263. Door closed

----

The mercenaries hadn't run away.

As professional hired hands, they valued their reputation more than their lives.

Since they had already accepted Akatsuki's payment, they were committed to completing the job.

It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that, after hearing what had happened to Kumogakure, they were terrified of getting obliterated.

Ever since news of Kumogakure's destruction spread, Kirigakure had intensified its security. Yagura was even considering relocating Utakata outside the village to avoid endangering civilians.

Thanks to these heightened security measures, The Mercenary group found their infiltration plans increasingly difficult.

They were forced to set up their hideouts farther away, making it nearly impossible to sneak in and capture the jinchūriki.

A man in green attire, clearly impatient, grumbled, "Boss, isn't Akatsuki screwing us over? We finally had the layout figured out, and then they went and caused this huge mess. Now Kirigakure's defences are completely different! How are we supposed to act now? Should we just refund their money and call it quits?"

The one in purple, clearly annoyed by his hotheadedness, retorted, "Easy for you to say! This job pays big. If we quit now, are you going to cover my share?"

The green-clad man scoffed. "In your dreams."

"Enough," the red-clad leader interrupted. "It's clear they won't be moving the jinchūriki anytime soon. Let's wait until after the Five Kage Summit. In the meantime, we'll take turns keeping watch and increase our surveillance with more insect scouts to track their movements."

The blue-clad member raised an eyebrow. "What if Akatsuki pushes us for results?"

The leader smirked. "Then they pay more. They're the ones who made this job harder. Either they cough up extra cash, or they wait a little longer. The most annoying kind of employer is the one who screws up their own mission."

With their strategy set, the five mercenaries reluctantly returned to their positions.

---

Kirigakure wasn't the only village stepping up its defences Konoha was also on high alert.

Even Naruto had been dragged into helping the Barrier Team enhance their defensive and sensory barriers. Every day, he had to recharge Aincrad's energy reserves as well.

Currently, Aincrad had been relocated to the southern coast of the Land of Fire, protected by additional concealment and defensive seals.

It was designated as Konoha's last-resort evacuation site.

If a large-scale battle did break out in the village, the Uzumaki Transportation Corps would immediately transfer all civilians and non-combatants to the floating fortress.

Losing land is fine as long as the people survive, the land can always be reclaimed.

Of course, the ideal scenario was still preventing enemies from reaching the village in the first place, which was why they were strengthening the Sensory Division's barrier network.

Meanwhile, Sakura was nearly a full-fledged medical ninja and had recently been assisting in training field medics.

The goal wasn't to turn them into full-fledged medical-nin but to ensure every squad had at least one member with basic battlefield medical skills.

Years ago, Tsunade had suggested that every team include a medical ninja, but Konoha's previous leadership had rejected the idea.

After Tsunade's return, she revived the initiative with Minato and Jiraiya's full support.

It was a gradual process. They couldn't just dismantle existing teams or force a shift to five-man squads.

Instead, they identified one member in each squad with decent chakra control and trained them in medical ninjutsu.

For the past two years, Tsunade and Shizune had been leading the effort, and now Sakura had joined them.

Her current students? Her old classmates included Hinata, Ino, Karin, and… Neji.

---

"Why is it Neji-niisan representing Team Gai and not Tenten?" Hinata tilted her head curiously. Ino and Karin also looked at Neji, clearly wondering the same thing.

Neji hesitated, looking a bit awkward.

Sakura explained, "Typically, the kunoichi in each team have the best chakra control, so they're more suited for medical ninjutsu. But Tenten…"

Ino raised an eyebrow. "No way. Tenten learned the Hokage's signature jutsu her chakra control can't be bad."

Sakura sighed. "It's not that her control is bad. The problem is… she has zero talent for medical ninjutsu. She couldn't even pass the basic entry test."

The entry test was simple: using a specially designed scroll as a guide, the student had to infuse chakra into a designated area to heal a fish.

Those with potential only needed to follow the scroll's instructions carefully to succeed.

Tenten, however…

For some reason, the moment her chakra entered the fish, it immediately died.

It didn't matter if the fish had been clinging to life it instantly perished the second she tried to heal it.

Tenten, unwilling to accept defeat, kept trying.

She tried dozens of times.

By the end of the day, not only her team, Gai, Neji, and Lee, but even Sakura, who had been supervising, had eaten so much grilled fish that they never wanted to see another one again.

Sakura had no choice but to let Neji try.

He succeeded on his first attempt.

Even Lee and Gai, who were not exactly chakra control experts, could at least avoid instantly killing the fish.

Devastated, Tenten had clutched her chest and groaned, "My idol is Lady Tsunade… I always dreamed of becoming an incredible kunoichi like her… But I have no medical talent at all! And I'm worse than Lee?!"

Then, with a dramatic sigh, she placed a hand on Neji's shoulder.

"Neji… I'm entrusting my dreams to you."

Hinata, Ino, and Karin all fell silent, collectively mourning Tenten's shattered ambitions.

The Sage of Six Paths opened a door for her… but then slammed a window shut right in her face.

---

"Alright, enough of that," Sakura clapped her hands. "Let's start today's lesson."

She cleared her throat and adjusted her stance, mimicking Tsunade's authoritative posture.

For a moment, her entire demeanour shifted.

Even Ino, her longtime rival and best friend, felt momentarily intimidated.

The lesson went smoothly. As expected, Hinata and Neji excelled in the theoretical aspects.

After all, aside from medical-nin, no one understood the human body better than the Hyūga.

With their Byakugan's X-ray-like vision, applying it to medical ninjutsu was practically cheating.

However, the fastest learner turned out to be Karin.

Even Sakura was surprised by how quickly Naruto's seemingly carefree onee-san grasped the techniques.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted." Ino stretched. Then her eyes brightened with an idea. "Since we're all together, how about we go to the hot springs?"

She sighed dramatically. "Though, I have heard rumours about peeping toms lurking around. I haven't dared to go in ages."

Karin adjusted her glasses. "No problem. My mom set up a special barrier around the baths. No one can see through it."

Sakura grinned and cracked her knuckles. "Tsunade-sensei also mentioned this problem. She caught one of the perverts red-handed and beat the crap out of him."

"Then it's settled!" Ino cheered. "Hinata, you in?"

Hinata hesitated, a bit shy. "O-okay."

"I'll head home first," Neji said, already excusing himself from the conversation. "Do you want me to invite Tenten?"

"Of course! It'll be more fun with everyone," Ino nodded eagerly. Then she turned to Karin. "Oh, and invite Yakumo and Haku too!"

Karin sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? Haku is a guy!"

----

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