[Hokage] Summer Festival

The shadows of the branches are cast by the sun on the window sash, just like the prints on the glass, but swaying with the breeze.

Hatake Sakumo asked a lot about the sand ninja puppeteer, and Akatsuki answered each of them very seriously, and occasionally looked at me when he was not sure, and asked:

"Right, Xia Zi?"

Xia Zi is very familiar with the people and things there, but what I know is only what is recorded in books and hearsay, so I can only say "um" vaguely, and dare not say more.

Their conversation revealed an unusual solemnity and gloom, which gradually made the atmosphere in the ward even more oppressive.

The window was clearly wide open, but the sunlight lingered on the edge of the window frame, refusing to come in no matter what.

It seems that he is a very powerful person, that puppeteer.

Ling Ah Duan was seriously injured, and it is very likely that he was the one who took Xia Zi's life.And judging from how much Hatake Sakumo cared about him, he was probably an extremely difficult opponent.

It wasn't until the doctor came to change the dressing that Hatake Sakumo got up to say goodbye.Ah Duan cooperated with the nurse to take off the bandage, turned his head and said to me with a smile:

"Xia Zi go back to rest too, I'm fine."

Saying so, the doctor sprinkled the black medicinal powder on his wound, and immediately mixed with the blood and flesh, forming a very hideous patch.He pursed his lips tightly, with thin sweat oozing from his forehead, his eyes changed suddenly, it could be seen that he was desperately enduring the pain.

He definitely didn't want his sister to see him enduring pain like this, and he definitely didn't want his family to worry about him.

I nodded and said yes, and left with Hatake Sakumo.

When I came down the stairs, I met Shinichi, his white coat was stained with fresh blood, his face was obviously tired, but his steps were hasty, as if he was very busy.

"It's time for Ah Duan to change his dressing, right?" he said.

I nodded and said the doctor had passed and was changing.

Putting his hands in the pockets on both sides of his white coat, he sighed helplessly and said:

"You two brothers and sisters are not reassuring."

Then he glanced at Sakumo Hatake next to me, and added two more sentences:

"Sakumo, you too."

"You all work tirelessly to burden doctors."

Hatake Sakumo and I looked at each other, his eyes had the same helplessness as Shinichi's, but he had nothing to refute.I think so do I.

I have been in this world for nearly ten months, and the place I am most familiar with is Konoha's hospital.

Someone behind him was calling "Doctor Shinichi", and Shinichi waved to us and walked away.I watched his back disappear into the corner of the corridor, and for some reason, I blurted out "the heart of a doctor's parents".

Hatake Sakumo also replied "Yes".

In fact, not only Xinyi, but other doctors who have treated me are always very gentle and patient, telling me to be careful in everything, and never underestimate the enemy.

There are no doctors on the battlefield, and many ninjas who have been seriously injured are not absolutely incurable, but can't survive the moment when they are sent back to the village hospital by their companions.

There are not a few ninjas who died because of delayed treatment.

The doctors must be very aware of this point, maybe they also have relatives who fought with their lives on the battlefield, so they took the trouble to tell the wounded patients who were lucky enough to receive treatment.

When they walked out of the hospital gate, because they didn't know whether they were on the same road or broke up with each other, they stopped by coincidence.

"Shall I take you back?" Hatake Sakumo said.

I thought for a while and asked him, "Are you on the way?"

"Do not."

He smiled and pointed in another direction and said:

"My house is over there."

"Then there's no trouble."

I also said with a smile.

"Goodbye."

At this time, I heard a crisp voice called "Mr. Xia Zi" not far away, and when I looked over, I saw Kushina smiling and waving at me under a big tree by the road, and trotting over.

She looked at the distant figure of Hatake Sakumo, raised her small face and asked with sparkling eyes:

"Is that the teacher's boyfriend?"

Curiosity and gossip in the eyes are about to move.

I stretched out my hand and flicked her forehead, and after she yelled "Oh, it hurts", I said:

"No."

Rubbing her forehead, she followed me and said:

"What a pity, what a handsome man."

"...wow?"

The girl explained embarrassingly:

"Since I was born, whenever I speak quickly, I will have a strange oral habit... I have deliberately restrained it, but I still say it accidentally..."

Then he drooped his head and said embarrassingly:

"I'm sorry, teacher."

"You don't need to apologize for this kind of thing, Kushina, you didn't do anything wrong."

I rubbed her hair and smiled.

"Most of his face is covered by a mask. How can you tell that he is a handsome man?"

"It feels like it still looks handsome even with a mask on."

She jumped in front of me and walked backwards, her waist-length red hair swaying behind her.

"yes."

I thought about it and smiled:

"Speaking of being handsome, I think Minato-kun is the one that a girl your age should praise the most."

She immediately frowned and said with a bulging face:

"That guy is unreliable at first glance!"

No matter what others say, she seems to be convinced that Minato will not have any great achievements in the future, saying that "getting everyone's approval to become Hokage" is just an impossible dream.

I held her hand and listened to her talk all the way about the unreliability of the water gate, the neighbor Miqin came back from her mission and told her what happened outside the village, Mrs. Pipazi is such a gentle person...

