
Shion spotted Yakumo and hurriedly ran over. "Yakumo, want to train with me today? Even Shinji says my taijutsu has improved a lot!"
Yakumo glanced at Shinji trailing behind Shion, a spark of eagerness flickering in her eyes, though she quickly suppressed it.
She knew challenging Shinji now would be unfair to him, so she began looking forward to the team sparring test a week from now. Could Shinji, Sasuke, and Neji, working together, bring her any surprises?
Smiling, she said to Shion, "Maybe next time!"
"Always next time!"
Shion pouted.
Looking at Shion, Yakumo smiled faintly.
Back when Shinji had agreed to personally train Shion, Yakumo had been incredibly envious. Even now, seeing Shinji following Shion, a strange emotion stirred in her heart.
Noticing this, she chuckled to herself. "Heh, what am I thinking? I'm different now. I don't need to envy Shion anymore!"
Ah!
At that moment, a sudden scream echoed from the distance!
The scream shattered the harmony of the training field. Students practicing their morning drills turned to look. In a corner of the field, Karin was clutching her eyes, collapsed on the ground, while Haku stood opposite her, looking flustered and helpless.
Yakumo's brow furrowed. "What's going on?"
Shion gasped, running toward them while shouting, "Karin, are you okay?"
As the predictable event unfolded, Shinji's expression remained impeccable, and he quickly followed.
Soon, everyone gathered around.
Only then did they notice that Karin's eyes seemed injured. Though she covered them with both hands, blood trickled through her fingers.
Haku, in a panic, explained, "I accidentally lost control and hurt her!"
Everyone knew Haku and Karin were close and often together, so no one suspected Haku.
With the team sparring test approaching, students were training intensely, and injuries during sparring were common.
This time, however, the injury seemed particularly severe.
Shinji stepped forward. "Everyone, make some room. Let me take a look."
As Karin's teammate and a master of medical ninjutsu, his words prompted the crowd to part, allowing him to examine her injuries.
The commotion on the field drew the attention of the academy instructors.
Iruka pushed through the crowd, seeing Shinji tending to Karin's wound. Anxiously, he asked, "Shinji, what happened? How's Karin's injury?"
"Haku and Karin were sparring, and there was an accident," Shinji explained. "Fortunately, the iris wasn't damaged. The wound is just too close to her eye, so she'll need hospital treatment."
Iruka quickly said, "Let's go to the hospital now!"
Shinji nodded, helping Karin up and heading out of the academy.
Haku and Iruka followed closely behind.
Shion addressed the crowd. "Shinji's medical ninjutsu is amazing. If he says it's fine, it's fine. No need to worry!"
The crowd dispersed.
After all, Shinji's reputation as the academy's top student inspired genuine trust.
But as she watched them leave, Yakumo's brow remained furrowed. She thought to herself, I hadn't noticed before, but why do Karin's eyes feel so strange to me?
At the Hidden Leaf Hospital...
After bringing Karin to the hospital, Shinji took on the task of treating her.
Due to their trust in Shinji's medical ninjutsu and the fact that Karin was his teammate, the hospital's medical shinobi left it to him.
While treating Karin, Shinji discreetly monitored the medical team's reactions.
After fetching medicine and bandages, Shinji said to Karin, "Move your hands. I'm going to treat you now."
Karin hesitated, then lowered her hands.
Instantly, the wound on Karin's face came into Shinji's view.
Shinji treated the wound with a serious expression, but inwardly he mused, Man, she's really going all out for this.
Obviously.
With Karin's current constitution, ordinary wounds would heal without treatment.
To prevent her wound from closing, Karin had even applied a poison to slow its healing.
If an experienced medical shinobi had handled this, they would have noticed something was off.
As Shinji worked on the wound, footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.
With a glance from the corner of his eye, Shinji saw none other than Tsunade and Shizune approaching.
Trouble!
His heart skipped a beat.
Tsunade noticed Shinji treating Karin in the medical room and inquired with the nurse on duty.
Upon learning it was only a superficial injury with no damage to the iris, she nodded and left with Shizune.
Phew.
Shinji quietly sighed in relief.
As he had carefully observed before, Tsunade wouldn't personally intervene in ordinary injuries unless they were complex cases.
Soon, he finished treating the wound and said to Karin, "It's not too serious, but the wound is too close to your eye. I suggest you stay away from the academy until it's fully healed."
Iruka chimed in, "Yes, recovery comes first! Karin, rest at home for now. I'll handle your leave from the academy."
Karin, also relieved, nodded. "Alright, then."