Chapter 105: Vulnerability
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host: Bond Level 2 established with original character "Uchiha Shisui"!]
[Reward Points Gained: 500!]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host: Bond Level 10 established with original character "Uchiha Sasuke"! (Relationship has undergone fundamental qualitative change! Can only be unlocked for viewing after reaching adulthood)]
[Reward Points Gained: 1500!]
These were the series of notifications that had rung out last night, especially that massive 1500-point windfall and the meaningful "qualitative relationship change" notation. But the enormous point gain brought no joy—instead, it left Naruto, now keeping vigil beside the hospital bed, feeling restless with guilt and shame.
Rewinding time slightly, back to late last night.
When Menma and Shisui brought the completely unconscious Uchiha Itachi back to the Ember organization's underground stronghold in the Land of Hot Water via Hiraishin no Jutsu, the situation was utterly chaotic.
The portion of Uchiha clan members who had been transferred there earlier were beginning to wake up one by one. They found themselves in a completely unfamiliar underground facility, surrounded by equally bewildered clansmen, their memories still stuck at the moment masked attackers had knocked them unconscious in their homes.
This obvious "kidnapping" was enough to throw any ordinary person into extreme panic. Whispered conversations, panicked questioning—the atmosphere was tense to the breaking point.
The moment Menma and Shisui appeared, they immediately drew all those suspicious and uncertain gazes.
Without any delay, Menma and Shisui locked the powerless, lightless Itachi in a special isolation cell.
Then they immediately faced the restless crowd. Shisui removed his fox mask, revealing a face many clan members recognized—Uchiha Shisui.
What followed was... "Everyone! Please be quiet! Listen to me! I am Uchiha Shisui! There's no need to panic! We haven't been kidnapped, but rather... we've been saved from a genocidal conspiracy targeting the Uchiha..."
Shisui explained the current situation, Shimura Danzo's conspiracy, and the protection offered by the Ember organization to his shocked clansmen in the most concise way possible.
All these complex tasks of reassurance, explanation, and stabilization were left entirely to Shisui and Hiashi to handle.
After completing all this, the Menma shadow clone that had worked tirelessly through the entire night and expended enormous energy finally couldn't maintain itself any longer. With a "poof," it dissolved into a puff of white smoke and vanished.
All the memories, exhaustion, and gains it carried instantly returned to the original body far away at Konoha Hospital—into Uzumaki Naruto's consciousness.
Back to the present.
Naruto looked at Satsuki's eyes, which still held traces of fear and sorrow, his mind already prepared. He planned to spend sufficient time carefully explaining to her why his penetrating wound had healed, even preparing to reveal everything about Kurama's existence within him.
He organized his words, waiting for the inevitable questions Satsuki would ask about his injuries.
But...
Satsuki's reaction was completely beyond his expectations. She didn't urgently press him about his wounds, only looked at him with those misty, unfocused eyes, her voice floating and ethereal.
"Naruto... is this... a dream? Or is everything that happened last night... just a terrible nightmare?"
Naruto shook his head. "...It's not a dream. What happened last night, and right now... none of it is a dream."
Hearing this answer, Satsuki's voice carried even deeper trembling. "Then why... I clearly saw... at that time... you bled so much... clearly..."
Her gaze fell on the area near Naruto's heart, where only torn clothing remained visible, with no trace of injury whatsoever.
Naruto tried to explain in as casual a tone as possible. "Well... this might be a bit complicated to explain. Let's just say I have a rather special ability built into my body?"
"After getting injured, I heal much faster than ordinary people..." He carefully laid the groundwork, preparing to naturally introduce Kurama's existence.
He waited for Satsuki to ask with her usual curiosity or dissatisfaction, "Exactly what kind of ability?" "Explain clearly!" and similar questions.
However, once again, Satsuki's reaction caught him completely off guard.
She didn't press for details.
She only lowered her head slightly, black hair falling to obscure her expression. After several seconds, he heard her murmuring over and over in a low voice.
"I see..."
"So that's how it is..."
She didn't delve into what that "special ability" actually was, nor did she question whether this explanation was reasonable.
After confirming the one truly important fact—that "Naruto really is fine" and "Naruto is still safely beside me"—everything else became irrelevant.
Then she reached out, her fingers gently grasping Naruto's hand. She said nothing more, only leaned there silently, letting tears fall soundlessly.
Those tears were no longer hysterical breakdown, but a complex release of surviving disaster mixed with endless sorrow and a trace of weak reassurance.
Seeing her like this, all of Naruto's prepared explanations stuck in his throat. He ultimately chose silent companionship.
In this atmosphere filled with sorrow and tranquility, the hospital room door was gently knocked. A medical ninja entered.
"Pardon the interruption."
The medical ninja kept his voice as soft as possible. "We just received an emergency notification from the Hokage... regarding the Uchiha clan's situation last night... it seems extremely few survivors were discovered at the compound, two of whom... appear to have direct blood relations with you."
——————
"Both patients' vital signs are currently stable, but... their internal organs suffered massive burns and damage. With our current medical ninjutsu capabilities... we cannot perform effective reconstructive surgery safely."
"I'm very sorry... the possibility of them awakening is extremely slim. Please prepare for the worst."
In another hospital room, the medical ninja explained the situation with a heavy tone. His gaze fell on the two beds arranged side by side at the front of the room, where Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto lay unconscious.
They were pale as paper, connected to IVs and various monitoring equipment to sustain life.
This was the result of Menma's earlier intervention—he had only used the combination technique of Gold Experience and Crazy Diamond to forcibly preserve their lives, stopping the most fatal deterioration of their injuries without complete healing.
Satsuki's small face instantly lost all color, the emotional rollercoaster once again brutally impacting her young mind.
The immense joy that had just ignited at her parents' survival was instantly shattered by this cruel diagnosis of "living death."
"...What does this mean?" Satsuki's voice trembled almost beyond recognition. She unconsciously gripped Naruto's hand beside her with such force that even he felt slight pain.
The medical ninja's gaze toward Satsuki was filled with pity and helplessness. "It means... these two survivors will very likely... remain in this sleeping state indefinitely, perhaps... never awakening for the rest of their lives. Please... be prepared for long-term psychological adjustment."
In truth, this medical ninja knew clearly that Konoha wasn't entirely without means to treat such severe injuries—that legendary Sannin, Tsunada-sama, might have a way.
But as a mere medical ninja, he had no authority to give families such ethereal promises, much less guarantee he could convince that great lady to help.
Satsuki seemed drained of all strength, slowly and somewhat unsteadily walking to sit in the chair beside the hospital bed, her small frame trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Seeing Satsuki like this, complex emotions surged in Naruto's heart. He hadn't expected Konoha's current medical capabilities couldn't completely heal even these injuries.
A trace of doubt and self-blame quietly emerged—had he made a mistake by not thoroughly healing them at the time?
But right now, he had to suppress these thoughts. He walked to Satsuki's side and spoke with absolutely firm conviction. "Satsuki... it's going to be fine. Uncle and Aunt will definitely recover, definitely wake up."
Satsuki looked up at him through tear-filled eyes. "But... the doctor said..."
"No!" Naruto interrupted her, speaking each word deliberately. "They're going to be fine! I promise you! Soon, they'll return home healthy and whole! They'll definitely be fine! I'm one hundred percent certain!"
His tone was so definitive.
The medical ninja watching Naruto "comfort" the family member this way assumed it was just stubborn refusal to accept reality and wishful thinking. He sighed inwardly, shook his head helplessly, and quietly left the room, giving space to these two children.