Chapter 338: Tsunade: It's Just Surgery, You Won't Die
In Kenichi's opinion, many people in the Ninja World could still be pulled back from the brink, but Obito's redemption was the one case that truly left him baffled.
After all, Obito had been the direct cause of an entire chain of disasters. While part of that was because he had been manipulated by Madara, that did not erase the fact that countless deaths were tied to him. Someone like Obito should have been the hardest to redeem, perhaps even impossible to redeem.
And yet, in the end, he still was.
"I just hope everything goes smoothly. The Mangekyo Sharingan also has to be completed as soon as possible." Kenichi rubbed his hands together, then called Hikari and Sasori over to board the airship with him.
It was time to go find Nagato.
In the Hokage's office, Kakashi stood respectfully before Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama."
"Ah, Kakashi. Sorry to keep you waiting."
At that moment, Hiruzen was sitting behind his desk, smoking while coughing into his hand, all while sorting through an enormous pile of documents. The contents were complicated and chaotic, but Kakashi never glanced at them.
Some things simply were not meant to be seen.
As an Anbu ninja, he understood that perfectly well.
"Kakashi," Hiruzen said at last, setting down the document in his hand. "What do you think of Amamiya Kenichi?"
Kakashi froze.
He truly had not expected the Hokage to summon him over just to ask that.
Amamiya Kenichi...
The moment he thought of his friend, Kakashi's feelings turned complicated. He did not know what Hiruzen was trying to confirm, but after thinking for a moment, he still answered honestly.
"In my opinion, Amamiya Kenichi is a very easygoing person. Cheerful, approachable, and... sentimental."
"Easygoing, approachable, sentimental..." Hiruzen repeated softly, his expression unreadable.
He almost wanted to scoff.
Easygoing?
Was Heavenly Demon an easygoing person?
Don't joke. How many people in Konoha now wanted to tear that brat to pieces?
Still, the intelligence on this matter had not yet been fully confirmed. It was still in the stage of verification and could not officially be treated as established fact. More importantly, if Heavenly Demon truly was Amamiya Kenichi, then announcing that to the public would deal an enormous blow to Konoha.
Even the villages that had suffered under Heavenly Demon's attacks might step forward and demand compensation from Konoha.
And that was far from impossible.
There was no such thing as preserving face in the Ninja World. If it benefited the village, any Kage would do it.
Kakashi stood there, more confused by the second. The elderly Hokage had fallen completely silent after hearing his answer, and that silence only made Kakashi more uneasy.
Could this really have something to do with Kenichi?
But he had not heard any news of Kenichi being captured. No one had brought back his head either. And honestly, Kakashi did not think anyone could bring him back in the first place. His strength had already far surpassed that of an ordinary Jonin.
Unless one of the Sannin moved personally.
But Kenichi was Orochimaru's disciple. Whether Jiraiya-sama would truly go all out against him was still uncertain. Kakashi understood the relationship between the Sannin all too well. When Orochimaru defected, Jiraiya had clearly held back.
"Old man, I and..." The office door was shoved open.
Tsunade strode in holding several sheets of paper in her hand. Kakashi caught a glimpse of words like [Hospital] and [Diagnosis], then immediately lowered his gaze and fixed his eyes straight ahead.
Some things were not meant to be looked at.
"Kakashi, you can leave first," Tsunade said directly after noticing him.
Kakashi glanced at Hiruzen. Only after Hiruzen gave a small nod did he bow and leave.
Rumors had already spread through the village that Tsunade might become the next Hokage, but as long as Hiruzen still sat in that chair, he remained the Hokage.
"Tsunade, look at this." Hiruzen tossed the document in his hand over.
If Kakashi had still been inside, he would have recognized it at once. It was the same document Hiruzen had been reading earlier.
Tsunade caught it, shot Hiruzen a strange look, then looked down to read.
[According to reliable intelligence from Root spies, Hidden Sand Village was attacked by Heavenly Demon three days ago. This time, the method of attack differed from all previous incidents and is suspected to have involved aerial bombardment. Hidden Sand Village's defensive barrier was breached in a single second, resulting in heavy casualties.]
Tsunade's pupils shrank.
What exactly was that little bastard doing now?
"This intelligence is mostly accurate. Kumogakure also sent over similar information," Hiruzen said as he tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose.
Even though it was still just speculation, the thought that Amamiya Kenichi might really be Heavenly Demon was enough to give him a splitting headache.
"Hmph. They're sure quick when it comes to sharing information about Heavenly Demon." Tsunade scoffed.
Other intelligence was either hidden or deliberately fragmented, but anything involving Heavenly Demon was handed over with astonishing speed.
"That was also part of the agreement we signed with them," Hiruzen replied calmly.
If Heavenly Demon had not attacked Kumogakure, A would never have cooperated with Konoha in the first place.
And Killer B's rampage had given Konoha a significant advantage during the negotiations. Of course, Konoha had also paid a corresponding price for that advantage.
"Forget that brat for now, old man. Asuma's examination report is back. He has the same condition you do."
