"Ugh..."
Half an hour later, the person lying on the hospital bed in the Konoha Medical Department had been replaced.
It was Tenzo.
The ANBU captain lay there with a bruised and swollen face, receiving an IV drip.
He looked like he had gone twelve rounds with a bear.
Meanwhile, Kakashi sat nearby in a chair, casually peeling an apple with a kunai.
Crunch.
He took a bite himself, ignoring the patient.
It turned out Tenzo wasn't the only one visiting Kakashi.
While Tenzo was stuffing wooden sticks into Kakashi's mouth in a misguided attempt to feed him "Hashirama Cells," Kakashi's other good friend, Might Guy, also arrived.
Seeing a masked ANBU ninja effectively choking Kakashi with wood, Guy's "Youthful Instincts" kicked in.
He immediately assumed an assassin had infiltrated the hospital!
"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"
Guy delivered a kick directly to Tenzo's neck.
Then he followed up with a series of punches and kicks before Tenzo could even explain he was a friend.
"Why did you attack me with Mokuton for no reason?" Kakashi asked calmly, chewing his apple. "I thought you were trying to assassinate me."
"...I originally wanted to ask the Third Hokage for advice," Tenzo mumbled through his swollen lips.
"But he's been busy the whole time, so I had to figure it out myself." Tenzo wore an expression of utter despair.
He had good intentions!
He just wanted to save his Senpai's eyesight!
Why did things turn out like this?
"Isn't it normal for the Sandaime to be busy?" Kakashi sighed. "First he had to see off delegates from other villages, now he's discussing the next Hokage candidate... By the way, what did you want to ask the Third Hokage about so urgently?"
Kakashi paused mid-chew.
He realized Tenzo still hadn't explained why he tried to force-feed him wood.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Tenzo sat up painfully. "It's like this..."
Tenzo began recounting his encounter with Makoto.
He explained how Makoto told him about the side effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan and the only cure being Hashirama Cells.
"That person's explanation was scientifically sound," Tenzo reasoned. "And Jiraiya-sama was standing right there and didn't refute it, so it's probably true."
"I just didn't know how to give you the cells... Kakashi-senpai, you're smart. What do you think we should do? Should I make a soup with woods?"
Tenzo stared "sincerely" at Kakashi with both eyes wide open.
"..."
After hearing this, cold sweat continuously broke out on Kakashi's forehead beneath his mask.
He was extremely grateful that Tenzo originally came from Danzo's emotionless Root organization and lacked basic biological knowledge.
Otherwise, what had been stuffed into his mouth earlier probably wouldn't have been just wood.
It might have been... flesh or worse... milk.
'God Dammnit, Tenzo.'
"Kakashi-senpai? Kakashi-senpai?" Tenzo waved a hand. "Have you thought of anything?"
Kakashi snapped out of his horror.
"Tenzo," Kakashi stood up and solemnly placed his hand on Tenzo's shoulder.
"Listen to me carefully. The village should be quite peaceful right now. I won't be using the Mangekyo anymore, so you don't need to worry about my eyes."
"You must keep this information completely hidden in your heart. Do not speak of it to anyone. Unless absolutely necessary, don't casually use Mokuton either."
"You should know that Uchiha Itachi, the rogue ninja who slaughtered his clan, is still out there. He craves power."
Kakashi lowered his voice, adopting the tone of someone telling a campfire ghost story.
"If it becomes known that your body has such... nutritional value... perhaps Itachi will come for you. He might want a bite."
Tenzo shuddered violently.
He quickly nodded in agreement.
"Understood, Senpai! I'll keep my wood to myself!"
...
Outside Konoha.
On the other side, Makoto's group—consisting of Konan, Karin, and Hanabi—didn't immediately go back to Amegakure.
After walking along the main road for a while, they encountered a squad of ninjas from Otogakure.
These ninjas respectfully escorted Makoto to a clearing in the forest to meet Orochimaru.
However, at this moment, there were two other people standing in front of the Snake Sannin.
They were none other than Tsunade Senju, who had previously pretended to be a child in the village, and her faithful follower Shizune.
Clearly, Tsunade had been discovered by Orochimaru during her attempt to withdraw from Konoha.
Orochimaru was also leaving, and the two Sannin had bumped into each other.
They had been "catching up" for some time.
Tsunade glanced at Makoto as he arrived.
She remembered his previous evaluation of her 'old lady' and really wanted to find an opportunity to secretly beat him into a pulp when no one was around!
"Orochimaru," Tsunade ignored Makoto for now. "You're telling me to return to Konoha, yet you're not going back yourself. What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Sarutobi-sensei is looking for candidates for the Godaime Hokage," Orochimaru spoke slowly in his signature raspy voice. "Both you and Jiraiya are top candidates. I think you're more suitable than that fool Jiraiya."
"Hmph, me? Suitable in what way?" Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest and snorted coldly.
"I'm not like those idiots who go around shouting about wanting to become Hokage all day."
