Chapter 488: The Transplant Surgery
A few days later, it was the monthly rent collection day.
Finding some free time, Ishiro left the village alone and happily went to the underground base where the Gedo Statue was located.
"Genius! Is Genius here? Ah Tsuchi, are you there?" Ishiro shouted down from the sky.
A short while later, Obito Uchiha and a White Zetsu clone emerged from the ground.
Obito's mood soured the moment he saw Ishiro. After returning to this base, he had used genjutsu on Ranmaru. Since the attack on him had been mainly by Kiri ninja, and he had just killed Kiri's Kurosuki Raiga the day before, it was highly likely that Raiga had sent the intel back before he died.
To verify this, Obito had used genjutsu on Ranmaru. As expected, the boy couldn't resist. Obito easily learned that Raiga had indeed used a summoning jutsu to transmit the intelligence back to Kirigakure.
Unfortunately, it was too late. If Obito had used genjutsu on Ranmaru immediately after killing Raiga, he would have learned of the impending attack. He wouldn't have lost most of the children; he might have even been able to turn the tables and ambush Ishiro's group.
But alas, at the time, he had chosen to trust the White Zetsu clone's judgment. The clone had told him no one had escaped, so he had thought he was still safe.
It was all the fault of being too young. Obito's strength could be changed by the Mangekyo Sharingan and Wood Release, but his intelligence and experience could not.
Just as the furious Obito was about to speak, Ishiro beat him to it. "Ah Tsuchi, are you Ah Tsuchi? The one who told me Genius was in the Land of Iron?"
Ah Tsuchi: ...
Obito: ...
Taking a deep breath, Obito said, "Tsuchikage, stop playing these little tricks to sow discord. You violated our agreement and told Kiri my whereabouts!"
Ishiro replied in an exaggerated tone, "Genius, be reasonable, will you?"
"I only promised not to tell anyone about this base. Did I promise to keep your other bases a secret too?"
"I worked hard to get the information about your location in the Land of Iron from Ah Tsuchi. What does that have to do with you? Right, Ah Tsuchi?"
"Did you really think I, Ishiro, am an honest man you can bully?"
Hearing Ishiro shamelessly call himself an honest man, Obito roared, "Shut up! You and Kiri stole so many of my subordinates! You will take responsibility for this!"
Ishiro rolled his eyes, though Obito couldn't see it from below the porcelain platform.
"Genius," Ishiro said, "do you think you're playing house?"
"Even if I really did break my promise, you can declare war on me if you want. Saying such childish things like 'take responsibility'—do you think I will?"
"Not to mention, the failure to protect those children is clearly your own incompetence. Let me give you some advice: if you don't have the strength to protect yourself, don't provoke the great villages."
"If you want to throw a tantrum and act like a spoiled brat, go back to the Konoha Ninja Academy and play your little ninja games!"
Obito's eyes burned with fury, staring daggers at... the porcelain platform beneath Ishiro's feet.
Ishiro could feel his anger but was completely unfazed. "Alright, enough nonsense. I'm here to collect the rent."
Obito raged, "You still have the face to collect rent?!"
He was about to go mad with anger.
Ishiro ignored him. "For this month's rent, I want a girl from the Mizunashi clan named Yi Mizunashi. Pay up."
Obito's chakra fluctuated violently, as if he were about to explode.
But at that moment, Black Zetsu sent him a message through the White Zetsu clone: "Obito, calm down. Tearing things apart with the Tsuchikage now does us no good at all. It's just one Ice Release ninja. Give her to him. It's no big deal. The current situation is not suitable for a complete break with him."
Black Zetsu hadn't been present during the Kiri ambush. Fearing that Ishiro could track him through the piece of his body he possessed, he had never once visited the Land of Iron base.
Obito closed his eyes. After a moment, he sank back into the ground.
A short while later, another White Zetsu clone emerged and stood beside Ah Tsuchi. It slowly opened itself up, revealing a child inside.
This new clone said, "Tsuchikage, you can have this person. But from now on, you can't make demands for the rent. You take what we give you. Otherwise, I'll kill the hostage! If you want to expose this base, then expose it!"
