Chapter 5 - 5 (1/2)

This year, Konoha has been winning battles all over. The sand has surrendered, the mist failed in reaching the fire country, and only cloud and earth could fight each other. Konoha emerged from this war victorious!

The news about the victory was sent back the village getting the villagers and the ninja were left behind relieved. The war is over! Everyone stood in line greeting the returning heroes! And Ryo was in the welcoming team.

”Look, they're back!”

Sensor Ninjas and those with Dojutsus first saw the troops in the distance, and soon after all of Konoha started to see them. The cheers of the villagers grew larger as the ninja forces approached.

Orochimaru who was stationed in water country was able to block the attacks from them for the past 2 years. Sakumo brought the sand to their knees after killing their greatest puppeteers. As for Jiraiya, he was still with Nagato and his friends teaching them and taking care of them.

The three were headed by the 3rd Hokage: Sarutobi Hiruzen. All came smiling as they received their well deserved praise by the citizens of Konoha.

”(Teacher) Sandaime, fortunately, they did not disappoint!”

”Indeed! Indeed!” The 3rd Hokage was proud: Once these three were just little brats and now they can protect the leaf.”Teacher, let's let the heroes go home!”

After finishing the program and applauding, the ninja army spread around, and there were nearly a hundred stretchers at the end of the team. Most of these ninjas were seriously wounded and their survival wasn't certain or even probable. Many others have fallen in the battlefield already.

The 3rd also told the people welcoming them to let way for the stretchers. Ryo got affected by this atmosphere. He used to be a doctor so seeing people sick and dying didn't chock him or anything, but the immensity of the scale of injuries that come with wartime was difficult for him to imagine. It knocked into him the fact that this world is real, and death in it is just as real as well.

After the stretchers were carried into the village, Sakumo and the 2 sannin split up by orders of the Hokage. He knew that what they needed was not a banquet, but a reunion with their families.

Ryo kept his emotions held within him as he returns home with the rest of the Yamanakas. As he entered the house, he so his mother listening to Hatake Sakumo while shedding endless tears, and besides them, Yamanaka Inoichi had his eyes all red.

”Ryo, Your uncle is gone!”

Inoichi's voice wasn't loud, but it hit straight through Ryo's soul as if it was the sound of thunder in a quiet night. Ever since his birth his uncle held him, taught him to walk, taught him skills, and gave him the warmth he never received from his father in both lives. Now he is gone!

Inoichi remembered his father left when Ryo was just 2 years old, so he should have forgotten him by now.  He did not know that Ryo had the mind of an a_d_u_l_t along with the excellent memory of a doctor.

”Sakumo-san, Who was it?” said Ryo with his head down in a calm voice.

Sakumo also thought that he had forgotten his uncle, and casually said, ”The four-tailed Jinchuriki, Rochi”

”Is that right? I will kill him!” Said Ryo in a firm voice, raising his head as his tear were flowing unstoppably from his eyes.

”Oh! This… this is!”

”Yes, it's his son! Ryo. It seems that he should remember everything from his birth. This child is too strong.”  Sakumo looked at a 5-year-old child in front of him.

”Ryo, you remember your uncle…”

”Of course I remember. How could I forget?” Just before the fact, this world was like a game to him. The people around him were NPCs. Except for the family he cherished, everyone was dispensable. But the return of the army of ninjas today made it possible to realize that this is a real world.

That coupled with the death of His uncle. The double stimuli made it possible for Ryo to awaken his father's Blood limit skill.

”Aunt, are those eyes the …” Breaking the silence is Inoichi.

”Yes, Ryo's father, my husband is an Uchiha.”

”(Sakumo) Inoichi, You now know that this child has awaken the Sharingan at 5 years of age. Do you think the Uchihas will ever let such a genius live with another family? You are now the new Yamanaka clan head. Are you willing to keep him with his mother here within your family? This can cause the Yamanaka clan a whole lotta trouble.”