Konohagakure, Year 55.
Land of Fire.
Hidden Leaf Village.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood inside the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, his expression heavy as he watched the boy on the operating table undergoing emergency resuscitation.
Over a dozen elite Medical Ninjas were relentlessly channeling high-level Medical Ninjutsu, attempting to stabilize his mangled body. Yet, no matter what they did, no matter how many times they knit those gruesome wounds back together, the flesh would burst open again in the very next second.
More incredibly, regardless of how much blood he lost or how severely his skin and muscle were torn, his body would self-repair in an incredibly short window of time. It was as if destruction and regeneration had reached a delicate, volatile equilibrium.
After several grueling rounds, the lead Medical Ninja finally realized this was beyond their expertise. He ceased his hand signs and walked directly to the Hokage, offering a bitter smile. "I apologize, Hokage-sama, but we are powerless against this child's injuries. However, judging by his self-healing rate, his life shouldn't be in danger for the time being. Furthermore, it's confirmed that there are no signs of refined Chakra in his system; his vitality is simply... freakishly beyond that of a normal human."
'No signs of refined Chakra? That means he isn't a ninja,' Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, falling into deep thought. 'Then why did he suddenly appear out of thin air in the forest surrounding the village? And what is the nature of those injuries, and that constant self-healing ability?'
As the supreme leader of Konoha, Hiruzen didn't believe in mere coincidences. There were undoubtedly secrets hidden behind this. Konoha had recently been devastated by the Nine-Tails' attack and the Uchiha Clan Massacre; it was at its weakest point, and any anomaly was enough to fray nerves.
However, the Third Hokage didn't let his anxiety show. He offered a few words of comfort to the Medical Ninjas and instructed them to continue observation and notify him immediately of any changes.
Upon leaving the hospital, he immediately whispered to the Anbu following him: "Assign a team to monitor the facility. Keep tabs on everyone involved in this incident!"
"Understood!"
With a sharp nod, the Anbu vanished instantly.
Looking up at the bright moon hanging in the sky, the aging leader couldn't help but sigh, muttering in a voice only he could hear: "I hope this doesn't turn into another mess at a time like this."
Clearly, this rescued boy was none other than Allen, who had passed through the Dark Portal.
Amusingly, during the process where his muscles and bones were being torn, restructured, and reinforced, he lacked any external nutritional intake. As a result, his height, which had reached 180cm thanks to Growth Pills, had been compressed down to about 150cm.
But for every disadvantage, there is a benefit. Through cycle after cycle of reconstruction, his muscular tissue was becoming incredibly resilient, possessing the elasticity of high-grade rubber and brimming with explosive power.
Vaelastrasz had transformed into a dragon-head pendant. She kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings; should anyone move against her master, she was prepared to seize control of the body and flee at a moment's notice.
Several months passed in this state of relative peace. Since nothing untoward occurred, the Third Hokage's initial wariness toward the mysterious survivor gradually softened into simple observation.
During his long slumber, Allen slowly purged every last drop of malicious Nen from his system. When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a white hospital bed with a bouquet of flowers on the nightstand.
"Where am I?"
Acting on instinct, Allen sat up and instantly expanded his En to sense his surroundings, while simultaneously activating the Hunter skill: Track Humanoids. In a flash, he perceived an uncountable number of presences nearby.
When he looked through the glass window and saw the familiar scenery, specifically the four giant stone faces carved into the distant hillside, his expression became utterly bewildered.
"Kono... Konoha? So, passing through the Dark Portal at the end wasn't an illusion."
"It certainly wasn't! You've been unconscious for several months," Vaelastrasz's voice chimed in. "During this time, people with strange abilities have been watching us. It's likely their leader will know you're awake very soon."
"Yeah, I'm aware. By the way, do you remember how I summoned the Dark Portal?" Allen asked, eager to understand how he had ended up here.
Vaelastrasz paused for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure, but I believe it was linked to death. Just as you were about to drown, that strange gate appeared out of nowhere and sucked us both in."
"Death? Well, it seems that's not a research topic I can easily experiment with," Allen remarked with a hint of regret, running a hand through his hair, which had grown long during his coma.
Just as he was about to ask more about his time in the coma, he finally noticed his height...
He seemed to have shrunk!!! No! Not "seemed!" He definitely shrunk! And by a staggering 30 centimeters! He had become a total shorty!
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A tragic, soul-shredding scream echoed through the hallways of the Konoha Hospital, making more than a few people jump.
Allen fell to his knees with a heavy thud, his hands trembling uncontrollably. Upon deducing the reason for his shrinkage, his world crumbled. He let out a silent scream from the depths of his soul:
It's over! Is this... is this the fabled curse of the Growth Pills?
Or is this the price I must pay for becoming stronger?
Why is it that when others get strong, they go bald, but when I get strong, I get short?!
I'd rather be a baldy than a midget!
Despite the fact that the shrinkage had made his muscles exponentially more powerful, he felt no joy, only deep sorrow.
By pure coincidence, the Third Hokage happened to walk into the room at that exact moment. Seeing the boy kneeling and trembling, he immediately assumed the child had suffered some catastrophic trauma and had been overcome by grief upon waking.
A light of sympathy flickered in Hiruzen's eyes. He walked forward and gently patted Allen's shoulder, comforting him: "Calm down, child. Whatever happened, it is in the past. This is Konoha, in the Land of Fire. If you wish, you may stay here. As long as there is life, there is hope."
"Hope? No, I have no hope left," Allen replied, his face a mask of utter despair.
Although he still had several dozen Growth Pills in his pouch, he was convinced his height had been cursed by some unknown force—no matter how many he ate, he would eventually be beaten back to this diminutive form.
For a moment, a subtle, heavy atmosphere filled the room. The Third Hokage, meanwhile, was now fully convinced that the boy must have witnessed his entire family being slaughtered to be this heartbroken.