Chapter Thirty-Five: Family Matters

Yesterday afternoon, in the end, Kato Yufu did not accompany Tsunade to visit her younger brother, Nawaki. He could not afford to provoke a boy in the throes of adolescence, especially one who harbored a bit of sisterly affection. Kato Yufu simply returned home and had dinner alone.

Afterward, he attended his clan’s assembly. Ever since mastering the Nurturing Spirit Art and advancing to the rank of Konoha Jonin—something only Tsunade knew the true nature of, while the rest believed he had simply mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique—Kato Yufu’s status in the clan had risen rapidly. His voice in clan matters grew steadily, nearly equaling that of his elder brother, Kato Dan.

He was now able to provide valuable advice and even intervene directly in clan affairs. At his second attendance of Konoha’s monthly Jonin meeting, Kato Yufu joined forces with his brother Kato Dan and Tsunade. The three of them jointly proposed to the Third Hokage and the Konoha Advisory Council the creation of a special medical ninja unit at the Konoha Hospital, dedicated to the treatment of soul trauma, along with an increase in resource allocation for this unit.

After deliberation, the Third Hokage and the elders approved the proposal. It was a fitting way to utilize the unique talents of the Kato clan. Previously, some clan members had worked in soul healing at the hospital, but only sporadically and without formal organization.

Now, with the official establishment of a special medical ninja unit for soul trauma, the status of Kato clan members in the hospital had risen markedly. This was a legitimate benefit Kato Yufu had secured for his clan. The medical ninja system was still underdeveloped across the shinobi world; only the five great villages truly valued medical ninja training. Some smaller countries did not have a single dedicated medical ninja.

Except for powerhouses like Tsunade, most medical ninjas served as logistical support within their teams, typically the ones protected by their comrades. With the looming threat of the Second Great Ninja War, the battlefield would soon become perilous. If more Kato clan members could serve as medical ninjas, their safety would be better assured—at least until the war reached its most brutal phase.

Kato Yufu had spent a significant amount of time recently at the hospital, not only to accompany Tsunade and hone his own medical skills, but also to support the newly formed special medical ninja unit. With his rising reputation as a Jonin, his presence helped smooth over many potential problems for the fledgling team.

Unfortunately, the Kato clan’s small population was a limiting factor, especially those who had mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique to the point of being able to treat soul trauma. Excluding Kato Yufu and Kato Dan, there were not even ten such members. Moreover, both Kato Yufu and Kato Dan were the clan’s top fighters and could not be stationed long-term with the medical unit.

This clan meeting was convened primarily to address the shortage of personnel for the new unit. The village had approved the structure, but they simply lacked the numbers—a truly awkward predicament.

Ultimately, the root of the problem lay in the high qualifications required for the Spirit Transformation Technique. Even reaching the level needed to treat soul trauma, let alone achieving full soul separation, was a formidable challenge. Furthermore, the more advanced the practitioner, the greater the danger; many had perished in pursuit of mastery.

This was the main topic of the assembly. Perhaps spurred by Kato Yufu’s success, two more clan members had recently attempted breakthroughs—one his cousin from the same generation, the other a member of the previous generation. Both failed and lost their lives. Kato Yufu was particularly close to his cousin, having grown up together, and had tried to dissuade him, along with Kato Dan, but to no avail.

Ninjas, especially those of considerable strength, are steadfast in their convictions, each following their own path. No amount of persuasion could deter them from striving for greater power. Over the past century, many Kato clan members had died in exactly this manner, their names recorded only in the clan’s secret “Spirit Transformation Training Records” for future generations to study. In a sense, they all shared that stubborn streak—same blood, same ambition: “If you can do it, why can’t I?”

Now, the clan was left with fewer than ten members capable of advanced soul healing, not counting Kato Yufu and Kato Dan.

To address this, the clan decided that any future attempts to break through the Spirit Transformation’s soul separation barrier would require the explicit consent of Kato Yufu, Kato Dan, and the clan head. The technique’s scroll would be divided; the most dangerous portions would only be granted to those with sufficient skill, the approval of all three elders, and unwavering resolve. Additionally, before bestowing the scroll, the clan would warn that the failure rate exceeded ninety-five percent.

