Chapter 110 – Displaying Divine Might
"If we use the Living Tissue Regeneration Technique, how many people are we still short?"
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen displayed the calm and decisiveness befitting a Hokage.
"Two," Fujita answered without hesitation. "Under normal circumstances, four medical ninja are sufficient. But the patient's organ loss is far too severe. One team won't be enough—we need two rotating teams to sustain the technique from start to finish."
"I can find you one more person," Hiruzen said. "That would make seven. Would that be enough?"
A wave of surprise rippled through those present.
The Living Tissue Regeneration Technique was no ordinary medical ninjutsu. Its application was rare, its learning curve brutal, and its requirements extreme. As a result, very few ninja could use it at all.
And nearly all of those who could were already stationed at Konoha Hospital.
Where was Hiruzen supposed to find another one?
Was he planning to summon Tsunade back?
Even if that were possible, there wasn't enough time—let alone the fact that Tsunade herself…
While the higher-ups' minds ran wild, Fujita ignored the speculation entirely. After a moment of careful consideration, she gave a cautious answer.
"It's worth trying. If it doesn't work, we can reduce the treatment intensity. It's still better than letting him die."
In her mind, she had already resigned herself to the image of Yamaguchi Masasuke waking up with one kidney larger than the other—but given the manpower shortage, that was the best they could hope for.
"Good. Prepare the treatment field immediately," Hiruzen ordered.
Then he turned to the ANBU with the cat mask.
"Go find Matsushita Taichi. Explain the situation clearly and bring him here as fast as possible."
"Yes!"
The ANBU vanished instantly.
The rest of the room, however, fell into stunned silence.
Everyone there knew Matsushita Taichi—but none of them had imagined his medical ninjutsu had reached this level.
Naturally, the Hokage offered no explanation.
After all, he couldn't exactly tell them that when he'd once witnessed Taichi perform the Living Tissue Regeneration Technique via the Telescope Technique, his first reaction had nearly been to shout, "What the hell?"
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At that very moment, the person they were discussing was at home, deeply immersed in seal formula research.
On the right side of Taichi's desk lay a thick stack of draft papers, densely covered in complex sealing arrays and calculations. In the corner of the room, seven or eight similar stacks were piled high.
His Sealing Technique was only Lv4, still two levels away from independently crafting a Multi-Layer Lamp Array seal. Naturally, he had to push himself harder—he couldn't keep troubling Kushina to make them for him.
It was only after gifting sealing talismans to Saori during the Daimyō mission that Taichi learned how costly they truly were.
Producing such seals required not only high-level sealing mastery, but also a variety of rare materials. The ten talismans Kushina had made likely cost over one million ryō just in materials alone.
There was no way Taichi could shamelessly ask again.
Fortunately, the book he had brought back from the Daimyō's archive—"Detailed Analysis of Sealing Technique Structures"—was incredibly helpful. After a month of study, his Lv4 experience bar was nearly full. At this rate, he would reach Lv5 within days.
Just as Taichi was wrestling with a particularly difficult problem, urgent knocking echoed through the house.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
His brow furrowed instantly, irritation flashing in his eyes. Anyone would be annoyed at being interrupted at a critical moment.
The knocking didn't stop—if anything, it grew even more frantic.
"Coming!" Taichi called, setting down his papers and heading for the door, irritation simmering beneath the surface.
"Matsushita Taichi. Emergency mission."
The unfamiliar voice instantly wiped away his annoyance.
Taichi quickened his pace.
The moment he opened the door and saw the ninja standing there, his heart sank.
ANBU.
"What happened?" Taichi asked directly.
"Your team leader is injured. He's at Konoha Hospital. Come with me—now."
No wasted words.
The cat-masked ANBU turned and leapt onto the rooftops, sprinting toward the hospital.
Taichi froze for a split second.
The captain is injured?
What kind of injury requires me?
Then he slammed the door shut and gave chase.
Along the way, the ANBU filled him in on the situation. When Taichi learned that the hospital lacked sufficient personnel—and that the Hokage had personally recommended him—he was stunned.
Whether this was faith… or desperation, he couldn't tell.
