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Chapter 24 - Ch-24 Hero

Soft strokes of wind hit his body, like someone was massaging him using Jutsu's.The air smelled of medicines and ointments.

Kyojiro Uchiha groaned as he shifted on his side. His body protested against the motion—soft echoes of pain rocketing through him.

His eyes fluttered open—the light nearly blinding him for a second. By the time it took him to adjust, he had long since gained awareness of the situation.

'A medical ward.' Kyojiro sighed as he looked at the ill and broken men beside him. Some had their legs amputated, while some were off with just a few scratches.

'It seems we won.' His shoulders drooped subconsciously. Groaning, he tried to sit up.

"Ouch, ouch," he whispered to himself. His voice cracked—perhaps because he hadn't used it in a long time.He exhaled a breath of air before sitting straight—only then could he see the full view.

He was in a camp, a tent of sorts—dark green with olive pastels spread all around it. The beds were strewn systematically—many of the shinobi lay, some asleep while others grunted in pain.

Kyojiro turned towards the flap of the tent—the exit. Soft rays of light peeked through the gap; the room, otherwise dark and depressing, felt somehow hopeful because of it.

He clenched his fist, his gaze hardening. 'My body... it still can't handle the strain of Full Concentration Breathing for long.'The question still haunted him. 'As a shinobi with far better hardware, why can't I still perform it to the fullest?'

His jaw tightened as he remembered the advanced application—the Total Concentration Breathing that would keep one at their peak strength all day long.

His eyes looked at the ray of sunlight, the dust made aware by the luminosity around it. 'What am I missing—what can I not see?'

Yet before he could think further, the flap parted slightly—a feminine hand peeking through.

FLIP

The woman who walked in looked at Kyojiro with wide eyes. "You recovered already?"She seemed to be in standard Leaf gear, with a headband secured tightly on her forehead.

She walked forward, immediately touching Kyojiro's head. "No fever," she spoke to herself, before checking his vitals and pinching a few body parts.

Kyojiro could still feel the strain on his vessels every time she pressed, but he kept quiet. 'I want out of here as soon as possible—the vessels will heal soon enough anyway.'

Her eyes widened in amazement. "You are all healed up—I mean, you still need rest and stay away from fighting—but you're more than halfway already there." She took two steps back.

Kyojiro nodded. "Thank you. Can I take a breath of fresh air outside?" His voice was kind.

The girl suddenly seemed to suppress a grin. "Anything for the hero of the field," her eyes lighting up.

'Hero?'

He shook his head, confused, but moved towards the exit.

FLIP

The moment he exited the treatment camp, the sun hit him with full force. Goosebumps ran across his skin as he saw the Leaf rebuilding the camp.

The difference was like night and day.

There were shinobi taking wood logs from one end to another—a full force of men working on fixing the very walls they broke.

The scouting tower was almost complete, with only the checking left. Kyojiro felt his mouth hang open as he looked at the efficiency and morale the Leaf held.

THUD

Kyojiro couldn't help but look at a Leaf shinobi—a kid nearly fourteen years of age—dropping a few wood logs on the ground.He moved forward, picking them up without hesitation.

"Wait, you're awake?" the kid finally noticed the man, suddenly lighting up.

Kyojiro raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?" he asked, confused.

The kid didn't even hesitate—he suddenly shouted in the middle of the camp, "Guys! He's awake!"

Kyojiro felt his eyes widen as a plethora of shinobi suddenly looked in his direction."Hey guys, this is the guy I told you about!" one shinobi shouted, moving towards Kyojiro.

Another spoke from the far left, "Man, it took you so long to wake up!"

Soon, around twenty or more shinobi gathered around him, their faces lit up in excitement and hope.

Kyojiro almost double-taked as he saw the scene. 'Am I still dreaming? What the heck is happening right now?'He couldn't help but embarrassingly scratch his head. Never in his life had he been looked at with so many friendly gazes.

From the middle of the crowd, one shinobi walked out—a young face, an optimistic look, and a single arm on his figure.Kyojiro's eyes widened as he looked at the healed Kushiro—minus his left arm.

Kushiro didn't hesitate, immediately bringing him in for a hug. "Man, these guys saw how you protected me and so many more against that Jonin," his voice sincere. "You acted like a hero, you know."

One shinobi spoke from the crowd, "Hell yeah, I was almost about to piss my pants when I saw that ape killing off our men—but then this guy came in, full fire ready!"

The others nodded in agreement before suddenly lunging towards Kyojiro. They lifted him, throwing him in the air before catching him.

"Here's one for the Hero of the Field!" they all shouted, before throwing him once again.

And despite the pain—despite the understanding that it was his duty to protect—

For the first time in his life, Kyojiro looked towards the happy faces of strangers—ones who looked up to him, celebrated him, and respected him.

'Hero, huh... guess it isn't too bad after all.'

He didn't know when, but he was smiling—not the stoic Uchiha smile, not a simple tug of his lips—but a full-blown smile erupted on his face.

That day, the whole camp of the Leaf witnessed a strange spectacle.

A Uchiha with fiery hair was being celebrated in the crowd—with a full-blown smile on his face.

'Even Uchiha can smile after all.'

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