Ren stumbled out of the main medical ward, his feet dragging through the sand as if they were made of lead. The adrenaline that had sustained him during the high-stakes surgery had evaporated, leaving behind a crushing weight in his limbs.
As he walked, the mental connection to his clones severed one by one.
Poof. Poof. Poof.
Feedback slammed into his mind. Memories of treating third-degree burns, setting shattered bones, and soothing the dying flooded his consciousness all at once. Even with his enhanced mental fortitude, the sheer volume of fatigue nearly buckled his knees. He gritted his teeth, forcing one foot in front of the other until the familiar canvas of his mother's tent appeared.
Inside, the air was still. His mother was asleep on a cot, her breathing steady. She had pushed herself too far, but she was safe. Ren didn't even bother finding a bed. He collapsed onto a pile of spare blankets near the entrance, his eyes closing before his head even hit the makeshift pillow.
Back in the critical care unit, the atmosphere was heavy with disbelief.
Tsunade Senju stood over her brother, her hands glowing with a soft, diagnostic chakra. She wasn't just checking his vitals; she was analyzing the miracle that had occurred.
She traced the fresh pink skin on his chest.
'The tissue has regenerated perfectly,' she noted, her brows furrowing deeply. 'There's no scar tissue interference in the chakra network. This isn't normal medical ninjutsu. The cell division rate was accelerated by an external force... something potent, wild, yet perfectly controlled.'
She moved her hand to the faint electrical burns on Nawaki's chest skin.
'He used Lightning Release to restart the heart?' Tsunade's eyes widened. 'He controlled the voltage precisely enough to stimulate the sinus node without frying the nerves or stopping the brain functions. Even I haven't attempted that.'
She stepped back, her hands trembling slightly. It was a level of medical innovation and risk-taking she had never seen, not even from the old masters or Chiyo of the Sand. It was reckless, brilliant, and utterly terrifying.
She looked around the ward. She had seen Ren's clones earlier, moving with efficiency that put seasoned medics to shame. His Mystic Palm technique wasn't just standard; it was denser, more effective.
Tsunade clenched her fist. She was the best medic in the world—that was her pride. But looking at Nawaki, she had to admit a cold, hard truth. If she had been the one to treat him in that critical state, with that much debris in his heart... the chances of survival would have been slim.
'If Ren hadn't been here,' she realized, a chill running down her spine, 'Nawaki would be dead.'
Ren Uchiha wasn't just a prodigy. In the realm of healing, he was already her equal—and in terms of raw life-force manipulation, perhaps even her superior.
"Sakumo," Tsunade said, her voice low.
The White Fang stepped forward from the shadows of the tent. "Yes, Tsunade?"
"Take me to him."
The sun was beginning to dip, casting long shadows over the encampment. Sakumo and Tsunade approached the Uchiha family tent.
Just as they reached the flap, a figure stepped out, blocking their path. It was Satoshi Uchiha. He looked exhausted, his flak jacket dusty and his eyes weary, but his posture was rigid.
"Satoshi-senpai," Sakumo said respectfully, nodding his head. "We just want to meet Ren. We need to speak with him."
Satoshi didn't move. He held up a hand, cutting off the White Fang.
"No," Satoshi said, his voice hoarse but firm.
Tsunade blinked, stepping forward. "Excuse me? I am the commander of the medical—"
"My wife and my son are exhausted," Satoshi interrupted, looking the legendary Sannin in the eye without flinching. "Ren collapsed the moment he walked in. They have nothing left to give right now. They are resting."
Sakumo paused. He saw the look in Satoshi's eyes. It wasn't the look of a subordinate addressing a commander; it was the look of a father guarding his cubs.
"You can talk to them after Ren wakes up," Satoshi stated, crossing his arms. His tone made it clear: he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, rank be damned.
Sakumo smiled softly. "Understood, Senpai. Let them rest. Come on, Tsunade."
Tsunade looked at the tent, then at the stubborn father. She huffed, a small smile tugging at her lips.
They turned and left, leaving Satoshi to stand guard.
Ren found himself floating in the void of his Inner World.
The great tree stood before him. He drifted toward the Quincy branch. The glowing light of the branch had extended further.
[Quincy Compatibility: 66%]
Ren observed the pulsing blue veins of the branch. 'Sixty-six percent. I'm getting close. I have a hunch... once this hits 75%, the physical adaptation will trigger.'
He looked at the sealed nodes further up the branch. 'Blut Vene (Blood Vein) for defense, and Blut Arterie (Blood Artery) for offense. Once I unlock those, my durability and cutting power will jump to a completely different tier.'
He turned his gaze to the other two main branches—Shinigami and Hollow. They remained dark, dormant, and unresponsive.
'Still nothing,' Ren mused. 'I still don't know the trigger. Maybe the three powers are linked? Perhaps I need to stabilize the Quincy branch to a certain extent—maybe reach 100% or unlock a specific threshold—before my soul is strong enough to handle the chaotic power of a Hollow or the spiritual pressure of a Shinigami.'
Satisfied with the progress, Ren willed himself to wake.
Ren opened his eyes.
The familiar canvas ceiling of the tent greeted him. He pushed himself up, rolling his shoulders. Surprisingly, his body didn't ache. In fact, he felt physically stronger than before. The massive intake and regulation of Natural Energy seemed to have permanently tempered his body, like steel forged in a hotter fire.
He looked over. His mother was still asleep, breathing deeply in the same position.
"You're up."
Ren turned to see his father, Satoshi, sitting on a crate near the entrance, sipping a cup of steaming tea.
"How long was I out?" Ren asked, stretching his neck.
"Six hours," Satoshi replied, handing Ren a canteen of water. "Drink. You look like a dried prune."
Ren drank greedily. "What's the situation?"
"Suna and Iwa have retreated temporarily. The White Fang's arrival and the failure of their ambush spooked them," Satoshi explained. "We've sent word to the village for reinforcements. We're holding the line, but the medical unit is still in shambles. We have Tsunade now, which helps, but she can't do everything alone."
Satoshi paused, a smirk playing on his lips. "By the way, in the last six hours, four ninjas from the medical unit came here. They wanted to wake you up, saying they needed your expertise."
"And?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"And I turned them down," Satoshi chuckled, taking a sip of his tea. "Told them to get lost. Tsunade and Sakumo came by too. I turned them away as well."
Ren laughed. "You turned away the White Fang and the Slug Princess? That's bold, Dad."
"I'm your father first, a ninja second," Satoshi shrugged. "Besides, you looked like you were dead to the world."
Just as they were talking, a shadow fell over the tent flap.
"Excuse me! Permission to enter!"
A young medical ninja burst in before Satoshi could even answer. He froze when he saw Ren sitting up on the blankets.
The medic's eyes went wide. There was no fatigue in his expression, only a fanatical glee. He looked at Ren the way a devotee looks at a descended deity.
"Ren-sama!" the medic gasped, practically vibrating with excitement. "You're awake! Thank goodness!"
Ren blinked at the honorific. "Ren...sama?"
The medic rushed forward, stopping just short of bowing. "Please, Ren-sama! We need you in the main ward immediately! The influx of injured from the eastern skirmish is overwhelming! Tsunade-sama is treating patients non-stop, but she's alone on the critical cases! We need your hands!"
Ren looked at his father, who sighed and stood up, moving his spear aside to let Ren pass.
Ren stood up, dusting off his clothes. The rest was over.
"Lead the way," Ren said.
P.S. Should I keep the story close to canon, or should I change things up? By "changing things," I mean completely diverging from the original timeline. The Second Great Ninja War will remain the same, but significant changes will take place during the Third Great Ninja War and beyond.