Ken didn't stay where he fell.
He tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve and wrapped his side as tightly as he could, teeth clenched as pain flared. It wasn't proper treatment. It was enough to keep him moving.
Step by step, he staggered toward the rogue shinobi's hut.
Inside, the place was sparse but functional. A bedroll. Sealed containers. Supplies meant for long-term survival, not comfort.
Ken found what he was looking for quickly.
Medicine.
Bandages. Salves. A few pills wrapped carefully in oilcloth. Most of it was already opened, used sparingly. Probably meant for the rogue himself.
That explained a lot.
Ken checked the labels, tested the seals, then applied what he could. The medicine burned going on, sharp and unpleasant, but the bleeding slowed. He sank down against the wall and rested, eyes half-lidded, breathing shallow.
He didn't sleep.
When the sun climbed high, he forced himself up.
The captives were alive.
That was the best that could be said.
They were weak, shaken, and barely responsive, but they could walk with help. Ken didn't linger. He escorted them back to Nokomura without ceremony.
The chief wept when he saw them.
Ken didn't stay for thanks.
He accepted the mission completion document, turned, and left.
The return to Konoha took the rest of the day.
By the time the gates came into view, night had already fallen. Ken barely registered the guards waving him through. He went straight to the hospital and collapsed onto a bed without argument.
Morning came with pain.
Bandages were replaced. Wounds were treated properly this time. Ken listened to the medic's instructions and ignored the looks he got.
Afterward, he went to the mission hall.
The clerk glanced up when he approached and laughed lightly.
"Rough time with bandits?" he said, eyeing the bandages. "Looks like they hit back harder than usual."
Ken said nothing and handed over the report.
The clerk read casually at first.
Then his expression changed.
He looked up slowly. "Is this… accurate?"
"Yes," Ken replied.
Silence stretched.
Ken already knew what should happen next. Any mission involving hostile shinobi was automatically upgraded to B-rank. That was standard procedure.
The clerk stood.
"Wait here."
He picked up the report and walked away.
Ken frowned.
A B-rank didn't need escalation like this. It didn't need to go higher than the mission desk. Right?