Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

"His left hand and foot are badly injured," the head medic announced gravely after examining Rock Lee. "I hate to say it, but he won't be able to continue living as a ninja."

Guy's face went pale. "But Kirito said… If it were Lady Tsunade…" he stammered, grasping for hope.

The medic shook his head regretfully. "Perhaps. But Lady Tsunade has been away from the village for years. No one knows where she is, or when—if—she'll return."

Guy clenched his fists, despair overtaking him. "If I had known it would come to this, I would have—"

"Guy-sensei, don't worry," Kirito interjected, helping the medics lift Lee onto a stretcher. "Tsunade will come back. For now, the most important thing is to take good care of Lee and give him time to recover."

"That's right!" Naruto's voice echoed through the arena as he rushed over, his face determined. "Lee wants to prove that even the 'tail of the crane' can surpass geniuses through hard work! There's no way he'd give up here!"

Guy straightened up, taking a deep breath. "You're right, Naruto. If Lee hasn't given up, how can I?"

As the matches concluded, Moonlight Hayate stepped forward, his voice raspy but resolute. "The preliminaries for the third exam are officially over. Those who received byes advance automatically."

Shikamaru sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried some new twist would punish me for getting a bye."

The remaining competitors, minus Sasuke who was recovering in the hospital, were summoned before the podium. The Third Hokage stood at the center, addressing them.

"The third exam will take place in a month, at the main venue. Leaders and dignitaries from other villages and nations, as well as villagers and tourists, will gather to witness it. During this time, your task is to train and improve as much as you can."

The Hokage paused, then added, "However, before disbanding, there is one last matter to address." He gestured toward Anko, who carried a box forward. "Each of you must draw a number to determine your match for the final stage."

As the participants drew their lots, Kirito noted Naruto's eager expression as he revealed his number: "One."

Kirito glanced at his own paper, smirking at the inevitable. [Two? So I'm matched with Naruto. Fate, or just bad luck?]

After the numbers were confirmed, the Hokage announced the matchups and explained the rules.

"The format will be a tournament. However, becoming Chunin is not solely about winning; it depends on the judges' evaluation of your skills, tactics, and performance. Even if you lose, you might still qualify. Likewise, winning does not guarantee promotion."

Kirito scanned the matchups and nodded. [Just like the original. Shikamaru faces Temari because of my earlier interference with the Oto-nin.]

As the competitors dispersed, Kirito mulled over his upcoming match. [Naruto's stamina is unmatched. He can keep getting up no matter how many times he's knocked down. I need to respect him and plan carefully.]

Kirito headed to the central tower lounge, looking for TenTen, but learned she had left to visit Lee. Shrugging, he turned toward the main hall, where he spotted Karin sitting quietly on a bench, holding a perfectly still Little Leopard.

"Little Leopard, did you miss me?" Kirito grinned, lifting the creature and playfully kneading it like dough before placing it on his shoulder.

"Kirito-sensei, how did the matches go?" Karin asked curiously.

Kirito sighed. "Not great. Except for me, everyone else was eliminated, and one was seriously injured. We'll visit Lee at the hospital later."

On their way to the hospital, Kirito asked Karin, "Do you have any skills or interests you'd like to pursue?"

Karin thought for a moment before replying, "Not really. I used to work in the hospital at the Grass Village after my mother passed. I helped with healing and occasionally assisted other ninjas."

Kirito nodded, recalling Karin's latent abilities from the original timeline. "Can you sense other people's chakra?"

"A little," Karin admitted. "But it's blurry and doesn't work over long distances."

Kirito frowned. [The ninja world is terrible at nurturing talent. Look at Itachi, Shisui, Kabuto, Karin… So much potential wasted or misused.]

"Well," he began, "if you're okay with it, you can take a temporary job at Konoha Hospital. I'll talk to the Hokage about it. Meanwhile, I'll teach you some medical ninjutsu."

Karin hesitated. "Thank you, but… why are you helping me so much?"

"There's no deep reason," Kirito said with a smile. "You've been through a lot. I have the chance to help, so why not? The world needs more kindness."

At Konoha Hospital, Kirito and Karin entered Lee's ward, where Guy and TenTen were already keeping vigil.

"Kirito, good to see you!" Guy greeted enthusiastically. "And who's this?"

"This is Karin," Kirito explained. "She's the girl I rescued during the Forest of Death. The Hokage hasn't decided on her placement yet."

"Welcome to Konoha!" Guy said warmly, flashing a dazzling thumbs-up. Karin blinked, startled by his overwhelming cheerfulness.

Turning serious, Kirito asked, "How's Lee doing?"

Guy's expression darkened. "He's stable, but the hospital can't handle his injuries. We'll have to wait for Lady Tsunade."

"Can she really heal him?" TenTen asked anxiously.

Kirito nodded confidently. "If anyone can, it's Tsunade. Have faith in her."

Guy clenched his fists, looking at Lee. "The hardest part will be when Lee wakes up and learns he might never be a ninja again…"

As Kirito left the ward, Karin asked, "What happened to him?"

Kirito sighed. "He pushed his body to the limit in battle and suffered severe injuries. It's a miracle he's alive."

"Can I help?" Karin offered, rolling up her sleeves.

Kirito shook his head. "Thanks, but the issue now is complex surgery, which requires expertise beyond what the hospital has."

Karin looked down, disappointed, while Kirito's thoughts turned inward. [Should I have intervened earlier? But Lee wouldn't want that. His path is to prove himself through his own strength.]

His musings were interrupted by a familiar shout.

"You're teaching Sasuke?!" Naruto's voice rang out.

Kirito turned to see Naruto confronting Kakashi, who sighed in exasperation.

"Not me," Kakashi replied. "I've found a better teacher for you."

"Who is it?" Naruto demanded.

"Me!" Ebisu emerged dramatically, adjusting his glasses.

Naruto pointed at him, horrified. "That pervert?!"

"Pervert?" Kakashi asked, confused.

"That's because he…" Naruto began, but Ebisu clamped a hand over his mouth, whispering hurried promises to keep his secret.

Naruto's protests escalated until he turned to Kirito. "If you can beat Kirito, I'll let you teach me!"

Ebisu froze, glancing nervously at Kirito. The challenge hung in the air.

(End of Chapter)

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