According to Orochimaru's intelligence, when Habara arrived at a border town in the Land of Fire and found the doctor named "Shinno," the man was currently treating a poor individual who clearly couldn't afford either the consultation or the medicine fees.
Speaking of which, Orochimaru's intelligence network was incredibly extensive. He constantly kept tabs on various peculiar "talents" hidden in the nooks and crannies of the shinobi world, because only unique and exceptional individuals made the most ideal test subjects—like Tenzo, for example.
This southeastern corner of the Land of Fire bordered the Land of Water, hidden deep within the mists across the eastern sea. To the south and on the islands lay numerous smaller nations. Compared to the heartland of the Land of Fire, this remote countryside naturally appeared rather impoverished.
Due to the extreme imbalance in societal development, the infrastructure in these border regions was poor, and medical resources were scarce. Consequently, Doctor Shinno had no fixed residence, spending the entire year traveling along this border area, making rounds.
At this moment, he had set up a small stall on the street of this nameless town.
The general demeanor of people living in such remote areas aligned with common assumptions: in short, they looked poor yet honest and simple. The patient Shinno was currently treating had a deathly pale face and blackened lips, apparently bitten on the calf by some venomous snake. He looked moments away from death's door, but fortunately, the doctor had arrived just in time to save his life.
Shinno treated the poison and applied medicine, managing to pull the man back from the brink. Due to the limited medical conditions—the simple environment, scarce supplies, and tools that barely qualified as medical equipment—the rescue effort was challenging. After finishing his work, Shinno was drenched in sweat, clear evidence that saving lives was no easy task.
Afterward, Shinno gave simple medical instructions. The patient, supported by family members, left showering the doctor with gratitude. It was evident this doctor sought no monetary reward; he seemed driven by spiritual satisfaction, a person who had transcended base desires, embodying a remarkable spirit of international humanitarianism... If judged solely by appearances, that certainly seemed to be the case.
Precisely because of this "selflessness," the locals treated the doctor with great warmth and respect. He had just finished cleaning the snake venom and was preparing to wash his hands when someone immediately brought over a basin of warm water at just the right temperature.
Habara, disguised as a middle-aged man, wasn't in a rush to approach. He planned to wait until the doctor finished treating the locals before making contact; it would seem more polite that way.
While he waited, someone struck up a conversation with him.
"Outsider?" the person asked after observing Habara's face and attire.
Habara nodded. "I heard there's a Doctor Shinno here, whose medical skills are superb, so... In short, I came looking for Doctor Shinno."
The person didn't think much of it, assuming Habara was just someone suffering from a difficult illness who had come seeking a famed traveling healer after hearing of his reputation. Such occurrences were common.
Although Doctor Shinno maintained a low profile and lived simply, his fame had spread widely across the southern Land of Fire. His conduct indeed resembled that of a renowned scholar-physician.
Living humbly, unaffected by external gains or personal losses, dedicated to healing the sick and saving lives—such an exterior was incredibly deceptive.
"Doctor Shinno's skills are truly brilliant. No matter the illness, he's sure to cure it. You've come to the right person."
Hearing this, Habara immediately switched to his 'low EQ' mode. "Is that so? But I heard the best doctor in the Land of Fire, perhaps the entire continent, is Lady Tsunade, the current Hokage of Konohagakure. Now she's become the State Lord of the Land of Fire... She used to be called the Slug Princess, saving thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of lives."
That statement was incredibly tactless. As the saying goes, if you can't love, don't hurt. Another saying advises minding one's own business. We have a miracle doctor right here, and you insist on mentioning someone even more amazing elsewhere? What's your point? Looking for trouble, are you?
Sure enough, the person's expression soured. He shot Habara a sideways glance and retorted, "I have indeed heard of Lady Tsunade. Perhaps she is an excellent doctor too. But would such a high-and-mighty figure ever treat someone like me?"
She would, Habara thought. Tsunade might have the temperament of a spoiled princess, but she undoubtedly possessed a physician's benevolence. Of course, considering her current hemophobia, it was best not to approach her covered in blood.
However, the local gave Habara no chance to respond further. Now finding Habara utterly unreasonable, practically repulsive, he turned away with a grimace, his departing back seemingly shouting, "Then go complain to management!"
Habara, naturally, wouldn't be going to "management," because he came from "management."
Only after the locals around Shinno had dispersed did Habara finally approach.
"Doctor Shinno, hello."
"You are...?" Shinno had noticed this "outsider" earlier and was now quite wary.
"I come from a small town in the northern Land of Fire. I heard you are a rare benevolent doctor on this continent, so I took the liberty of visiting," Habara said, his lowered posture and humble tone making his role-play seem somewhat convincing.
"You crossed the entire Land of Fire?" Shinno was surprised, wondering how his reputation had reached the north. He looked Habara over and continued, "Judging by your appearance, you shouldn't lack access to doctors. Forgive my bluntness, but if other doctors couldn't cure your ailment, then don't place too much hope in me... As you can see, the only reason I've gained this empty reputation as a miracle doctor is because the people here rarely encounter any other physicians in their lifetime."
