Yugito's body was severely corroded by the Two-Tails' chakra, and she began receiving emergency treatment from the medical unit ninjas.
If Kei hadn't reacted quickly, he might have been in serious trouble. After the medical-nin took over Yugito, he immediately wrapped his own arm tightly with medical bandages. With the recovery ability of the Sage Body, he would probably heal completely before the medical-nin even had a chance to examine him.
This recovery ability... He glanced at his right arm and hand, which were tightly wrapped in bandages.
He had always pursued completing missions without injuries, so he had never really experienced the rapid healing of the Sage Body before. It was an astonishing sight—wounds visibly healing at an incredible speed! If anyone else saw this, there was no way he wouldn't be exposed.
"The jinchūriki's wounds heal quick as a kick ♪. Your worry face ain't my medicine mix ♪, Oh yeah~♪!"
Killee B's rap was still as awful as ever, making people want to roll their eyes. But he himself didn't seem to care at all, instead singing happily.
"Sigh... I really went against orders by coming here." Kei continued to play the role of a cautious and hesitant middle-aged ninja. His troubled and helpless expression made Killer B's smile even more sincere than before.
He could tell—this guy truly cared.
The fact that he had rushed here immediately, without concern for his own safety, was proof enough!
"You fool, listen up ♪, my ninja way is tough ♪. idiot, feel the beat ♪, my rhymes can't be beat ♪. Wait, the flow ain't right... Yo! Gotta write that down tight..."
Killer B pulled out a small notebook and a brush from his pocket. Then, he spit out some octopus ink and started jotting down notes, completely focused on refining his rap lyrics.
Kei sighed inwardly. This guy's way of thinking was definitely different from normal people.
And... wouldn't octopus ink fade over time? Could it be that the Eight-Tails' ink didn't?
Meanwhile, the dozen or so ninjas who had fought earlier were now quickly cleaning up the battlefield.
Any survivors were taken for interrogation, while the corpses were gathered for further examination and intelligence collection.
The six ANBU members who had maintained the barrier earlier remained stationed around Yugito for protection.
Once the medical unit completed emergency treatment and prepared to transfer the jinchūriki to the Kumo hospital, an ANBU squad captain—who was already familiar with Kei—immediately pulled him along.
Yugito's condition was still unstable.
Who knew what might happen when she woke up? Only an idiot would let go of someone who could prevent a jinchūriki from going berserk.
The hospital smelled strongly of disinfectant, an unpleasant odor. Kei stayed until Yugito's condition stabilized, then found a caregiver bed and dozed off for a while.
A noisy and chaotic night passed.
As the rising sun replaced the artificial lights that had illuminated the village through the night, it cast its glow over the village.
The Kumo ninjas, known for their swift and decisive actions, had already eliminated most of the known threats within the village.
Although ANBU continued interrogating the assassins captured last night, the overall situation was gradually stabilizing. This morning, orders were coming from the Raikage's office to inventory supplies and prepare logistics. Perhaps due to the village's recent major operations and the mounting tensions of war, the Third Raikage did not personally visit Yugito.
Instead, he had ANBU relay a message to Kei—he was to stay and take care of Yugito for the time being. Originally planning to go home early, Kei now had no choice but to remain in the hospital to accompany Yugito during her recovery.
"Dad?" A hushed voice called from outside the door.
Kei glanced at the sneaky-looking boy and nodded at the nearby ANBU squad captain before stepping out of the room. Musai circled around him twice, then let out a small sigh of relief.
"You only got a little injured? Thank goodness! I almost thought I'd have to collect the family's death compensation."
As soon as Kei heard that, he slapped the boy on the back of the head.
"If you don't know how to talk properly, just shut up. Looking at you already gives me a headache."
"Hehe~ Dad, you're amazing!"
Musai rubbed the back of his head with one hand and gave a big thumbs-up with the other. His face was full of pride.
This morning, while anxiously searching for his father's whereabouts, a young ANBU had given him a rough summary of what had happened last night. Stopping a jinchūriki from going berserk single-handedly—such a feat could be bragged about for a lifetime for a chunin!
"Of course!" Kei raised his chin slightly, looking completely at ease as he accepted his son's praise.
"You didn't get the medical-nin to treat your injuries?"
"At my age, it's best to avoid medical ninjutsu, which stimulates cell activity, as much as possible."
"So you do know you're getting old? Dad, not to nag, but next time you take action, can you at least tell me where your savings are? The moment you step out, I panic!"
Smack! Smack! Pow! Smack! Smack! Pow!
The hospital corridor once again became the scene of a classic father-son "bonding" session.
"Dad! I made plans with my friends to check the prices for the construction team, so I gotta go now~"
Feeling that his father's punches weren't actually angry, Musai covered his head and bolted while leaving behind those words, disappearing from the hospital in a flash.
Kei gave an apologetic smile to a nearby nurse, who was covering her mouth, giggling. Then, he turned and walked back into the hospital room.
The once-sleeping Yugito had already opened her eyes. Seeing Kei enter, her small face lit up with a bright smile.
"Did we wake you up?" Kei sat down on a chair beside the bed. Seeing Yugito shake her head, he asked again.
"Do you want something to eat?"
Feeling her empty stomach, Yugito hesitantly gave a soft response. Since her body had been corroded by the Two-Tails' chakra, even lifting her arms was difficult. Kei carefully helped her eat breakfast. With nothing else to do, he began telling her stories to pass the time.
Perhaps because of what had happened the previous night, the higher-ups of Kumo now trusted him even more.
Not long after, he received a personally written appointment letter from the Raikage, granting him the title of special jonin, along with another letter appointing him as the Chief Instructor of the Ninja Academy.
Just like in Konoha, Kumo's Ninja Academy was officially led by the Raikage himself.
The Vice Principal, in name only, was actually the one managing the entire academy. As Chief Instructor, Kei's position was above that of regular teachers, assisting the Vice Principal in managing the school—essentially a Vice Principal-in-training!
He had already stepped one foot into Kumo's high-ranking inner circle. He even had the qualifications to attend high-level meetings.
I'm a Konoha ninja, and now I'm becoming part of Kumo's leadership?
Kei was completely dumbfounded as he held the two appointment letters.
How did things end up ? How did he accidentally become part of Kumo's upper ranks?
And now, as the Chief Instructor of the Ninja Academy, wouldn't that mean he'd barely have any opportunities to leave the village? How was he supposed to fake his death now?
That worry lingered for a week, until Yugito fully recovered and was finally discharged from the hospital.
On the eve of his appointment at the Ninja Academy, Toroi came knocking on his door, hoping Kei could join their team for one last mission together.
This time, Toroi was leading a squad to cross the vast southeastern sea of the Land of Lightning. Their mission was to scout the waters, confirm supply routes and temporary outposts, and eliminate any potential threats along the way—paving the path for the large ninja forces that would follow.
Although the original owner of Kei's body wasn't particularly strong, he had been a ninja for decades and had survived both the First and Second Great Ninja Wars. He was also known for his cautious nature, and his experience far exceeded that of the average ninja.
Given that this mission concerned the lives of thousands of comrades, Toroi was determined not to pass up such an ideal teammate.
Kei gladly accepted the request.
Before leaving, he hastily placed all of his personal belongings on a table at home. Then, he left Kumo with Toroi. If he died in battle as a specila jonin, that would be a fitting end for the original owner of this face, right?
And in a sea battle, where no body would be found—it was a perfectly reasonable "death," right?