Sanada approached and picked Minna up in his arms. As he stood, he also helped Hotaka to his feet.

"You can still walk, right? Lean on me. If that's still a problem, I can make a clone," Sanada suggested.

"No, it's fine. I can walk," Hotaka said, leaning on Sanada.

"First, let's get Minna to the hospital."

"Hotaka, right? I think I should take both of you to a hospital," Sanada added.

With Hotaka guiding him, they headed toward the hospital. Along the way, some of the older ninjas gave Sanada suspicious looks — they probably knew he wasn't from around there — but didn't say anything since he was helping two of their own. Hotaka passed out the moment he saw the medical facility, likely feeling safe enough to let his body relax. That's what Sanada figured as he was led to the waiting room.

He sat there for a few minutes, long enough to reflect on how messy this situation had become. He couldn't just rely on the Land of Fire; that had been way too impulsive. They might not even be ready to face this unknown enemy. Maybe it would be better to handle it alone, he thought, until he was interrupted by a young man who came to see him.

The man looked around thirty years old, with long spiky black hair and a white cloak trimmed with red flames at the edges.

"Hey, I'm Senju Saruman. Mind telling me who you are and what you're doing in my country?" the man asked casually as he sat across from Sanada, looking laid-back but clearly ready to attack at any moment. He didn't leave any openings either, something Sanada noticed right away.

"I'm Uchiha Sanada. As for what I'm doing here? Besides saving your people?" Sanada answered with a touch of sarcasm.

"Hahaha, got some spirit, huh? Good, good. I like that. And I appreciate what you did for our ninjas, but don't expect me to just believe you're an Uchiha — not with those gray eyes," Saruman said, his tone turning more serious, almost as if Sanada had personally offended him.

"Sharingan."

That was all Sanada said. His eyes turned red, and three tomoe spun into place. He figured that was the best possible proof since the Uchiha scrolls said the Sharingan was unique to their clan.

"Wow, you really are an Uchiha. Hey Towa, how old were you when your eyes looked like that? Ever seen an Uchiha without black eyes?" Saruman's attitude shifted instantly — from scary leader of a nation to excited teenager the moment something piqued his interest. That was Saruman for you.

"I was sixteen, Hokage-sama. And no, this is the first time I've seen anything like it, sir," came a woman's voice from nowhere. A woman, looking about twenty-five, stepped through the wall. She had long black hair, wore a black dress with long sleeves that stopped mid-thigh, and black boots that ran up to her knees.

"And you, kid? When did it happen? I mean the third tomoe," Saruman asked Sanada, who was still a little stunned by the woman's sudden entrance.

"Uh... yeah... it happened last year, just before I turned eleven," Sanada answered, snapping his attention back to Saruman.

"You're telling me a twelve-year-old not only awakened the third tomoe but also defeated a Two-Horned Phantom by himself? How is that even possible?" Towa asked, clearly shocked. She knew firsthand the kind of hardship it took to gain that kind of power and wasn't expecting it from a kid.

So Sanada told them everything about the lab and his training. He left out the part about being a Sharingan experiment, instead saying they were creating powerful pawns and made it seem like he had been kidnapped as a child. He wasn't about to risk being turned into a lab rat again.

"By the Sages... how many others must have been taken? We have to raid that lab immediately," Saruman said firmly.

"We don't even know if the lab still exists," Towa pointed out.

"Towa, I can see the truth in this kid's eyes!" Saruman countered.

"You airhead, that's not what I meant," Towa snapped. "If it were my lab, and something leaked — or in this case, someone — I'd wipe every trace clean."

"That makes sense," Sanada agreed. "Of course, I still plan on going back. There's a lot of information I couldn't retrieve before because I wasn't strong enough. But now, it's different."

"You can't go back there! If the lab's still standing, it'll be way more heavily guarded," Towa said, almost scolding him.

"Sorry, did I sound like I was asking for permission? That was a heads-up — a warning to one of the Five Great Nations that Uchiha Sanada is investigating this, and I won't be slowed down because I have to babysit your people. Don't get me wrong — I'm not affiliated with or answering to any of you."

Sanada stood up, and Towa stormed toward him, furious.

"Listen here, you little—" she started, but suddenly realized her feet were sinking into the floor. Sanada had cast a genjutsu on her. Saruman simply placed a hand on her shoulder, and the illusion ended instantly.

"Hahaha! He got you, Towa! I'd say this kid already has Chunin-level skills — not quite Jonin material yet, but he's strong. If he believes he can do it, we shouldn't stand in his way. Besides, it'd be rude of the Land of Fire to stop him after what he said. He's right — it's not our call."

Saruman's words made Sanada feel a lot better. He knew he couldn't take those two in a fight — his best shot would've been to create a distraction and escape, and even that failed almost instantly.

"However, kid, I can't let you go alone," Saruman said.

"I thought I made myself clear," Sanada replied sharply.

At that moment, Minna and Hotaka entered the room, breaking some of the tension.

"Sanada! Thank you so much for protecting us!" they said in unison, bowing as if they had rehearsed it.

"Perfect timing," Saruman said with a grin. "Uchiha Sanada, I hereby assign Yamanaka Minna and Midorikawa Hotaka to accompany you on your journey. That is, if you agree to be an active member of the Land of Fire. We'll provide housing and whatever support you need."

Minna smiled brightly at the idea of forming a team with her savior.

"That's a tempting offer..." Sanada began.

"Please!" Minna interrupted. "We can help!"

"Normally, I would assign a Jonin to supervise you. You might be a talented Chunin, but a Jonin would seriously boost your odds of success," Saruman added.

