Chapter 8

For this, not only raw strength but also solid experience and a lot of luck are required. However, even in Ame, luck was on her side compared to the others, although the consequences left a clear mark.

Given the lack of clan symbols on her clothing and the obvious signs of lacking a kekkei genkai, Keiko's body was of no interest to anyone, so the victors tossed her into a pile with the other dead after looting and left her to rot without even bothering to burn the remains. They then left the battlefield without waiting for Konoha's forces to retaliate.

The half-dead kunoichi came to only after several hours, buried under a pile of dead bodies, with no chakra, significant blood loss, and poisoned by a particularly nasty toxin. Due to her immense weakness, she couldn't free herself from under the weight of the corpses and waited almost a day for help.

I can't even begin to imagine the depth of helplessness and despair she must have experienced, slowly dying in such a situation. It's no wonder someone could completely lose their sanity under such circumstances. It was fortunate that the arriving Konoha forces didn't immediately dispose of the bodies as was standard procedure on enemy territory when they couldn't be returned home but first decided to identify the dead, allowing the kunoichi to make a sound and be heard.

Keiko was saved, but her life, though spared, didn't save her career—the poison turned out to be malicious, affecting not just muscle tissues and the nervous system but also her kekkei genkai. In normal circumstances, there would have been nothing more than minor chakra channel damage, but combined with severe exhaustion, the result was fatal to her kunoichi career.

According to the most optimistic estimates from the examining iryo-nin, it would take a year of working on her kekkei genkai to be able to use even weak jutsu without risking her health. And this work would need to be done by a talent on par with Tsunade or someone similarly skilled.

Naturally, the village was not prepared to spend such money on a mere jounin, and Keiko was kept in a field hospital for a couple of months, treated enough to be able to move on her own, and then was kicked out with a meager pension and a small sum for her war service. Considering that the pension was barely enough to pay for a one-room apartment, she was contemplating stabbing herself with a kunai rather than starting to pack her things.

Recalling the battle I went through with Saya to get the chance to relocate Keiko to the second floor of the house with the shop, I shuddered. I had to admit how much I was invested in the well-being of a barely known kunoichi and then not allow the furious Saya to chop that same kunoichi into pieces with any weapon at hand. In the end, the decisive factor was the prospect of having an assistant in the shop.

Since I had to man the counter every day of the week, the prospect of having some rest seemed more attractive to Saya than the chance to eliminate an incapacitated person. However, this didn't save my friend from Saya's scorching looks. I even had to remind Saya that the positive effects of such early exposure to a female body were definitely beneficial when the clan girls started hunting me.

And not just clan girls. Although Saya reluctantly agreed with this logic, reducing her hostility, I had to appease her with shopping trips. Even though my wallet was drained by almost a hundred thousand ryo at a time and I'd prefer not to remember those few hours of my life, it was worth it.

Removing the now-drying towel from my head, I dipped it in water, thoroughly soaking it, and then placed it back, letting out a satisfied sigh as I leaned back on the hot stone and returned to my thoughts.

Thank the gods, the post-war frenzy is gradually beginning to subside, and the load on the hospital is somewhat decreasing over time along with the number of disabled and the increasing number of active iryo-nin returning to duty after recovering from their injuries.

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