Given the dwindling numbers, the clan also decreed a new rule: anyone wishing to attempt this breakthrough must first have children, a provision to be enshrined in the clan laws and strictly observed.

The Kato clan’s lineage was distinctive. As mentioned previously, hair color was a marker—primarily blue or purple, with the purest shades closest to white denoting the greatest potential for the Spirit Transformation Technique. In this generation, Kato Yufu was the exemplar of pale blue, and his brother Kato Dan of pale purple. All male clan members had blue or purple hair and could practice the technique. Most girls, except for a rare few, inherited their mother’s hair color and could not learn the Spirit Transformation. However, even those females could produce offspring who inherited the ancestral blue or purple hair, reclaiming the qualification to study the technique.

After the meeting, the clan head asked Kato Yufu for a favor: to find a master for his granddaughter, Kato Shizune. (For narrative reasons, Shizune’s age had been increased a few years—after all, she always looked young in the original story.) Shizune had inherited her mother’s black hair, so she could not learn the clan’s secret technique, but her ninja aptitude was outstanding, especially in chakra control, making her a top student in her year at the academy.

Shizune and Nawaki, Tsunade’s younger brother, were of the same generation and had graduated from the academy together. Both were rookie ninja, newly assigned to teams under their first Jonin leaders. The clan head’s request was for a true mentor, akin to Jiraiya for Naruto in the original work—not out of dissatisfaction with the assigned Jonin, but because a powerful mentor would be of greater benefit to his granddaughter’s future.

Upon hearing this, Kato Yufu immediately recalled Tsunade’s loyal assistant from the original story—the diligent secretary always carrying Tonton. Naturally, he wished to introduce his little niece to Tsunade, so she could nurture her into an excellent medical ninja and a capable assistant. In this life, though, with his own guidance, he could at least ensure Tsunade wouldn’t overwork her niece (or perhaps he and Tsunade would both “exploit” her together).

But there was no rush. Shizune had only just graduated and begun training under her first teacher. Even if she found a better mentor, it was important to first build bonds with her team, develop trust and coordination—crucial experiences for young ninja. Every genius, after all, needs companions. Even someone as powerful as the Third Raikage, who had reached the pinnacle of physical prowess, ultimately fell when facing tens of thousands of enemy ninja alone.

Thinking about Shizune apprenticing under Tsunade, Kato Yufu then recalled that, in the original story, his brother-in-law Nawaki became Orochimaru’s student, only to die soon after on the battlefield. Nawaki’s death was a heavy blow to Tsunade and, perhaps, influenced Orochimaru’s reflections on the fragility of life. Something similar happened with the death of his own brother, Kato Dan.

But in this life, his brother Kato Dan was unlikely to meet the same fate—Tsunade was already firmly within his reach. What about Nawaki? Should he prevent him from becoming Orochimaru’s disciple?

There was no legitimate reason. Orochimaru had not yet turned dark, was incredibly powerful, and was the Third Hokage’s most prized student. Though he had begun to show some serpentine traits, it was nothing serious. Ninja had all sorts of odd quirks—one wore bright green bodysuits, another always wore sunglasses, another never removed his mask so no one knew his true face. Compared to these, being fond of snakes was a minor eccentricity, and snakes could even intimidate opponents.

Perhaps he could become Nawaki’s mentor himself, offering personal protection. He was strong enough, but Nawaki currently harbored a great deal of resentment toward him. Whether Nawaki would be willing to accept him as a teacher was another matter entirely—a troublesome prospect.

Just thinking about Nawaki gave Kato Yufu a headache. The boy had been difficult to handle lately, but he couldn’t just ignore him. The only good news was that Nawaki was still training with his first Jonin leader, undertaking missions in a three-person team. There was still time before he became Orochimaru’s disciple.

Kato Yufu comforted himself—he would think of a suitable solution to Nawaki’s situation in due course.

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