Niimi-sensei nodded. “Option two is chakra surgery. I’d go in with two specialists and work inside the joint to repair the remaining tear, debride the scar tissue, and free up any adhesions. We’d have to do it over three or four sessions to allow for inflammation and the body’s natural healing processes, but it’d be minimally invasive — no scalpels — and the downtime is significantly shorter than open surgery. I’ve had very good results in the past with that approach. You’d likely get a return to full function, with little or no pain. You’d have to wear an orthopedic brace for a few months, and you’d be off missions for at least two weeks, but I think that’d be the best option for your long-term prospects.”

Ryouma leaned forward, elbows braced on his thighs. “And with that one — the chakra surgery option — it wouldn’t develop into arthritis? I mean, I know you can’t make promises, sensei, but — it wouldn’t cripple me out.”

Niimi-sensei smiled and patted an open palm on his knee. “For an itty-bitty wrinkle like this? I’ve had people bounce back from full avulsions — tendons torn right off the bone. This little guy should’ve been fixed years ago, and I can’t give you a full estimate until I really get in there and look around, but at first blush, I’d say you have a long and healthy career of shinobi-thumping ahead of you.”

Ryouma stared down at her for a moment, balanced on a perfect moment of blankness, then the corner of his mouth curled into the first shadow of an incredulous smile. “Sensei, you can’t give me that kinda news when you’re in kissing range.”

Niimi-sensei rocked back on her heels and laughed, loud and full of snorting. Behind her, Katsuko mouthed oh my god.

On principle, Kakashi picked up one of the abandoned meniscus discs from the first model and flipped it at Ryouma’s head. Ryouma dodged without looking, and Kakashi felt his mouth curve behind his mask. That was the Ryouma he remembered from Trials.

“Before you get carried away, I need to tell you the third and final option,” Niimi-sensei said. “That’d be the scorched earth tactic, where we go in the old-fashioned way. It’d give me the best look at your actual joint, and I’d be able to manually fix the problem, but your recovery time would be a lot longer, and you’d face all the usual issues of open surgery — bleeding, scarring, risk of infection. There’s also a possibility of further adhesions.” Her eyes twinkled at him. “Choose carefully, youngster.”

“You’re making this awfully hard, sensei.” Ryouma was grinning now, pure relief pouring off him like steam. “Turns out my teammates’ve guaranteed me two weeks off missions, anyway.” He jerked a head at Katsuko’s sling-bound arm and Kakashi’s… everything. “How soon can I schedule a chakra-healing session?”

Niimi-sensei grabbed a thick, leather-bound scheduler off her desk and thumbed through its dog-eared pages. “I have a free slot this Friday at 0600.”

Ryouma hesitated. “I’ve got a funeral service to attend at 1100.”

Niimi-sensei flipped a page. “How about that afternoon at 1400? I have a cancellation in my last slot, and I’d rather not have you doing anything but lying down afterwards.”

Ryouma’s mouth tugged. With apparent supreme force of will, he swallowed the joke he clearly wanted to make and just said, “That’d work. Thanks, sensei.”

Katsuko gave him a suspicious, dark-eyed stare, but didn’t otherwise comment.

The doctor pencilled a note into her scheduler. “Excellent. It was a pleasure to meet you, Tousaki.” She glanced back and tipped a wink at Katsuko. “And your entourage.”

Katsuko flipped her most charming smile on like a lightbulb, as if she hadn’t been alternatively plotting death or pulling faces at the doctor’s back for the last ten minutes. “I’m always happy to meet people who are taller than Tousaki, Niimi-sensei.”

“You and my tailor both,” Niimi-sensei said. “Us lengthy people are single-handedly keeping the clothing industry of Konoha employed.” She stood up again, achieving a height that made Kakashi physically tilt his head back, and stretched her back, popping several vertebrae. “I need to get on with my next victim. I understand you have a visitor’s pass to see the chakra healing down the hallway?”

“Our lieutenant,” Kakashi said.