---Third POV---
"Of course I do." Orochimaru smiled confidently. "Obito's cells are quite unique, his tolerance and adaptability to White Zetsu cells far surpass that of an ordinary person. However…"
"However what?" Ryouma immediately pressed him.
"Hehe, no need to be nervous." Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"What I mean is, although his cells have strong adaptability, they aren't perfectly compatible with the White Zetsu cells as you previously told me, there are still some signs of rejection."
Ryouma frowned slightly, waiting for Orochimaru to continue.
"Therefore, I recommend using my newly developed 'Adaptation Therapy,' transplanting in small amounts over multiple sessions. This method takes longer to show results, but it's safer and more stable."
Orochimaru paused here, observing Ryouma's reaction before continuing, "This approach minimizes the risks and ensures that Obito's body can gradually adjust to the transplanted cells."
"You know me, I care more about safety than speed."
In the field of bioscience, Ryouma did place considerable trust in Orochimaru's judgment.
After reaching a mutual understanding, the two began drafting the detailed surgical schedule.
Once everything was discussed, they chatted casually for a while before preparing to part ways.
But just as Ryouma took a few steps toward the exit, Orochimaru called out to him.
"This whole matter was resolved smoothly thanks to your support. I hope you'll accept this gift."
As he spoke, he reached into the cabinet behind him and pulled out a storage scroll, unsealing it on the spot.
Poof!
A sleek, finely crafted chokutō suddenly appeared before Ryouma. The straight sword gleamed with a cold light, radiating sharpness, it was clearly an exceptional weapon.
And indeed, this was no ordinary sword. It was the legendary Kusanagi, one of the finest blades in the shinobi world.
With Ryouma's discerning eye, he recognized it instantly, this was the very same blade Sasuke wielded in the original future timeline. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to have gotten his hands on it so early.
That said, despite his surprise, Ryouma honestly had little need for the sword, Lostvayne was more than enough.
Sensing Ryouma's hesitation, Orochimaru added, "I obtained this blade by chance. Feel free to take it, even if you don't use it yourself, you can always pass it on to someone else."
Given how sincere Orochimaru was being, it would be rude for Ryouma to refuse.
"Thanks."
---
That evening, Ryouma opened the door and returned home, a little absent-minded. The whole way back, he'd had the nagging feeling he'd forgotten something.
Walking into the living room, he found Tsunade lazily sprawled on the sofa, occasionally sipping from a wine flask on the coffee table.
Next to her, Shukaku was holding a big palm fan in both claws, diligently fanning her.
It was quite the cozy scene.
Hearing Ryouma return, Tsunade turned her slightly flushed face toward him, a hint of tipsiness in her voice as she asked, "So? How'd it go with Orochimaru?"
"Seemed fine. He's still in the mood to run experiments at home."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? That's not what I meant, I'm asking about the medicinal formula."
"Uh… that…"
Only then did Ryouma suddenly recall, the whole reason he had gone to Orochimaru was for a commercial partnership project.
A few days ago, when he'd just gotten back and learned that Orochimaru had gotten into trouble, the first person he thought of for help was Tsunade.
And though Tsunade usually acted carefree, her mind was surprisingly sharp in moments like this. She immediately took interest in Ryouma's "gold stash."
He knew all too well, once money landed in her hands, it might as well have been tossed into the ocean.
So, he came up with a plan.
Selling a dream.
Using the miraculous effects of a by-product from Orochimaru's White Zetsu research, the "White Zetsu Experimental Type-1 Reagent," he pitched Tsunade a grand vision of a pharmaceutical empire spanning the entire shinobi world.
If exploding tags were called "fire jutsu you can carry," then this medicine could easily be dubbed "a medical-nin you can carry," nothing wrong with that at all.
Tsunade bought into it right away, completely captivated by the big, shiny dream.
It was as if she could already see mountains of gold and silver flowing toward her. She even started fantasizing about a future where she could gamble forever and still never run out of money.
That was why she had been so enthusiastic in the meeting room, helping Orochimaru guide the discussion, it was all about her future wealth, and she absolutely couldn't afford to be careless.
