Chapter 53

And the feeling from him… The man has one of the largest chakra reserves I've encountered outside of Konoha and Uzushiogakure. Somewhere around Linley's level, which is quite a statement for an elite of the elite in the armed forces. It was immediately clear that he was from a clan.

— And what does the White Fang need from us? — asked one of the jōnin, the least battered of their group.

The faint hints of wrinkles on his face clearly showed his age and experience.

— Considering your condition, we're offering assistance, — the commander spread his arms.

I barely contained a chuckle — some of the eight Kumogakure shinobi had such amusing expressions when they heard the reason for our presence. Half-dead from fatigue and injuries sustained from the sandstorm, the genin were less restrained, openly voicing their disbelief… those who were capable of it.

— Konoha is offering help? That's something hard to expect! — the future Raikage snorted, closely watching every movement of ours.

The obvious leader of their delegation shot a piercing glance at the Raikage, making him fall silent, but remained quiet himself, waiting for a response.

— Given your condition, help would be quite useful, — Sakumo said soothingly, — not to mention that if we intended to attack you, we wouldn't be having a calm conversation right now.

And they did indeed look quite bad — while the older Cloud shinobi mostly had tattered clothing and reddened skin, some of the genin behind them (supported by their comrades) had skin worn down to the flesh on exposed parts of their bodies.

It was clear they had tried to treat the injuries, but the results were frankly pitiful — the blood wasn't flowing, but the harsh environment and inability to properly tend to the affected areas had caused inflammation. Even the most resilient creatures like chakra users wouldn't last long in such a condition.

— And how will you be able to help, Hatake-san? It's unlikely you have a brigade of iryō-nin at hand, — the jōnin sighed wearily, removing his hand from the sword hilt, — and some of our genin would only be helped by a full brigade.

Despite some dissatisfaction among his colleagues, no one protested this candid admission.

— I think one second-tier iryō-nin should suffice, — the commander shrugged.

— Second-tier? Who would allow him to go to a foreign village even as part of an escort team, — another Kumo jōnin spoke up.

At this, I snorted loudly, drawing the attention of the other side.

— I think Nara-san would disagree with you, — Sakumo smirked. — So, what's your decision?

On the veteran's face, a brief struggle between pride and responsibility for his subordinates was evident, after which he waved his hand, ordering the others to put away their weapons.

— I, Koshi Hakuro, jōnin of Kumogakure no Sato and leader of this group, accept your offer, White Fang, — the man nodded wearily, — and your iryō-nin's help would be very welcome right now.

— Accept help from these monkeys! — grumbled Ai, but fell silent when he received a few punches to the ribs from his older comrades.

In their entourage, he appeared to be the youngest — the other jōnin were veterans in their thirties or older. It was clear they had sent the most reliable ones.

— In that case, I suggest we set up camp, as treating the wounded in the open isn't advisable, and there are only a few hours left until evening, — Hatake proposed. — This is Ryo Nara, our resident iryō-nin for the duration of the exam and a top-notch specialist, one of the best in his field.

I've got more interesting stuff on patreon (+ 200 chapter)

patreon.com/Chill76