Habara's attire didn't suggest poverty. It's common knowledge that most ailments stem from poverty; if money couldn't cure it, then a "miracle doctor" likely couldn't either.
Habara adopted an even humbler demeanor. "No, no, I could tell from just watching you earlier, you are truly a benevolent doctor. Seeing as I've come all this way, please, you must help me. You're my only hope."
Now Shinno became genuinely curious. Habara looked perfectly healthy and energetic, showing no signs of serious illness. Shinno sat down on a chair, shook his head with feigned helplessness, gestured for Habara to sit opposite him, and asked, "Alright, what seems to be the problem?"
Habara sat, then raised his left arm, rolled up his sleeve, and revealed a large area of eroded skin. "It's this, Doctor."
If someone were severely corroded by the Nine-Tails' chakra, their skin might look like Habara's arm did now—similar to Naruto's appearance during uncontrolled, severe Tailed Beast transformations. It looked utterly horrifying... This was, of course, a disguise. Habara was the Nine-Tails; he couldn't possibly be corroded by himself.
"Th-this is..." Shinno could recognize the marks left by a Tailed Beast. His composure instantly shattered.
He took Habara's arm, examined it meticulously, and then asked, "How did this happen?"
Habara forced a bitter smile.
"In my homeland, there's an old legend about two powerful ninja from a foreign land. Relying on their bloodline and prowess, they arrogantly challenged a monster, the embodiment of hatred. In the end, both were defeated and swallowed whole by the beast."
"But who would have thought they didn't die? Instead, they survived by eating the flesh of the hate-filled monster from within. This made them even stronger. Eventually, they cut their way out of the monster's belly and returned to the human world, causing havoc until they were finally sealed in a jar by another mysterious foreign ninja..."
"I initially dismissed it as just a folktale, until I found that very jar and inadvertently touched it... My arm... the jar did this."
Habara was spinning a tale, but the story clearly had a basis in reality. For someone aware of certain histories, the source was unmistakable—it referred to the story of Kumogakure's Gold and Silver Brothers and the Nine-Tails.
The timing and location fit. Considering Habara was presenting himself as a civilian, the clarity of this secondhand story was quite impressive.
The battle between the Gold and Silver Brothers and the Nine-Tails occurred long ago, and both brothers ultimately disappeared during the Second Shinobi World War. Could they truly have been sealed...? Coincidentally, Shinno was intimately familiar with the Second Shinobi World War; he had lived through that era. Furthermore, his own country and village had been destroyed by Konoha during that very war.
The Nine-Tails' chakra was undeniable, and it could potentially originate from the Gold and Silver Brothers. In an instant, Shinno made his decision: he had to obtain that so-called "jar." An object capable of sealing the Nine-Tails' chakra was no ordinary item; it might even be one of Kumogakure's legendary treasured tools.
Such an artifact would undoubtedly be immensely useful for the secret research Shinno was currently conducting.
Having decided, Shinno began to play hard to get. He put on a troubled expression, lowered Habara's arm, and said, "I apologize, I've never encountered a condition like yours before. I'm afraid I'm powerless to help... Perhaps the Lady Tsunade of Konoha you mentioned could resolve your problem."
An awkward expression immediately crossed Habara's face—the look of someone caught badmouthing someone who then overheard them.
"Doctor Shinno, please forgive my foolish words! You must help me. Now, I can only rely on a doctor like you."
Shinno maintained his troubled look, then asked the crucial question, "If I'm to cure you, I must first understand what happened... By the way, that jar... the conceptual jar... is it still around?"
"Yes. After I was burned, I never dared touch it again. I didn't dare open it; I just buried it in my courtyard." Habara then described the supposed "jar," matching the appearance of the Sage of Six Paths' Treasured Tool, the Amber Purifying Pot.
Hearing exactly what he wanted, Shinno pretended to ponder deeply for a moment. Then he said, "Alright, here's what we'll do. I'll try to help control the condition on your arm. Once I finish my business here, we'll go take a look at the jar that injured you. Only after understanding everything can I apply a targeted treatment to completely resolve your trouble."
"Thank you... Thank you so much, Doctor Shinno," Habara immediately responded with overwhelming "gratitude."
One could only say his acting bug had bitten. There were many ways to gather intelligence, but this time he chose the most cautious approach: slowly get close to the target first.
"Then let's go. We need to hurry to the next town."
Shinno bid farewell to the locals and set off on the road to his next destination.
Habara naturally followed behind this "miracle doctor." They walked along narrow paths through the jungle, genuinely giving off the air of mountain herb gatherers.
As they walked, perhaps out of boredom, Habara spoke again, "Doctor Shinno, is Shinno your real name?"
"Yes."
"..."
"Is there a problem?"
"No, it's just... The elders often told me that some names are too grand. Compared to such names, an individual often seems too small. Those with shallow blessings find it hard to bear such great fortune. Forcing such a name upon oneself defies heavenly principles and tends to invite disaster."
"..."
Clearly, Habara had switched back to 'low EQ' mode.
He was asking, "Are you worthy?"
And without waiting for an answer, he had already reached his own conclusion...
"You are not."