At this point, the Konoha base had begun to take shape with the efforts of many ninjas. Trenches lined the front, tents were set up in the back, and sentries were stationed around the perimeter.
Torifu was busy organizing people to further improve the base. When he saw Tsunade return, he was overjoyed and hurried over to greet her.
"Tsunade, how is it?"
Then, noticing the miserable state of Kazuyama, his expression turned serious. "Huh? What happened to this kid?"
He was puzzled—out of the four-person team, why was Kazuyama the only one in such a wretched condition?
"First, find me an empty tent. He's still injured," Tsunade said. The temporary treatment had eased Kazuyama's pain, but his wounds were far from healed.
"Yes, there's an empty tent a little further back. I had some prepared in advance," Torifu responded.
Tsunade nodded, and Hizashi helped Kazuyama toward the tents.
Before long, under Tsunade's care, Kazuyama was fully bandaged. His hands were wrapped, his body covered in layers of bandages.
"No way, big sister! I just broke a bone—why so many bandages?" he protested.
Tsunade glanced at him and replied calmly, "Your body is covered in tiny wounds from the lightning stimulation. Besides the broken bones in your hands, you have multiple burns. Can't you feel them?"
Kazuyama shook his head. He could feel the pain from his broken bones, but nothing else.
"Just rest. The Mystical Palm Technique accelerates healing, but excessive use can harm the body's functions," Tsunade advised. "Your hand bones are already healed, so let the rest recover naturally. Your physical fitness is quite good—I'd say you'll be fine in about half a month."
Half a month? That long? He frowned but quickly accepted it, remembering the risks of overusing healing techniques.
Tsunade suddenly asked, "What kind of medicine were you using on the battlefield?"
"The ones my sensei, Orochimaru, made—chakra boosters, chakra restoratives, and wound treatments," Kazuyama replied proudly. "I'm telling you, my sensei is the best at this! I really admire his skills."
He grinned. "I had to raid his entire lab to get these! If it weren't for that musclehead going too far, I wouldn't have even used them."
Kazuyama had originally intended to use the medicines as an excuse—taking them in front of Tsunade on purpose. He had even asked Chōmei to monitor his condition, wary of potential side effects. After all, most of Orochimaru's creations had them.
But soon, he realized he had been worrying for nothing. The medicines worked as intended, with almost no drawbacks. At most, they caused mild dizziness and nausea, but compared to the pain he had endured, that was nothing.
"Can I have some? I'm also a healer, and I'm a little curious."
Tsunade was being honest. When Kazuyama took the medicine, his chakra had surged from zero at an alarming rate. If this kind of medicine could be mass-produced...
"Huh? I don't think that's possible..."
"Why?"
"I already finished them... There were only a few tablets, and now they're all gone."
Kazuyama struggled to pull the pillbox from his pocket, and sure enough, it was empty.
"Alright, I'll just go to Orochimaru then."
Tsunade shook her head in exasperation but hadn't given up. In her eyes, those medicines were invaluable.
Little did they know, Orochimaru was, as Kazuyama had described, trying to make a deal with a tiger—courting disaster by trusting someone far too dangerous.
Konohagakure, Root Division
The underground base was shrouded in darkness.
"Orochimaru, I called you back because all the preliminary experiments have failed."
"The fifty strong ninja personally selected by Hiruzen were unable to accept the First Hokage Hashirama's cells—they all died."
Danzō's voice was low, his face unreadable, as if the deaths of fifty people were insignificant.
"In that case, we should select children with the right potential for the experiment."
"A child's body is still growing rapidly. They should have a better chance of accepting the First Hokage's cells."
Orochimaru examined the experiment report in his hands, his expression calm.
"Good. I'll send a suitable candidate in a few days."
"I need you to begin the experiment immediately."
Orochimaru nodded. He should have been on the battlefield in the Land of Rivers, but a few days ago, he had received an urgent summons from Root, calling him back to the village.
To ensure his departure, he had even risked injury in a fight with the One-Tail.
For now, Jiraiya was overseeing the Land of Rivers battlefield, and with a strong force stationed there, it was unlikely there would be any major issues.
"Also, Orochimaru, I know Kazuyama is your disciple."
"I want you to hand him over. A talent like his belongs in the Root Division."
For the first time, Orochimaru's expression changed.
Danzō noticed the subtle shift, but before he could speak, Orochimaru's voice cut through the silence.
"Danzō, my cooperation with you is between us. Don't drag Kazuyama into this."
"If I find out you've involved him, our collaboration ends immediately."
"Heh, and how exactly do you plan to explain your actions to the Hokage?"
Orochimaru's gaze was cold as he casually flipped through the report in his hands, his stance unwavering.
Danzō hadn't expected such resistance when it came to Orochimaru's own disciple.
"Hmph. For now, focus on the experiment."
Choosing to avoid further confrontation, Danzō scoffed and turned to leave.
Orochimaru remained where he was, his golden eyes flashing with intensity—his emotions clearly stirred.
After Kazuyama's return, Shirakumo and the others arrived soon after. Based on their reports, Konoha had gained a significant advantage in the battle.
Although there had been casualties, compared to Kumo's losses, it was a decisive victory.
Following the battle, both sides entered a temporary stalemate.
As the moon climbed high, night settled over the camp.
Kazuyama's eyes snapped open, and the next moment, he vanished from his tent.
"Kazuyama, in your condition, you're still trying to move?"
"Why don't you just rest?"
Chōmei couldn't help but intervene as Kazuyama moved through the forest.
"Hmph, Chōmei, don't bother trying to stop me."
"That damn musclehead has been tormenting me for too long. During the day, I had to hold back with people around."
"But now it's finally night. If I don't teach him a lesson, he'll start thinking I'm weak!"
His eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he circled the tree trunk. Bandaged hands folded together, he muttered under his breath—
"Coiling Serpent Technique..."
"Tagitsuhime... I need your help!"
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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