r18novel Chapter 69 Ritual, Tranquility
Chapter 69 Ritual, Tranquility
Wednesday was the last day of the free clinic.
When he didn't see Tsunade in the morning, Hoshino Senju didn't think much of it at first.
As it approached ten o'clock, the familiar figure still hadn't appeared, and his heart sank. His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the direction of the Thousand Hands Clan's territory—
That thing that has been weighing on my mind will probably happen today.
A strong urge surged through me, and I wanted to drop everything and rush to her side immediately.
But in the end, reason prevailed over emotion.
"That old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi... He kept me in the dark about something so important." He thought to himself, "It seems that my status as Tsunade's 'lover' is ultimately too insignificant."
The system rewards he received for his days of free clinics made him somewhat proud.
At this moment, however, it was like a bucket of cold water being poured over him, completely waking him up—he was still far from being good enough and needed to improve his strength much faster.
He was not incapable of understanding Hiruzen Sarutobi's considerations.
The transfer of the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki was primarily between Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki, with Tsunade and Minato Namikaze directly involved.
As Tsunade's lover, there was still a barrier between them.
He suddenly realized: the free clinic he was leading had quite a presence, could it be that the Third Generation had used it as a smokescreen to cover up the handover ceremony?
Amidst a jumble of thoughts, another ninja entered the consultation room.
Xingyuan Qianshuo took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and focused on the work at hand.
Just then, a slight commotion arose in the waiting area, and the ninjas greeted each other respectfully.
The visitor turned out to be Orochimaru, who had been living in a cave for many years.
He emerged like a dragon from its cave, his chilling aura making the temperature in the waiting area seem to drop several degrees.
At this time, he was still a hero in the village, one of the renowned "Three Ninjas".
That gloomy aura was nothing out of the ordinary in the eyes of a ninja who was used to life and death.
His appearance at this moment is by no means accidental.
Although Orochimaru cooperated with Danzo, his intelligence network extended beyond "Root".
He also had informants in the shadows, who had long noticed that the village had become tense on the surface, but he didn't know the specific reason.
Despite being engrossed in human experiments, he still maintained a keen insight into the situation both inside and outside Konoha.
He already had several guesses in his mind regarding the teacher's actions.
The passing of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is one such example.
Regardless of the possibility, he needs to temporarily leave the experimental base and come to investigate in person.
The large-scale free clinic spearheaded by Xingyuan Qianshuo naturally caught his attention.
Senshuo No. 3 learned of Orochimaru's arrival from the greetings around him. He was slightly surprised, but he did not show it on the surface.
"Greetings, Lord Orochimaru." He stood up and greeted him politely.
"Shadow clone?" The hoarse voice carried a unique chill.
"We're very busy with medical duties, please understand," Qian Shuo No. 3 replied politely. "Should we notify the main body to come down?"
"No need," Orochimaru said in a low voice. "Your examination will be over soon."
He had been observing from the outside for a long time, and the other party was extremely quick to detect the hidden injury.
The ability to make accurate diagnoses without the aid of any instruments, solely through chakra perception, is itself an extraordinary medical talent.
"Lord Orochimaru, are you sure you want me to examine you? This examination can reveal some information about your body," Chishuo No. 3 probed.
These superficial pieces of information are harmless to ordinary ninjas, but they are quite sensitive to Orochimaru, who has undergone physical modifications.
"It's alright." Orochimaru smiled sinisterly. "I also want to see what kind of ability this man has that Tsunade has taken a liking to."
Qian Shuo No. 3 said no more and skillfully examined various areas of his body while activating the system's detection.
[Name: Orochimaru]
[Condition: Minor tear in the left intercostal muscle]
He didn't care that the other party, like Akimichi Torifu, deliberately caused minor injuries to test him.
Instead, they were somewhat surprised—Orochimaru's body showed no signs of modification, especially his signature soft body modification.
It seems that he has just embarked on the forbidden path and has not yet achieved much success in applying it to himself.
"Well, how much intelligence has Dr. Chisaku gathered?" Orochimaru asked with great interest.
"Forty thousand," Qian Shuo No. 3 announced a number.
Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly.
"An ordinary Jonin can reliably cultivate about 8,000 to 10,000 chakra in battle," Chishuo No. 3 calmly explained. "Orochimaru's estimate is about 40,000."
Using the values on the system's personal panel as a reference, Xingyuan Qianshuo has been trying to quantify the amount of chakra in others during his medical practice.
This is difficult; there are too many factors to consider, so we can only make a rough estimate.
What he most wanted to quantify was Kakashi's chakra level—"one chakra" is a recognized standard unit of measurement.
"Oh?" Orochimaru pursed his thin lips. "What is Dr. Chisaku's self-assessment?"
"I cannot disclose that," Qian Shuo No. 3 calmly declined.
His chakra reserves are increasing rapidly every day; it's not something that can be easily revealed.
"So, what do you think is the upper limit of this value, Mr. Chisaku?"
"There is no upper limit." Qian Shuo No. 3's answer was calm and confident.
"An interesting answer." Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and gave a meaningful smile.