These trivial things are especially vivid from her mouth, as if they are all interesting things.

Suddenly, I felt that children are actually creatures that are easy to be happy and satisfied.

***

I have been with those children for more than a month, and I am gradually adapting to this kind of life surrounded by vigorous vitality.

On the afternoon of the last Friday in May, I met Xiaochun on the way home from school. She walked side by side with me for a while before asking:

"Are your injuries healed?"

I truthfully replied, "It was fine last month."

She nodded with satisfaction, and then told me that a suitable new teacher has been found, and the new teacher will teach next Monday, so I don't have to go to school anymore.

I was stunned for a while, and felt that the news was too sudden, as if I was walking on the road, but a wooden sign was erected in front of me out of thin air, saying that this road is impassable, please take a detour.

I didn't even try to be real with those kids.

I don't know if they will also sleep and play with their nails in the new teacher's class.

I did think about staying in school as a teacher, away from the tasks that made me feel conflicted and dangerous.It's just that after thinking about it carefully, I'm afraid I can't do it as I wish.

Now that the war is raging, Konoha's combat power is not sufficient, so how can a Jonin retreat to the second line and hide behind.

The things that the Chunin can do will never be wasted by the Chunin.If I hadn't been injured and couldn't perform the task at that time, Xiaochun and the others wouldn't have asked me to be a substitute teacher at the ninja school.

These days I have been thinking, if the war between Konoha and Sand Ninja Village last year did not come with a Jōnin test, maybe "Kato Natsuko" is now just a Jōnin, not a Jōnin with a name that cannot be described. .

In that case, will my life be easier?

It's a pity, since I came to this world, the established facts are as stable as the spider webs in the corner of the wall, and the only one who can change is myself, the assimilated self who can't resist the big environment.

Maybe it was because there was still a little unrealistic struggle in my heart, but I finally said to Xiaochun:

"If possible, I would like to stay in school and continue to be a teacher."

She was startled, then smiled slightly but shook her head firmly and said:

"No, Xia Zi."

"At this moment, you have something you should be doing, not being a teacher."

Sure enough.

She told me a long time ago that everyone has their own things to do.Whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not, you have to shoulder your own responsibilities.

And the ninja's only responsibility is to serve the village.You should do whatever the village needs you to do, and you must not indulge your emotions.

Perhaps for ninjas, emotions and emotions are all unnecessary burdens, and the most important thing is to be able to successfully complete the task in the end.

Probably because the disappointment on my face was too obvious, Xiaochun patted my shoulder and comforted me:

"Don't worry, Natsuko. One day you will have students of your own."

"Just like me."

What she said was that each jōnin would lead three jnin as an instructor at a certain time, a bit like the postgraduate tutor I was familiar with in the previous life.

But there are also many instructors who want to witness the death of the students who get along with each other day and night in the mission.

Xiaochun is the best example.Her students, who may have been very partial to and proud of her, none of them escaped the tragedy of dying in battle.

none.Including what she thought was the last surviving student, Natsuko.

If I watch the students I care about die young one by one, I wonder if I can stick to my original belief like her.

***

On Monday when a new teacher was teaching, Hokage held a Jonin rally.

It's about another war against Sand Ninja Village.

The border issues between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind have not been a day or two, and it seems that they have recently deteriorated to the point of incompatibility.

Hokage probably wanted to concentrate their combat power on dealing with the sand ninja. It would be best if they could be wiped out in one fell swoop, but it was not realistic, so the goal was to severely damage their vitality and make them unable to challenge Konoha in the short term.

It is said that Sand Ninja has an old and cunning poison master. Hokage sent his students Jiraiya and Tsunade. As for Orochimaru, it seems that there are other tasks. They did not attend this Jonin gathering.

That's right, he's still Naoki's guide Kaminin.

The next discussion was about the candidates for the special battle team against Sand Ninja vs. Konoha. I heard that the captain of the special battle team was the famous puppet master. Countless Konoha ninjas died under his hands.

It is very likely that Xia Zi is one of them.

Probably it was really tricky, and Hokage smoked his pipe and meditated for a long time, but there was no result.Xiaochun and Menyan also frowned and looked dignified.

"Let me go, Third Generation."

Hatake Sakumo's voice sounded from the upper right of me, calm and without any hesitation.

I looked up and saw that his straight back was like the tallest cypress tree in the woods near the ninja school, which remained unbiased after many violent storms.

Hokage pondered for a moment, then discussed with Xiaochun Menyan for a while, and said as if the dust had settled:

"The third team, Hatake Sakumo, Kato Natsuko, Yuhi Shinya, Sasahara Haruna."

"Captain, Hatake Sakumo."

Being called out suddenly, my gaze shifted from Sakumo Hatake to Hokage, thinking that this mission seemed far more difficult and dangerous than the last one.

Can that scroll increase my or Xia Zi's strength enough to handle it?

However, in the next second, I felt like I was on a solitary mountain peak, with an endless abyss beneath my feet.

Someone is saying-

"I don't think Natsuko Kato has the strength of a jounin."

The voice was as cold as the rain in the middle of the night in early winter.