A surprised voice came from the sky. "Oh? So forceful? You've got me scared. Alright then, a pleasure doing business with you. Ah Tsuchi, see you next time!"
With that, Ishiro used his Porcelain Release to lift the dazed Yi Mizunashi away.
On the way back, as was his custom, Ishiro used his senjutsu chakra to extract the White Zetsu clones from Yi's body. This time, there were five of them.
Looking at them, Ishiro wondered, How exactly are these things cultivated? If White Zetsu can use the Spore Technique to easily create a large number of clones, why were there only tens of thousands in the Allied Shinobi Forces during the war in the original story? It shouldn't be that hard to make hundreds of thousands.
Next time I have a chance, I'll talk to Obito about this. See if I can trade for some of the spores. Once Nakata and the others finish studying the transplant technology from Orochimaru, the village will start performing the surgeries. The pile of clones I have will run out sooner or later. As a far-sighted leader, I need to plan ahead.
After casually sealing the five clones, Ishiro turned his attention to Yi Mizunashi, who was looking at him warily.
"You're Yi Mizunashi, right?"
She nodded but said nothing.
Quite cautious. Knows that the less you say, the fewer mistakes you make, Ishiro thought.
He continued, "Do you know you have an older brother named Haku Mizunashi?"
This time, the little girl lost her composure. Her eyes widened. "You know my brother?"
Ishiro nodded. "You know you have a brother, but do you know where he is?"
The girl immediately said, "My brother was kidnapped by the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure! That big villain coveted our Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, so he stole my brother!"
Ishiro nodded seriously. "You're right. I stole Haku precisely because I coveted your clan's Ice Release."
Yi Mizunashi: ...
Looks like I misspoke.
Ishiro continued, "Haku is my disciple now. He begged me to find a way to rescue you from the man who killed your mother. Since all your family in Kirigakure is dead anyway, you can go to your brother's place for now. After that, we'll see how he decides to arrange things for you."
Hearing him mention her family, Yi remembered her mother, who had died at Obito's hands. The tough facade she had put up crumbled, and she lowered her head, silent.
Seeing this, Ishiro didn't disturb her, and they flew on toward Iwagakure in silence.
After a while, they arrived. By then, Yi had fallen asleep.
She must have been terrified at Obito's place, Ishiro guessed. Obito must have been in a foul mood lately, making all the children he kidnapped very anxious.
After returning to the village, Ishiro took the little girl directly to her brother, Haku. Although Haku was still a child himself, he had experience taking care of children; he had been looking after Kurotsuchi since she was very young. He was quite skilled at it.
"This is your sister," Ishiro told Haku. "I traded for her from that mysterious Uchiha. I'll leave her in your care for now. In the future, whether you want to send her back to Kirigakure or have her stay here, it's up to you."
Haku: ...
"Teacher Ishiro... is that Uchiha really 'mysterious'?"
Ishiro: ...
Speechless, Ishiro gave Haku a light rap on the head. "What do kids know? Now take your sister to the hospital for a check-up."
"Oh." Haku took his hand off his head, picked up the still-sleeping Yi, and ran toward the hospital.
Watching him run off, Ishiro sighed in relief. That little brat, daring to question his teacher.
But he's right. Can I still call Obito the 'mysterious Uchiha'? But if not that, what should I call him?
He turned around and saw Fujii Kaoru and Kamizuru Tsuruhime both staring in the direction Haku had gone. "If you want to go, then go," he said.
Seeing his teammates caring for each other, Ishiro was very satisfied. It seems that under my guidance, my disciples all have righteous minds! Such solidarity!
The two girls cheered and quickly ran after Haku, chatting excitedly as they went.
"Haku's sister is so cute!"
"Yeah, so cute! Haku's parents must have been very good-looking."
"I have to pinch her cheeks."
"Me too, me too! If Teacher Ishiro hadn't been here, I would have done it already."
Ishiro: ...
Should I call them back and assign them a mountain of training tasks?
Orochimaru's medical technology was not orthodox, but for Iwagakure's Medical Division, it was an invaluable treasure.
Nakata Hajime led the best medical ninja, working day and night to study the transplantation techniques and the White Zetsu research data. Through the efforts of these avid researchers, they finally achieved a breakthrough.
