A blonde woman in a tea-green long coat, bathed in the afternoon sun, stepped through the gates of Konoha, walking like the wind straight into the village.
"Lady Tsunade, wait for me!"
Behind her, a black-clad girl of about ten years old was trotting along, cradling a pink piglet that had just passed its full moon, fumbling and almost dropping her luggage.
Fortunately, someone nearby reached out in time to catch the box, holding it steadily by his side.
"Ah, thank you, Sakumo Hatake. I'll take this now."
Shizune took the box, looked at the pile of luggage over a meter high in Sakumo Hatake's other hand, and smiled a little sheepishly.
"I've caused you trouble."
"Not at all, I should be thanking you both."
Sakumo Hatake looked helplessly at Lady Tsunade's hurried retreating figure and decided to say less, lest he be caught in the crossfire.
"Hurry up, Shizune! We need to finish quickly and leave, otherwise, if that old man catches us, he'll definitely nag us and pile on a ton of work."
Just thinking about being nagged made Lady Tsunade quicken her pace.
Shizune muttered softly, "That's because you still owe Hokage-sama his private funds..."
"Shizune!"
"Yes! Coming!"
... Lady Tsunade arrived at the Hospital, ignoring the surprised and adoring gazes of the surrounding Medical Ninja. She "swished" open the ward door, walked to Naraku's bedside, carefully observed him, and then reached out to grip his arm and check his Chakra.
Kakashi saw that she seemed to be performing a medical examination, and since his father's figure had appeared at the door, he didn't say much, waiting silently by the side.
"You, you are..."
Naraku shifted, a little constrained, his expression not much different from when he was stared at by unfamiliar relatives during New Year's, a mix of awkwardness and embarrassment.
"This is Princess Tsunade."
Sakumo Hatake spoke in time to break the awkwardness, introducing her to Kakashi and Naraku, who were unfamiliar with Tsunade. "Tsunade is Konoha's most outstanding Medical Ninja. With her on the case, there will definitely be no problems."
"Master!" Naraku's eyes lit up.
"Hmph, stop flattering me."
Tsunade straightened up, taking the medical record handed to her by Shizune and quickly flipping through it, her brows constantly furrowed.
It reminded Naraku of what netizens in his previous life said: the sudden feeling of plummeting to rock bottom when you go to the Hospital for a check-up and see the doctor sighing and looking worried.
Sakumo Hatake looked around and asked, "Is Kana not here?"
"Sister Kana went to the academy with Senior Kushina to complete the enrollment procedures," Naraku looked very happy about this, "She can go to school tomorrow."
Since Kana was already over ten years old, she would only attend the Ninja Academy for one or two years. Once she could refine Chakra and learn the Three Basic Ninjutsu, she could graduate directly and become a Ninja. Kushina would teach her the other Uzumaki Clan Ninjutsu separately.
Sakumo Hatake smiled approvingly, "Hmm, that's truly good news."
"Alright, Shizune," Tsunade closed the medical record and instructed, "Take him for a more detailed examination, expedited. The report needs to be out tonight."
"Yes!"
Shizune was about to help Naraku, but Kakashi was quicker. He had already helped Naraku into a wheelchair and was pushing him out, so Shizune quickly followed to lead them to the appropriate examination room.
Sakumo Hatake and Tsunade, left in the ward, could still hear sounds echoing from the corridor.
"Kakashi, I can actually do it myself..."
"Hmm? Do you have an objection?"
"No, no, I super love sitting in wheelchairs..."
Sakumo Hatake couldn't help but chuckle. Had Naraku somehow fallen into Kakashi's hands while he was away these past few days?
After his amusement, Sakumo Hatake's smile faded, and he asked in a low voice, "How is it?"
Tsunade crossed her arms and tapped her fingertips. "From the symptoms, it's not too severe yet; there's a possibility of saving him. Speaking of which, you, as a father, truly have it tough."
"Children are the most precious treasures in the world."
