Naruto: You Call This A Medical Ninja?

Smelling the delicious aroma wafting from within, Reiki pushed the curtain aside and stepped inside. 

"A bowl of fresh ramen!" 

After taking his seat, Reiki glanced at the menu and placed his order. 

"Huh?" 

"Reiki, the medical ninja, why are you eating noodles this late at night? Have you been on a mission?" 

Teuchi, who was already preparing to close the shop, turned toward him, speaking enthusiastically. 

Reiki had become something of a celebrity in Konoha. 

"I just returned from the special training camp and got a bit hungry." 

"Uncle Teuchi, could you make me a bowl of noodles?" Reiki asked with a smile. 

"Of course." 

"Just give me a moment." 

With that, Teuchi turned to prepare the dish. Before long, a steaming bowl of ramen was set before Reiki, topped generously with two extra portions of barbecued pork. 

"Thank you." 

"I'm digging in now." 

Reiki clasped his hands together in gratitude before diving into his meal. The taste was just as amazing as always. 

No wonder so many people frequented this place—it was well-deserved. 

"Uncle Teuchi, I'm done eating." 

"If you have a moment, could we talk?" 

Reiki put down his chopsticks and looked at Teuchi earnestly. 

"Talk?" 

"I didn't expect a young ninja like you to want to chat with someone like me. What's on your mind?" 

Teuchi cheerfully started cleaning up the dishes. 

"Let's talk about... the Otsutsuki clan." 

"If it's alright, I'd like to hear what you know." 

"I'm about to unseal Kaguya Otsutsuki, and I want to be prepared." 

Reiki stated his purpose directly, his gaze steady. 

"Otsutsuki?" 

Teuchi froze momentarily, confusion evident on his face. It was as though he was trying to recall something but couldn't quite grasp it. 

"Uncle Teuchi, I'm a medical ninja." 

"Moreover, my medical ninjutsu is unique—it's a bloodline-limit-based medical ninjutsu. Because of that, I can sense peculiar traits in the people I treat." 

"On the battlefield, I once treated someone from the Otsutsuki clan. The aura on your body matches his." 

Reiki explained slowly, though the "treatment" wasn't entirely accurate. 

In truth, Reiki had seen Otsutsuki Ishiki's name highlighted on a system panel he had scanned. At the time, the golden name seemed familiar, but the tense battle situation didn't allow him to dwell on it. 

It wasn't until tonight, when he noticed Ichiraku Ramen still open, that it all clicked. 

That golden name he'd seen long ago belonged to none other than Teuchi. 

If not for this realization, Teuchi's natural demeanor might have completely fooled him. 

"A bloodline limit?" 

"So that's how it is… I didn't expect a child to uncover my identity." 

Teuchi smiled as he placed the freshly washed dishes into the cupboard. He then walked over to sit across from Reiki. 

"Uncle Teuchi, could I know your real name?" 

Reiki inquired. 

"You can call me Teuchi… As for the rest, haven't you already figured it out?" 

As Teuchi spoke, he slowly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of unique Tenseigan. 

Unlike the standard Tenseigan, his eyes bore triangular pupils surrounded by three magatama. 

"You're planning something against the Otsutsuki clan, and yet you've come to me without hesitation. Aren't you afraid I'll take action against you?" 

Seeing that Reiki remained calm, Teuchi asked curiously. 

"Afraid? Yes." 

"But I believe I can protect myself." 

"Besides, as far as I know, you won't harm me, Uncle." 

Reiki's confident reply left Teuchi momentarily stunned. 

"Hahaha..." 

"You young ninjas these days…" 

"Alright, what do you want to know?" 

"But let me make this clear—I won't get involved. I just want to keep running my ramen shop." 

Teuchi chuckled. This kid was genuinely intriguing. 

"Kaguya Otsutsuki. What kind of person is she?" 

"If I unseal her, will she resume her attack on the ninja world?" 

Reiki asked directly. 

The portrayal of Kaguya Otsutsuki in historical accounts had always felt contradictory to him. 

On one hand, she seemed naive, a "silly princess" who attacked Otsutsuki Ishiki immediately upon arriving in the ninja world, seriously injuring him to the point where he had to escape using a contract technique. 

On the other hand, she exhibited cunning, planting the chakra sacred tree, creating White Zetsu, and orchestrating her own sealing—all calculated moves far from naive. 

Reiki struggled to reconcile these extremes. 

"Kaguya-hime?" 

"She was originally the daughter of the Otsutsuki clan leader and Waimu in Takamagahara." 

"Although she bore the title of 'princess,' she was ostracized by the main family." 

"In the end, she was paired with Otsutsuki Ishiki due to clan arrangements." 

"She was a pitiful woman. That's why, upon arriving in this world, she attacked Ishiki in one swift move and refused to return to Takamagahara." 

"Of course, I didn't want to return either…" 

Teuchi's expression turned nostalgic as he recalled those ancient events. 

Despite the passage of time, the memory of Kaguya Otsutsuki crying for freedom was still vivid. 

[Kaguya Otsutsuki: I won't go back!] 

"Why didn't you want to return, Uncle?" 

Reiki's curiosity was piqued. 

Based on the Otsutsuki clan's rigid hierarchy, it was easy to understand why Kaguya resisted. 

Lower-ranking members were always at risk of being sacrificed for the higher-ups. Kaguya, unwilling to become nourishment for the chakra sacred tree or a chakra fruit for Ishiki, chose rebellion. 

But Teuchi's case was different. As someone of higher status, similar to Otsutsuki Urashiki, his role was supervisory. 

Why would he choose to stay? 

"Me…" 

"Perhaps I fell in love with this world." 

A wistful smile appeared on Teuchi's face.