Kūjō Ishiki—the Third Hokage wasn't unfamiliar with the name.
The Kūjō family was known for its taijutsu prowess and sturdy bodies—shinobi of grit and raw physicality. During the war against Kumogakure, they'd earned a fair share of military merit.
Hiruzen remembered clearly: the Kūjō clan had once been a minor but reputable family. Until they offended someone, somewhere along the way… and by the time Konoha was founded, only a handful of them remained.
Now, the clan was on the verge of extinction.
Only two members were left: Kūjō Renge and Kūjō Ishiki.
Both of them chose to serve in Konoha Hospital.
Initially, it was to care for Renge's ailing mother. But Renge showed strong potential as a Medical-nin, and the hospital recruited her officially. Ishiki started working there part-time soon after.
It was a shame, though. According to the Academy's records, Ishiki had a knack for taijutsu—but his chakra control was coarse. For someone aiming to become a Medical-nin, that kind of lack in precision meant his potential was limited, no matter how hard he worked.
Still, the report also highlighted one crucial thing: the two siblings had saved multiple lives during the Night of the Nine-Tails.
That warmed Hiruzen's heart.
He'd always admired shinobi who were rooted in Konoha's soil and devoted fully to carrying the Will of Fire.
He set the file down and didn't bother turning around.
"Report."
As the Third spoke, two figures silently appeared behind him, kneeling respectfully.
"Third Lord—Kūjō Renge and Kūjō Ishiki have exhibited no unusual behavior. Renge has remained in Konoha Hospital treating the wounded. Ishiki, aside from assisting in the hospital, spends his time training ninjutsu and studying medical theory. He intends to take the end-of-month certification exam for Medical-nin. We found no irregularities in their home or the places they frequent."
Hiruzen nodded. "These were the final two suspects, weren't they? And what of that report about a so-called 'perverted ghost'?"
He pulled another document from the stack—just rumor and hearsay, vague accounts and hushed whispers. But such unexplained phenomena were exactly the kind of anomalies that could explain the loss of chakra control or forgotten jutsu knowledge.
"We interrogated all witnesses. No useful intel."
"Continue the investigation into the ghost sightings," Hiruzen said calmly. "As for the hospital personnel probe—put it on hold."
Too many things had destabilized the fragile peace Konoha had fought to regain: the Nine-Tails' rampage, the Fourth's death, the massive ninja casualties.
Hiruzen couldn't afford to waste manpower chasing shadows. Border intelligence worried him far more.
At around 6 a.m., Ishiki woke up.
Still groggy, but it was time for morning training.
The disc he was currently using belonged to an Uchiha Jōnin, though he didn't know the man's name. He knew two things for sure: the man had unlocked the three-tomoe Sharingan, and using the dōjutsu burned through chakra like crazy.
He'd looked in the mirror. He'd seen it with his own eyes.
That was why he didn't train with the Sharingan activated. Not until he increased his chakra reserves.
Chakra came from spiritual energy + physical strength.
Ishiki had no doubts about his mental resilience. But physically? Not so much.
In his inherited memories, his father had been a towering figure of muscle—his taijutsu was legendary, far surpassing most.
Ishiki used to train with him.
But after his father died on the Kumo front, Ishiki abandoned taijutsu and threw himself into studying medical ninjutsu instead.
He believed if medical jutsu had been stronger, maybe… just maybe… his father might've lived.
It was probably no coincidence he idolized Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin and the world's foremost Medical-nin.
Still, he was ready now.
Ready to reclaim taijutsu—to forge chakra by training the body.
Stands were powerful, yes. But most of the ones he remembered weren't suited for direct combat.
And while shinobi battles were all about stealth and misdirection… let's face it: how many elite opponents actually died to sneak attacks?
Most fights in Naruto were head-on clashes.
He got dressed, grabbed his gear, and headed out—today's plan was to run laps around the Hidden Leaf, see what kind of condition his body was really in.
He barely got around the first corner when he ran into him.
Might Guy.
The man was doing handstand sprints. Wearing his iconic green jumpsuit, bowl-cut glistening with morning dew. And he was faster upside-down than Ishiki was right-side up.
"Morning, Ishiki! Has the fire of youth finally ignited in your heart?! Let us bask in the sun and sweat together in glorious spirit!!"
Guy's voice flared like a taijutsu uppercut. It boomed past and echoed in the street behind him, his white teeth flashing like a genjutsu in the sun.
So blinding. So obnoxious. So hard to unsee.
Ishiki squinted. Tried to block the mental damage.Kept running at his own pace.
Over the next hour, he passed Guy multiple times. At one point, the guy was doing push-ups so violently it looked like his sweat alone could power the village grid.
"Unreal…" Ishiki muttered.
Then—head pat.
"Yo, Little Ishiki's finally training again? Trying to impress your big sister with some abs of steel?"
It was Renge, out of her uniform and teasing as always. She handed him a bag of onigiri.
"I'm off to work. Don't skip breakfast."
Before he could protest, she ruffled his hair and vanished into the morning haze, hips swaying in victory.
He shook his head, a grin tugging at his lips.
But his thoughts weren't so light.
He was deeply curious about the Eight Gates—the Hachimon Tonkō technique Might Guy used. The one that nearly kicked the final boss out of existence.
Sure, it came at the cost of one's life if you opened the final gate… but what if you didn't?
And what if you paired it with a Stand?
Imagine Gold Experience with Eight Gates.
Even better—what if Crazy Diamond's healing could be used on himself?
Open all Eight Gates, destroy your body—and just fix it after?
Yeah… just a fantasy. But a fun one.
Still, Ishiki didn't think he'd need Whitesnake to get the Eight Gates.
He and Guy had grown up together. If he asked, Guy would almost certainly teach him.
Hell, even Might Duy once wanted Ishiki to train alongside his son.
The only reason he hadn't pursued it?Most shinobi who could use ninjutsu didn't dedicate themselves to taijutsu.
Ishiki was no different.He preferred his father's style—blending taijutsu with jutsu.
That felt more balanced. More versatile.
As he ran, thoughts swirled and settled.
After a shower, he headed straight to Konoha Hospital.
There were still so many wounded.And this was the perfect chance for him to practice.
No one would complain if he made a few mistakes.If anything, people would thank him.
This… was his final warm-up before the Medical-nin Exam.
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I will post bonus chapter if we reach 300 power stones !
300 power stones = 1 bonus chapter