At the hospital entrance, nurses were already waiting. The moment Taichi arrived, they ushered him inside at a run, briefing him nonstop on Yamaguchi Masasuke's condition. A medical report was pressed into his hands.
Every detail screamed the same truth:
Time was running out.
Sure enough, when Taichi entered the treatment chamber, the barrier array was already active.
Four medical ninja stood at the cardinal points—east, south, west, and north—pouring chakra into the Living Tissue Regeneration Technique at full strength.
Taichi's arrival immediately drew attention.
Director Fujita stepped forward at once.
"Director," Taichi asked, frowning, "is it already this severe? Why start treatment before everyone arrives?"
The Living Tissue Regeneration Technique had brutal prerequisites. It required a large-scale array, perfect coordination, and medical ninja who fully understood the patient's condition.
Starting early was never ideal.
In the current situation, it truly felt like being forced onto the stage at knife-point—everything was happening far too hastily.
"Don't even mention it," Director Fujita sighed helplessly. "He suffered massive hemorrhaging during transport. There was no time to wait for you to arrive, so we had no choice but to let the first team start immediately. I stayed behind specifically to explain the situation to you."
Taichi nodded. "I understand. Please continue."
"Originally, we planned for two full teams to rotate," Fujita said. "But with only seven people, we're forced to send replacements in early, swapping them in one by one as their chakra runs low. That way, those who rotate out have enough time to recover."
Taichi's brow furrowed deeply. The situation was even worse than he'd anticipated.
Sure enough, Fujita continued, "However, frequent personnel changes destabilize the barrier field. So once the second group enters, they'll need to hold their positions as long as possible. We originally planned for you to be in the first group—but we simply ran out of time."
"Director, there's no need to worry," Taichi said calmly. "My strength may be greater than you expect. I'll go in first and take over—it should buy everyone more time."
"…That's the only option left," Fujita admitted, though her confidence was clearly shaken.
Taichi said nothing more.
He was confident that his Lv6 Living Tissue Regeneration Technique would more than exceed expectations. After all, this technique was rarely used in practice, meaning most medical ninja lacked real combat experience with it.
Taichi, however, was different.
With the system panel reinforcing his mastery, his level far surpassed that of most hospital staff. While he wouldn't dare claim to rival Tsunade herself, surpassing the majority of Konoha's medical ninja was well within reach.
At this point, the observing Konoha Four stepped forward.
Hiruzen remained calm—after all, Taichi was the one he had personally recommended.
Danzo, however, was far less trusting.
"How confident are you?" he asked coldly. "I've heard you can contact Tsunade through summoning. If necessary, why don't you call her back?"
Doubt?
Testing?
Probably both.
You know perfectly well Tsunade suffers from hemophobia, Taichi thought coldly. What use would calling her back be right now?
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Danzo," Taichi replied evenly. "But under the current circumstances, there's no time to wait for Tsunade-sensei. Everyone here is already prepared to give everything they have."
As he spoke, he glanced toward Director Fujita and another medical ninja.
Both nodded in agreement.
Danzo snorted. "Let's hope so," he said, turning away.
In contrast, Koharu Utatane remained friendly toward Taichi. After the Daimyō mission, she knew his character well.
Taichi's attention returned to the barrier field.
Captain Yamaguchi lay at the center, his body cleaned and stabilized. Numerous wounds covered his torso, but the most severe was the massive cavity in his right waist—as if a giant spoon had scooped out a chunk of flesh.
That he hadn't died on the spot was already a miracle.
That he'd managed to make it back to Konoha at all was nothing short of astounding.
Glancing at the time, Taichi noted that nearly half an hour had passed—yet no tissue reconstruction had begun. Most of the chakra and time had been wasted on stabilization alone.
Clearly, the four medical ninja were unfamiliar with the technique.
Ideally, one ninja with immense chakra reserves and deep mastery should control the technique from start to finish, while others provided support.
But looking around, it was clear—everyone present was a pure medical specialist. Their chakra control was excellent, but their reserves were lacking.
Naturally so.
If they had massive chakra pools, they'd be combat ninja already. Not everyone could be like Tsunade—top-tier healer and battlefield monster.
Medical-ninja reform was still recent in Konoha. Most who chose this path did so because they weren't suited for combat. The overall quality was predictable.
