"Danzo, Hyuga Shizuichi is someone both Mito-sama and Tsunade value highly."
The Third Hokage wasn't entirely sure of Shimura Danzo's intentions, but he wanted to warn him not to stir up trouble. It wouldn't end well for anyone involved.
"Sacrificing my influence for a boy with white-eye degenerative disease?" Shimura Danzo slammed the table in frustration. "I just don't want to see him in the village. As long as he leaves, I won't target him anymore."
The Third Hokage wasn't buying Danzo's words completely. It was clear that Danzo was going to great lengths to get Shizuichi out of the village. His reasons had to be malicious.
The Hokage frowned and stayed silent, not giving a response right away.
Danzo leaned in closer. "Sarutobi, don't forget that he's still part of the Hyuga clan. That caged bird seal remains on his head. As long as the Hyuga clan exists, there will always be a sword hanging over him."
"Can you guarantee that when Hyuga Shizuichi becomes as skilled as Tsunade, the Hyuga clan won't regret letting him rise?" Danzo's eyes narrowed.
At the end of the day, no matter how skilled he became, Shizuichi was still part of the Hyuga's branch family. The caged bird seal meant he would always be under the control of the clan.
Danzo waited for the Third Hokage's answer, watching his expression closely.
The Third Hokage, however, remained silent, sipping his drink thoughtfully, not answering for a long time. The only sounds in the tavern were the clinking of glasses and the quiet sipping of sake.
After finishing a bottle of sake, the Third Hokage stood up and, with a hint of redness in his face, walked towards the door.
"The New Year is coming. The border camps need to rotate their personnel. The elders will handle it."
Though the Third Hokage didn't explicitly agree, for Danzo, this was the result he wanted.
That night, Shimura Danzo visited Mito Monobu's residence.
The next day, a document regarding the border camp rotation was placed on the Third Hokage's desk. The next step was selecting the group of shinobi who would be sent to the border to replace the longest-serving stationed forces.
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Among the rotating positions was the role of a medical ninja.
This is when Shigeru's name appeared on the list.
Shigeru remained blissfully unaware of this development until someone from the Hokage's office came to inform him.
"So, when the time comes for the new group to head to the border camp, the village selects shinobi for the rotation, and I'm on the list?"
Is someone trying to target me, or did my name just come up randomly?
"I don't know the details. Just prepare to leave in three days," said the messenger from the Hokage's office, who was only responsible for delivering the news.
After sending off the messenger, Shigeru headed to the lounge. A stove was burning inside, keeping the small room warm and cozy. On such a cold day, the warmth made everyone feel drowsy. Tsunade was already passed out, her head resting on the table.
"Wake up and take a look at this for me," Shigeru said, giving her a little nudge.
Tsunade stirred awake, wiping her mouth to make sure she wasn't drooling before taking the notice from him.
"Border rotation?"
It took a moment for her sleepy mind to process, but once it did, she furrowed her brows and scratched her head irritably. "Ugh! Why did this have to happen right before the New Year? I thought I'd have a peaceful holiday."
Clearly not in a good mood from being woken up, Tsunade's frustration grew as she read further. Then, she noticed something.
"Wait, this isn't my name—it's yours?"
Shigeru shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah, I thought being a regular medical ninja exempted me from this."
Tsunade raised her arms in a stretch and explained, "Nope, as long as you're a village ninja, you can be selected. Nobody likes going to the border. It's boring work with no chance to go home."
She then added with a laugh, "Remember last year when Jiraiya got picked for it? He was so mad!"
Hearing this, Shigeru wondered if his selection really was random. Could someone be messing with me?
"You'll be fine. Medical ninjas have a lot of freedom in border camps. You don't have to do patrols or other chores. Just be ready to treat anyone who gets injured, and you'll be left alone. Plus, you still get paid while you're stationed there," Tsunade explained.
"So, being stationed at the border isn't that bad?" Shigeru raised an eyebrow.
Tsunade shrugged. "If you don't mind having nothing to do, yeah, it's not too bad. You'll be paid just for being there."
"Is it like that for all the other shinobi?" Shigeru asked curiously.
Tsunade scoffed. "You wish! If every ninja had that deal, the village would go broke. Only specialists, like medical and sealing ninjas, get those benefits."
Indeed, medical and sealing ninjas were rare and crucial, so they received better treatment than regular shinobi.
"Guess I'll start packing then. It's probably going to be boring out there, but at least I'll have some time to myself."
Shigeru planned to pack some extra seasonings and cooking supplies. That way, he could prepare some delicious meals when there wasn't much going on. After all, there were plenty of forests in the Land of Fire, full of game to hunt.
As long as he wasn't stationed in the Land of Wind, where the only thing to hunt would be lizards in the desert, Shigeru figured he could make the most of it.
Shigeru didn't tell Kushina about his upcoming assignment. He knew the little girl would be upset and reluctant to see him go.
Three days passed quickly, and Shigeru, fully prepared, arrived at the training ground for the gathering. The selected shinobi were to leave the village and head to the border together.
Border camps weren't large. Their purpose was to prevent surprise attacks from enemies. If any disturbance occurred, the camp would immediately relay the news to the village so preparations could be made. Thus, only a few dozen shinobi were stationed at each camp.
Shigeru was the only medical ninja among the group.
Some familiar faces had gathered, and the shinobi chatted amongst themselves.
"I promised my wife we'd have a nice New Year together, but here I am, getting shipped to the border," one complained.
"At least you have a wife! I was about to propose to my girlfriend, but now I've got to go," said another.
"Haha, hope she's still your girlfriend when you get back," someone teased.
"Shut up!" came the quick retort.
"Hey, who's the medical ninja in our group? We should introduce ourselves and get to know them. You never know when you'll need a healer," one of the shinobi suggested.
In border camps, medical ninjas were essential. Injuries could be fatal without immediate treatment, and no one wanted to get on their bad side.
Far away from the village, a medical ninja's presence could be the difference between life and death.