I run while following one side of the wall.
"It's almost as if we are running in circles," I say, putting Hiruzen down.
I unseal a pack of liquid food that Hideo-san graciously gave me.
Shoving a pipe in his mouth, I consume a food pill.
"Let's stay on top of our stomachs," I munch while changing the bandaging and dressing his wounds on his chest.
It's contaminated for sure. Last thing I need is an infection.
Hiruzen looks at the ceiling silently while I work around his body.
I look at his catheter bag.
"Good news, Hokage-sama," I show him the bag.
"No blood. Your kidneys are back in action," I say.
He simply blinks.
"That's gotta be one marvellous piece of good news, huh kiddo?" he scoffs.
That almost sounded like sarcasm.
"Tell me, kid… how long are you supposed keep me going?" he asks as he touches the heart I attached to him earlier.
Since his heart started working just fine, it had been dangling on the side like a torn bike chain.
"I don't know. It doesn't look like you will being dieing anytime soon. If we manage to find Tsunade-sama within a week, you might not need a tube to shit for the rest of your life," I give my professional opinion.
He tries to get up while holding on to the wall.
I don't help.
Let the old man move around a bit.
"My soul is rejecting my body," he says something strange.
He has my attention now.
"When I sealed the Kages, I owed the Shinigami a debt. A debt I was willing to pay," he coughs.
"No one can be summoned from the Shinigami's realm," I add.
"Exactly. Now Tobirama Senju and Hashirama Senju can rest in peace without being disturbed for our worldly incompetence," he continues.
"My soul was the debt. Sooner or later, it will leave my body."
"But?" I urge.
"But Tsunade… she found a way to reverse that state. Found ways to bind a soul to a failing body until it's been repaired. It doesn't matter how badly you're injured; as long as the soul remains in your flesh, she can bring you back," he coughs again.
Hiruzen looks at his limbs.
"Right now, the souls of my legs and right arm are gone. You… somehow stopped my heart from being vacated. I don't know how you did it… but you have bought me quite some time," he says with a smile.
Isn't it a bit too early to talk about souls?
We're still on season 1 though.
Should I tell him the truth?
He wouldn't believe me anyway.
"Let's just say Lady Death is a close acquaintance of mine," I say with a shrug.
"Oh?" he raises his eyebrows.
"She is my wife," I add.
"I imagine she is, if she chose you," Hiruzen shrugs.
"Wait… Hokage-sama… I'm not kidding," I say with a chuckle.
"And I believe you, Sasuke Uchiha," he sips on the pipe like he is burning a joint.
Is he crazy?
"Come on, kid! I saw you use the Reaper Death Seal jutsu and you'r in much better shape than me," he points the pipe at me like he just read my mind.
He picks up the chakra strings that I used to jump-start his heart.
Dangles them in front of me.
"This… this makes you very special, kid," he says with a serious face.
"Even more special than being an Uchiha?" I ask with a smug.
"You have no idea," he shakes his head in disappointment.
I take the cords and run my chakra through them.
"As long as I'm connected to your chakra," Hiruzen brings out a cigar despite my best effort to stop him from smoking.
"My mortal toil remains unfinished."
I couldn't help but smile. So this… this is what it feels like to have shit-level plot armour.
Unlike me, Hiruzen's face looked grim.
"You seem rather angry, Hokage-sama," I say sheepishly.
"No, kid… it's just… it's finally sinking in. The fact that I've been betrayed," Hiruzen says with a chuckle.
"Really?" I say sarcastically.
"As Hokage, I have multiple failsafes for situations like this. Trusted shinobi trained under my wing for decades who would come to my aid at a moment's notice," he says.
"The seal on my heart should've alerted my bodyguards. If any of them were to be alive, they would've found me by now."
I rest by the wall.
"Instead we have Orochimaru's goons on our ass," I look at the ceiling. "They probably have some fake Hokage set up by now."
"I was thinking of giving you some big reward after all of this settled out, kid," he says to the floor, as if he wishes to sink into it.
"But things are a lot more complicated now," he takes another drag.
"We will probably need a coup," I say with a shrug.
Hiruzen looks at me with wide eyes like he has seen a ghost.
"I was just joking! Sensei!" I wave my hand in surrender.
He takes a deep breath.
"No, Sasuke. I'm afraid nothing is a joke now. What you just said might be the only option left," he says grimly.
"Well, there is an easier one," I say as I unseal some tea.
Hiruzen looks at me with tired eyes.
"I could just kill you and display your body. That way it is confirmed that the Hokage is dead and the current one is fake," I say.
Hiruzen holds his chin with his one good hand.