The problem was, Ryouma had gotten so wrapped up discussing the transplant surgery for Obito with Orochimaru that he had completely forgotten about the whole get-rich-off-the-medicine plan.
"Uh, I haven't seen Rin or Shizune around lately. Aren't they supposed to be helping take care of you?" Ryouma awkwardly tried to change the subject.
But Tsunade wasn't so easily fooled. Noticing that Ryouma avoided eye contact, her gaze immediately turned sharp and dangerous.
Seeing the bad vibes building, Shukaku slipped away, scurrying out into the courtyard, not wanting to get dragged into the storm.
"You're not trying to con me, are you?"
"No! Of course not. How could I ever trick you?"
Ryouma denied it immediately.
"In fact, I already discussed this with Orochimaru, once the company is founded, you'll be our brand ambassador! Guaranteed annual bonuses, so big you won't even be able to hold them all!"
His mind spun quickly, and he threw out a new piece of bait.
Sure enough, it worked like a charm. Tsunade's expression changed in an instant, and a radiant smile lit up her face. She pulled Ryouma into a bear hug and started playfully rubbing his hair like kneading dough.
As expected, women's moods were as changeable as summer weather. Just a second ago, she looked like she was ready to eat him alive.
"Oh right, you asked about Rin and Shizune just now, didn't you?"
"Yeah. I figured they were probably together, but doing what exactly? Konoha Hospital hasn't had a big patient load lately, has it?"
It had been over half a month since Ryouma last saw Shizune. As for Rin, ever since returning from the Rōran mission, she'd been mysteriously busy all the time.
Tsunade chuckled and sank back into the sofa, lazily crossing her smooth, long legs and propping them up on the coffee table.
"Those two? I gave them a mission."
"A mission?" Ryouma looked confused.
"Exactly. Do you remember the last time I was sulking at home?"
"Oh! You mean that time you got drunk and insisted Shukaku perform a midair sake-catch routine, and then smashed the vase in the living room?"
"Of course not!" Tsunade immediately denied it. "And for the record, I wasn't even that mad, okay? I just lost my temper a little, that's all."
"Then maybe it was that time a month ago, when you took Rin and Shizune to the Land of Frost to buy medical herbs, and ended up gambling away all the funds Captain Minato gave you before you even left the Land of Fire?"
"Hmm? You mean that wasn't it either?" When Tsunade didn't respond, Ryouma racked his memory and kept digging through her history.
"Then it must be that time you dragged Isobu into—"
"Hold it right there, Ryouma." Tsunade suddenly cut him off, her head lowered so her expression was hidden.
"You're not deliberately airing my dirty laundry… are you?" Her voice was calm, dangerously calm.
"Haha, of course not! I would never do that."
Thud!
Tsunade punched Ryouma hard on the head.
"Sigh…"
Ryouma clutched his skull, silently wincing. After landing so many hits on Hidan himself, it was finally his turn to get smacked again.
"That's what you get for running your mouth," Tsunade said casually as she retracted her fist.
To stop Ryouma from saying anything more that might harm her dignity, she finally stopped beating around the bush and began explaining the recent movements of Rin and Shizune.
"Do you still remember? I've always hoped Konoha could establish a complete system for training medical-nin."
There was a trace of emotion in Tsunade's voice, as if she were reminiscing about the period when she had worked so hard for that cause.
"Back during the Second Great Ninja War, I brought up the idea of creating a battlefield medical ninja system. I wanted every ninja squad to have a medical-nin. That way, casualties on the battlefield could be significantly reduced. Although there were a few people who supported me back then, my suggestion was ultimately rejected by Hiruzen-sensei."
At this point, Tsunade paused, and a trace of regret flashed in her eyes.
"Later, during the Third Great Ninja War, right after the battles on the Kumo front ended, I felt the time was finally right and brought up the idea again. But once again, it was shot down by two other stubborn old geezers."
Upon hearing this, Ryouma immediately understood.
"So it was Captain Minato who adopted your suggestion. That's why Rin and Shizune were recruited to be medical-nin instructors, right?"
"Exactly!" Tsunade stopped reminiscing and a look of excitement flashed in her eyes as she said proudly, "Hehe, Minato... I saw potential in him when he was young. His vision and decisiveness are leagues ahead of Hiruzen-sensei's rigid little team."
