Kairen flew back home, dropping down from the sky, and his eyes saw a crowd gathered at the Senju Clan's gate.
Seven or eight were dragging broken arms, around a dozen were lying on stretchers, and their families were kneeling at the Senju gate. No matter how Kurenai and Shizune tried to persuade them, they refused to get up.
They were shouting loudly:
"Sage, save us!"
Kairen created a shadow clone in midair, stepped on its shoulder, and used it to buffer the force of falling from the sky.
"Damn damn damn…"
That shadow clone cursed and then burst into a puff of white smoke.
Someone shouted:
"The Sage is here! The Sage is here!"
Everyone saw a heroic young man descending from the sky, and hope rose on their faces as they excitedly surrounded Kairen.
"Don't panic! Don't panic! Come one at a time."
Doctor Snake and the Academic Genius came over, arranging the flow and having each patient line up properly.
Kairen began examining each patient whose conditions couldn't be treated through normal medical ninjutsu, and he reminded them:
"Don't crowd. I'll cure you, and I won't even charge."
"Come, come. Missus, you're really beautiful. Let me see how bi— ah no, where exactly is your illness?"
Tsunade leaned against the doorway and frowned.
The patients gathered outside weren't normal patients. Some had terminal illnesses, some had lost limbs.
Even at her peak, her medical ninjutsu could do nothing for them.
Kairen wasn't a medical ninja, and he had hardly treated anyone before.
Tsunade wanted to see how this kid intended to fool these people back home!
After Kairen massaged the tumor on the young wife's chest until it disappeared, she was shocked to discover that her chest no longer felt tight—her illness was completely gone.
She threw Kairen a flirtatious look and quietly whispered an address to him.
Kairen blinked. Cloud Kairen came up beside him, wrote down the address, and gently helped the beautiful wife up.
"Missus, be careful. Your illness was just cured!"
"Huh?! …You're the shadow clone of that divine doctor!"
"Exactly! Exactly! Missus, does your chest still feel tight? Let me check again!"
Kairen continued treating the next terminal patient…
During the treatment, reporters from the Panda News Agency were spreading Tsunade's popularity, constantly instilling the idea that the higher-ups were extremely evil, and only Kairen and Tsunade could save Konoha.
"That's right, those officials never cared about us!"
Families of the patients nodded furiously. After witnessing Kairen's miraculous medical abilities, they treated him as if the Sage of Six Paths himself had descended. Whatever his subordinates said, they believed.
The expression on Tsunade's face grew more and more astonished.
She finally concluded one truth: never apply normal worldly logic to this kid. It was harder than hoping her period never came again.
Kairen was actually using his Chakra and Creation Rebirth in reverse, simulating other people's cells to heal their terminal illnesses.
This was something Tsunade could ALSO do—if she had two conditions: enormous amounts of chakra, and chakra control unmatched by anyone. Only then could one use such an extreme medical method.
Kairen cured patient after patient. Among them, he identified seven Jōnin and seven Chūnin.
Yamashita Shige had also come, bowing and constantly helping on the side.
Supporting this Chūnin who lost a leg, comforting that Jōnin who had been castrated…
He even chased off a family carrying a coffin and scolded them:
"The benefactor saves the living, not resurrects the dead! You people are here to insult him!"
Finally—
Kairen cured the last terminally ill little girl and smiled gently:
"All right. From now on, you can laugh happily every day."
The adorable little girl wrapped her arms around Kairen's neck and kissed his cheek:
"Kairen-san, you must wait for me to grow up! When I grow up, I'll definitely marry you!"
Kairen nodded and teased:
"Kairen-san will wait for you to grow up."
"Uuuu…"
The girl's father burst into tears, kneeling nonstop as gratitude overflowed.
"Thank you, benefactor! Thank you!"
Two shadow clones comforted him while heavily promoting faith in Kairen and Tsunade.
"Don't worry, benefactor! Three days from now, our whole family will come support Princess Tsunade."
Kairen waved, and as the remaining people gradually dispersed, he turned toward the group of fourteen or fifteen kneeling individuals.
All knelt on one knee. Yamashita Shige led them.
Kairen asked doubtfully:
"What are you all doing?"
Yamashita Shige said:
"Benefactor, please allow us to become the retainers of the Senju Clan!"
Among them were eight Jōnin, including Yamashita Shige.
He had recovered one hand and could now form single-handed seals. The remaining seven were Chūnin, all veterans who had battlefield experience.
There were more Jōnin than Chūnin—normal, since anyone who survives limb loss usually has real skill.
Kairen quietly rubbed his chin. Tsunade was about to become Hokage's Assistant, but she couldn't have no subordinates. These people could serve as her foundation.
Although their numbers were small, their loyalty to Kairen was absolute.
One of the Jōnin even regarded Kairen as an ancestor spirit. His gaze was practically fanatical.
If Kairen told him to go assassinate Sarutobi Hiruzen, the man would rush to die without hesitation.
Their loyalty was unquestionable, and using them would be convenient.
Kairen nodded, but he did not want their loyalty for himself. He pointed at Tsunade leaning against the doorway:
"From today onward, all of you will serve Tsunade."
Yamashita Shige looked up at Tsunade, disappointment filling him that he could not serve Kairen directly.
But he understood—someone like Kairen didn't need weak followers.
Princess Tsunade was fine too; she was Kairen's sister, and following her gave them a chance to repay their debt.
The group turned their heads and shouted loudly:
"We swear to devote our lives to Princess Tsunade!"
Tsunade's head was full of question marks. How did she suddenly pick up a bunch of subordinates?!
Kairen approached Tsunade and patted her shoulder:
"Tsunade, these people will be your subordinates from now on."
Tsunade pointed at herself:
"Me?!"
Kairen nodded:
"If you become Hokage's Assistant in two days and have no one you can use, wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
"Their loyalty is solid. They'll definitely be useful."
Tsunade looked at the kneeling ninja. Their strength was not small—they could rival a small ninja clan.
And they were all veterans who had crawled through battle, now reborn sharper than before.
Tsunade nodded and looked gratefully at Kairen:
"You're so good to me… I really don't know how to thank you."
Kairen smiled, casual:
"I'm someone who repays kindness. You once promised to protect me. Of course I'll stand firm for you."
"Besides, we're family. You protect me, I help you—isn't it the same?"
"That's true!" Tsunade nodded, completely unaware her face had been run over by a few metaphorical tires.
She then walked down the steps and looked at the kneeling ninjas. A sharp aura radiated from her:
"Rise. I don't want you to become my retainers."
"I only hope you'll work with me to change this village. The clans hold too much power, while people like us hold too little. Will you aid me?"
"We will aid Princess Tsunade!"
Kairen watched Tsunade. Her golden hair fluttered in the wind, her slim back carrying an air of gallant strength.
She was the Fifth Hokage—born a leader, big-hearted, inspiring countless men to bend their backs in admiration.
After Tsunade united their hearts, Kairen walked up and asked Yamashita Shige:
"Yamashita, how many disabled civilian ninjas like yourselves are there in Konoha?"
Yamashita Shige lowered his head, thought carefully, then replied:
"Around fifty more. Among them, about ten Jōnin."
Kairen nodded. If he gathered them too, Tsunade's forces could rival a major ninja clan.
Even if she didn't become Hokage's Assistant, they would still create pressure on Sarutobi Hiruzen and his circle.
Kairen continued:
"Go contact them. If they're willing to follow Tsunade's arrangements, I'll cure their disabilities."
Yamashita Shige nodded.
After giving all instructions, everyone departed with high spirits.