"Can I sleep on it?" he asks as if he is really considering it.
"Nooooo!!!" I scream at his face after the tea sprayed out of my mouth. "You want me to end up in death row? I'm cooked as it is!"
Hiruzen laughs.
"Quite enjoying it," I plop back down.
He takes his sweet time laughing.
"You know what, kid," he settles down at last.
"I am," he takes a deep breath.
I get back on my feet.
"Let's get you back to 100% first. Nobody will join a disabled man's coup," I scoff.
Hiruzen chuckles.
"You wanna walk on peg legs?" I ask.
"You have prosthetics, eh?"
"I have some sealed up, in case… you know…" I shrug.
Dismemberment is a common occurrence in this world.
Hiruzen nods.
"I will have to cut them off," I ask hesitantly.
He nods again.
"Better be on my feet than slow you down," he spits.
I unseal some prosthetics.
Premium prosthetics made from Hashirama wood.
It clanks with metal hinges as I put it down on a sterile cloth.
"Sand tech?" Hiruzen recognises.
"The puppet makers at Sand Village are few of the best prosthetic makers," I say as I heat up my axe.
"Just so you know… these will deplete chakra on use. So, no sudden movements," I warn with red-hot axe in hand.
If the souls of his legs are gone, no point in keeping them.
I pinch his legs and look at his face.
His legs up to mid-thigh are lost.
All his reflexes below that point are also lost.
"How is Lady Sarutobi doing?" I ask.
Hiruzen looks baffled at my question.
"She is…" he can't seem to find words. As a husband who focused on ninja work, his wife is a rather neglected individual.
"Hokage-sama, you may have lost a lot of things… but remember, your wife is the only one who is tough enough to stick around. So you better think of her when I chop it off," I point my axe at him.
"Yes… Sasuke… I understand," he nods.
"Now tell me, how is she?" I ask.
"She is fiiiii… aaaaaaaa!" he screams as I cut off one leg.
"Go on… what is she doing right now!" I prepare for the other leg.
"She… [huag… huff…] she will be making soup for me… right about now," he groans.
I chop down his other leg.
Blood flows bright and plenty.
Good. His blood is also clearing up. Guess my chakra really is doing the trick.
His eyes roll back into his skull.
Sweating and cold hands.
"She is making soup for the fake fuckin' Hokage," he whispers to himself.
His eyes snap back.
I plunge the metallic end of the prosthetic into the fresh wound on one of his legs.
He wiggles in pain.
"Your wife! Your beloved wife who loved you as the monster you are, is serving soup to that fake Hokage your enemies cooked up!" I say.
He grits his teeth. Saliva drips as I drive the prosthetic in and heal his wound.
His chakra spikes. Anger and bloodlust ooze off his bones.
I attach and heal both of his legs. Attach chakra strings to his thighs.
I get up and step away while he sweats with pain.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! Your wife is being deceived, the love of her life rotting here in a ditch. Don't you wish to go to her?" I ask.
Hiruzen can only clank his heavy legs.
"Don't you wish to pull her into your embrace! Bask in the morning sun after retirement! Eat her damn soup!!!!" I scream as I point towards the dull ceiling.
"Fuck the village that abandoned you after all you have done," I stomp my feet and extend my hand.
"Let's burn it down! Build it up again! For the sake of our loved ones," I ask with a shaky voice.
That did the trick.
With clunky legs he gets back on his feet.
Walks two steps forward and grabs my hand.
"I will be in your care," he says.
I let out a deep breath.
Right now, the Hokage who had culled the Uchihas in fear of a coup is now shaking the hand of an Uchiha to do the same thing.
"Tell me, Sasuke", Hairuzens voice breaks my daydream.
"Why are you doing this?", he asks.
!!!???!!
"What?", I ask tilting my head.
"Why are you risking everything to help this Old man", he asks.
Confusion plastered acrossed his face.
I smile and grip his hands tighter.
"This is what father would've wanted", I say with a smile so devious that even the air around me troumbled.
The sheer astonishment and dread in his face is so satisfying to see that I almost creamed.
His hand threatens to come loose, but I hold on to it tighter.
I'm the devil that you should've killed long ago Sarutobi.
Now that you've shaken my hand.... I'm never letting it go!
And you will wreck the very thing you build holding this hand.
"The part about saving the villiage, mind you Hokage sama", I say while sticking out my tounge.
Hairuzen looks at me for straight 5 seconds to process the mini heart attack I gave him.
Good, that means it's running properly.
He sighs of relief.
"Yes.... Sasuke kun. We are saving it".
We will see about that. Won't we.