Hearing the voice coming from the side, Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but shudder, subconsciously turning to look.
She had originally thought it was the enemy's voice, and that she had likely already been taken to the Stone Ninja's territory, prepared for severe torture and interrogation for information.
But the final result was not so.
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Before her, the figure of a small young boy stood.
The boy was not old, probably only eight or nine years old, but his features were very handsome, giving off a distinct feeling.
He stood there, his entire body currently stained with blood, yet a smile remained on his face as he stood watching her.
"Yuu?"
Looking at the boy standing before her, Kurenai Yuhi's heart trembled, almost thinking she was hallucinating: "Was it you who saved me?"
The scene before she fainted surfaced; the image of that middle-aged Stone Ninja still lingered in her mind.
Without a doubt, if the other party had succeeded, she and Hyuga Fu should be in Stone Ninja territory right now.
The fact that Minamikawa Yuu was appearing before her eyes now already indicated certain things to an extent.
"Ah, I wouldn't really call it saving you."
Meeting Kurenai Yuhi's gaze, Minamikawa Yuu smiled: "Earlier, that person was preparing to leave with the two of you, and I just happened to run into him."
"I pretended to be one of the Stone Ninja, found an opportunity to launch a sneak attack, and barely managed to finish him off."
He spoke like this, his voice very gentle, appearing as if it were quite easy.
But Kurenai Yuhi could imagine that the process must not have been so smooth.
Beneath Minamikawa Yuu's understated words lay a hidden, heart-stopping battle.
"Your hand."
At this moment, Kurenai Yuhi noticed Minamikawa Yuu's hand.
Minamikawa Yuu's body was covered in wounds almost everywhere.
The most terrifying part was his right hand, which was stained with blood and bore the marks of being injured by an explosive tag.
The injuries on his body were so gruesome and terrifying that just looking at them made one's heart skip a beat.
And seeing these injuries concentrated on a child's body gave one an inexplicable sense of heartache.
"They're just minor injuries."
Minamikawa Yuu had a smile on his face as he met Kurenai Yuhi's gaze and spoke softly: "It's really nothing."
"For us, being able to survive this time is good enough. As for everything else, it doesn't matter."
As he spoke, a smile remained on his face as if he truly didn't care about any of it, appearing very relaxed.
Unfortunately, his body, which kept trembling as he spoke, ultimately betrayed his true feelings.
He had been enduring the pain all along, only choosing not to express it in front of Kurenai Yuhi.
Kurenai Yuhi looked at Minamikawa Yuu, who was forcing himself to stay upright, and felt an inexplicable surge of emotion, an impulse to shed tears.
"Thank you for your hard work."
After a long while, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked at Minamikawa Yuu: "It's getting late, we should leave as soon as possible."
"The injuries on your body are too heavy; we must get back quickly to find someone to treat them."
"And Fu is still unconscious; he also needs the Medical Squad for treatment."
She stood up, pulling herself together once more.
No matter what, her companions were at least still alive.
For her, this was the best possible outcome.
As long as they could return to the camp, their mission would be considered over.
"Mm, okay."
Minamikawa Yuu nodded with a smile, appearing as calm as usual.
Following Kurenai Yuhi, he headed forward, walking all the way toward the camp.
It took several full days before they returned to the camp.
"How are the injuries so heavy?"
"Medical Squad! Come quickly!"
Upon returning to the camp, the trio of Kurenai Yuhi immediately caught the attention of those around them.
Minamikawa Yuu and Hyuga Fu were immediately taken away and sent to the Medical Squad for treatment.
Especially Minamikawa Yuu; the injuries on his body were shocking and terrifying.
The dense scars made one's heart palpitate, unable to imagine what kind of intense battle he had encountered.
In reality, however, these injuries were all self-inflicted by Minamikawa Yuu.
After all, coming back from Stone Ninja territory, it would be somewhat unrealistic if his body didn't have some injuries.
It just so happened that his skill in this area was quite good, so he simply made the disguise more realistic.
His injuries looked severe and would definitely be fatal for an ordinary person, but for Minamikawa Yuu, they were actually just ordinary.
After all, his body had been modified by the Karma, and was now different from that of an ordinary person.
His physiological structure already had subtle differences.
But judging from the reactions of the people around him, it seemed he had overdone it a bit.
"Just how did you guys manage this!"
The captain of the Medical Squad was full of rage: "Yuu is only eight years old and is our most outstanding Medical Ninja here. How could you let such a child go on such a dangerous mission!"
When they were at the field hospital before, Minamikawa Yuu was the youngest Medical Ninja there.
Though he was young, his level of Medical Ninjutsu was extremely high, earning the deep recognition of many Ninja here.
When Minamikawa Yuu was selected for the mission earlier, the Medical Squad captain was the one who disagreed.
And now, Minamikawa Yuu had been brought back like this, looking as if he had almost died on the battlefield.
An excellent seed who originally had the hope of becoming a top-tier Medical Ninja had almost died just like that.
He had every reason to be angry about this situation.
"It's okay."
Regarding the Medical Squad captain's anger, Minamikawa Yuu spoke softly: "Participating in this mission was my own choice; I don't blame anyone else."
"Besides, haven't I come back alive?"
He spoke with a smile, but combined with his current wretched appearance, it made people feel a bit heart-stricken.
"Yuu, you fellow."
Murakami Se looked at Minamikawa Yuu, who was full of smiles and seemed not to care, and couldn't help but sigh: "It's because you're too easy-going that you were dragged onto the battlefield by these people."
"But it's good that you're back."
"Rest well here. After a while, once the war here is over, return to the village to rest."
To the other's words, Minamikawa Yuu only nodded with a smile.
After a simple bandaging, he returned to his quarters to rest.
Back at his quarters, he found footprints left in front of the door, as if someone had visited previously.
"I was originally worried about whether something had happened to you, but now it seems there's no need to worry too much."
A voice came from the side.
Kakashi's figure appeared from a corner, standing there now, looking at Minamikawa Yuu before him.
"Senior Kakashi."
Minamikawa Yuu looked at Kakashi, somewhat surprised: "Has your body recovered?"
"Mm, after being looked after by you for so long, it was about time."
Kakashi nodded: "On the contrary, the injuries on your body will likely take a long time to recover."