Chapter 8: A Healer's Heart
"Takumi-kun, there's nothing pathologically wrong with your eye or your chakra pathways," Yakushi Nono concluded, the faint, verdant glow of medical chakra fading from her hand.
Hearing this, Takumi let a sliver of uncertainty color his voice. "But... I heard that when the Sharingan awakens, it's always in both eyes."
"There are always exceptions in the shinobi world," Nono replied gently, packing her instruments away. "The body and its Kekkei Genkai do not always follow a perfect blueprint."
"I see," Takumi murmured, lowering his head as if processing this.
He knew this was possible. In the original timeline, Sasuke himself had experienced a similar imbalance during his fight with Haku, evolving one eye to two tomoe while the other remained at one. It was a rare phenomenon, but not an impossible one.
As Yakushi Nono carefully sealed her diagnostic tools into a storage scroll, she watched the boy from the corner of her eye. He was thin, yes, but his frame suggested a latent strength, a potential for powerful physical growth. His dark, observant eyes were fixed on her, and she felt a familiar pang of sympathy. The image of him contrasted sharply with the hardened kunoichi and Root operative she was forced to be. She was more familiar with her own reflection in the mirror—a woman cloaked in the white hood and black habit of a nun, a facade of matronly serenity hiding a core stained by espionage and bloodshed. It was an image of mature grace that belied the darkness of her duties.
Her mind, ever the analyst, sifted through the data. Captain of the Medical Corps. A high-level spy in Root's intelligence division. Her skills were so valued that even in retirement, Danzo Shimura himself would come to drag her back into the shadows. Because of this, Takumi was meticulously careful, offering only the answers to her questions, revealing nothing more. As for being a spy? That was Kumogakure's unilateral attempt to recruit Yotsuki Takumi. Uchiha Takumi had not responded. He had committed no act of espionage. What he might choose to do in the future was a problem for another day.
"By the way, Nono-sama," Takumi suddenly looked up, a spark of genuine curiosity in his voice. "The green chakra in your hand just now... is it the same as what Lady Tsunade used?"
"Yes, it is," Nono confirmed, tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "This is medical ninjutsu chakra. For Konoha's medical-nin, the external manifestation of our chakra often takes on a light green hue, with the Mystical Palm Technique being the most common example."
Noting how his gaze lingered on the sealed scroll, she felt that familiar, soft spot for a curious child stir within her. "Are you interested in these things?" she asked, her tone warmer than she typically used with adults.
Takumi's eyes remained fixed on the scroll, his expression thoughtful. "This medical ninjutsu... would it be possible for someone like me to learn it?"
The question gave Yakushi Nono pause. She looked him over more carefully. Despite his leanness, his bone structure suggested a build that, with proper training, could make him a formidable taijutsu specialist. The path of a medic was often at odds with that of a frontline fighter.
"Takumi-kun," she said gently, "with your physique, you might find a greater affinity for taijutsu."
"A taijutsu specialist?" Mikoto interjected, glancing at Takumi with renewed interest. She had heard rumors about him possessing traits of the Yotsuki clan, though she wasn't sure in what form that talent manifested.
"But..." Takumi's voice was soft, laced with a carefully crafted disappointment. He scratched his head, a gesture of youthful awkwardness. "If there are other clan members with a condition like mine in the future, I could help diagnose them, just like you and Lady Tsunade did for me." He let his shoulders slump slightly, his words trailing off into a whisper. "I guess... it's still not possible..."
The subtle influence of [The Art of Persuasion (Novice)] made his feigned disappointment feel palpably real, his sincerity washing over the room.
Yakushi Nono felt her resolve soften. She had always had a weakness for children, especially those who had lost their families, who carried a loneliness she recognized all too well.
"Don't worry," she said, her voice softening further, an unusual occurrence for the typically reserved kunoichi. If an adult had made such a request, she would have directed them to the standard testing protocols and moved on. But this was a child, an orphan who had known little stability.
"When you graduate from the Academy," she continued, speaking more than she normally would, "if you test with the requisite aptitude to join the Medical Corps reserve program, come and find me."
The idea had been forming in her mind for some time, fueled by her work in the shadows—a dream of opening an orphanage after she finally retired from Root. This boy's quiet yearning and isolated situation made that dream feel more urgent, more tangible.
"Really?" Takumi's head snapped up, his eyes wide and shining with a hope that seemed to banish the previous melancholy. A genuine, surprised smile broke out on his face.
Nono found herself smiling back, a true, gentle curve of her lips. "Why would I lie to you?"
Mikoto, observing the exchange quietly, looked at Takumi with a fresh perspective. This boy is different from the others, she thought. Where Tsunade had been cold and dismissive, Yakushi Nono seemed on the verge of taking him under her wing. And according to her, he had talent in taijutsu as well. The Uchiha clan had no master medical-nin, and while they were competent in taijutsu, they had no specialists dedicated solely to that path. They were all funneled into the Konoha Military Police Force after graduation, herself included. This boy could potentially fill two significant gaps in the clan's capabilities.
"Alright, little Takumi, I have other duties to attend to. We'll stop here for today," Nono said, rising to her feet and securing the storage scroll to her belt.
Before she left, her eyes fell on the stack of textbooks neatly arranged on a nearby chair. A studious child, she noted internally, another point in his favor.
"Thank you very much, Nono-sama," Takumi said, standing and bowing politely.
He and Mikoto walked with her to the large, ornate gate that marked the boundary between the Uchiha district and the main streets of Konoha.
"Go back and practice hard," Mikoto said to him before turning to follow Nono, her mind already whirring with this new development.
Takumi walked home alone under the dim light of the emerging stars, the night air cool against his skin. He let out a soft, controlled exhale. It had gone more smoothly than he had dared to hope. Yakushi Nono, who would later teach medical ninjutsu to orphans from other villages, had seen a spark in him worth nurturing. Her own desire to retire, to build something positive, had worked in his favor. For now, she had no overt weaknesses. It was only later, when she became the director of an orphanage and Danzo took those children hostage, that she would be forced back into the shadows as a spy.
"Next," he whispered to the quiet street, "I need to improve my chakra control as quickly as possible and meet her standards."
The Next Day - Ninja Academy Training Grounds
The morning sun beat down on the dusty field as the chunin instructor, Mizuki, blew his whistle sharply.
"Today's physical assessment is endurance! Fifty laps around the perimeter! Begin!" he barked.
A collective groan rippled through the class.
"Fifty? Again?"
"My legs are still sore from yesterday!"
(End of Chapter)