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"Name?"
"Ōgure Yū."
"Age?"
"Eighteen."
"Gender?"
"..."
"Gender!"
In the TV shows from his past life, whenever someone was asked about their gender, they'd always lose their temper.
And honestly, they had every right to. Unlike age, gender wasn't something you could hide.
But procedure was procedure. The question had to be asked.
So when Yū exploded, Midorima wasn't surprised.
"You know damn well what I am!" Yū snapped.
"Whoa, watch your words. We have 'no' relationship." Midorima immediately clarified.
He was a pure and innocent man. With Mei standing right there, misunderstandings were unacceptable.
"What I 'am' depends on how you treat me, doesn't it?!" Yū looked ready to die on the spot.
"Are you 'serious' right now?" Mei stared at Midorima, unimpressed.
"My bad, my bad. Forgot his… special circumstances." Midorima coughed awkwardly. "Alright, do you know why Akizuki didn't notify us?"
"He's Anbu. I'm Sensor Division. You think he tells me anything?"
"Then why'd you obey him?"
Yū opened his mouth, thought for a solid five seconds, then sighed heavily. "Kirigakure only has two real forces. One's the Anbu. The Sensor Division? Weaklings in comparison."
Fair point.
"No. There's more to it. This kind of thing rarely happened before." Mei wasn't buying it.
Yū closed his eyes. No matter how much Midorima pressed, he refused to open them again. Clearly, that was all they'd get about "Akizuki."
"What's the rogue ninja's name?" Midorima switched topics.
"Dunno."
Midorima's brow furrowed. "Could you at least 'pretend' to try? Show me your value as a sensor?"
How were they supposed to fight an enemy they knew nothing about?
"I 'really' don't know. The Sensor Division never ID'd him. You saw his photo—his face is 'melted'."
"Cross-reference with missing-nin records. Someone's gotta match."
"First, we can't confirm he's even from Kirigakure. Second, we've got 'plenty' of missing-nin. Good luck finding him."
Midorima sighed.
Of the Five Great Nations, Kirigakure probably had the most defectors—especially after Yagura fell under Obito's control. Even the 'Seven Swordsmen' had deserted.
Still, admitting your own village was a revolving door for traitors? That stung.
Mei listened carefully, but only two useful pieces of intel emerged:
1. The rogue ninja's hideout location.
2. He worked alone—a true lone wolf.
With no more info to extract, Midorima treated Yū's injuries. Leaving them untreated risked permanent damage.
Mei sat with her back turned, knees hugged to her chest, face burning as she tried to block out Yū's occasional whimpers.
'Midorima, can't you make him shut up?!'
While medical ninjutsu and [Activation] both healed wounds, the latter had broader applications—and one key difference: whose chakra was used.
[Activation] relied on the [Power Chamber] to stimulate the patient's cells, boosting 'their' chakra.
Midorima only provided the energy to run the system. The actual healing chakra came from the patient.
Result? Most survivors felt drained afterward.
If the patient had ample chakra, side effects were minimal. But if they were critically injured 'and' out of chakra?
Pray to the heavens.
In short, [Activation] was a double-edged sword—helpful, but taxing.
Yū's injuries were manageable, but the side effects? Worse than expected.
He left the scene walking pigeon-toed, a sight he'd never forget.
"So, what's the plan?" Mei planted her hands on her hips, watching Midorima sort through their "loot."
Thirty explosive tags, a dozen kunai, shuriken, and a map—all confiscated from Yū.
For a broke genin like Midorima, this was a windfall.
"Akizuki had a four-hour head start. Then Yū wasted another hour of ours. At this point, catching up is impossible."
"We can't just sit here!" Mei growled.
"By ditching us, Akizuki complicated things. Honestly? I'm less worried about him killing the rogue ninja than him 'failing' to kill him."
Mei paused. He had a point.
If Akizuki succeeded, they'd miss their chance for revenge. But if he 'failed'?
The rogue ninja might retaliate against nearby villages—or vanish entirely, making him impossible to track.
"That bastard… We're supposed to be a team! Why go solo? Isn't he afraid of the Mizukage's wrath? And Yū's bootlicking—was it 'just' because Akizuki's Anbu?"
"Probably because the benefits of acting alone outweigh the Mizukage's scolding."
Only explanation that made sense.
"And that's not our only problem." Midorima rubbed his temples. "Thanks to 'your' kick, the Sensor Division now hates us. Getting reliable intel from them will be hell."
Mei scowled.
"Without 'that kick', would you have all this 'loot'? Besides, he might not even tell anyone."
Midorima smirked. She wasn't wrong.
Injuries 'there' were embarrassing. Prideful men stayed silent.
"But what if the Sensor Division keeps screwing with us? We can't fight every time."
"True. A few more fights, and there'll be no Sensor Division left." Mei nodded seriously.
"..."
Midorima realized their thought processes didn't always align.
"Here's my idea." He spread the map of Mizu no Kuni on the ground. "Following Yū's intel puts us a step behind. But given the Anbu-Sensor dynamic, tracking 'Akizuki' might be faster."
"Do we even know what he looks like? Anbu wear masks."
"...No." Midorima scratched his head.
What should've been a straightforward mission now felt like solving a riddle—all thanks to Akizuki.
Mei threw up her hands. "So we're stuck?"
"Not necessarily. If Akizuki wins, mission over. But if he 'loses' and gets hurt, he'll likely hole up in a nearby village. Even without his face, we can check clinics or herb shops for wounded patients."
If medics were allowed on the front lines, this mess could've been avoided.
"Not bad. So our destination's the villages near the rogue's hideout?" Mei mused.
"Exactly."
Working with smart people was 'easy'.
With their plan set, Mei and Midorima extinguished the campfire and vanished into the night.