When someone's value became great enough, those who benefited from it tended to overlook certain inconvenient truths.
Just as Yuji had expected, the village leadership, headed by the Third Kazekage, had thoroughly examined the ninjutsu he claimed to have created himself.
But his ongoing "reform" of Sunagakure's hospital had drawn no suspicion at all.
To them, Yuji was a genius.
And when a genius did something extraordinary, it simply felt natural.
After all, the entire village was profiting from his brilliance.
Inside the Kazekage's office, the village elders and senior officials gathered for their regular meeting.
The topic, as always, was the war with Konohagakure.
"Iwagakure and Kirigakure are clearly trying to bleed both us and Konoha dry," one of the elders said grimly. "They haven't stopped interfering behind the scenes. The Land of Wind remains under constant pressure."
Ebizo gave a small, knowing nod.
"But compared to us," he said, "Konoha is the one bearing the greater burden."
That much was true.
Of the Five Great Villages, the other four all wanted to see the balance of power reshaped. For too long, Konoha had stood at the top alone.
Many were waiting for the day it finally fell.
Chiyo, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"Regardless of that," she said, her aged face softening slightly, "the hospital's capabilities have improved tremendously."
She folded her hands calmly.
"Many wounded ninja have recovered faster than before. Others who would have been permanently crippled have been stabilized and returned to duty."
She paused.
"To be honest, if not for Yuji, we might not have been able to sustain this war against Konoha much longer."
A murmur of agreement spread through the room.
"It's not just the staff," Chiyo continued. "It's the tools. The methods. Even I was astonished by some of his ideas. I still don't know how he came up with them."
"He's a genius," another official said with a faint smile. "They tend to defy expectations."
Yuji's existence had given them something rare.
Hope.
For decades, Konoha had been known as the birthplace of prodigies.
But now, Sunagakure had one of its own.
"Thanks to Yuji's training," Chiyo went on, "the hospital reform is now on stable footing. It will only continue to improve."
Her voice carried quiet confidence.
"As long as he remains in Sunagakure, I believe our medical system will one day surpass the other great villages."
Her words carried weight.
As a veteran medical ninja, no one understood better than she did how difficult it was to build such a system. Even Konoha had only a limited number of trained medical ninja.
And in a war of this scale…
That was never enough.
But Yuji had done something different. He had begun training ordinary personnel.
People without chakra, who would never become ninja.
Yet they could still save lives, with proper knowledge, tools, and guidance.
Over time, Sunagakure's medical corps would grow beyond anything it had ever been.
This meant fewer losses.
Everyone in the room understood what that meant.
Chiyo continued,
"I've already ordered his medical teachings and notes to be compiled."
She glanced toward the Kazekage.
"They will be introduced into the Ninja Academy as part of a specialized training program."
"In the future, even those who fail to become a ninja can still serve the village."
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
"They will become the foundation of our medical division."
A silence followed.
Then someone chuckled quietly.
"So," the elder said, smiling to himself,
"It's finally our turn."
From his tone, it was obvious. He had envied Konoha for a very long time.
"I've heard that Yuji has recently been treating villagers on his own initiative," one of the elders said.
Chiyo nodded.
"Yes. There isn't much left for him to do at the hospital for now. And… he cares deeply about this village. He's a kind child. Thoughtful, too."
"It seems he wasn't exaggerating," another official added. "When he said his talent in medical ninjutsu surpassed his potential as a puppeteer."
At that, the Third Kazekage turned his gaze toward Chiyo.
"What do you think?" he asked quietly. "Where is his limit?"
Chiyo narrowed her eyes slightly.
She did not answer right away.
Among everyone present, she was the only one qualified to glimpse the truth.
After a long pause, she spoke.
"To be honest, I now consider myself half his student."
The room fell silent.
"He possesses an extraordinary instinct for medicine," she continued. "His perception. His analytical ability. Both are far beyond anything I've seen before."
She rested her hands calmly on her lap.
"And what he has shown so far…"
She shook her head faintly.
"…is likely not his true limit."
Not his limit?
Chiyo went on.
"The hospital's current conditions are too poor. The staff's foundation is too weak. Even if Yuji wanted to do more, there's a limit to what they can absorb."
"If he pushed too far, they wouldn't be able to keep up."
Her voice remained steady.
"So for now, he is holding back. Advancing slowly. Allowing the system to grow around him."
She looked around the room.
"You all understand how cruel a ninja war truly is."
"To build a medical system capable of supporting a village through a conflict of this scale…"
She paused.
"What he has done so far is only the beginning."
Silence spread through the room.
"To fully realize that vision," Chiyo added, "it will take at least four or five years. And significant investment."
That word hung in the air.
Investment.
No one spoke.
They all understood what it meant. Sunagakure had no money.
The Land of Wind was the poorest of the Five Great Nations. Its land was barren, economy was weak.
It had no reliable means of generating wealth.
That was why they had gone to war in the first place.
To seize opportunity and claim resources from the Land of Fire.
Seeing the mood darken, the Third Kazekage changed the subject.
"How is the front line?"
One of the commanders answered immediately.
"Thanks to the Medical Department's support, our recovery rate has improved significantly. We've been able to send more shinobi back into battle."
"Our overall combat performance has improved. Konoha has not gained the upper hand."
The Third Kazekage nodded slowly.
"That is good."
He folded his hands together, his expression calm but resolute.
"Konoha is fighting on multiple fronts. They cannot endure forever."
His voice carried quiet certainty.
"In this war, we will see who lasts longer."
Everyone understood the meaning behind his words: There would be no retreat.
Not after everything they had sacrificed.
To withdraw first would be to admit weakness.
Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Villages. If they faltered, others would descend upon them.
Like predators sensing weakness.
After all, in the shinobi world, the strong devoured the weak.
And the weak had no right to survive.