After saying that, he got up to leave.
"Lord Orochimaru," Chisaku No. 3 spoke up at the opportune moment, "Please take care of your body. There's no need to deliberately create wounds to test my abilities."
"Heh, you found out." Orochimaru showed no embarrassment at being exposed, but instead chuckled in a low voice, "I didn't expect Konoha Hospital to have such an interesting medical ninja like you."
Qian Shuo No. 3 watched his slightly sinister figure disappear through the back door, and did not insist on treatment to obtain the reward as usual.
It seems that my "efficiency" in using the system to detect hidden injuries has already attracted some attention.
He shook his head, no longer wanting to think about it.
He doesn't want to get too close to Orochimaru right now.
After Orochimaru left, Chishuo No. 3 received two more ninjas and then saw a system notification.
Orochimaru heeded your well-intentioned advice and healed his minor intercostal muscle injury, earning the reward: Wind Release: Wind Cutting Technique (Proficient), Chakra +380.
"Huh? This works too?" Qian Shuo No. 3 shook his head and chuckled. "Looks like I can 'persuade' people more often in the future."
Midday.
Xingyuan Qianshuo remained uneasy, as if a stone was pressing on his chest.
He casually collected his morning reward.
In addition to Wind Release: Wind Cutting Technique, there are also "Magic Illusion: This Is Not the Right Place Technique (Proficient)" and "Earth Release: Earth Wave Technique (Proficient)".
The other five ninjas, who had hidden injuries, provided improvements to their existing skill proficiency and increased their chakra reserves.
Hokage Building, inside the Hokage's room.
The four high-ranking officials of Konoha gathered together, and the atmosphere was solemn.
"Hiruzen, you should have informed us of such an important matter sooner," Shimura Danzo said first, his tone cold and hard.
"Hiruzen, this decision was indeed hasty. You should have consulted with us first," Mitokado Homura echoed in a deep voice.
Koharu Utatane nodded as well, but when she caught a glimpse of Hiruzen Sarutobi's calm expression, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe, letting the pungent smoke swirl in his lungs, his gaze calmly sweeping over Danzo.
Previously, Mito Uzumaki had sent him a message through his entourage stationed in the Dark Side.
He immediately went to pay his respects and listened to the man's final words.
She repeatedly emphasized that Kushina must be able to live like an ordinary woman, and that Jinchuriki must never be regarded as a weapon or tool.
This idea aligned with his "Will of Fire," so he naturally agreed solemnly.
However, Mito Uzumaki also clearly expressed his strong aversion to Danzo Shimura.
Although he did not directly criticize the Hokage, he was clearly quite dissatisfied with Danzo's long-term indulgence of him.
Mito Uzumaki was able to sense malice and had long seen through Danzo's hidden obsession and ruthlessness.
She was originally most worried about Tsunade, who was all alone, but now she was more worried about Kushina, who was about to inherit the Nine-Tails.
As the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she knew better than anyone that the Nine-Tails was an embodiment of hatred.
If Kushina were treated like a cold, inanimate tool, her life would be plunged into endless suffering.
Among the Konoha leadership, the one most likely to act in this way is Shimura Danzo.
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew perfectly well what was going on.
Danzo has suggested more than once that Kushina Uzumaki should be completely controlled, believing that letting her fall in love with the "yellow-haired boy" is "nonsense".
For this reason, he controlled all the arrangements for this handover ceremony, and only his most trusted secret agents were used to carry them out.
He only summoned the three people in front of him when the sealing ceremony was about to begin.
Of course, it's also just in case.
If the seal goes awry, the four can join forces to suppress the rampaging Nine-Tails with the "Four Red Yang Formation".
At that very moment—
A terrifying chakra, immense in size and filled with pure hatred, suddenly erupted from the direction of the Senju residence!
Even with multiple barriers blocking the way, that soul-chilling aura still swept through the entire Hidden Leaf Village!
Ordinary ninjas felt only a bone-chilling cold; sensory ninjas felt it even more deeply—the destructive energy contained in the chakra shook them to their core.
The Thousand Hands Mansion, the core of the sealing barrier.
The sealing team members used all their chakra to maintain the barrier's operation.
The large, vortex-shaped barrier surrounding the mansion was desperately trying to suppress the Nine-Tails' rampaging chakra.
However, they are only supporting roles at this moment.
The real key lies in the two red-haired members of the Uzumaki clan at the center of the barrier.
"roar--!"
The Nine-Tailed Fox let out a deafening roar, and its ferocious fox head and half of its body broke free from the seal on Mito Uzumaki's abdomen!
The surging orange-red chakra, carrying overwhelming malice, frantically assaulted the surroundings.
It yearns for freedom, it yearns for destruction!
But several golden chains extended from Mito's body, tightly binding her violently twisting body!
Kushina thought she had prepared herself mentally.
But when the true form of the Nine-Tails' evil and violent nature came into view, fear inevitably arose from the bottom of his heart.
Just then, a golden figure suddenly swept past the outer perimeter and landed steadily beside her.
It's a water gate.
His warm hand firmly grasped Kushina's slightly trembling fingers.
