Naruto: The New Beginning

37. Nonō Yakushi

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Nonō Yakushi was once an ace spy under Danzo, famously known as the "Aruki no Miko" (The Wandering Nun), Her gentle and kind heart, coupled with her exceptional skills in medical ninjutsu, made it easy for her to infiltrate enemy ranks and gain their trust.

However, her kindness became her greatest weakness. She found it increasingly difficult to betray or kill the comrades who placed their trust in her.

If she had been a Uchiha, the emotional toll might have triggered the awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan long ago.

Danzo was well aware of Nonō's character and repeatedly exploited it, threatening the children at her orphanage to coerce her into betraying those who trusted her.

This cycle of manipulation continued until Danzo was removed from power, and Minato assumed full control as Hokage.

At that point, Nonō requested that Minato stop assigning her spy missions—she wished only to devote herself to running the orphanage.

Minato, unlike Danzo, respected the personal choices of his ninja.

While he might send spies to gather crucial information for the village, he never forced anyone against their will.

As a result, Nonō was able to continue as the orphanage director, occasionally taking part-time work at the hospital to support the children financially.

After hearing Kakashi's explanation, Naruto began to piece together the situation.

This was characteristic of his father's leadership release. While Minato was perceived as a powerful and formidable Fourth Hokage by outsiders, to the villagers, he was a warm and guiding light.

"And what about Kabuto Yakushi?" Naruto asked, knowing Kabuto to be a cunning and dangerous character, possibly as dangerous as Orochimaru himself. It was essential to understand him fully.

"Yamato Yakushi, or Kabuto, is an orphan adopted by Director Nonō. He was taken in during the last Great Ninja War, having lost his memory due to a head injury. Director Nonō later taught him medical ninjutsu, and he proved to be exceptionally talented. His skills now nearly surpass those of the Director herself."

"It seems Kabuto's current motivation is to help the Director support the orphanage, with little interest in becoming a full-fledged ninja."

Kakashi, ever the professional ninja, thoroughly collected information even for a D-rank mission.

Naruto hoped that they would be equally diligent in gathering intelligence for future C-rank missions.

There was, after all, a running joke in the ninja world about the absurdity of Team 7's "C-rank missions."

Sasuke, listening to Kakashi's briefing, found it impressive. As expected of a Jōnin, the information was comprehensive.

Sakura, on the other hand, fell into deep thought. Learning medical ninjutsu seemed like a good idea.

Given the strength of her teammates, she likely wouldn't contribute much in battle, but medical knowledge could be invaluable.

Moreover, if Sasuke were to get injured in the future... Sakura clenched her fist with determination. Wouldn't that mean he would rely on her?

Meanwhile, Naruto was inwardly lamenting for Orochimaru, who was likely lurking in some dark corner.

Orochimaru's two strongest subordinates—one was Kimimaro, who had long been brought back as Naruto's brother, and the other was now the determined director of an orphanage.