For the first transplant experiment, Nakata invited Ishiro and the other high-ranking officials. He intended to complete this great advancement under their watchful eyes.
Ishiro, Bella, and the others waited outside the operating room.
Bella knew Ishiro could sense the situation inside with his Mind's Eye. "Ishiro, how is it? Is it going smoothly?"
Ishiro said, "It looks very smooth so far. From the calm looks on Nakata and the others, there shouldn't be any problems."
Saka said, "Does this mean the village will soon have the technology to regenerate lost limbs?"
Ishiro nodded.
Bella said, "Ishiro, do we have enough White Zetsu clones? Are there any to spare? This technology could be used to make money from the nobles in the capital. For those aristocrats who have been accidentally disabled, they would pay any price to be healthy again."
Ishiro mentally calculated the list Saka had compiled a few days ago and compared it with the number of clones. "We definitely have enough for all the disabled ninja in the village. After all, one clone can be split into many parts. But to use it on outsiders to increase the village's income, I'm afraid our reserves aren't enough. We still have to keep some in case of an emergency. The shinobi world won't be at peace forever. Once war breaks out, the consumption of clones will increase. We can't be wasteful."
Bella looked disappointed.
Ishiro added, "I'll keep an eye on this issue in the future. See if there's a chance to obtain a large number of clones again."
At the same time, he sighed internally. The village's medical ninjutsu level is still not high enough. Otherwise, we could just clone the White Zetsu. Even if we couldn't replicate a complete clone, we could at least clone limbs for surgery.
At that moment, Kawakita said, "It looks like it's over."
Ishiro pulled his thoughts back and looked toward the operating room door with the others.
The technology and data from Orochimaru were profound, and the research process had been arduous. But the actual surgery did not take long. The entire procedure was over in just over ten minutes. The amputated arm of the ninja selected for the first surgery had been replaced with a White Zetsu arm.
And after the surgery, the man could move normally.
He was the first to walk out of the operating room, shirtless. The skin color of his left arm was completely different from the rest of his body, an unnatural white. But other than the color, the connection point was perfectly normal.
In front of Ishiro and the others, he flexibly used his left arm to perform some normal movements. Then, he used chakra to perform some taijutsu exercises. Finally, he formed hand seals and cast an Earth Release: Mud Wall.
Everything indicated that, aside from its color, his new arm was no different from a normal one.
Ishiro went forward and personally inspected the arm, carefully sensing it with his Mind's Eye. After confirming there were no side effects, he said to the nervously expectant Nakata, "Very good. The surgery was a great success. I am very satisfied with this result."
Nakata and the other medical ninja immediately cheered.
Today was the most memorable day for the Iwagakure Medical Division. Although the technology was not self-developed, their capabilities had taken a quantum leap.
The other advisors behind Ishiro also excitedly surrounded the "guinea pig," discussing animatedly.
Ishiro did not participate. He was the Tsuchikage. He had seen the world. He had to maintain his image.
After the cheering died down, Ishiro asked Nakata with a calm expression, "Can the Medical Division now perform these transplants in batches?"
Nakata quickly nodded. "Yes. After understanding the principle, the procedure is actually not that difficult."
Ishiro said, "Very good. Prepare yourselves. After we've gathered all the disabled ninja in the village, you will begin the surgeries immediately."
"Yes!" Nakata and the medical ninja behind him replied in unison.
They had only been assistants in the previous surgery. Now, they were eager to perform one themselves. They were rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
Ishiro said to Saka, "Have the Anbu notify everyone on the list to come for their surgery."
"Yes." Saka immediately arranged for it.
Ishiro didn't stay idle either. He personally went to the homes of the several oldest disabled ninja in the village and brought these old veterans to the hospital himself.
Once everyone was gathered, Ishiro addressed them. "Everyone, I've gathered you all at the hospital today to make an announcement. I'm sure you've all heard. That's right. The Medical Division has developed a new method to perform limb transplant surgery."
"You all lost hands, arms, or even entire legs—some of you, both legs—for the sake of the village. You are all heroes. The village is indebted to you. Here, on behalf of the village, I apologize to you all."
With that, Ishiro bowed deeply.
A stir went through the crowd of disabled ninja. Many of their family members who had accompanied them also looked moved.
