"Father, are you alright?" Kakashi asked anxiously as he stared at Hatake Sakumo's charred arm.
Only after hearing Sakumo speak did everyone remember him. At this moment, the White Fang of Konoha no longer carried the bearing of a Kage-level powerhouse—he looked extremely battered.
His clothes were torn in many places, one arm was scorched black, and a trace of blood lingered at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm fine. It seems I underestimated the power of that jutsu. If I had known, I wouldn't have pushed myself. I should've just let Rin pull me out," Sakumo said with a faint smile, as if his injuries were nothing more than a scraped knee. His calm demeanor made it seem trivial.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry and treat White Fang-senpai," Minato said, giving Uzumaki Rin a push.
"Oh… Uncle White Fang, let me treat you. Actually, I'm more of a medical ninja—healing injuries is what I'm best at," Rin said as he stepped forward and began using medical ninjutsu.
Unlike ordinary medical ninja who stimulated cellular activity with chakra to achieve healing, Rin directly infused his immense life force into the patient's body, restoring the vitality of their cells. The difference between the two approaches was enormous.
Everyone stared at the chakra radiating from Rin's hands—so rich in life force—and found themselves at a loss for words.
Especially considering that Rin had previously claimed his role was that of a medical ninja. Who were they kidding? What kind of medical ninja could unleash an esoteric-level jutsu? Yet now, seeing his professional healing techniques, none of them could refute it.
Before long, cracks began to appear along Sakumo's charred arm. The dead outer skin split apart, revealing fresh new skin beneath.
"Uncle White Fang, you've got quite a lot of hidden injuries—especially in your joints. Some areas of cartilage have already hardened and degenerated. Your internal organs also have old injuries that were never fully healed. Forget it, I'll just treat everything at once."
Through chakra-based sensing, Rin had already assessed Sakumo's physical condition. Although his strength hadn't declined yet, if these accumulated injuries were left untreated, his power would inevitably fall below Kage level within another decade or so.
"Then I'll trouble you, Rin-kun," Sakumo replied. Though his face remained calm, the shock in his heart far exceeded that of everyone around him.
As a Kage-level expert, Sakumo knew his own body best. Even Tsunade might not be able to fully heal some of those long-standing injuries, as they had already fused with his body over time. He had no choice but to endure them.
But now, under Rin's treatment, he could clearly feel those injuries fading away. The immense life energy coursing through him made his entire body feel as if it had returned to its youthful peak.
After more than ten minutes, Rin withdrew his hands and smiled.
"Uncle White Fang, try moving now."
Sakumo nodded, stood up, and stretched his body. At this moment, he felt better than ever.
"Father, you're really okay?" Kakashi asked, still a bit worried. Even though he knew Rin's medical skills were impressive, he couldn't fully relax until his father confirmed it.
"It's fine, Kakashi. Don't worry. I feel better than before—much better, in fact. Everyone, step back a bit. I want to properly test this condition," Sakumo said.
Though no one knew what he intended to do, they all cooperated and stepped back.
Boom!!!
In the next instant, Sakumo's chakra erupted.
What followed was a dazzling display—countless flashes of white light and afterimages danced through the air. It looked beautiful, but everyone present understood the deadly intent hidden within it.
If any of them were caught within Sakumo's attack range, none of them would be able to withstand such strikes.
"Draw Technique—Heaven-Splitting Thunder Blade Slash."
Perhaps carried away by the exhilaration, Sakumo unleashed the same devastating technique once again.
A massive silver-blue blade cut across the air. With no visual obstruction this time, everyone finally grasped just how terrifying that strike truly was.
"…So it's a two-stage draw technique," Kakashi murmured under his breath.
Only now did he understand why his father had never taught him the Hatake clan's swordsmanship directly, instead forcing him to focus on fundamentals. Without a solid foundation, one could never truly unleash the power of their blade.
"What's a two-stage draw technique?" Rin instantly appeared beside Kakashi and asked.
"Simply put, after the first strike is blocked, a second strike follows immediately. It's an unavoidable draw technique—an ultimate move," Kakashi explained after glancing at him.
"Then I'll just block both strikes. Why is it unavoidable?" Rin asked curiously. When it came to swordsmanship, he was completely clueless.
"…" Kakashi fell silent, deciding not to waste words. Talking about sword techniques with Rin was like playing a lute to a cow.
Just as Rin was about to press further, Sakumo sheathed his blade and appeared before him in a flash.
"Rin, thank you. It's been a long time since I've felt this light and unburdened. Come visit my home when you have time—I'd like to properly thank you. From now on, if you need anything, you can come find me anytime. Or you can have Kakashi pass along a message," Sakumo said seriously.
Hearing this, the expressions of those around them changed yet again.
Earlier, when they learned that the esoteric-level jutsu had been cast by Rin, they had already viewed him as a monster.
But now, they realized something even more terrifying—this "monster" was backed by an entire group of powerhouses.
Sakumo's words might sound like simple gratitude on the surface, but in reality, they carried the weight of a Kage-level promise.
As the commander of the Anbu and a Kage-level expert, Sakumo did not make such commitments lightly.
With this statement, anyone who wanted to move against Uzumaki Rin would have to consider whether they could withstand the White Fang's retaliation.
And that wasn't all.
Behind Rin stood not only Sakumo, but also the Three Legendary Sannin. In other words, among Konoha's five known Kage-level powerhouses, four were effectively backing him.
As for the remaining one—the Third Hokage—he was still Rin's backer's backer.
With this kind of support, Uzumaki Rin could practically walk sideways through Konoha.
One could only imagine how the Uchiha clan felt about all this after their earlier conflict with him.
"Got it, Uncle White Fang. Just don't find me annoying when I come by. Oh right—today's combat test, we passed, right?" Rin said with a grin.
"Of course you passed. All of you performed well. Tomorrow at eight in the morning, gather at the mission hall. Your shinobi careers officially begin then," Sakumo nodded.
"YEAH!!!"
The three of them looked at each other and shouted in unison.