Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 81: The Handsome Guy at Konoha Hospital

The Land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village.

The weather is nice today. Warm but not glaring sunlight falls down, casting a golden glow on the houses in the early morning.

Sakura, who woke up early, was about to put on her ninja shoes at the door when her sharp-eyed mother grabbed her and handed her a warm bottle of milk, nagging as usual:

"Sakura, you’re at the age where you need to grow. Remember to drink milk in the morning, and don't buy snacks outside—they're not hygienic."

"Got it, got it," Sakura replied helplessly, taking the milk.

Seeing her mother about to start another round of nagging, Sakura quickly put on her ninja shoes and, with a quick "I'm off to train," dashed out with a "whoosh."

"This kid," Sakura's mother shook her head, went up, and closed the door.

The streets of Konoha were already bustling with people. As Sakura walked through, she sighed, thinking about how her parents constantly controlled what she could eat and do. She fantasized:

"If only I wasn't under my parents' control, I could do whatever I wanted and eat whatever I wanted."

"But, Naruto and Sasuke probably don’t think like that," Sakura stopped and looked at a house not far away—Sasuke's former home.

Remembering the night Sasuke resolutely left, Sakura took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and encouraged herself:

"Come on, Sakura! To bring Sasuke back from Hagoromo Gengetsu, you have to work harder!"

"First step, complete the medical task assigned by the Hokage and truly become her disciple!"

Determined, Sakura took one last look at Sasuke's house, then quickened her pace towards Konoha Hospital.

As the only large comprehensive hospital in Konoha, Konoha Hospital housed the largest number of medical ninjas. The return of Tsunade, the master of medical ninjutsu, further improved and enhanced the hospital's medical system. With more funding injected into the village, Konoha Hospital now represented the highest standard of medical ninjutsu in the entire ninja world, attracting many people from all over the world to seek treatment.

When Sakura arrived, she saw the outpatient hall already filled with many patients. Medical ninjas and nurses in white coats were bustling around, starting their day.

Although Sakura was also wearing a white coat, she was not yet qualified to treat patients. Her current task was to battle with the poor fish in the lab, striving to master medical ninjutsu as soon as possible.

"Hey! Sakura!" Just as Sakura was about to start her daily training, a slender, white arm wrapped around her neck, followed by an enthusiastic greeting in her ear.

Sakura didn't need to look to know who it was.

"Ino, you’re here quite early today."

"I had to, considering the pressure you’re putting on me," said Yamanaka Ino with her golden ponytail high up, smiling.

Upon hearing that Sakura was learning medical ninjutsu, Ino, as her friend and long-time competitor, decided to join her without much thought. However, compared to Sakura's excellent talent in precise chakra control, Ino was much less skilled in this area, causing her to fall far behind Sakura's progress. Although a bit disheartened, Ino's fighting spirit remained intact, especially since she had recently encountered something very exciting.

"Sakura, Sakura," Ino looked around, then tugged at Sakura’s clothes, indicating for her to come closer.

"What's up?" Sakura complied, still puzzled.

"I found a super handsome guy in the hospital!" Ino whispered excitedly, as if sharing a significant secret.

Sakura rolled her eyes. She thought Ino was talking about something important, but it turned out to be this.

No wonder. Unlike herself, who had always been loyal to Sasuke, Ino was always fond of handsome guys. Although Sasuke was taken away by that scoundrel Hagoromo Gengetsu, Sakura's feelings remained unchanged.

"You can keep the handsome guy to yourself. I need to train," Sakura said, intending to leave the frivolous Ino.

Ino quickly grabbed her, sharing her joy: "Come on, let's go see. He's really handsome. Not just his looks but also that indescribable aura. Oh, and he's a famous doctor in the hospital recently, known for his excellent medical skills. Sakura, you’ve been having difficulties with medical problems, right? We can go ask him."

Hearing that the handsome guy Ino mentioned was highly skilled in medical ninjutsu, Sakura became interested but still worried, "Won't we be disturbing him?"

"Don't worry, he's very kind," Ino assured, patting her chest.

With Ino's reassurance, Sakura put her doubts aside and went with her to see the skilled doctor.

"Dr. Souke!" Ino enthusiastically waved as they found their target in a hospital corridor.

"Souke" turned around, and Sakura finally saw the handsome guy Ino had been talking about.

Indeed, he looked pretty good. However, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity at first glance.

Sakura blinked and looked again, but the feeling was gone.

"Strange."

Despite her curiosity, Sakura, led by Ino, walked closer and dismissed the thought, thinking she might have been seeing things.

Dr. Souke nodded to the very friendly Ino and then glanced at Sakura.

'Is her observation very keen, or is my acting poor?' Souke thought, noticing Sakura's earlier change in expression.

Of course, Dr. Souke wasn't the real person. The one here was Hagoromo Gengetsu himself, using his disguise technique. After resolving the issues in the Ninja Craftsman Village, he came to Konoha. Embracing a thirst for knowledge, he didn't cause a commotion but replaced a member of the Hagoromo clan working in Konoha Hospital. 

During this time, Gengetsu had read many internal medical ninjutsu books at Konoha Hospital, gaining a lot while also showcasing some talent, which increased his influence within the hospital and gave him access to more medical secrets.

As for the risk of being exposed, Gengetsu never intended to keep this identity hidden for long. He wasn’t a spy, nor did he have experience in this area. Disguising oneself is a meticulous task that requires extensive experience. Even if one's appearance is perfectly altered, some intrinsic traits are hard to change. 

Just now, Sakura, who had only seen him once, already sensed something was off.

Gengetsu didn't mind. His disguise didn't need to last long—just enough for his activities.