AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 56: Hurry and Bring My Healer Back!
The second morning after the conclusion of the Konoha Crush plan.
Logically, Konoha Village should have been left in ruins after such a major battle. Yet now, the Villagewas unnervingly quiet. Aside from a few damaged walls, one couldn't even find a decent-sized crater on the streets.
Inside the high-level conference room of the Hokage Building.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward, and this awkwardness stemmed almost entirely from Danzo Shimura.
The leader of the Root had a dark expression, his cane thumping against the floor as if he wanted to poke a hole through the ground. He had a belly full of words prepared to impeach Hiruzen Sarutobi for his incompetence and for allowing the Village to suffer heavy losses, but now, he couldn't get a single word out.
"Hiruzen! Is this your self-reflection?"
After holding it in for a long time, Danzo finally squeezed out: "To actually let a dangerous element like Orochimaru sneak in, did you feed your vigilance to the dogs?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the main seat, slowly taking a puff from his pipe.
"Danzo, don't be so angry." The Third Hokagechuckled as he pushed a casualty report over. "Although the process was a bit thrilling, isn't the result quite good? Look, zero civilian casualties, zero Ninja fatalities. The only property damage... it seems the renovation team just reported that the toilets at the arena are clogged."
Danzo's face instantly turned the color of pig liver.
This was exactly what he found unacceptable! According to intelligence, Orochimaru had brought the elites of Sunagakure and Otogakure, and even the Four Violet Flames Formation! The result? The guys known as the Sound Ninja's strongest Four-Man Squad didn't even get to release a single Ninjutsu before being slaughtered like chickens by Anko Mitarashi and a group of kunoichi.
It wasn't just Anko, but also Kurenai Yuhi, Yūgao Uzuki, and even that Genin Tenten... These women, who usually looked normal, acted yesterday as if they had taken forbidden drugs; their combat power was stronger than the last, and their methods were more ruthless than the next.
"This isn't right..." Danzo narrowed his eyes sinisterly. "The power boost of those kunoichi is too abnormal. Hiruzen, did you secretly develop some unspeakable Forbidden Jutsu?"
"I'd like to know too," Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself, but maintained a calm facade. "Perhaps this is the explosion of the Will of Fire in a moment of crisis. Now that the crisis is resolved, everyone deserves credit."
Danzo looked at the surrounding Advisors and Jonin Commanders; the looks they gave him seemed to say: 'Old Man, don't go looking for trouble.' He only felt a dull pain in his chest.
A world where only Danzo was hurt had been achieved.
Meanwhile, at Konoha Hospital.
According to Uzumaki Naruto's own judgment, his Chakra was overextended and he needed rest. At this moment, he was slumped ungracefully on the hospital bed, opening his mouth like a wealthy landlord.
"Ah—"
A piece of apple cut into the shape of a little rabbit was delivered into his mouth by a fair, clean hand.
Hinata Hyuga sat by the bed, her head lowered, her cheeks as red as the apple, but her hands didn't stop peeling the fruit.
"So sweet! Hinata, your skills are amazing, a hundred times better than what they sell outside!" Naruto praised while chewing the apple, his words muffled.
He looked at the submissive girl before him, and the bullet comments in his heart simply wouldn't stop.
[Hehehe, is this the so-called 'patient benefits'? For this, I could stay in this hospital for a lifetime!]
[To have the eldest daughter of the Hyuga serve me like this... if she feeds me a sip of water, I'd even accept being glared to death by that old fossil Hiashi Hyuga's Byakugan.]
Hinata's hand trembled slightly. Although she had long grown used to the nonsense from that voice in the heavenly curtain, every time she heard such blunt inner thoughts, her heart couldn't help but want to leap out of her throat.
She stole a glance at Naruto. Naruto was grinning like a fool, unaware that his little schemes were completely exposed.
Just then, the ward door was pushed open.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in with his hands behind his back.
"Ahem."
Like a startled rabbit, Hinata quickly stood up to bow: "Ho... Hokage-sama! I-I'll go get some water!" After saying that, her face flushed red as she dashed out like a streak of smoke.
Naruto smacked his lips with some regret and looked at the Third Hokage with dissatisfaction: "Old Man, why are you here? Can't you see I'm weak right now?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at this boy who was full of vigor and even rolling his eyes because his private time was interrupted, and his eyelid twitched.
"Weak? You look perfectly energetic to me."
