Konoha Year 51, February 20.
Among the entire Uchiha clan, few could deny it: Uchiha Tobika was one of the very rare specimens who managed to be sunny, good-looking, gentle, and somehow still single. Unlike the typical Uchiha brand of arrogance, he treated outsiders politely. Even with his clumsy apprentice, he was endlessly patient.
Not everyone was born with Sharingan-copy privileges, and Tobika wasn't exactly some legendary mentor like the sannin.When the ninja world spoke about actual great teachers, the list was short.
Tsunade, for example.Two and a half years of training turned an intern-level medic into someone capable of mastering monstrous strength, inheriting Tsunade's techniques, and solving injuries even Chiyo couldn't handle. Even Sasori's poison formulas couldn't stump Haruno Sakura under Tsunade's care.
Then there was Jiraiya.His students included Namikaze Minato, the fastest man in the shinobi world, and the Three Bosses of Amegakure.After two years of training, Uzumaki Naruto punched Orochimaru, kicked Hidan and Kakuzu, and talked Nagato into surrender. That was an underdog-to-hero arc so blatant even Tobika had to respect it.
Even Orochimaru, a walking red flag of science, had undeniable results: two years under him turned Uchiha Sasuke from a revenge orphan with no future into someone who could hold a conversation with the Nine-Tails using nothing more than a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Meanwhile Tobika…His own Sharingan, at three tomoe, let him see Kushina's pale stomach and the faint downy hair across her skin. That was about it. And staring too long led to misunderstandings.
As a "fake good teacher," Tobika's training method was simple: buy discount herbs from the Nara apothecary, purchase a live fish from the market, smack it twice on the ground, let the apprentice practice healing… and if it lived, release it. If it died, dinner.
Theory classes?A4 sheets written that morning. Fresh daily.In truth, he wasn't Tsunade, Jiraiya, or Orochimaru. He wasn't expecting his apprentice to punch Otsutsuki Kaguya several years later.But he was responsible. And he was confident he could turn Ugetsu Yugao into a proper medical ninja within five years.
He sipped the fish soup.It really was good.
"You've improved," Tobika said, giving her a thumbs-up. "Your fish stew is progressing a lot faster than your medical ninjutsu."
"Medical ninjutsu is hard…"Yugao slumped over her bowl, depressed."It's been four days. I haven't even managed the basics. Sensei, how long did it take you to get started?"
"Me?"Tobika leaned back."Eighty-seven bowls of fish soup. Three meals a day. After that, I either learned it or starved."
"…Sensei."Yugao stared at the pot, swallowing."Are we going to drink fish soup eighty-seven more times?"
"That's you. I'm done."
He wiped his mouth. Memories of unborn Sakura and a broke Tsunade drifted through his mind.
"Honestly, I still don't understand it," he muttered."How someone could learn for just two and a half years, then surpass Chiyo, the woman who can literally bring puppets and corpses back to life.The only explanation I can imagine is that old woman wanted to curry favor with Konoha."
Old woman?Yugao blinked, confused.Someone who can give life? That sounded like Sage of Six Paths nonsense.
"That old woman is Chiyo," Tobika said, pointing toward the Konoha guesthouse."Ebizō's older sister. If medical ninjutsu has a ceiling, alive today you have 'Chiyo'… and 'Tsunade.'Compared to them, your teacher is maybe one-third of a person."
"Sensei, you're that strong?"Yugao's eyes sparkled.Half a Tsunade was still an absurdly high bar.
Tobika glanced away, mood dipping for reasons Yugao didn't understand.She hurried to pat his shoulder.
"Sensei, you're still young. Don't compare yourself to them and get discouraged.Almost no one in shinobi history can match Tsunade and Chiyo.They're once-in-a-millennium monsters.If I were you, I'd call myself the third-strongest medical ninja alive!"
"…True."Tobika rolled his shoulders, shaking off three-war memories.
Chiyo is fifty-seven. Tsunade is thirty-eight.When Chiyo dies, he becomes the second strongest.When Tsunade dies, he becomes first.
A beautiful promotion ladder.
The clock on the wall chimed.10 a.m.
"I've got something to handle," Tobika said, standing up. "Finish eating and go home."
He hopped across rooftops toward the Nara compound.The envelope in his sleeve crinkled.A report—his "detective work"—to Nara Yoshino.
He had been feeding her bits of intel these past days.After one final treatment for Ryoko's son, he'd hand over the rest tomorrow.And Yoshino would finally discover that the mysterious nighttime intruder in the Nara compound…was the same man she hired to investigate him.
If nothing goes wrong, Tobika mused, nothing should go wrong.
He slipped into the house with practiced familiarity.
But Ryoko was already inside.Watching him.Brows furrowed.
He froze.She stiffened.Then her eyes widened with sudden realization.
To her, it looked like Tobika had come for the same reason she had:To ambush the "real intruder," the one plaguing Nara territory for weeks.
A professional.A man familiar enough with the house to move silently.Someone who had scouted the place repeatedly.
A fellow hunter—just like her.
"…Why are you coming in this way?" she whispered.
"Why wouldn't I?" Tobika whispered back, confused.This was literally his usual entrance.
"Hide," Ryoko hissed, grabbing his arm. "Quickly!"
"Hide? Why? I still have to treat your—"
"Shh!"She glared at him.
"We know he'll appear tonight. With the information you provided, we calculated the intruder's pattern. The clan is mobilized. Anyone leaving this building will be caught. Anyone outside is to be ignored.So hide.Now.Before you ruin the entire operation."
"…'We'?"
Ryoko pointed around the room.
"There are already people hiding. Behind the curtain. Inside the cabinet. Under the table.Bed's too dusty, so no one there."
Tobika blinked.
He peeked behind the curtain—Akimichi matriarch smiled and waved.Opened the cabinet—Nara Yoshino and Yamanaka matriarch were squeezed together, eyes shining with determination.
This tiny room contained five people.
Plus him.
Tobika rubbed his forehead.Do I confess now… or confess tomorrow?