The underground cavern of Mountain Prison.
Black Zetsu emerged from the ground and reported to Lord Madara, "Lord Madara, the plan has succeeded."
Uchiha Naraku successfully awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan under the stimulation of his close friend's betrayal.
This was all within Madara's expectations; the Uchiha Clan is rich in emotion, and no one could withstand such an intense emotional blow.
However, Naraku's bloodline limit sickness also worsened, so he needed to be brought over quickly, otherwise, it would be a waste if he died from the illness.
With Madara's research on the Sharingan and Hashirama cells, curing Naraku's bloodline limit sickness in time would not be difficult.
"Very good, Black Zetsu, keep a close eye on him, and bring him over when you have a chance."
Black Zetsu nodded in agreement… Konoha Hospital.
The heavy rain continued, intensely and powerfully pouring onto the glass window, gathering into streams that snaked downwards, the ripples of water blurring the world into a misty haze.
Tsunade was in her office drinking tea, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility, while Shizune was busy helping her organize documents when suddenly, she heard a knock at the door.
She ran to open the door and saw a soaking wet young man standing outside, his clothes still dripping water, and a large puddle had already accumulated at his feet.
"Naraku! What happened to you?"
Shizune quickly let the drenched Naraku into the room and ran to the cabinet to find a dry towel for him to dry his hair.
Naraku's face was terribly pale, and his entire body trembled slightly from hypothermia.
Tsunade clicked her tongue in annoyance and slammed her hand on the table: "Stupid brat! Do you have a death wish?!"
Quietly thanking Shizune, who was busy drying him off, Naraku reached out and took the towel, indicating he could manage, and walked past her to stand before Tsunade, his tone respectful yet numb.
"Lady Tsunade, please tell me, is Master… not going to wake up?"
Tsunade frowned: "You ran out into the rain because of this? How, does it make you feel any better?"
She was genuinely a bit angry now; as Sakumo's disciple, saved by his life, this brat was so impulsive, not cherishing his own body in the slightest.
Naraku shook his head, managing a bitter smile that was uglier than crying.
"Actually, I always knew Master might never wake up again."
His hands, hanging at his sides, were tightly clenched, and raindrops dripped from his hair and chin, splashing into tiny flowers of water.
"It's just that I didn't dare to confirm it with you… But now, there's no time for confusion…"
Naraku blinked, revealing a pair of scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan in his eye sockets.
"I… won't live much longer…"
For a moment, only the dull sound of rain echoed in the entire room.
Tsunade stood up and walked over, cupping his face, looking at these eyes that symbolized death for Naraku, a look of unbearable sorrow on her face.
Just before the second Sealing Jutsu was applied, he had a few short days to recover his body, yet he still awakened his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) for some reason.
Did the heavens really want this child to die so badly?
"What exactly happened?"
"It doesn't matter anymore, Lady Tsunade."
Naraku's voice was ethereal, the red in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by black, his gaze still dim even under the incandescent light.
"Can you teach me Medical Ninjutsu and Sealing Jutsu?"
"You want to learn? That's not something that can be done in a short time—"
Tsunade swallowed the latter half of her sentence, realizing she had just implicitly acknowledged that this child would die very soon.
To refuse his request for that reason would be too cruel.
"I want to save Master, even if the hope is faint, I want to do everything I can to save him…"
"Perhaps I'll die before I even learn anything…"
"But I still don't want to waste the time I have left."
Naraku slowly bowed deeply: "Please, teach me."
Tsunade felt as if she was back on that night, when this young man had also knelt before her, begging her to save Sakumo.
If she had asked him to commit suicide then, he would have done it.
That blood-soaked figure gradually merged with the young man before her; even though they were the same person, Tsunade couldn't help but be filled with mixed emotions.
"Let me make this clear, I don't have time to always guide you hand-in-hand, you have to rely on yourself, understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
...The next day, Tsunade still added another seal to Naraku, but this time, the seal's only purpose was to stabilize his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power); there was no longer any need to cut off its evolution.
He was forcibly required to stay in the Hospital for several more days, so Naraku spent his time, aside from visiting Sakumo in the mornings to talk to him, diligently studying the basic Medical Ninjutsu book Tsunade had given him.
Tsunade, fearing he might learn too quickly and only grasp things superficially, even came to test his understanding, finding that he indeed comprehended it thoroughly, and his Chakra control was astonishingly precise.
She could foresee that, given time, Naraku would surely become one of the top Medical Ninja in the Ninja World.
But unfortunately, what he lacked most was time… The day before his discharge, Naraku was sitting on his bed reading, unconsciously rubbing the corner of a page between his fingertips, contemplating Tsunade's notes on it.
"Naraku, I'm here."
Sister Kana, carrying a bento box, opened the Hospital room door and walked in, then frowned slightly after looking around.
"Is Kakashi not coming today either?"
"Mm."
Naraku softly replied, folding the corner of the latest page he had read, closing the book and placing it beside his pillow, then took the bento box Sister Kana offered him.
Opening it, he saw it was all fresh fruit slices.
"Thank you, Sister Kana."
Naraku smiled as usual.
"Don't thank me, actually, Sister Kushina prepared it all for you."
Seeing no particular reaction from him, Sister Kana hesitated, weighing her thoughts for a long time before finally asking hesitantly, "Did you two have a fight?"
A few days ago, she had tried to get Kakashi to come to the Hospital with her to visit Naraku, but he refused.
At the time, Sister Kana didn't think much of it.
But after so many days, even the Uchiha Clan Head and his wife had visited twice, yet Kakashi hadn't come once, and Naraku, who usually couldn't go three sentences without mentioning Kakashi, now rarely brought him up, his eyes only on that book, which he was seen reading every time she visited.
"No," Naraku smiled, denying it naturally, "Kakashi is probably just too busy, I'm already very happy that Sister Kana came."
He tried very hard to maintain his expression, but all the smiles were superficial, unable to reach his eyes anymore.
Sister Kana lowered her head and pursed her lips, not pressing further, quietly peeling roasted chestnuts for him.
After Sister Kana left, Naraku, holding the box with a few pieces of fruit left, zoned out for a long time.
Then he quietly got off the bed, walked out of the Hospital, and came to the river.
Disregarding his still unrecovered body, he took off his shoes and socks and stepped barefoot into the water.
The river water at night was bone-chilling, and soon his hands and feet lost sensation, but he tirelessly pushed aside the broken stones at the riverbed, searching for the lost pottery shard.
He had been searching for several nights, starting from where it fell, gradually moving downstream, examining almost every stone, afraid of accidentally missing it.
Today, he still hadn't found it.
Naraku sighed, his movements slightly stiff as he walked out of the small river, squatting by the bank, staring blankly at the endlessly flowing water.
About twenty to thirty meters behind him, a very familiar Chakra lingered, still showing no intention of approaching.
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