Haseo's summoned beast cultivation experiment was either complete—or more likely, already abandoned.
Truthfully, he had only conducted the attempt out of personal interest. Now that his efforts had gained at least minimal returns, there was no reason to continue.
Haseo also didn't have much time to spare raising a cat. At the moment, he actually didn't care much for the cat at all. The Black Cat roamed freely—much like a regular outdoor pet.
So if it really wanted to evolve, let it do it on its own. If it succeeded, it'd be a pleasant surprise; if it failed, nobody would be disappointed.
Two days later, Haseo learned Konoha Hospital had finished treating Sakumo Hatake's injuries, and the patient was mostly fine. Therefore, both as a leader and a friend, Haseo went to visit Sakumo Hatake.
However, upon arriving at the hospital, Haseo realized his actions might have been somewhat unnecessary...
Previously, Haseo and others had brought back a girl from the Daimyo's Castle. This child had since remained living with the Hatake family, and now she was caring for the injured Sakumo Hatake.
After that mission, Haseo hadn't given the girl another thought. So this was the first time he'd seen her in years.
Haseo carefully observed her. How should he put it? She looked increasingly like her older sister. Her appearance involuntarily reminded Haseo of the time when he first visited the Daimyo's Castle, staying atop the tower with Jiraiya and the other two. From within the night emerged a lady servant who passed him critical intelligence.
Unfortunately, regardless of how similar they appeared, the lady servant was long gone. What stood here was merely her younger sister.
Haseo shook his head, quickly dispelling those memories. That's just what happens with age—people tend to drift into their memories.
The younger sister—her name was Tsumiki Nono, right?
"Lord Haseo."
To Haseo's surprise, she still remembered him.
Tsumiki respectfully performed a greeting. First, she neatly arranged sliced and plated fruits, then used movements graceful and precise—flawless yet clearly ceremonial—to brew a cup of hot tea for Haseo. Afterward, seemingly aware Haseo had business to discuss with Sakumo Hatake, she proactively exited the ward entirely.
Her every action remained unhurried but swift. By the time Haseo reached Sakumo's bedside and sat down, she had already exited to the ward doorway.
Haseo watched her retreating figure, and his expression turned pensive.
"Haseo, is there something wrong with Tsumiki?"
Seeing Haseo continuously staring at the exit, Sakumo couldn't help but ask.
Was it just an illusion? Why did his voice seem slightly tense?
"No, nothing. I just feel time has passed quickly. This girl… resembles her older sister quite a bit."
Haseo naturally caught the undertone in Sakumo's voice and found it somewhat ironic. Never imagined someone like him would fall for underage girls. In both his lifetimes, Haseo hated pedophiles the most.
In fact, aside from someone like Haseo who had risen above base interests, every decent person was merely pretending to be decent. At their core, every man was essentially a Jiraiya.
"Is that so? I don't really feel that way," Sakumo Hatake said.
His gaze was clear and sincere, speaking exactly what he thought.
This was where the difference between people lay. Haseo's entire impression of Tsumiki Nono actually came entirely from that lady servant. Thus, his thoughts and perspective often originated from the servant girl's point of view.
But this wasn't the case for Sakumo Hatake. He hadn't even met the lady servant before. So how could he possibly associate Tsumiki with her older sister or see traces of that servant girl within Tsumiki?
Haseo smiled slightly and chose not to dwell further on the matter.
"Still, your family values seem pretty traditional. You can tell just by looking at Tsumiki's clothes. Earlier, I actually expected she might…"
Maid outfit, black and white thigh-highs, gothic Lolita styling, and that apron with—well, let's just say not much underneath… Well then, seeing how pale and weakened Sakumo currently looked, Haseo decided it best not to tell him those more "stimulating" details.
"How are your injuries?"
"No problem at all. I'll recover after some rest. Since the medical ninja were very dedicated in treatment, both my internal and external wounds will heal quickly. Considering the detoxification process too, I suppose I'll need around two weeks in the hospital."
Haseo thought inwardly: Of course you recovered—who do you think made them work so hard? It must've been because of me, right?
Don't medical ninjutsu techniques consume massive amounts of healing chakra? Do ordinary ninja usually receive such devoted care?
That's exactly right. The reason Sakumo received the best possible treatment definitely had its reasons—but for Haseo to claim the credit himself was somewhat shameless… What did this have to do with his "reputation"? It probably had more to do with who he was connected to.
Haseo was being a bit too presumptuous about his own importance.
"That's good to hear."
"When did you become such a caring guy?"
Although Sakumo's face was still a little pale, his voice remained energetic. Overall, his spirits seemed quite high—indeed, when left alone together with someone special, how could his mood not be good?
"I've always been caring. Whether as a leader or a friend, I'm precisely the type of person who shows great consideration for others."
At this moment, Haseo even wanted to write a short essay:
From My Perspective Alone
You treat me as a buddy while I treat you like my son—we each have our own interpretations, which don't contradict each other. That's why I watch over you and care for you like an affectionate father.
It remained uncertain whether Sakumo truly felt that paternal concern radiating from Haseo.
"If that's the case, you'll definitely recover soon enough. However… the final Jonin exam this year is scheduled for next week. Didn't you want to take the test? If so, time-wise it might be tight."
Then, Haseo suddenly remembered something else.
Sakumo Hatake: "..."
Obviously, during his recovery period, certain other matters occupied his mind, causing him to completely forget about this important detail.
"If I focus on getting better fast, I think I can get out of the hospital early enough to make the exam." So he immediately took action to fix things.
"..."
Now Haseo was speechless. He thought to himself, 'Was this brat lying to me just now? Wasn't he able to recover in a week anyway? Did he intentionally stretch out his hospital stay just so he could laze around an extra week and enjoy being pampered?'
Isn't that basically slacking off? Who'd have thought someone looking so upright would openly slack off like this... Sakumo Hatake, you're really asking for it.
Haseo shot him a look. Immediately, the kind father figure turned into a stern parent. "Is that so? Great! Then you can personally lead a team of three ninja from Kagenami to participate in the exam together.
Pay attention, here's the main part: You've got to start playing your part...
You see, your strength is reliable, so you can definitely guarantee your teammates pass the exam. But yourself? You need to act convincingly and get eliminated on purpose, leaving everyone with the impression that you sacrificed yourself for your teammates."
"Get eliminated?"
Sakumo Hatake clearly didn't understand what Haseo was aiming for. Guaranteeing his teammates' success and passing himself weren't mutually exclusive. Why should he get eliminated?
"That's right. You can ensure that the Kagenami ninja taking the exam this year become Jonin. But what about next year? And the year after that? Won't they still rely on you?
So you have to remain at the Chunin level, continuing to take the exams year after year. Even if the Kagenami ninja are disabled, after ten years our organization will be filled with Jonin. Then? Then you can finally graduate from Chunin.
Sacrifice one, bless them all. What do you think? Don't you have the spirit of sacrificing personal interests for the greater good?"
Sakumo Hatake gasped, nearly scared to tears.
He'd messed up. Big time. He wouldn't dare slack off again. He swore that if he ever did this again — well, if he ever had a son, may that little brat end up dying alone!
P.S.:
Today's Saturday, and I received some birthday greetings...
Unfortunately, my birthday reminder came from China Mobile and my bank via text message.
Then I checked the calendar... Ha ha ha.
Even sadder? My birthday was actually last Monday — yeah, it's already over. Even China Mobile sent their wishes late.
(╯‵□′)╯︵┴─┴
Typing like a madman, days and nights blending together.
I'm crying.
I really am just a workhorse.
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