Land of Waves, Tazuna's House.
The house was simple and crude; the air was filled with a faint scent of dampness and wood shavings. Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami—a gentle woman—was holding hot tea, her hands still trembling slightly. Her son, a boy named Inari, hid in a corner, stealing glances at this group of strange ninjas with a look mixed with fear and hostility.
Sora didn't care at all. As if he were in his own home, he found the most comfortable spot to sit down and pointed to the inner room.
"Karin, move Naruto and Sasuke inside and lay them down."
"Yes!"
Karin responded and, with some effort, dragged her two unconscious teammates into the room. Sora picked up a teacup, blew off the steam, and took a slow sip. His shadow clones had already scouted the entire vicinity; Gato's men were all cooped up in their base and wouldn't be a problem for the time being.
Now, it was precious teaching time.
He walked into the room where Naruto and Sasuke lay side-by-side on the tatami mats. Naruto was sleeping like a dead pig, a suspicious bit of drool even hanging from the corner of his mouth. His chest rose and fell steadily. The wounds Zabuza had kicked into him had already scabbed over thanks to his freakish self-healing ability.
Sora crouched down and poked Naruto's belly, which had recovered to its smooth original state.
[Naruto Uzumaki • Nine-Tails Chakra Self-Healing Ability]
Flamboyance: ☆☆☆☆☆ (No aesthetic sense whatsoever, just pure tanking)
Practicality: ★★★★★ (Durable, saves mana, highly recommended)
After silently finishing his rating, Sora stood up and turned his gaze to Sasuke.
Sasuke's situation was much more pathetic. His face was pale, his lips were parched, and the wound on his shoulder from the kunai was still seeping blood. Although Karin had performed emergency first aid earlier, the wound remained hideous.
Most importantly: he was awake. Those black eyes were staring fixedly at the ceiling, filled with resentment, humiliation, and a trace of undeniable confusion.
"Alright, stop playing dead," Sora's voice rang out lazily. "Karin."
"Here!" Karin immediately stood up straight.
"How is your memorization of medical ninjutsu theory coming along?"
"I've... I've already memorized it all," Karin answered with a hint of uncertainty.
"Very good." Sora nodded in satisfaction. "No matter how well you learn the theory, if you don't practice, it's just talk." He pointed his finger at Uchiha Sasuke, whose body stiffened instantly. "Now, begin your first clinical practice. Your patient is him."
As soon as he said this, the air in the room froze. Karin was stunned, her small face written with helplessness. Sasuke's body, meanwhile, went as rigid as an iron plate. He snapped his head around, glaring at Sora with eyes full of rage.
"What... did you say?" His voice was raspy from weakness, but the pride of the Uchiha had not diminished in the slightest.
"I said, let her treat you," Sora repeated with a grin, as if he were stating something perfectly normal. "Why, do you have an objection?"
"I don't need it!" Sasuke gritted his teeth, trying to sit up. But the sharp pain and the feeling of weakness made even this simple movement incredibly difficult.
"Oh? You don't need it?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "Then are you planning to let that wound heal by itself?" He crouched down and gave a light poke right next to Sasuke's wound.
"Sss—!" Sasuke inhaled sharply, a layer of cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead.
"See? It actually hurts quite a bit." Sora withdrew his finger, the smile on his face innocent and pure. "Karin's perception and chakra control make her a natural-born prodigy for medical ninjutsu. Letting her use you for practice is a bargain for you. This is a VIP one-on-one exclusive treatment service; most people couldn't get this even if they wanted to."
Sasuke's chest heaved violently; he felt like his lungs were about to explode with rage.
Practice? Using me—the genius of the Uchiha clan—as a practice tool for some girl from the Uzumaki family? This was even more humiliating than being defeated by Zabuza or being tricked by that fake Hunter-nin!
"What are you standing there for, Karin?" Sora urged. "Come here, I'll teach you how to do it."
Karin hesitated for a moment but eventually walked to Sasuke's side and carefully crouched down. "Sora... Brother Sora, I'm scared..."
"What's there to be afraid of?" Sora's voice remained gentle. "I'm watching; he won't die."
He grabbed Karin's hand and placed her palm directly over Sasuke's wound. "Close your eyes and perceive his body. Find the location of the wound, sense the degree of muscle tearing, and the damage to the blood vessels. Then, use the Mystical Palm Technique to gather chakra—gather it into his body."
Sora's voice carried a strange, guiding quality. Karin took a deep breath and, following his instructions, slowly closed her eyes. A soft green light glowed in her palm.
Sasuke felt a warm, life-filled energy pour in from the wound. The tearing pain was rapidly being soothed. However, the physical comfort only intensified his internal torment. He could feel Karin's trembling hands. He could feel that bastard Sora watching him with interest, looking at him like he was an experimental specimen.
He, Uchiha Sasuke, had become a fish on a cutting board, at the mercy of others.
"Not quite, Karin. Your chakra output on the left side is too strong; be gentler," Sora's voice rang out again, sounding like the strictest anatomy teacher. "Yes, like that. Otherwise, it'll leave a scar. It won't be easy for the little guy to find a wife later."
"Tsk, Sasuke, your physical constitution is actually quite good. Your chakra activity is much higher than average; you're very durable."
Sasuke bit his lip so hard his gums bled. He swore that once his injuries were healed, he would... he would definitely become stronger! Strong enough to trample this hateful guy under his feet!
Time passed minute by minute. Karin's movements shifted from initial clumsiness and trembling to becoming increasingly skilled and steady. The green light in her palm grew brighter.
Finally, as the last trace of green light merged into the wound, the hideous gash on Sasuke's shoulder had completely healed, leaving only a faint pink mark. Karin withdrew her hand and let out a long breath. Her small face was covered in sweat and exhaustion, but her red eyes sparkled with an unprecedented light.
"I... I did it!"
"Mm, you did well." Sora patted her head, giving her a positive evaluation. "For a first clinical practice, I can give you an A-."
He stood up and looked down at Sasuke, who was now able to sit up, that bright smile back on his face. "How does it feel, Sasuke-kun? Do you feel full of power, like you can't wait to go fight Zabuza for another three hundred rounds?"
Sasuke didn't speak. He just sat there in silence, his black bangs obscuring his current expression.
"Alright, since the casualties have been dealt with." Sora stretched and turned toward the door. "Then our training should move to the next stage. Karin, you're in charge of looking after these two. I'm going to go get an extra dish for our dinner."
With that, his figure disappeared through the doorway.