Saigyōji Keiko, current head of Kirigakure Hospital.
Clad in a crisp white coat, she wasn't especially striking in appearance. But there was something unmistakably comforting in her presence: a gentle, capable air paired with a warm smile that always inspired trust.
"小橘 (Little Tachibana), what a surprise! You just got out of school, haven't eaten yet, have you?"
She eyed Tachikawa Tachibana, who had clearly sprinted all the way here, his clothes slightly disheveled from the run.
Keiko stepped forward, ruffled his hair affectionately, and bent down, reaching to tidy him up.
Tachibana offered a sheepish smile.
"Yeah, Aunt Keiko. But I usually eat after training, so I'm not really hungry yet."
He didn't dodge her hand. Even though he wasn't particularly short for his age, and was technically a transmigrator, his body was still that of a nine-year-old. He had long accepted being treated like a child by adults.
With a few light pats, he brushed some dust off his pants and shirt, signaling he'd already tried to clean up. But given the constant humidity in Kirigakure, it was more of a token gesture than anything useful.
Keiko withdrew her hand, watching him with a faint, doting smile.
But what caught her attention wasn't the mess, it was something he'd just said.
"You haven't eaten yet? Perfect timing, I've just wrapped up for the day. No need to come into the hospital. Wait here, I'll go change, and we'll grab a bite together."
Before Tachibana could reply, Keiko had already turned around and headed back inside.
Tachibana sighed and obediently waited.
He'd only met Aunt Keiko twice since arriving in this world.
From the original host's memories, she had been his mother's teacher, possibly even a distant relative. After the boy's parents passed away, she took it upon herself to care for him. In the shinobi world, there wasn't really a formal concept of "guardianship," but what she'd done for him came pretty close.
Because of that, Tachibana was always extra cautious around her, he didn't want this kind and observant woman to notice anything off about him compared to the original.
Though Keiko held the title of hospital director, she wasn't technically a registered shinobi. Or rather, she had chakra and could use various medical jutsu, but lacked combat ability and wasn't listed in the shinobi registry. So she was considered a doctor, not a ninja.
And in Kirigakure's current militaristic climate, that status, while granting her some standing, left her far from the village's political core.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Little Tachibana."
Keiko emerged from the hospital in casual clothes, brisk and energetic despite her usual calm demeanor.
"Not at all, Aunt Keiko. Let's go get some seafood ramen! I haven't had it in ages."
Since Keiko was the one treating him, Tachibana didn't feel too bad about picking something he liked, one of the few perks of being a kid again.
"Then let's go."
Despite her calm and meticulous nature, Keiko walked with a surprisingly quick and bold stride, perhaps a habit from years as a doctor.
They hadn't said much before arriving at the ramen shop.
"One tonkotsu ramen. And you're having seafood, right, Little Tachibana?"
She was clearly a regular, ordering without needing to think.
"Yes, Aunt Keiko. I'll take a large one, please."
While waiting for their food, Tachibana didn't immediately dive into his real purpose. Instead, he chatted casually about his daily life and school.
Before long, the steaming bowls of ramen arrived.
As he placed the small blue frog from his shoulder onto the table and pulled out a few shrimp from his bowl to feed it, Keiko glanced at the scene and hesitated before speaking.
"I've been meaning to ask, this little guy, is he your summoning beast? I don't recall seeing him before."
"Yeah. I recently formed a summoning contract with Bluey, kind of by chance."
"ヾ(≧▽≦*)o Gua gua~"
Bluey croaked enthusiastically at the mention of his name.
"Be careful," Keiko warned seriously. "Some summoning clans can turn on their summoner. It's not without risk."
"Don't worry, Aunt Keiko. I found Bluey while training near the edge of the village. He doesn't have a clan, probably a mutation. I sensed chakra in him, and he could use basic ninjutsu, so I decided to form the contract."
As he explained (half-truthfully), he slipped another shrimp to Bluey, who was clearly annoyed at being accused of betrayal.
Seeing that Keiko might be gearing up for a lecture, Tachibana smoothly shifted the topic.
"By the way, Aunt Keiko, I'm actually here to ask you something. I heard the village is starting a new medical ninja selection program. Do you know how it works?"
Whether she noticed his dodge or not, Keiko followed along.
"I proposed it myself to Elder Genshiro. Konoha has already been integrating medical-nin into their new squads, and the results speak for themselves, fewer casualties. We can't afford to fall behind."
Historically, doctors and shinobi in the ninja world had very separate roles.
Sure, some shinobi knew basic medical ninjutsu, and some doctors could hold their own in a fight. But on the battlefield, all medical personnel operated from designated camps. Injured shinobi had to make it back alive to get treated.
During normal missions, doctors weren't part of the team. Whether an injured shinobi lived or died often came down to sheer luck.
Then came Tsunade, brilliant medic, devastating fighter, and the granddaughter of the First Hokage. Her influence spanned the entire shinobi world.
When she began advocating for medical-nin to be embedded in field teams, even before Konoha finalized its stance, other villages had already begun to imitate.
Still, Tachibana hadn't expected Aunt Keiko to be the one pushing it forward in Kirigakure.
"What's this? Are you interested in becoming a medical ninja?"
Keiko tilted her head, eyeing him with some surprise.
"Yes, Aunt Keiko. After the recent midterm combat evaluation, I realized my limitations in battle. I want to shift gears."
"But I heard you won your match. And your evaluation wasn't bad either, was it?"
Keiko's expression grew more puzzled.
"Wait… you already know my test results?"
"Well, the school medic is one of my students. I asked him to keep an eye on you."
Right. Hospital director or not, Keiko had her ways.
But Tachibana wasn't embarrassed. This was all part of his plan.
"I only won by pulling a few tricks. Honestly, my actual strength isn't better than my opponent's. I don't think I can pass the graduation exam."
Failing meant death. No shame in sounding a little dramatic.
Keiko's expression turned serious.
"I originally proposed the plan, and Elder Genshiro already got the Mizukage's approval."
Genshiro was one of the highest-ranking figures in Kirigakure. While the Mizukage held ultimate authority, Genshiro had long served as an advisor, entrusted with many administrative duties.
As long as his proposals didn't clash with the Mizukage's will, they usually went unopposed.
"The idea is to pick some active shinobi to train in medical ninjutsu, and some doctors with chakra to train as combatants. But…"
Keiko's brows furrowed.
"Most shinobi in the village don't value healing skills. And being a medical ninja requires precise chakra control and medical knowledge. Progress has been slow."
"We hadn't considered recruiting directly from the Academy. If you don't have talent for medical techniques, I might be able to pull some strings to get you in, but if it doesn't work out, you'll fall behind in your training."
She looked genuinely worried.
Tachibana knew this was the critical moment.
Without a word, he reached into his ninja tool pouch and handed her a scroll.
Seeing Keiko's confused look, he mustered a confident smile.
"This is a medical jutsu I developed myself, Water Style: Aqua Loop."