Black hair. Thin. Malnourished, almost.
Nothing like the rumor about Cloud shinobi at all, Shizune thought.
As far as she knew, those from Kumogakure were all solidly built, with arms thicker than most people's thighs, and, as if by standard issue, sausage-like lips.
Will he grow up to look like that too?
She studied him more closely and found that Yoru Tomoharu's lips were perfectly normal, even on the thin side.
"Flashlight," Tsunade said.
"Ah, yes."
Shizune snapped to attention, fished a tool from her pouch, and handed it over. When she looked up, the Uchiha she had been sneaking glances at gave her a small smile.
Shizune's heart gave a jump. She lowered her head at once. He had noticed her staring. That was rude.
"An Uchiha who smiles is rare," Tsunade murmured, one brow lifting.
No surprise for someone brought back from outside the village. He was unlike the proud, closed-off Uchiha who had grown up here.
Truth be told, she would not have come if the matter had not stirred so much attention and if the old man had not pressed her. With her hemophobia, there was no way she would choose to visit the Uchiha compound.
"Because your eyes are beautiful, Lady Tsunade. Like there are stars in them," Tomoharu said.
"Oh?"
Tsunade's hand tightened slightly. If this Uchiha could not make sense of that line, she would plant a fist in him and teach him that not everyone entertained jokes.
"When you were examining me, I saw responsibility in your eyes," Tomoharu went on. "Your station is high, yet you still take the time to look after someone like me, just an ordinary Uchiha."
He paused, then added, "I have read many storybooks. Lady Tsunade is exactly the physician who travels with medicine chest in hand to save people."
"Tsunade is one of the Sannin, Konoha's strongest medical ninja. Of course she is a famous doctor," Mikoto called from nearby with a soft laugh. To her, Tomoharu was still young at heart and a little earnest.
Hearing that, Tsunade let go of the tension in her hand. So he was praising her medical ninjutsu. The boy had a way with words.
"If I could learn medical ninjutsu, I could help people like that too," Tomoharu said. "I wish I could be like Lady Tsunade."
"Medical ninja need Yang-nature chakra," Tsunade replied, rising to her feet. "If you do not have it, you cannot become a medical ninja."
She told Mikoto she would go back and look through records on cases like his, then have another accomplished medical-nin, Nono Yakushi, come by to examine him.
Shizune hurried after Tsunade as they left.
"Tomoharu, get some rest," Mikoto said. "In a while, we will arrange your enrollment."
She soon took her leave as well.
The lively room sank into quiet. Only Tomoharu remained.
"Right. I am not Uzumaki Naruto, blessed by fortune," he muttered.
Naruto had talked Tsunade into returning from her wanderings to shoulder the mantle of Hokage. For Tomoharu, Tsunade's refusal came as no surprise. If she had meant to, she would have asked to check his chakra nature; with her skill, she could have learned the result in a moment. But she had not. In the end, he was still an Uchiha.
Nine times out of ten, life does not go your way.
He did not feel discouraged. His thoughts moved to Nono Yakushi. Tsunade had said she would send Nono next time. If he played it right, he could build that connection and learn medical ninjutsu.
The Uchiha clan had no true masters of healing. Once they graduated from the Academy, Uchiha youths were funneled into the Konoha Military Police. At school they learned only the most basic medical arts. In peacetime they were guards; in war they were the vanguard. Few had the time or inclination to pursue medicine further.
For all anyone knew, Madara Uchiha's medical skill might have been the best in the clan. He could perform an eye transplant anywhere, anytime.
Tomoharu's interest in medical ninjutsu had a simple reason. This was a world of glass cannons. Even Sasuke's six-tomoe Rinnegan had been blinded by a simple kunai. With emergency treatment on the spot, perhaps it could have been saved.
In the brutal wars to come, who could promise they would not be wounded, or lose an arm or a leg?
Hashirama cell prosthetics were not for everyone.
At least Tomoharu had learned some rudimentary chakra refinement. He had spent most of his meager savings to have shinobi test his chakra nature. The result was Yang-nature.
Not everyone possessed Yang Release. For instance, databooks list Sasuke without Yang, and Naruto without Yin. You could train to wield nature transformations afterward, but it cost time, a great deal of it, counted in years. Those born with the attribute learned relevant techniques far more easily.
Thinking of this, Tomoharu rose from the tatami. Without noticing, he had walked to the window. He pushed it open.
Fine rain stitched the trees in the courtyard. Leaves whispered and hissed. A bleak autumn wind breathed through the room, and the rain made the chill sink to the bone.
Tomoharu smiled. "It is only a little wind and frost."
He already had a plan for catching Nono Yakushi's attention. In the future she would run an orphanage and, for the sake of the children, had even once returned to Root. The world is large and people's preferences vary. Some chase power to their last breath. Some scorn it and seek only long life. Nono Yakushi had a soft spot for children.
…
The next day.
Ninja Academy.
"This is our new classmate, Uchiha Tomoharu."
The chunin instructor asked Tomoharu to write his name on the board. He took up a stub of white chalk and wrote it out. A glance into the classroom showed many familiar faces: Obito, Kakashi, Rin, Shiranui Genma.
"Your handwriting is beautiful," Nohara Rin said with a little admiration.
"Hey, Rin, I heard that guy is from the Land of Lightning," Obito whispered to her.
People from Lightning are all muscleheads. Rin, do not be fooled by appearances, he thought.
"Please take care of me," Tomoharu said with a gentle smile. At the instructor's direction he took a seat by the window in the back row.
"Alright, class begins," the instructor announced, clearing his throat and starting the lesson.
Lately the village's opinion of the Uchiha had not been good, but teachers still liked Uchiha students. They were easy to teach.
By the usual process, there would be an entrance test to measure the most basic genjutsu and ninjutsu, which was really just a simple check of how much chakra a student had and whether they could control it. Meet the line and you passed.
Tomoharu was a transfer student from the Uchiha. Even transferring in, he could keep up. He was several years older than his cohort. Most people his age would already have graduated. He had simply missed the years for study, which was why he seemed older now. Clans also taught their own behind closed doors.
Soon it was break.
"Tomoharu, is it true you came from the Land of Lightning?" Rin's desk was not far from his, and she came over to ask.
"That is right."
"Can you keep up here? You joined midterm," Rin asked, curious.
Until a student graduated and received the hitai-ate headband, they had no right to leave the village. Shinobi needed passes to come and go, except for a few who were exempt.
"I will do my best," Tomoharu said, closing one book and opening another. He lifted his eyes slightly. "Nohara Rin, could you teach me Leaf Village ninjutsu?"