Holiday 2

*Knock, knock, knock.*

"Please come in." Dosuke and Tachie entered the ward together.

"It's you, Dosuke & Tachie." Soma looked at the two subordinates who had just walked in. "This time, I owe my life to both of you for risking everything to save me."

"Tachie has already explained it briefly. This mission failed due to my incompetence, nearly causing the entire team to perish." Soma struck the bed in self-blame.

As the captain, not only had he failed to protect his subordinates, but he had also become their burden. He and Takuto, who were unconscious, had been carried back by the two of them.

A genin and a chunin had first killed a ninja from Sunagakure and then escaped Sunagakure's pursuit team. It was an impossible feat. Just thinking about the severity of the danger made it clear.

"The captain isn't at fault. It was mainly Dosuke's contribution. Without him, we'd all have been killed by Erming, the hidden ghost master of the sand," Tachie quickly explained.

"It was Sister Tachie. She held back the opponent's main combat force, allowing me to seize the opportunity," Dosuke said, waving his hand modestly in response to Tachie's explanation.

"Alright, both of you, stop being so humble. Even I couldn't easily kill a renowned ninja!" Soma felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at his two subordinates. They never abandoned their comrades, even at the risk of their own lives.

"And this time, I truly owe you both a huge debt," Soma said with a hearty laugh.

"Captain, hurry up and eat!" Tachie placed the food box on Soma's table.

Opening the food box, Soma said, "Tachie, your cooking skills have improved again. Sit down, don't just stand there."

"Captain, regarding this mission, due to the battle, the bodies of Erming and several others were heavily damaged. We only brought back the head of the Sunagakure ninja, Aoyusuke. Since you were unconscious at the time, Captain, I handed it over to Tsunade-sensei," Dosuke explained.

"It doesn't matter. Our team survived this time thanks to you both. As long as we're alive, everything else can be resolved. I've already written the mission report and submitted it," Soma replied.

"And this time, we owe Tsunade-sama a great deal. To heal Takuto's leg, Tsunade-sama didn't rest all night. It's my fault. If it weren't for me, Takuto wouldn't have suffered such a severe injury." Speaking of Tsunade, Soma's voice carried heartfelt emotion.

"Then, Captain, hurry up and eat. Rest early after you're done. I'll go check on Takuto." Seeing Soma about to launch into a long speech, Dosuke quickly stood up to leave.

Noticing Tachie still seated, Dosuke grabbed her hand, pulled her up, and dragged her out of the room.

"What are you doing? I didn't even grab the food box!" Tachie complained to Dosuke as soon as they left the room.

"Didn't you see how Captain was acting? If we stayed, he'd have blamed himself to death. Let's give him some time to adjust," Dosuke explained while pulling her toward Takuto's room.

"Just walk, how long are you going to hold on?" Tachie glanced at the hand gripping hers.

Hearing her complaint, Dosuke quickly let go and scratched the back of his head. "Heh, I got carried away."

"What an idiot." Seeing Dosuke's expression, Tachie strode ahead of him.

When they reached Takuto's ward, they noticed the door was slightly open.

Just as Dosuke was about to knock, a sound came…

"Takuto, you just woke up. You need to eat something," a gentle middle-aged woman's voice said.

"Mom, can I still be a ninja?" Takuto's voice trembled.

"Sigh…" The gentle voice fell silent, but the deep sigh spoke volumes.

"Takuto, nothing in this world is perfect. Compared to many who died in wars and missions, you're fortunate. Tsunade-sama said that, thankfully, your teammates knew medical ninjutsu and performed emergency treatment on your legs. So, your legs won't affect your daily life in the future," the gentle voice continued.

*Sob, sob, sob…* Bursts of crying echoed from the ward.

Dosuke lowered his hand. He exchanged a glance with Tachie, who had leaned closer, and shook his head.

They turned and walked back to their ward.

Tachie followed behind Dosuke, tiptoeing quietly.

Back in his ward, Dosuke recalled Takuto's cries. *This is truly a cruel world. It's so harsh. One misstep, and you could lose your life* Dosuke thought.

"At least we're still alive, and as long as we're alive, there's hope," Tachie said, standing by the window and looking at Dosuke, who lay on the bed.

Konoha, Hokage Office

The Third Hokage held a pipe in his mouth, exhaling a large puff of smoke.

On the large Hokage desk, the usual crystal ball was absent. Instead, three scrolls were spread out.

One was titled *Reconnaissance Mission of Border Town in the Land of Wind*.

Another was *Intelligence Analysis of Jieren*.

The last, placed atop the others, was *On the Importance and Feasibility of Promoting Squad Medical Ninjas*.

These were the reports submitted to the Hokage by Soma Nakajima, the intelligence analysis department, and Tsunade after Dosuke's team returned.

The Third Hokage took a deep drag from his pipe, closed his eyes, and pondered for a moment before opening them. He slowly exhaled the smoke and sighed softly.

He was still quite surprised by Dosuke. Recalling Soma Nakajima's account in the mission report, he remembered the boy's performance during the Ninja School Ranking Tournament. Yet, he hadn't expected such an outstanding performance in this mission.

Particularly during the mission's crisis, Dosuke's composure, far beyond that of an ordinary person, his strategic approach, and his exceptional medical ninjutsu had been critical.

In any other team, Soma Nakajima and Takuto Aburame would have had no chance of survival. The team might even have been wiped out.

Thinking of Dosuke's excellence and his step-by-step control, the Third Hokage saw a rare talent.

Even more commendable was that Dosuke never abandoned his teammates, whether advancing or retreating.

Compared to his former rival, Kakashi Hatake, who was undoubtedly a surprising genius, Kakashi had become withdrawn after his father White Fang's suicide and was pushed out of his original squad.

Moreover, Dosuke was a disciple of his own disciple, Tsunade.

He hadn't expected Tsunade to produce such an exceptional student, alongside Jiraiya's disciple, Minato, who was also remarkable.

However, thinking of Tsunade's gambling habit gave the Third Hokage a headache. For Dosuke's training, he needed to pay close attention.

Taking a deep puff from his pipe, the Third Hokage picked up the topmost scroll, *The Importance and Feasibility of Promoting Squad Medical Ninjas*, and noted Tsunade's signature at the bottom.