"If someone like Jiraiya becomes Hokage," Orochimaru smirked, "I'm afraid the wind of the Leaf will stop blowing again."
"At that time," Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed, "I can only bring new companions and execute the Konoha Crush plan once more."
Orochimaru's gaze shifted meaningfully to Makoto and the others standing behind him.
"You!"
Tsunade took a step forward, just as she was about to explode, Shizune grabbed her arm.
"Lady Tsunade! Don't be impulsive!" Shizune hissed in a low voice. "Don't forget your... condition."
Shizune didn't voice the specific word.
She was afraid that others might learn this critical weakness.
However...
"Ah," Makoto laughed lightly from the sidelines. "I almost forgot about this detail too."
"What is it?" Karin asked, adjusting her glasses.
She looked up at Makoto curiously. "Does she have a secret jutsu?"
"Hemophobia," Makoto softly uttered the word.
"Fear of blood?" Karin blinked.
Then her eyes lit up with a strange, perverse realization!
"So she really is a menopausal old lady like you said?!" Karin pointed a finger at the legendary Sannin.
"It makes sense! Otherwise, wouldn't she have to deal with that every month? If she's afraid of blood, how does she handle her period?!"
CRACK.
The ground beneath Tsunade's feet suddenly fractured into a spiderweb of cracks.
She slowly turned her neck.
Her eyes were burning with murderous intent!
"AHHHH!" Karin screamed. "It wasn't me who said it! It was him! He told me!"
Karin was so frightened that she quickly pulled Makoto in front of her as a human shield.
"Menopausal? You've misunderstood!" Shizune waved her hands frantically, trying to save her master's dignity.
"Lady Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal brings rejuvenation from the inside out! All her organs remain young! It's not just surface appearance! She's biologically in her prime!"
"Mmph!"
Shizune realized too late that she was explaining Tsunade's biology to the others.
She quickly covered her mouth.
"So that's how it is?" Hanabi scratched her head.
The two young girls, Karin and Hanabi, didn't really understand the implications of "organ rejuvenation."
They just thought the adults were being weird again.
"Tsunade," Makoto interrupted the biology lesson. "Orochimaru is right. Currently, only you can ensure the continued development of Konoha."
"I know you want to ask what benefit the village's development holds for us."
"Very well. If you agree to become Hokage, you may stay and listen to my conversation with Orochimaru. You will gain intelligence that would normally require risking your life to obtain."
"...Alright."
Upon hearing the first half of Makoto's words, Tsunade was prepared to refuse and punch him.
Because Makoto wanted her to be Hokage, her resolve to refuse grew even stronger—she hated being manipulated!
But when she heard the latter part... Tsunade hesitated.
Deep down, Tsunade still cared about Konoha. It was the village her grandfather built.
The village her brother and lover died for.
"I'll listen," Tsunade said gruffly, sitting down on a large rock.
"It seems Makoto-kun understands that I need to confirm many things with you first before agreeing to rejoin the Organization," Orochimaru smirked.
Orochimaru sat down on the ground, crossing his legs.
"Then, let's start with the first question. Although I've already confirmed it in my mind, I still need to ask for the record."
Orochimaru reached into his kimono and took out the photo of Mitsuki that Makoto had provided earlier on the rooftop.
"This is my future child," Orochimaru said calmly. "You, or someone in the organization, have experienced a time travel, correct?"
"HUH?!"
Tsunade, who had just sat down, nearly fell off her rock.
She was stunned by such explosive information.
Her expression was almost identical to Jiraiya's back then.
Orochimaru has a child?!
And Orochimaru currently seems appeared to be in a female body.
This... this is completely unimaginable!
She suddenly understood why Jiraiya had asked that bizarre question earlier ("Is she your father or mother?") when he saw "Little Tsunade."
The poor pervert's brain must have been broken by this revelation!
"Correct," Makoto nodded slightly. "There's no point in hiding it from you."
"You created this child using biotechnology," Makoto explained. "You continuously optimized and improved his genes so that he is born with the potential to unlock the perfect Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode."
"So that's how it is," Orochimaru showed a rare expression of genuine relief.
Although he didn't care about his reputation, being thought of by Jiraiya and Tsunade as having turned into a woman just to engage in "orgy" with Tobirama Senju was... damaging to his brand.
"You didn't deny or correct it," Orochimaru looked at Makoto with sharp, serpentine eyes. "Which means that the time traveler is you right, Makoto-kun?"
"Yes," Makoto smiled. "Is there anything else you'd like to confirm?"
"Nothing to confirm about the child," Orochimaru said. "I'm just beginning to doubt the authenticity of this 'time travel' matter itself."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm?"
Tsunade blinked.
She had just been thinking along the lines of "A shinobi from the future? Impossible."
She suspected Orochimaru and Makoto were putting on an elaborate act to trick her.
Just as she thought this, Orochimaru voiced the doubt himself?
"Oh?" Makoto leaned back, unfazed. "What seems to be the problem, Orochimaru?"
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