Sakumo Hatake sighed, gazing at the empty bed for a long time before a barely perceptible murmur escaped him: "So I absolutely cannot allow...!"
"What?"
Tsunade looked at Sakumo Hatake, noticing a cloud of gloom between his brows.
"No, nothing."
Sakumo Hatake said seriously, "I'll temporarily entrust Naraku to your care. I have something to attend to recently."
... While the children were busy with their examinations, Tsunade found a familiar small tavern, planning to have a few drinks.
By the time all the dishes were served, it was almost mealtime, and the tavern gradually filled with people. The chatter rose and fell, a buzzing chorus of voices surrounding her, making it impossible not to overhear.
The most frequently mentioned name was Sakumo Hatake.
Tsunade listened for a while as she drank, and a cold sneer involuntarily curved her lips.
Her political acumen wasn't bad; of course, she could hear many things that were amiss.
Coupled with the fact that Sakumo Hatake, even at the cost of countless favors, had to ask her to return to treat his apprentice, who was an Uchiha, it was clear who was behind this.
It was still this rotten state of affairs, simply revolting.
She wondered if that stubborn Sakumo Hatake would ever come to his senses.
Tsunade lost her appetite for dining there and called the owner to pack her food... Finally, all the examinations were completed. Naraku, pushed in a wheelchair by Shizune, led the way, with Kakashi following behind, carrying a large stack of folders. They arrived at Tsunade's exclusive office.
The office had not been used for a long time and was covered in a thick layer of dust. Tsunade sat lazily in the only relatively clean chair, her feet crossed on the desk, holding a document of unknown contents in her hand.
Next to the desk was a large bag of neatly packed meal boxes, emitting a faint scent of alcohol.
Kakashi looked at the dusty desk, unsure where to start. It was Shizune, familiar with the place, who took a duster from the cabinet and cleaned the desktop, finally creating a space to put things down.
"Alright, you two go back and rest. Shizune can stay."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
After Kakashi pushed Naraku away, Shizune had already poured two cups of hot water, one placed on the desk, and the other she held, sipping slowly.
Tsunade took her feet off the desk and went through the examination results, one by one.
By the end, her expression was no longer as grave as it had been during the day. She bit her fingernail thoughtfully and let out a long sigh.
Shizune leaned over the rim of her cup, feeling the continuous warmth on her face, and mumbled, "Lady Tsunade, how is Naraku-kun doing, exactly?"
"His Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) increased too rapidly, causing his physique and Chakra reserves to be unable to keep up, leading to uncontrolled backlash on his body and excessive depletion."
"Then what should be done?"
"Sealing his excess Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) might buy him some time, but it's only a temporary solution. The best way is to make his body compatible with his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power), but this will require many attempts to find the right Ninjutsu."
Tsunade tossed the documents onto the desk and stretched. "In any case, we'll stabilize his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) tomorrow first."
... Watched by Shizune, Kakashi, and Kana, Naraku touched the tiny diamond-shaped seal on his forehead, feeling no different from before.
Tsunade confirmed that her Ninjutsu had no issues, sat back in her chair, and instructed, "Try activating your Sharingan."
After Naraku blinked, his eyes turned into blood-red Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Only then did he realize that the Chakra flow within his body had become much smoother. Although his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) was so calm that it seemed a bit inactive, the discomfort of boiling energy was greatly reduced.
"How do you feel?"
"Hmm..." Naraku smiled happily, "It doesn't hurt anymore! Thank you, Lady Tsunade!"
"Did it hurt before?" Kana asked worriedly.
"A little bit, but it's all better now."
"Idiot!" Kakashi poked his head with his index finger, annoyed. "If Lady Tsunade hadn't treated you, how much longer would you have endured it yourself?"
"I'm sorry..."
"If you know you're wrong, then change it—"
Tsunade's lips curved slightly. She rested her chin on her hand, quietly watching the teenagers bickering in front of her.
Perhaps it had been too long since she felt such an atmosphere; none of this made her feel noisy, but rather a little nostalgic.
Even such a rotten and withered old tree could still sprout new buds.
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