Returning to the Village

"What about your team's mission, Brother Minato?" Dosuke asked, glancing at Minato as they walked.

"Don't worry, I informed Kakashi before coming here. He'll lead Obito and Rin to finish the task. And stop with the formalities, just call me Brother Minato. We're peers, after all!" Minato said with a warm smile. As disciples of the Sannin, he felt no need for such formality.

"Alright, Brother Minato. How did you suddenly appear in our encirclement?" Dosuke asked, curiosity in his eyes.

"Oh, that? That was the Flying Thunder God Technique. If you're interested in the space-time ninjutsu created by the Second Hokage, I can teach you," Minato said enthusiastically.

* He's truly a good person, a commoner who'll become Hokage. I'll never have that kind of charisma * Dosuke thought.

Minato had no intention of hiding his technique. The Flying Thunder God Technique, one of the ninja world's rare space-time arts, was rivaled only by Obito's Sharingan.

It would be a lie to say Dosuke wasn't tempted.

However, he'd likely never get the chance to learn it. The technique was sealed in Konoha's Forbidden Scroll Catalog. Besides the Second Hokage, who created it, Minato was the only one to master it, showing its immense difficulty.

Minato's rise to Fourth Hokage, standing at the ninja world's peak, owed much to this technique.

Learning it wouldn't make Dosuke the best, but it would be a huge step forward.

"Thank you, Minato-sama. Without you, Dosuke and I would've died. I'll repay you when we get back," Tachie, who had been silent, spoke up.

"We're all comrades from the same village. Anyone would've stepped in. Don't worry about it," Minato replied.

A silver-haired figure flashed through his mind, and he shook his head slightly.

"Brother Minato, don't be modest. If not for you, I was ready to go down. Tachie and I owe you a proper thank you," Dosuke said with a grin.

* This is my chance to connect with the future Fourth Hokage. I can't let it slip * Dosuke thought.

The group moved forward. Tachie trailed slightly behind on the left, watching Dosuke and Minato chat and laugh. * My chakra is nearly gone, and these cuts sting * Tachie thought, her steps faltering.

As they talked, Dosuke and Minato grew closer. Before long, they entered Konoha's alert range.

"We've reached the village's barrier. I need to rejoin Kakashi and the others to finish our mission. Treat your wounds first. I'm off," Minato said, handing Takuto to Tachie and vanishing with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"Tachie, let's go. We survived, so no need to feel down," Dosuke said, noticing her low mood.

"You're right. Nothing's worse than death. We survived it," Tachie said, striding forward.

At the village gate, Dosuke, carrying Soma, looked up at the massive gates, spanning three-quarters of the wall's height.

The Konoha symbol between the two "Ninja" characters stirred a new sense of belonging in him.

Bracing himself, he stepped forward.

"Who are you?" A gate ninja stopped Dosuke and Tachie, eyeing the wounded on their backs, their tattered clothes, and their scars.

Realizing he wasn't wearing his forehead protector, Dosuke set Soma down, pulled the mission scroll from Soma's clothes, and said, "We're a team from a mission. We were attacked on the way back."

One ninja checked the scroll, Dosuke's forehead protector, and their exit records.

Tachie removed her contact lenses, revealing her Byakugan.

"Sorry, without forehead protectors, we couldn't identify you at first," a ninja apologized, returning the items.

"It's fine, it's protocol," Dosuke said. He and Tachie rushed to Konoha Hospital.

Konoha Hospital

Dosuke, carrying Soma, burst into the emergency room. After finding an empty bed, he settled Soma, and Tachie placed Takuto.

"Sister Yukino, please prepare some medicine," Dosuke said, grabbing a passing nurse.

"Ah!" Yukino jumped, startled by the sudden grab.

She turned and saw Dosuke, battered and bruised. His neat, tied-back hair was a mess, his clothes torn.

His skin was covered in small scrapes and cuts, and the blood crusted around his abdominal bandage had darkened.

"Dosuke, what happened? Are you okay?" Yukino asked, worry in her voice.

"Lie down now. I'll get a medic."

"I'm fine, Sister Yukino. My injuries aren't serious. Just get some medicine," Dosuke said, calming her.

"Is Tsunade-sensei here? My teammates need her," Dosuke asked.

"Get to a bed, kid," a familiar voice said firmly.

"Sensei…" Dosuke turned and saw Tsunade standing there.

"You've worked hard," Tsunade said, eyeing Dosuke's scars.