Naruto: Tsunade’s Reincarnated Older Brother

"So, when do you think you'll be discharged?"

"I've been bedridden for half a year, so my body's completely out of shape, I can't even perform the Clone Technique properly. Rehabilitation will take time. But I need to get discharged soon if I want to become Hokage..."

"I see... I'm not trying to rush you, but please come back soon. Everyone's waiting for you, and you can't afford to repeat a year, can you?"

"Yeah, I'm the Hokage's grandson. Repeating a year is absolutely out of the question..."

Sakumo stared intently at Tatami, who could only smile wryly in response.

The two exchanged updates on their lives while sharing mandarin oranges. In the six months Tatami had been unconscious, the world had changed dramatically. The selection and inauguration of the Second Hokage, the announcement of Hashirama's death, the funeral...

When Tatami had been asked if there was anything he wanted from Hashirama's belongings, he had replied that he didn't need anything.

Due to the chaos in his chakra, Tatami still had no prospect of being discharged from the hospital. He maintained contact with the outside world through visits from his classmates at the ninja academy after school.

According to Sakumo, it was almost time for the annual transfer period, and the promotion exams were approaching. Tatami sighed, crossing his arms.

"Your injuries weren't minor, so it can't be helped. I'll help you with your rehabilitation, so keep working hard."

"Thanks. Sakumo, you'll be my advisor in the future."

"..."

"Hey, Tatami! How are you doing?"

"Choya? You're still as loud as ever."

"I'll never lose to you! Haha!"

"Hey, this is a hospital room. Keep it down."

"Sorry, sorry."

The hospital room door burst open, revealing a chubby yet somehow spirited-looking boy, Choya Akimichi.

He was a classmate from the ninja academy and one of Tatami's friends.

Choya belonged to a branch of the Akimichi clan, who possessed secret ninja techniques that allowed them to enlarge parts of their body, or even their entire body, to two or three times their normal size. The Akimichi clan's secret techniques consumed more calories than chakra, so they were always somewhat overweight, which was supposedly ideal for their abilities. However, they weren't actually fat, it was important to understand that distinction.

When Sakumo scolded him, Choya apologized earnestly. He was a bit rough around the edges with a quick temper, but deep down, he wasn't a bad kid.

"Here, a get-well gift."

Choya pulled out a magazine featuring a photo of a woman in a provocative outfit. Tatami raised an eyebrow and snorted, while Sakumo just shrugged.

"What the hell are you bringing me?"

Tatami said with a smirk.

"Don't you want it? I snatched it from my old man's collection, a magazine with girls you'd like."

"I didn't say I don't want it. But if Tsunade finds out, we're dead."

Choya tried to put the magazine back in his pocket, but Tatami stopped him and placed the magazine on his bedside table with a knowing grin. Sakumo laughed in disbelief.

"What are you going to do with that? Tsunade-chan comes here every day, right? She'll definitely find out. You should probably stop."

"But..."

"It's up to you."

Tatami hesitated, then suddenly brightened up.

He murmured, "Using a shadow clone..." but then realized he couldn't use ninja techniques and sighed.

"Choya, that's Tatami's fruit."

"I know."

"You're way too comfortable here."

Sakumo frowned and scolded Choya for biting into the fruit that had been brought as a gift for Tatami.

However, seeing how much Choya was enjoying the fruit, Tatami stopped Sakumo. "It's fine," he said, adding, "Just don't eat the peach."

"Tatami, are you—"

"Oh, uh, bad timing? Sorry."

"Oh..."

"Hey, you three idiots!"

"You're the three idiots!"

"More like Team Ino-Shika-Cho!"

"Am I an idiot too?"

Three girls entered the room. They were Inuzuka, Nara, and Hyuga—children of prominent families from the Hidden Leaf Village.

While Choya distracted the three newcomers, Tatami quickly hid the magazine under his bed sheets.

"Hey, isn't Ino here? I thought she'd come first."

Nara Shikaku, a girl from the Nara clan who was close to Ino's family, looked around in confusion. She was unusual among girls for using the masculine pronoun "ore" to refer to herself.

"No, she's not here."

"Really? Where did she go? I was sure she'd be here."

Sakumo picked up a mandarin orange and confirmed that Ino wasn't there, then tilted his head in confusion with a puzzled expression.

"But, over there..."

"Woof!"

A dog barked at the feet of one of the girls, Inuzuka Tsume. The Inuzuka clan used special techniques to work with a unique breed called "ninja dogs." Ninja dogs were a general term for special canines that could speak human language and use ninja techniques. The Inuzuka clan was unique in that they partnered with these dogs and fought alongside them.

