Rin had stabilised but her body had been pushed to the very edge of life and death, it was only a few hours later she would wake up. At that time, Tsunade and Katsuro had to receive their own treatment. The experimental procedure had damaged their insides and chakra network so thoroughly that using chakra in manners that had become second nature was very difficult and painful. This meant they couldn't heal themselves, and had to seek out help from more doctors in the hospital alongside Shizune.
However, while using his senses to scope out the changes, Katsuro stopped them from healing himself and Shizune completely. Once they had been helped along, Katsuro discovered that with his high regenerative factor his chakra pathways were naturally mending, but they were coming back stronger, wider and more resilient. Theoretically, this would mean he could have a higher output, would be able to use more chakra and could even lead to an increase in his already huge but stagnating reserves.
But, continuing the healing process artificially would remove this benefit, and could only return them to their previous state. It was also for this reason that Iryo ninjutsu was not used to recover from training.
The unexpected positive benefit was welcome, and while it would inhibit their chakra usage for a short period of time, it would be worthwhile. It would take much shorter for Katsuro, but even still he was conscious about Kakashi still at Kiri. The boy was undoubtedly worried but likely was still pushing through by securing the prisoner his clone had discovered etc.
A few hours later, Rin's heart rate steadied and her breathing less laboured and after some time her eyes slowly opened.
"Where… Lord Katsuro? Lady Tsunade? Lady Shizune? I thought I was dead," she coughed. Cleary using the 3 Tails' power had drained her, even if it had saved her life.
"Easy now kid, you just came back from the brink of death remember," Katsuro warned.
"I remember they took me into some forest where a Tailed Beast was held captive in front of me, then I woke up and saw Kakashi fighting. How am I still alive? I don't sense the 3 Tail's in me anymore." Rin's thoughts came to her all at once, giving her a headache, but Shizune gently pushed her head back down against the stretcher.
"So you know the Mist sealed the 3 Tails in you. As for why, we don't know, but it was most likely to release it in the Leaf village to wreak havoc after we rescued you. Regardless if the plan was designed by Kirigakure, or rogue ninja from its village, the Mist will be paying a hefty price," Katsuro said stormily. Tsunade noticing her husband's anger, quickly took over.
"Rin, we used the 3 Tails' chakra and life force to save you. The wound you suffered from the Chidori ripped a huge hole straight through your body. Even with harnessing the 3 Tails' power, it was very close. Any later you would have died."
"I see…that explains why I can feel the 3 Tails no longer within me." Tears trickled down the girl's face, "I'm sorry for worrying you all."
"You put your life on the line for your friends. Even if it was guaranteed death and recklessness, you sacrificed yourself to save others. You were incredibly brave and selfless." Tsunade smiled as Katsuro continued to both praise and admonish her.
"W-where's Kakashi?" Rin asked weakly with tears still in her eyes.
"He should still be with my shadow clone, likely staying focussed on the objective while his heart is filled with worry. I'll go get him once I've recovered but when he's back I hope you'll take care of him. He's suffered far too much already, as have you."
Rin nodded firmly, the tears now trickling down her cheeks once again.
The three exited the room, allowing Rin to rest and her family to sit by her side as she did.
Now without the pressure of an overbearing time limit they could speculate and think freely.
Katsuro thought outloud, "It confuses me. They can't be so stupid, and from the meeting it was clear that peace was what they wanted too."
"Then why would they break the pact so quickly?" Tsunade wondered.
"It feels weird, perhaps some fringe faction that used the shame of surrender to force them back into the fight. Regardless if the higher ups knew or not, they will have to take responsibility." Katsuro said, turning to Tsunade and Shizune as he glanced back at Rin's room. "I will make sure of it."
As Tsunade and Shizune left to help elsewhere in the hospital, Katsuro thought to himself.
Even with their fractured power structure, such a militant village having such issues is odd. It feels… manipulated. And then there's that white humanoid once again, with this incident it's confirmed it has nothing to do with Iwa, and likely not any other village. Is there another power at play here? That cloaked individual. I can tell it was a male, and his presence too felt somewhat familiar… like a boy's…The timing is too coincidental. The hidden enemy is more dangerous than the one I already know. This hidden faction is my top priority, just a few more hours and my questions will be answered. What better way than going directly to the source?
Elsewhere…
A somewhat frightened White Zetsu delivered its report to the man sitting in the throne-like chair. Only this time the huge statue that used to be behind the old man was no longer there, and the man himself seemed even older and paler than before. It was clear that death was coming for him and there was no longer anything delaying it.
Madara's replacement 3 tomoe Sharingan swirled as they focussed in on the Zetsu who recounted its story of escape with triumph. Even as weak as he was, his visual prowess and intuition were still apparent. He knew that from what he heard of the man's feats, there was no way that a normal Zetsu with the power of a Chunin could escape from the modern day God of Shinobi.
Madara's red eyes canned the white body of Zetsu, and finally found what he was looking for. Hidden on the back of its neck were some faint seals. From his time fighting against Tobirama Senju and the Uzumaki, Madara could tell they were already compromised. Even if he had the Zetsu move now, if he was correct, Katsuro would have already noticed how long the Zetsu had stayed there and it would already become a location of interest.
Yet, instead of perhaps fear or worry, a smile appeared on his face instead. The part of his plan he had always hated was dying normally, naturally of old age. At his heart, Madara was a warrior, and if he were to die, he wished to die like one.
With that in mind, Madara spoke to the main White Zetsu and the Black Zetsu, delivering his final orders and speeches. He called Obito in as well after, using the darkness that had now formed in his heart to convince the boy of his Eye of the Moon Plan. He told him about the Naka Shrine, his plan and his hope for true peace. A world where the boy could have his beloved Rin back and alive.
Luckily, it went as planned. The boy was now much more agreeable now that his light had been snuffed out. Madara would have preferred to stay with him a bit longer for 'persuasion', but that was no longer an option. Soon enough, realising that time was running out, he quickly sent Obito away with the Zetsu as they left the location to not expose themselves. Madara had told Obito his time had come, but left out the reason why. He could already tell Obito held Katsuro on a pedestal so high it could not be touched, if he was introduced as an enemy so soon, it could crush his will and subsequently the plan before it even began.
As the final things were dealt with, a calm peace and quiet swept over the underground location. Only Madara was left in the open, with a couple Zetsu hiding as much as they could with even the Black Zetsu. Their purpose was to ensure his body could be recovered and would not fall into Katsuro's hands. At the very least, they would secure his DNA for the later part of the plan.
Thus Madara waited. He waited for his death with open arms, hoping to see for himself the man who stood atop of this new era, a place where he himself had once stood.
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