Although Kai was relatively skilled in medical ninjutsu, he was still far from being on the same level as Tsunade.
To put it bluntly, Tsunade could even treat injuries on a soul level. Otherwise, after Orochimaru's arms were sealed by the Reaper Death Seal, he wouldn't have immediately thought of her for help.
Because of Kimimaro's kekkei genkai disease, Kai had to abandon his plans to continue searching for Uchiha Obito. Besides, finding Obito at this point would be nearly impossible. After all, Uchiha Madara had been killed by Kai, and Obito, likely hiding somewhere, wouldn't dare to reveal himself now.
Summoning Technique!
Poof!
A soft and squishy slug appeared in front of Kai. Upon seeing him, the slug spoke, "Oh, it's you, Kai. What brings you to summon me?"
"Slug-sama, I need to find Tsunade-nee-san. Could you help confirm her current location?" Kai replied.
"Ah, so you're looking for little Tsunade," the slug nodded and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. After a short moment, Kai felt the Slug Sage calling out to him, so he summoned it again.
"Kai, Tsunade is currently in Rakujo Street in the Land of Fire. She said she's starting her journey to win against the entire ninja world," the Slug Sage said with a peculiar tone.
Hearing this, Kai's face twitched slightly. Tsunade, planning to win against the entire ninja world? That was impossible. Even though he had taught her how to cheat using ninjutsu, she always got caught in the act. How could she possibly win everywhere?
"Thank you, Slug-sama."
Kai expressed his gratitude, and with a nod, the Slug Sage disappeared in another puff of smoke.
Rakujo Street, the Land of Fire's Second-Busiest Gambling Hub
This street, only a few hundred meters long, was lined with dozens of casinos. The crowd was so dense that Kai couldn't help but feel like he was back in his previous life, squeezing through a bustling festival.
"With so many people, how am I supposed to find her?" Kai sighed, preparing to activate his Kagura Mind's Eye to search.
Just then, a furious voice echoed through the crowd: "Damn it! Why won't you let me in? Believe me, I'll tear this casino apart!"
"...Well, that was easy," Kai muttered, a black line forming on his forehead. He didn't even need to look to know who it was—it was a voice he was all too familiar with.
Quickly making his way over, Kai found Tsunade in a fury. He grabbed her and pulled her into a nearby alley.
"Let me go! I'm going to smash their casino! Those bastards! How dare they refuse to let me in!" Tsunade roared, flailing her arms. Her movements caused the loose collar of her kimono to slip open, revealing a hint of pink underneath.
Kai couldn't help but stare, swallowing hard.
Noticing Kai's gaze, Tsunade's face turned slightly red, though there was a trace of smug satisfaction in her expression. She adjusted her collar and glared at him, feigning anger. "What are you staring at, you brat? Why are you here looking for me?"
Seeing that Tsunade's attention was finally diverted from the casino, Kai let out a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Tsunade-nee-san, I missed you, of course."
Tsunade cast him a sultry glance, clearly not believing him. "Speak the truth."
Scratching his head with an embarrassed grin, Kai shamelessly said, "Well, Tsunade-nee-san, you're the best medical ninja in the ninja world. I need your help to treat someone with a kekkei genkai-related illness."
"A kekkei genkai disease?" Tsunade frowned.
After a long pause, she finally said, "Alright, let me take a look first."
Kekkei genkai diseases were deeply rooted in one's bloodline, a field even the most skilled medical ninjas in the ninja world hesitated to touch without careful assessment.
"Alright, Tsunade-nee-san. Shizune, let's go." Kai nodded and led Tsunade and her loyal assistant Shizune to the inn where Haku and Kimimaro were staying.
At the Inn
As soon as the door opened, Kimimaro instinctively drew a bone blade from his body, his eyes filled with vigilance. When he saw it was Kai, he quickly retracted the weapon and respectfully greeted, "My lord!"
Kai nodded in acknowledgment before turning to Tsunade. "Tsunade-nee-san, this is the boy I mentioned."
"The Shikotsumyaku of the Hidden Mist Village, huh?" Tsunade observed with some surprise before glancing at Kai. "How did you end up bringing this kid along?"
"I made a trip to the Hidden Mist Village recently," Kai replied.
"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you? There are only so many major ninja villages, and you've almost stirred up all of them," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes. Knowing Kai, she was certain the Hidden Mist Village hadn't come out unscathed.
What Tsunade didn't realize was that the chaos Kai caused in the Hidden Mist was far greater than she imagined.
"Don't you dare disrespect my lord!" Kimimaro growled, gripping his bone blade and glaring at Tsunade.
Raising an eyebrow, Tsunade stepped forward and delivered a solid punch to Kimimaro's head. "You little brat, you're even less likable than Kai was as a kid."
Kai sighed helplessly. Why did the conversation always end up involving him? He quickly intervened. "Kimimaro, show some respect to Tsunade-nee-san."
"Understood, my lord." Kimimaro sheathed his bone blade and stood to the side.
"Lie down, kid," Tsunade instructed.
Kimimaro glanced at Kai, who nodded in approval, and then obediently lay down on the bed.
"When did you start picking up Orochimaru's habits?" Tsunade muttered, clearly annoyed by Kimimaro's blind obedience to Kai. However, before Kai could respond, she straightened her posture, her hands glowing with a soft green light as she began examining Kimimaro.
A long while passed before Tsunade finally withdrew her hands, her expression grim.
"Tsunade-nee-san, how is Kimimaro? Can he be cured?" Kai asked anxiously. Beside him, Haku also looked worried.
Tsunade nodded, but then shook her head, leaving Kai utterly confused.
Before he could ask, Tsunade explained, "You need to understand that every person's bone cells have a limited number of divisions. For the Kaguya Clan, their excessive use of their abilities accelerates the aging of their bone cells. That's why no member of the Kaguya Clan has ever lived past forty."
She paused before continuing, "This kid's Shikotsumyaku is even stronger than that of a typical Kaguya clansman. Naturally, his condition is more severe. I'd say he'd be lucky to live past twenty."
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