"Tsume, what are you doing bringing an animal into a hospital room?"

"Don't call him an animal! Kuromaru is my partner! We're always together!"

Choya had called Tsume's ninja dog, Kuromaru, an animal, but he couldn't help smiling as he gently scratched behind Kuromaru's ears. Tsume pulled Kuromaru away from Choya and held him close to her chest protectively.

The sight of her circling Choya defensively, her wild appearance enhanced by her clan's facial markings, followed by an unexpectedly charming gesture, filled the room with warm smiles.

"That's right, Tsume. Tsume and Kuromaru are always together. Don't worry about it."

"Really? Thank you! Yay!"

Tsume, excited, picked up Kuromaru and swung him up and down. After a moment, she noticed Kuromaru's dizzy expression and hurriedly laid him down on Tatami's bed.

"Right, what about Tatami? Will he make it in time?"

"You're missing the subject, Tsume-san. You mean school, right? For Tatami-san, the promotion exams are coming up soon..."

Hyuga Kotori calmly addressed Tsume, who was stroking Kuromaru's belly and fussing over him, and smiled gracefully. Even that simple movement showed her elegance.

Tatami thought to himself, "She really is from one of the most prestigious families in Konoha."

"I told Sakumo, but it looks like rehabilitation will take some time."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I need to get out of the hospital soon if I want to become Hokage, that's what I'm thinking, anyway."

"The sooner the better. We're the inaugural class, after all. Even with extenuating circumstances, it wouldn't look good to have someone repeat a year in the academy's first year."

"The Second Hokage is still in charge, so I'm sure he'll figure something out."

"But the Second Hokage is stricter than the First, and he doesn't seem like the type to show favoritism to family, does he?"

"No, the Second Hokage just has a stern demeanor, but I think he's actually a kind person."

"Eh, I don't think so."

Shikaku and Sakumo started debating, ignoring Tatami entirely.

"I want to become Hokage too."

Shikaku's words, which completely missed the mood of the room, made Tatami smile wryly, but he furrowed his brow slightly.

"Woof—" Kuromaru also announced his candidacy.

"Oh, Tsume. Are you declaring yourself a rival to Tatami?"

"No, I didn't mean to challenge Tatami!"

"You're an idiot!"

"You're the idiot!"

As Choya and Tsume started arguing, the hospital room suddenly became noisy. The children's commotion continued until they were scolded by a nurse.

"Oh my."

—As an aside, while the chaos was unfolding, Kotori used the eye technique passed down in the Hyuga clan, the Byakugan, to carefully examine the magazine Tatami had hidden.

★

Some time later, as the sun began to set, Choya left the hospital room, saying, "I'm hungry." Next, Kotori and Shikaku left, citing curfew. The remaining two, Sakumo and Tsume, also eventually departed.

In the now quiet room, Tatami gazed up at the stars through the window. It was already deep into the night.

—Knock, knock.

The sound of someone knocking on the door echoed through the room, and Tatami turned his gaze toward the entrance. He waited a moment, but there was no sign of anyone entering.

"Come in."

Tatami gave permission to enter.

Thinking back, it might have been the first time since being hospitalized that someone had knocked properly before entering, and Tatami smiled wryly.

"Ino... What are you doing here at this hour? Shikaku was worried about you, wondering where you'd gone."

The person who entered through the door was Yamanaka Ino, who had been absent earlier. The girl's figure, illuminated by the moonlight, looked unusually radiant. Tatami thought that her purple dress looked beautiful in the moonlight.

Ino didn't respond to Tatami's words, just staring silently at him. Tatami raised an eyebrow in puzzlement and stared back at her intently.

"What's wrong?"

Ino walked over with measured steps, still saying nothing. Tatami felt uncomfortable with the silence.

"Today, those three that Choya mentioned came to visit me."

"That's good, isn't it?"

Ino sat down on Tatami's bed as if it were the most natural thing in the world and glanced over her shoulder at him. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.

"And Sakumo and Shikaku started arguing, divided between the First Hokage's faction and the Second Hokage's faction."

"Really? But they're brothers, yet they're so different. I kind of get it. Sakumo was on the Second Hokage's side, right?"

"How did you know that?"

"Of course I know. How long do you think I've been with you guys? The relationship between their families makes it obvious."

"That's true."

Tatami nodded, and Ino smiled with amusement.

This unchanging daily routine warmed Tatami's heart.

Ino felt the same way. No, during the six months Tatami had been unconscious, Ino had cherished the present moment far more than Tatami realized.

***

[Power stones and reviews please]

Support link: www.patr eon.com/Well_being

[10 Advanced Chs][7 Chapters/week]