Naruto: You Call This A Medical Ninja?

The atmosphere at the scene turned cold for a moment.

Nozuki had suspected multiple times before that Reiki was behind these peculiar situations. But every time she confronted him, Reiki played innocent, presenting various reasons to deny involvement.

This time, however, the truth was clear—it was all his doing.

"Don't look at me like that…" Reiki said hastily, sensing Nozuki's glare, which practically screamed that she wanted to punch him. "It was Black Zetsu who orchestrated this!"

He quickly added, "This was to get you all prepared. If the real special training raid comes, it won't be as...gentle as this one."

"Gentle?!" Nozuki raised her eyebrows, clearly unimpressed. She still looked ready to vent her frustrations on him, but despite her annoyance, she knew Reiki wouldn't retaliate against a friend.

"You're saying the next training will be even tougher?" Nozuki asked, her discomfort evident.

Reiki nodded seriously. "It might be stricter than this. Nozuki, Shisui, as my companions, I need you both to understand the magnitude of what we're preparing for."

He paused, his expression becoming somber. "When I fought Otsutsuki Ishiki, you weren't there. But you were both present when we faced Otsutsuki Hamura. Hamura may have seemed powerful, but in the hierarchy of the Otsutsuki clan, he's essentially at the bottom. What's coming will be far worse."

Reiki's words carried weight, and both Nozuki and Shisui nodded in understanding.

"I know," Nozuki said, clenching her fists. "It's just training. I'll get through it, no matter what."

Reiki smiled faintly, then turned to them with a new task. "How are you both progressing with Sage Mode? Natural energy might be our best weapon against the Otsutsuki clan. I need you two to master it quickly."

"I've been working on it," Shisui said, pulling out a scroll. With a quick motion, he bit his finger, pressed it against the scroll, and disappeared in a burst of white mist.

Reiki turned to Nozuki. "What about you? Why haven't you left for training?"

Nozuki hesitated, her expression conflicted. "Reiki, I don't want to go to Fairyland anymore…"

"Why not?" Reiki asked, confused. "Did something happen there?"

Nozuki hesitated before admitting, "It makes me... look ugly." Her voice was filled with embarrassment as she explained.

"Ugly?" Reiki asked, puzzled. Then it dawned on him. "Are you talking about the changes to your appearance when you fail to fully control Sage Chakra?"

Nozuki nodded reluctantly.

"Ah, I see. You chose Mount Myoboku, didn't you? It's common for beginners to have this issue with Myoboku's Sage Chakra. It's nothing to worry about," Reiki said with a reassuring smile.

"Really? Did this happen to you too?" Nozuki asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.

"Of course. Everyone goes through this phase unless they have an exceptionally high compatibility with their chosen Sage Land. It's a learning process," Reiki explained.

To prove his point, he called out, "Qingyan!"

A figure appeared beside Reiki almost instantly.

"This is Qingyan. He didn't go to a Sage Land but directly engaged with natural energy. Qingyan, show them your fighting state," Reiki said.

Qingyan nodded and released his control over the natural energy in his body. His appearance shifted dramatically, taking on a monstrous form with red hues and wild features.

Nozuki's jaw dropped. "This…! You're the one we saw during that attack in the Land of Rain!"

Qingyan smiled sheepishly but didn't respond.

"Let me show you my incomplete Sage Mode," Reiki said as he activated his Sage Chakra. His face became covered with tiny scales, and a strange bulge formed on his forehead. "Ugly, right?" he joked.

Then, Reiki transitioned into his complete Sage Mode. His form became sleek and refined, glowing with a faint blue aura. The scales disappeared, replaced by elegant, glowing patterns. The transformation was stunning.

"Wow… That's incredible," Nozuki murmured, inspired by the stark difference between the incomplete and complete forms.

"See? It's all part of the process," Reiki said with a grin.

Encouraged, Nozuki took out her scroll and performed a reverse summoning, vanishing to resume her training.

After she left, Reiki deactivated his Sage Mode and turned to Qingyan. "Let's go. We need to finalize the next training plan."

The two of them headed toward Yucun Village, which had undergone significant changes. The most notable transformation was the towering, newly built walls that now surrounded the area.

Reiki's gaze turned serious. "There's still much to prepare," he muttered, already planning their next move.