Naruto: You Call This A Medical Ninja?

Reiki had long left behind the emotional whirlwind of his encounter with Uzumaki Daemon. Now, he was traveling to the next village, determined to continue his mission: honing his medical skills, gaining experience, and finding hidden members of the Uzumaki clan.

His encounter with Daemon had sparked a thought—when the Uzumaki clan was annihilated, many of its members likely fled and concealed themselves among ordinary people. Unlike clans such as the Uchiha or Hyuga, the Uzumaki were harder to identify, aside from their red hair and unique chakra. And even the red hair? That could be dyed.

Reiki reasoned that survivors of the Uzumaki clan might still exist in small, remote villages. Uzumaki Kushina had once tried to locate her kin, but during that time, Minato wasn't Hokage, and the Ninja Alliance didn't exist. Fearful of endangering Kushina, most clan members avoided her, leaving her efforts fruitless.

Now, years later, Reiki resolved to pick up where she had left off, hoping to identify and reconnect with the Uzumaki survivors.

Arriving at the next village, Reiki found it similar to the last—a traditional, unnamed settlement with only a few dozen households. Villages like this were scattered across the ninja world, often unnoticed and untouched by larger conflicts.

As Reiki entered, he noticed a few elderly men chatting by the roadside. Their reaction to him was unexpected—they immediately stood up and shuffled away, their movements surprisingly quick for their age.

Even more surprising was the look in their eyes: fear.

Fear of a stranger? Fear of a ninja? Or perhaps... fear of Konoha ninjas? Reiki couldn't be sure. With questions swirling in his mind, he ventured further into the village, heading toward the fields where he spotted a man and a woman working.

"It's a ninja!" the woman whispered nervously, her movements freezing.

"Don't say anything," the man muttered sharply. "Keep working. If he wants something, give it to him. Don't resist, and don't speak out of turn."

Reiki frowned. Their fear was palpable.

He approached the pair and introduced himself. "Hello. I'm Reiki, a medical ninja from Konoha. I'm traveling to practice my medical skills and help those in need. But I couldn't help but notice that everyone here seems... wary of ninjas. Why is that?"

The man's face paled. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead as he suddenly knelt on the ground. "Ninja-sama, we don't reject ninjas! We... we can give you whatever you want! This year we made some money from selling goods. Please, take it all! Just don't kill us or take our children!"

Reiki blinked, startled by the man's desperate plea. "Get up," he said, his voice steady but firm. "I told you—I'm a medical ninja, not a combat ninja. I don't harm ordinary people. But why are you so afraid of ninjas? Did something happen here?"

The man hesitated, trembling too much to respond.

Reiki's sunny smile remained, but his patience was wearing thin. "Listen," he said gently but pointedly. "If something's wrong, tell me. I might be able to help."

The man's fear deepened. To him, even a smiling ninja was terrifying—he remembered a time when another "smiling ninja" had come to their village. That ninja had assaulted a young girl, breaking her fiancé's limbs and leaving the man to watch helplessly.

This memory haunted the man as he stared at Reiki, his mind racing with panic. He began to imagine terrible scenarios involving his wife—though she was far from the ideal victim at over 200 pounds.

Suddenly, the woman stepped forward, startling both men. "Take me!" she declared, her voice trembling with forced resolve. She began to untie her clothes, exposing her skin.

Reiki immediately stepped back, alarmed. "What are you doing!?"

The absurdity of the situation left him momentarily stunned. Was this some kind of trap? He couldn't fathom why she thought he'd be interested in her body. Did she really think he had such low standards?

"Body-Binding Technique!" Reiki snapped, halting the woman in her tracks.

"Speak properly," he said, his voice growing serious. "I don't know what's happening here, and I don't have time to play these games. Tell me what's going on. My patience isn't infinite."

As Reiki released a small but intense wave of chakra, the pressure caused the man to collapse, fainting on the spot.

Reiki sighed and turned to the woman. "Now, will you please explain what's going on? Or do I have to keep guessing?"

The woman's trembling subsided slightly as she realized Reiki wasn't going to harm her. "I'm sorry, Ninja-sama," she said hesitantly. "It's just... this village has suffered a lot because of ninjas. Years ago, a rogue ninja came and... he hurt people. He killed our men, took our daughters, and left us broken. Since then, we've been terrified of anyone wearing a headband."

Reiki's expression softened, though his frustration lingered. "I see. That explains a lot. But you have nothing to fear from me. I'm here to help, not hurt. Now, is there anyone in this village who needs medical attention?"

The woman nodded cautiously. "Yes, there are some sick and injured. But... are you really here just to help?"

Reiki nodded firmly. "That's my purpose. Show me to them."

As the woman led him toward the village, Reiki silently resolved to get to the bottom of this village's trauma. If there were still threats looming over these people, he would put an end to them.