"Speaking of which, how about becoming a medical-nin instructor yourself?" Tsunade suddenly changed the topic, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"According to the vision Minato and I have, this institution will be on par with the Ninja Academy, and might even have the authority to issue forehead protectors to graduates."
"That way, the children can choose from a young age to become medical-nin."
Tsunade grew more and more excited as she spoke, as if she could already see that future coming true.
"Congratulations, for finally realizing your dream. But as for becoming a teacher, count me out. You know I hate working with kids."
"Hmph, you'd better not."
"Oh, right." Tsunade suddenly realized something. "That healing agent you mentioned, if it's really that effective, won't it hurt my school's students' future job prospects?"
Ryouma twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth. She was already worrying that far ahead before anything was even finalized.
"Don't worry. To mass-produce that healing agent, we'll definitely have to sacrifice some effectiveness. And the cost won't be cheap either. It's absolutely not going to take work away from medical-nin."
"Good to hear."
Tsunade patted her chest in relief, glad she wouldn't end up in the awkward situation of one of her businesses killing off another.
---
Time passed quickly, and the appointed time for Ryouma's meeting with Orochimaru finally arrived.
The scorching summer heat made Konoha feel like it was trapped inside a giant steamer. Even the air shimmered with waves of heat.
At that moment, Ryouma's craving for the ice-cold cola from Earth reached its peak.
Braving the blazing sun, he arrived at Obito's house and knocked on the door. It was Obito's grandmother who answered.
"Oh, it's you. Obito, Ryouma is here to see you."
"Got it."
Obito came out of the house, dark circles heavy under his eyes.
"No way, Obito, did you get into something, or just reward yourself a little too much? What's with that look?"
"What are you talking about? I've just been staying up a bit late recently, that's all."
Ever since learning that Ryouma had scheduled him for a Sharingan enhancement surgery with Orochimaru, Obito had been eagerly counting down the days. Lately, he'd been so excited he could barely sleep.
"Alright, Ryouma, I can't wait any longer, let's go now. I'll use Kamui to take us."
As he spoke, his eyes turned blood-red, he had activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ryouma was a bit speechless. Seriously? It was just a short trip, he was using Kamui for that? At this rate, once he fully adapted to the White Zetsu cells, would he end up using Kamui just to go from his bedroom to the bathroom?
"Obaa-chan, we're heading out."
After calling out, Obito patted Ryouma on the shoulder and brought him into the Kamui space.
---
"You're early."
It wasn't Obito's first time here in Orochimaru's underground lab, just a few days ago, he'd had a pre-op physical checkup in this very place.
Now, faced with Orochimaru's amusement, he wore a face full of determination and said, "Orochimaru-senpai, I'll be in your care today."
"Don't worry. You're Ryouma's friend, I'll do everything I can to make this surgery a success."
While they chatted, Kura walked over quietly and said, "All the equipment is ready, Orochimaru-sama."
"Very good."
Orochimaru gave Kura a rare compliment. Though his assistant wasn't particularly bright, he was meticulous. As long as the instructions were clear, Orochimaru could rely on his efficiency.
"Well then, lie down." Orochimaru gestured toward the surgical table.
Seeing the table lined with gleaming, cold surgical tools, a trace of unease appeared in Obito's eyes. Almost instinctively, he turned toward Ryouma.
"This… uh… it won't hurt, right?" Obito asked nervously, his voice betraying his anxiety.
"Of course it won't hurt. If you don't believe me, ask Kura, he's done this procedure countless times. Besides, I'll be right here to help, so don't be scared. Come on, show me that guts of yours."
Ryouma gave him a thumbs-up for encouragement.
Kura opened his mouth, wanting to say that the early stages of the transplant actually do hurt quite a bit, but in the end, he decided against it.
If even someone like me who's terrified of pain could endure it, then someone the Leaf's Gale approves of should definitely be fine.
"Alright, here I go."
Obito took a deep breath, took off his outerwear, leaving only a pair of shorts, and obediently lay down on the operating table, like a little white lab mouse about to undergo a wild science experiment.
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