"Let me guess — you're not going to drop it until I agree, right?" Sanada asked.

"Naturally," Saruman confirmed, smiling.

"In that case, looks like I don't have much of a choice. When do I meet the Jonin?"

Sanada had studied the Shinobi Guide during his travels and understood the rankings and responsibilities well. Being classified as a Chunin by the leader himself made him realize having a stronger ninja by his side was probably smart.

"I'd like you to wait until tomorrow morning," Saruman said.

"He's on a mission right now," Towa explained. "Hotaka and Minna can give you a small tour in the meantime."

"Fine by me," Sanada agreed. He didn't really care about the tour, but the idea of sleeping in a real bed for once sounded great. "So what are we waiting for?"

Hotaka, Minna, and Sanada headed out. Saruman was about to leave too, but Towa grabbed his arm.

"Are you crazy?!" she hissed. "I would never challenge the Hokage in front of our people or a potential ally, but since when does the Hokage offer more than mission payments? What the hell are you thinking giving this kid so much?"

Towa was completely thrown off by Saruman's behavior.

"That kid is a major asset, Towa. I scanned his chakra during our talk. He even dared to try putting me under a genjutsu. He might not look it now, but in a few years, he'll be incredibly powerful — either a huge threat or a valuable ally."

Meanwhile, Sanada was getting a tour of the most important spots in the Land of Fire. They showed him everything from the largest restaurants to the biggest ninja weapon stores. They also stopped by the Land of Fire Police Department, mainly made up of Uchihas and Hyuugas, since their ocular abilities gave them an edge in solving and preventing crimes. Afterward, they visited the gates of the Hokage's office, where shinobi reported the success or failure of their missions.

By then, the sun was setting, and they took Sanada to the Uchiha Clan compound. To his surprise, Towa was already waiting for them at the entrance.

"Sanada-san, Hotaka, Minna, good to see you guys. I figured you'd come here — though it would've been awkward if someone else had taken you home," Towa said with a smile, walking toward them.

"We imagined it would be better for Sanada to stay with his clan." Minna said, her cheeks lightly flushed.

"Well, don't take me too seriously. I just came to play the part the Hokage forgot about. Here, Sanada," Towa said as she handed him a blue headband, its metal plate marked with the symbol of a leaf.

"A leaf? But aren't you from the Land of Fire?" Sanada asked, examining the headband.

"Indeed, but our historians uncovered ancient generations of ninjas who, despite being from the Land of Fire, were ninjas of the Leaf. We decided to continue that tradition. The ninjas of the Land of Fire are ninjas of the Leaf," Towa explained.

"Well, traditions are traditions," Sanada shrugged, tying the headband around his left arm.

With that, the trio said their goodbyes, and Towa began guiding Sanada through the Uchiha Clan.

It was essentially a Uchiha neighborhood. Everywhere Sanada looked, there were houses and small shops—everything from grocery stores to weapon shops and Uchiha-styled clothing stores stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Wow, are all of you Uchihas?" Sanada was in awe. Of all the things he'd seen since 'waking up,' this was certainly one of the most impressive. Maybe it was because his brain had been conditioned for battle, but the conveniences of society always amazed him. Even the tour with Hotaka and Minna had exceeded his expectations.

"Of course, haha, I knew you'd be surprised, but the Uchiha clan is the third-largest clan in the Land of Fire. Naturally, we occupy a lot of space, haha," Towa laughed.

Towa was much more talkative than Sanada had first expected, which, in the end, was a relief.

"So, where am I staying?" Sanada asked, trying not to sound rude, though his tone was blunt. He just didn't have natural knowledge of social dynamics, and he was really looking forward to laying down in a bed. He knew what it was, but his experiences up until now had only led him to sleep on the ground with a rock under his head—many times without even the rock.

"We're almost there. Did you keep track of the way here?" Towa asked.

The conversation made the journey seem much shorter, but Sanada had been alert the entire time. He knew it would take about 15 minutes to walk across the clan.

"Yeah, it's a longer path than it looks. From the rooftops, it'd be faster."

Indeed, based on Sanada's calculations, it would take less than four minutes to cross the clan, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

"Sure, just don't break anyone's roof, or you'll have to pay for the repairs," Towa warned. "We're here."

She stopped in front of a house at the end of a dead-end street. The house wasn't small, but it wasn't large either. It seemed like it would meet Sanada's needs just fine.

"So, good night, I guess, unless you want company on your way to your home?" Sanada offered.

"It's very kind of you, but this is my house. You'll be staying under my care. Let's go inside," Towa said casually, opening the door.

"Hold on, what? Saruman thinks I need a babysitter?" Sanada was taken aback, not exactly thrilled about the situation.

"No, the Hokage made an offer he couldn't fulfill. We don't have any empty houses here in the Uchiha clan, so I offered my house to keep the Hokage's word. Nothing more," Towa explained.

"This is... unusual. But I guess it can't be helped," Sanada said as he stepped inside. The house was cozy—no, more than that. Surprising was the word that fit best. It was immaculate and beautifully decorated. Towa gave him a tour of the house, finishing with the room where Sanada would be sleeping from now on. She then went downstairs to prepare dinner, and once it was ready, she called Sanada to sit at the table.

They chatted about casual things while eating, most of the conversation revolving around the Hokage's childish personality. Sanada finished his meal, wished Towa a good night, and headed upstairs to sleep. Eating something that was actually seasoned and carefully prepared felt incredibly different from just roasting something over a fire. Sanada was so satisfied that he fell asleep the instant his head hit the pillow.