Hiruzen's hand froze around his pipe.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he slowly raised the pipe again and took a long drag. Nicotine and tar rushed into his lungs, loosening his stiff nerves just a little.
"Can it be treated?" he asked quietly.
Since Biwako's death, Asuma had been his only son.
He had never expected that Asuma would end up with the same condition.
Almost unconsciously, Hiruzen touched his chest. There was no real sensation there, but he knew what was growing inside him.
"I haven't seen a case like this before," Tsunade admitted. "But since it's a growth, then in theory, removing it through surgery should be possible."
The people of the Ninja World were physically strong, but that did not mean they were immune to illness. Colds, fevers, strange internal diseases, all of them still existed. Tsunade had encountered many cases over the years, and for some of them, even she had been powerless. Those became incurable diseases.
Strength did not mean immunity.
Still, every rare case piqued Tsunade's interest, and this one was no exception. She was genuinely curious about what exactly had formed inside Hiruzen and Asuma.
"Remove it?" Hiruzen's hand trembled.
He hated surgery. More specifically, he hated surgeries that required general anesthesia.
Every time he underwent general anesthesia, he felt as if he had died. But somehow, even death did not sound quite as terrifying as that.
At least after death, he could go to the Pure Land.
There, he could apologize properly to his teacher.
And to Biwako, for making her wait so long.
"Yes. That's the best option for now. As for medication, I haven't found anything suitable yet. And because it's inside your body, most medicine won't have much effect on it anyway." Tsunade nodded.
Surgical removal was common enough in the Ninja World. Appendicitis was handled that way. Tsunade herself could remove an appendix so quickly that the patient might not even have time to react. With chakra, she could control bleeding, reduce inflammation, and stabilize tissue all at once.
But this condition was something entirely new. Even she would need to open the chest and inspect it carefully.
"...Is it hereditary? Or really caused by this?" Hiruzen asked, momentarily setting aside the matter of Kenichi.
"I can't say yet." Tsunade shook her head. "I've already examined other members of the Sarutobi clan and found nothing similar. I also haven't found matching cases among other smokers. But I still haven't checked everyone."
She refused to speak in absolutes. Not yet.
"...Then I'll leave it to you." Hiruzen hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing.
To be honest, he had begun coughing more ever since Tsunade told him what was inside him. He was bringing up more phlegm than before, and breathing felt slightly heavier by the day. Whether it was psychological or real no longer mattered.
There was no better option.
In Konoha, Tsunade was unquestionably the strongest medical ninja. If even she could not do it, no one else could.
"Alright. Then let me explain a few things before the surgery..." Tsunade nodded.
She also wanted to obtain a sample of that strange tissue and study its nature. Since Hiruzen had agreed to the procedure, this was naturally the best opportunity.
"Tsunade," Hiruzen said suddenly, looking at her with unusual seriousness. "If I die, then you will become the Fifth Hokage."
Tsunade froze.
Then her fist clenched so tightly that her knuckles popped.
At that moment, she genuinely wanted to punch the old man straight through the wall.
Was he doubting her medical skill?
Or worse, was he making some kind of terrible joke right before surgery?
"Relax," Tsunade said flatly, rolling her eyes. "It's just lung surgery. You're not going to die."
But Hiruzen looked at her with a strangely complicated gaze.
Tsunade was excellent in every way. She had even overcome her hemophobia. But in his eyes, she was still too soft.
Could she truly become a great Hokage?
Part of him almost wished she would harden herself enough to take the position through his death. If that happened, maybe he could die smiling.
Though it would still be a pity.
He would not get one last chance to fight on the battlefield for Konoha.
When a person grew old, they were no longer useful forever.
—
"I heard Jiraiya and Orochimaru broke into Amegakure some time ago," Deidara said excitedly as he looked down toward Amegakure from the airship.
Then, mid sentence, he suddenly remembered something.
Orochimaru was Amamiya-senpai's teacher.
His voice immediately weakened.
"Yes. Sensei and Jiraiya are old friends," Kenichi said casually, not seeming to mind.
Deidara let out an awkward laugh.
"Why are we coming here in person this time just to submit a mission?" Sasori asked, glancing sideways at Kenichi.
In the past, Kenichi would sometimes come to Amegakure after a mission, but lately he had visited much less often. To the point that it almost felt like the leader had started forgetting he existed.
"Because I have something I need to discuss with the leader. Hm?"
Kenichi had begun lowering the airship when his eyes suddenly narrowed.
Down below, he saw two familiar figures in Amegakure.
One was Obito, still wearing that spiral mask like an idiot.
The other was a freak with a bizarre expression and a bald head, dressed in Akatsuki robes.
Even without hair, Kenichi recognized him immediately.
Uchiha Shin.
The precious little experimental freak who felt no rejection toward transplanted organs. The same one who had once enraged Orochimaru to the point of murder.
"How interesting," Kenichi sneered softly. "Obito's still playing dress up."
He was already considering what kind of face Obito would make when they met.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
Kenichi glanced at Sasori beside him, his expression turning thoughtful.
Sasori was a true puppet master.
If Sasori made them... could he custom build Rin Nohara silicone dolls and sell them across the entire Ninja World?
.....
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