His familiar, gentle smile conveyed courage and warmth.
As Kushina gazed into those azure eyes, the fear in her heart instantly vanished!
She resolutely turned her head and faced the raging, roaring beast once more, and the chakra of the Uzumaki clan within her body erupted!
"Diamond Lockdown!"
Five thick golden chains shot out from behind her, tightly binding the half of the Nine-Tailed Fox's body that had broken free!
The chains tightened, emitting a metallic clanging sound, and a powerful force began to drag the ferocious beast over!
Mito Uzumaki, who had been working tirelessly to maintain the seal, sensed Kushina's determination and strength.
She immediately followed the other party's rhythm, sealing the Nine-Tails into Kushina's body little by little, with unwavering determination.
Nine-Tailed Fox roared and struggled in resentment, but its resistance was futile in the face of the combined power of the two Uzumaki clan members who were connected by blood.
Ultimately, it could only be dragged into a new cage in endless rage.
Tsunade, who had been holding back her tears while watching from the sidelines, now burst into tears.
Today, she lost her last blood relative in this world.
As soon as the ceremony ended, she rushed forward, knelt down beside her grandmother, and tightly grasped her wrinkled, dry, and cold hands.
Looking at her grandmother's gray and withered hair, which had turned gray due to the depletion of chakra, she burst into tears.
Mito Uzumaki's vitality was already as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind.
With her last strength, she opened her cloudy eyes and looked at her grieving granddaughter.
A relieved and peaceful smile slowly appeared on his wrinkled face.
It was as if all my wishes had been fulfilled, and I had no more worries.
Inside the Hokage's room.
Sensing that the suffocating Nine-Tails chakra had finally disappeared, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
He faced immense pressure during this Nine-Tails Jinchuriki handover.
The success or failure of the seal is crucial to the balance of the entire ninja world.
If defeated, the war will surely reignite.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly.
But the cleanup work has only just begun.
Previously, to ensure the ceremony went perfectly, the news was strictly controlled to a minimum.
Although the ceremony was successful, the earth-shattering commotion just now could not possibly have escaped the notice of those who were interested.
Next, we need to stabilize the village's internal situation and strengthen border defenses to prevent other ninja villages from probing us.
He quickly reviewed the backup plan in his mind, his gaze sweeping over the three men:
"The commotion just now was too great to keep quiet. The four great ninja villages will soon hear about it. I will immediately convene an emergency meeting of Jonin to deploy border defenses."
Seeing that the die was cast, Danzo and the other two stopped arguing and nodded in agreement.
"Danzo, go to the northeastern border and guard against Kumogakure."
"En, the western border is your responsibility. Keep a close eye on Sunagakure."
"The northwestern border will be under Jiraiya's command, to block Iwagakure."
"The eastern coastline, under the command of Sakumo Hatake, is under vigilance against the fog."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke steadily as he assigned tasks one by one.
He knew that Orochimaru was conducting secret experiments with Danzo, so he did not make any arrangements for Orochimaru openly.
At the same time, he cleverly sent Sakumo Hatake, who had a past grudge against Sunagakure, to the east, thus avoiding trouble.
When Shimura Danzo heard that Hatake Sakumo had been entrusted with an important task, he frowned slightly, but considering that Orochimaru's experiment was at a critical juncture, he ultimately did not object.
Hiruzen Sarutobi added and emphasized:
"The primary principle of this operation is defense; we must absolutely not initiate any provocations."
"Xiaochun, logistical support must be thorough. I'll stay in the village and be ready to provide assistance to all sides at any time."
Danzo and the other two had no objection to this arrangement.
When facing external threats, the top leadership must remain united.
They also understood that the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki needed time to grow, and it was not advisable to start a conflict at this time.
Danzo's lips moved, as if he wanted to reiterate the "Jinchūriki as a tool" theory, but Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him by raising his hand.
"The matter is settled, there is no need for further discussion. Everyone, please prepare as soon as possible." Hiruzen's tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable decisiveness.
Inside Konoha Hospital.
At the very instant that terrifying chakra erupted, Hoshino Senju suddenly looked up.
He was worried about Tsunade, but he also knew that the Senju residence must be heavily guarded at this moment.
Fortunately, the chilling evil aura quickly disappeared, which meant the seal was successful.
After a moment's thought, he no longer hesitated and decided to set off immediately.
In any case, he had to get to Tsunade's side as soon as possible.
He quickly changed out of his white coat, hurried out of the hospital, and headed towards the Thousand Hands Clan's territory.
During the journey, two system notifications appeared one after another:
[Your words and actions provided Mito Uzumaki with "peaceful healing," allowing her to pass away peacefully. Rewards: Yin Seal (Mastery), Uzumaki Physique Fragment *1, Chakra +20000]
[You have gained the ability to sense malice. This ability comes from the Nine-Tails. It detects that there is no Nine-Tails chakra in the host's body and generates it as an innate skill: Malice Sense (Intermediate)]
This unprecedentedly generous reward did not bring joy; instead, it made his heart clench.
He couldn't help but quicken his pace again.