Ishiro ignored this, straightened up, and continued, "But now, the village has the ability to perform these surgeries. There is hope for all of you to recover your lost limbs."
"Alright, I won't say more. The surgeries will begin immediately. Those who lost their limbs the earliest will go first."
At this, one of the old veterans Ishiro had invited spoke up. "Lord Tsuchikage, let the young ones go first!"
"Yes, let the young ones go first. They still have a chance to become ninja again."
"That's right. We can wait. It's a waste to use such a good thing on us."
Perfect. Now I can use the lines I prepared, Ishiro thought.
He raised his hand to quiet them. "Seniors, please be quiet. I know what you are saying. You are ninja who were disabled in the Second War, or even earlier. Even with new limbs, you can no longer perform missions like other ninja."
"But you've misunderstood one thing. You are not tools of the village. You are our family."
"The village didn't develop this technology so we could heal you and then send you back to the battlefield to die."
"The advisors and I want you, our family, to be healthy again. We want you to be able to live like normal people again."
"The reason you are going first is because you made your sacrifice the earliest. You have waited for this day the longest."
Hearing this, everyone was incredibly moved. Many couldn't help but shed tears. These tears contained both the grievances of years past and the warmth they felt in this moment.
Seeing this, Ishiro waved his hand to Nakata and the medical team. "Begin!"
Nakata immediately had his subordinates escort the elderly ninja into the operating rooms.
Ishiro had thought this through. This action might seem like it didn't increase the village's strength and was a waste of the hard-won White Zetsu clones. But having been a transmigrator for so long, his understanding of chakra was far beyond that of an ordinary person. He knew that a ninja's spirit and will could, in many cases, increase their combat power. It could even help them break through to the next level.
So, by giving these old ninja their limbs back, he was helping them fulfill a dream. And he was doing it for the other ninja to see.
He was using this event to teach the entire village a lesson on the Will of Stone.
He was telling everyone: Look, the village has not forgotten those who sacrificed for it. Before, we had no way, but now that our medical technology has improved, the first people we thought of were these heroes. The village does not see its ninja as tools; it sees them as family.
He was sure this lesson would be very effective.
He had already decided that after all the surgeries were successful, he would have the Iwagakure Bi-Weekly Report publish a special issue, dedicated to the story of the village prioritizing the treatment of these forgotten heroes. It would also include their past deeds. He was confident the effect would far surpass that of Konoha's so-called Memorial Stone.
He had even thought of the title for the article: "The Heroes Who Must Not Be Forgotten."
Nakata and his team worked quickly. One by one, the injured recovered their complete bodies.
With each successful surgery, Ishiro and the advisors would go up and speak with them, sharing in their joy. At the same time, Ishiro would give them a few words of caution, telling them that this was what the village should do, and not to think too much of it.
An opportunity to boost his reputation and increase village cohesion—of course Ishiro wouldn't miss it.
The Medical Division's work continued long after dark, until all the disabled ninja had been treated.
By then, the crowd gathered around the hospital had not shrunk, but had grown even larger. The healed had not left, and more and more people, hearing the news, had come to witness this miracle.
When the last surgery was successfully completed, the entire hospital erupted in a sea of joy.
Ishiro took the opportunity to propose that this day be designated as Iwagakure's "Recovery Festival," to be celebrated with activities every year.
The proposal was unanimously approved by all the villagers and ninja.
That night, the cheers in Iwagakure never stopped. Everyone was excited about the advancement in the village's medical technology, and everyone was moved by the actions of the high command.
As Ishiro and the other leaders were leaving the hospital, Ishiro suddenly said to Saka, "Senior Saka, there is a matter I need you to arrange."
"Spread this news to the other great villages. Let them all know that Iwagakure's ninja can receive treatment for their disabilities for free."
"Especially the ninja in their villages who are also disabled. This news must reach them."
"And, you can arrange for a few of the ninja who have successfully undergone the surgery to go to the other villages on a 'diplomatic mission'. Let the other villages see the treatment our Iwa ninja receive."
Saka and the others looked at each other, the same thought in their minds: You really know how to play the game, Fox of Iwagakure.
But Saka agreed quickly. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll arrange it immediately."
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