Hiruzen pulled up a chair and sat down, his old eyes staring intently at Naruto, as if trying to see something extraordinary on the face of this boy who had always been treated as the dead last.
The after-action report of yesterday's battle was fresh in his mind.
Every kunoichi who had an explosive power-up seemed to have an inexplicable connection with the Uzumaki Naruto before him. Although there was no evidence, his intuition as the'Shinobi no Kami' told him that this Jinchuriki might be hiding some secret.
"Naruto, about the Orochimaru incident... what do you think?" Hiruzen asked tentatively.
Naruto froze for a moment, then his eyes darted around as he scratched the back of his head with a silly grin: "Ah? Orochimaru? That pervert with the long tongue? I just fought randomly, it was just good luck. It was all because Anko-sensei and the others were amazing!"
While he said that, the complaints in his heart had already taken flight.
[Think? I'm lying down and watching!]
[Old Man, you too, you're at such an old age and still worrying about this every day. Although Orochimaru ran away this time, who knows when he'll pull a surprise return?]
[Honestly, with your physique, you should retire. Hurry up and give up that position to let someone 'bigger' sit there.]
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned; although he couldn't hear the inner thoughts, he could sense a kind of... dismissiveness in Naruto's eyes.
[At this time, we should go and find that legendary sucker who's in debt all over the place... ah, no, I mean the medical saint!]
Naruto's gaze pierced through the ceiling as if he saw some beautiful image, and a trace of unworthy drool leaked from the corner of his mouth.
[Granny Tsunade! Only someone of her weight can hold down the fort in Konoha! Whether it's weight in terms of strength, or that... ahem, physical weight.]
[Old Man, look at you, you're just skin and bones, where's the sense of security? If it were Granny Tsunade, just by standing there, that surging aura would make enemies lose heart before the fight even begins!]
[Besides, I really feel like I need 'treatment' right now. The kind only Granny Tsunade can do... that'suffocation resuscitation therapy' where you bury your head in. Just by taking a breath of that air filled with mature female hormones, I feel like I could punch the Nine-Tailed with one hand!]
[Hurry up and send someone to bring my exclusive big healer back! This isn't just for the future of Konoha, but for my physical and mental health! I can't wait to be drowned by the 'face-wash milk'!]
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Naruto. A holy and yearning expression suddenly appeared on the boy's face, as if he were contemplating world peace, yet he was drooling. Although the Third didn't know what the kid was thinking, he instinctively felt a chill down his spine and got goosebumps all over.
"Achoo!"
Hundreds of kilometers away.
A blonde woman sitting under a tree holding a wine bottle suddenly let out a thunderous sneeze, spilling wine all over herself.
[Ding!]
[Detected that the host 'Senju Tsunade' is receiving an extreme craving from Uzumaki Narutoregarding'suffocation face-wash milk'.]
[This desire is extremely lewd and persistent, and carries a strange recognition of your sense of security.]
[heavenly curtain energy accumulation complete, reward issued: Age Reversal Technique · Constant Version (Your Strength of a Hundred Seal will no longer continuously consume Chakra to maintain youth; the Byakugō Seal is always in a brimming state).]
Tsunade froze for a moment, feeling the seal on her forehead suddenly stop extracting Chakra and instead begin to nourish her body. Her skin became tighter, and a certain heavy burden felt even heavier.
"...That bastard?"
A vein popped on Tsunade's temple, and with a 'crack', she crushed the wine bottle in her hand.
"Scheming for my body before we've even met?! Fine... very well! Just wait until I get back to the Village, see if I don't shove that kid's head into the ground for 'treatment'!"
Shizune, who was nearby, was too scared to make a sound, only feeling that Lady Tsunade's killing intent today was heavier than when she lost five million Ryo.
The scene returned to Konoha Hospital.
For some reason, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt that he had to do something according to this kid's wishes, otherwise there would be big trouble.
He sighed and stood up.
"Fine, I see you can't stay still. Since you're so energetic, I'll give you a special S-rank mission."
Hiruzen looked toward the door, at the tall figure who had been leaning against the wall eavesdropping.
"Jiraiya, take him. Go find Tsunade and bring her back."
The door was pushed open.
The tall man with white hair and wearing wooden clogs walked in with a hearty smile, giving a thumbs-up to Naruto on the hospital bed.
"Are you ready? Genius brat, our beautiful woman search journey is about to begin!"