"I'll take over," Taichi said decisively. "The ninja on the east side is already sweating."
Fujita looked over, startled, then checked the time. "Isn't this too soon? He could probably hold on for another thirty minutes."
"We can't wait," Taichi said firmly. "Their chakra reserves are too small. The longer they go, the longer recovery will take—and their efficiency is too low. That's my captain. I won't gamble with his life."
Fujita hesitated. Her understanding of Taichi was still stuck at his intern days.
At that moment, Hiruzen stepped forward.
"Let him do it," the Hokage said decisively. "If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility."
This was the authority—and responsibility—of the Hokage in full display.
"Taichi, do it. I trust you."
Those words alone filled Taichi with resolve.
Even if I have to burn attribute points today, he thought, I won't disappoint him.
With approval granted, Taichi stepped behind the eastern medical ninja and signaled readiness.
The man visibly relaxed, withdrew his chakra, and vacated his position.
The instant he did, the barrier field wavered violently.
One of the main reasons Living Tissue Regeneration had such a low success rate—every personnel change was a massive risk.
But Taichi immediately stepped in, formed seals, and stabilized the field.
At first, he synchronized his chakra with the remaining three, assisting natural regeneration.
No wonder it's so slow, he realized. This is the most conservative method possible.
Living Tissue Regeneration was a forced-intervention technique. Playing it safe defeated its entire purpose.
Once he understood their rhythm, Taichi spoke.
"Everyone—coordinate with me from here on."
Before anyone could respond, his chakra erupted.
In an instant, he seized full control of the technique.
The other three barely had time to register what was happening.
A chakra presence—overwhelming in volume yet impossibly precise—ripped control from their hands.
The contradiction stunned them.
It felt as though another Tsunade had taken command.
Without hesitation, they submitted and followed Taichi's lead.
Outside the barrier, the onlookers were equally shocked.
That chakra output… it far surpassed that of an ordinary jōnin.
And that flow—powerful yet exquisitely controlled—felt eerily familiar.
Taichi focused entirely on the procedure.
Abandoning passive regeneration, he directly reconstructed the missing tissue.
At Yamaguchi's right waist, new flesh formed around the catalyst medium.
At first it was subtle—but soon, its shape became unmistakable.
A kidney.
As it took form, blood vessels and nerves rapidly grew outward, connecting seamlessly to pre-prepared channels.
When blood finally flowed through it, the pale organ flushed with life before their eyes.
Twenty minutes later, the kidney had grown larger.
Taichi examined it carefully.
"Blood flow normal. Nephrons functioning. Renal reconstruction complete."
The announcement electrified the medical team and finally put the Konoha leadership at ease.
"That's unbelievable…"
"He's just like Lady Tsunade…"
"Who is he?"
Taichi remained undisturbed.
Sensing the others' chakra waning, he issued calm orders.
"Rotate the next group in. One at a time. Maintain stable output."
Prepared staff moved immediately.
Under Taichi's control, the technique remained stable throughout the transition.
With full rotation complete, the second phase began.
Compared to total organ loss, repairing the intestines was far easier.
New tissue rapidly grew from the severed edges.
After another hour, the sections fused seamlessly.
Major injuries—repaired.
Three hours total.
As the final muscle and skin regenerated, the green glow faded.
The crisis was over.
Staff rushed in—stabilizing the patient, supporting exhausted doctors, restoring order.
Hiruzen and the three advisors went straight to Taichi.
"Taichi," Hiruzen asked warmly, "do you need rest?"
This wasn't just talent anymore—this was Tsunade-tier potential.
And he was Hiruzen's own grand-disciple.
"I'm fine," Taichi said, steadying himself. "Mission accomplished, Hokage-sama."
"Excellent!" Hiruzen laughed, slapping Taichi's shoulder proudly. "You've fully inherited Tsunade's legacy."
Homura and Koharu smiled.
Danzo lowered his head, eyes dark.
The more outstanding he is… the more I despise him.
Finally, Homura asked impatiently, "When will Yamaguchi awaken? His body is healed—we need the intelligence immediately."
"…At least a day," Taichi replied.
"Too slow," Danzo snapped. "Use genjutsu. Wake him now."
Every gaze snapped to Danzo.
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