Chapter 180: The Pinnacle of Medical Ninjutsu
Walking down the bustling streets of Konoha in the early evening as the lanterns lit up, Mizuki didn't feel that the number of pedestrians had dropped much compared to before Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush" plan. Thanks to the village's advantageous location, immense power, and unmatched prestige, Konoha's recovery was much faster than expected. Even though a large-scale operation had just occurred a few days ago, most of the killing had taken place in the shadows—places normal citizens couldn't see. The average person barely noticed any changes.
What puzzled Mizuki even more was the lack of attention he received after making such a big splash. Despite his recent rise in fame, the once "faceless" Mizuki could still walk down the street unnoticed. Aside from a few familiar faces greeting him in passing, most people didn't recognize this man in a plain, unimpressive vest as a powerful jonin. His most recognizable feature was his striking silver hair—he had no flashy signature move or dramatic nickname.
Even so, news always spreads eventually. The shinobi world is vast, and even Konoha alone was the size of a small city. Unless someone was a true celebrity, even elite ninja weren't widely recognized. Take Hatake Kakashi, for example—despite his reputation, even Iruka Umino didn't know him well until Kakashi became Naruto's team leader. Mizuki himself had only ever heard the name in passing and had never interacted with Kakashi until Naruto brought them together. The reality was that different social circles rarely overlapped.
This time, though, it seemed there was an invisible hand deliberately limiting the spread of certain information. Understandable—topics like Tailed Beasts were taboo enough, but a person capable of subduing one? That was an even greater cause for concern. Every time such a figure emerged, it inevitably caused a major upheaval. Even things like Sage Mode, though not officially classified, still needed to be kept relatively quiet.
Mizuki soon arrived at Konoha Hospital—aside from his own home, it had become the place he frequented most during this period. Every time he came, he couldn't help but feel exasperated. This so-called pinnacle of medical treatment in the ninja world was still run by a group of nervous medical-nin who struggled with even basic surgical procedures. Chakra might be miraculous, but Mizuki knew firsthand it couldn't cure everything. In rare cases, it could even make things worse.
Fortunately, Tsunade had returned. At least now those medical-nin—whose clumsy efforts Mizuki could hardly watch—had proper guidance. Over ten years ago, a young Rin Nohara had been capable of transplanting Uchiha Obito's Sharingan into Hatake Kakashi on the battlefield—an operation far beyond Mizuki's current skills. That a genin from a decade ago could outperform most modern medical-nin made Mizuki feel like he'd wasted his life. Others changed eyes like they were switching glasses, while he was still struggling to fix the fundamental issues in his body.
Per their arrangement, Mizuki was supposed to report directly to Tsunade. But on second thought, he made a detour to visit Hayate Gekkō.
In the quiet hospital room, only Yugao Uzuki was there to keep watch. When Mizuki entered, Hayate happened to be awake.
Thanks to Tsunade's return, Konoha Hospital's efficiency had greatly improved. The once helpless medical staff had started making real progress. Many critical patients were now recovering, some even discharged. Mizuki hadn't helped much in this. His so-called universal elixir had clear effects and equally clear side effects—only Tsunade's top-tier medical ninjutsu could truly help.
Hayate had briefly regained consciousness, but his body remained on the verge of collapse. Even Tsunade could only stabilize his mind and restore partial sensation. Physical recovery was still a long way off.
Seeing Mizuki, Yugao immediately stood and nodded in greeting. Mizuki walked over to the bedside. Hayate's complexion looked passable, and his eyes showed awareness. He even managed a faint smile. That alone reassured Mizuki that the man, despite his luckless path, was not in immediate danger.
After a brief exchange with Yugao, Mizuki quietly took his leave. He still hadn't found any real solution for Hayate's condition. The experimental methods Mizuki had considered for himself simply weren't suitable for Hayate—without precise chakra control, they would likely do more harm than good.
Next, Mizuki made his way to a hidden lab where Tsunade was immersed in her work.
"You're here? Give me a moment," she said without looking up.
"No problem," Mizuki replied.
He took the opportunity to observe how Tsunade conducted her research. Unlike typical labs, hers had few fancy instruments—just stacks and stacks of notes and books everywhere.
Mizuki picked up a volume and skimmed a few pages before putting it back. He didn't dismiss theoretical research—far from it. But the limitations were clear. At least for now, Mizuki had reached a bottleneck in improving his own medical ninjutsu.
After a while, Tsunade finally finished her work and turned to him.
"That elixir of yours is quite something," she said. "It can even serve as a last-ditch lifesaver."
Before Mizuki could reply, she continued, "Thanks to that, I've had fewer headaches lately. Saved me from dealing with so many small complications."
As expected, she got straight to the point.
"About your body's condition," Tsunade said, "I've been reviewing your case. While I haven't found a direct cure yet, there are some techniques inherited from the Uzumaki clan that might help."
"Really? That's great news!" Mizuki said, visibly relieved.
"The sooner you recover, the better. I've got a stack of missions waiting for you."
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