Chapter 228: devil?
"Great, so from now on, this will be your room, Naruto. The room next to this one is mine, so just call me whenever you need anything, okay?" Hae said.
"Yes, Auntie!" Naruto replied with a big smile on his face.
After that, Kaida spoke up, "Since everything is settled, I'll head back. I've got fuinjutsu to study."
Shisui and Hae nodded in agreement, and Kaida left to return to Sora's place to continue his fuinjutsu lessons.
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The next few days were wonderful for Naruto. He now had two brothers, a sister, and a mother-like aunt—almost a complete family. Gradually, his old, sad memories began to fade, replaced by new, happier ones. Shisui played with him in the mornings, and Yomi joined him in the evenings.
He had many children's story books to read, toys to play with, and everything else a child could wish for. Finally, Naruto felt like he was part of a real family.
The number of spies watching Naruto gradually decreased each day, until finally only three remained—two Anbu ninjas and one from the Hyuga clan. These three were responsible for keeping an eye on the village's only jinchuriki.
The Hyuga were particularly suited for this task, as they could see through walls, doors, and had a wide range of coverage, making them invaluable for surveillance. One of the Anbu stationed there was also a Hyuga, a decision made to maintain vigilance without being too intrusive.
One day, on his way to the hospital, Kaida had an interesting thought.
'Naruto never really had a true drive to become stronger. He just wanted a family, someone who loved him, so he wouldn't be lonely anymore. Hiruzen manipulated him into believing that becoming Hokage would help him achieve that, so Naruto set that as his goal.
But what if the Uchiha massacre happens? Just like Sasuke, Naruto might also seek revenge. It would be difficult for him to befriend Kurama, but considering he's an Uzumaki, he might learn fuinjutsu to gain power. In his quest for power and revenge, we might actually see the most powerful version of Naruto… but that power could also make him the greatest threat to humanity. Luckily, Danzo is dead.'
Kaida's thoughts trailed off as he reached the hospital. He greeted the receptionist and headed toward Mitsuru's office.
"Good morning, Sensei," Kaida said.
"Good morning," Mitsuru replied, closing the file in front of her. "So, are you ready for your final lesson?" she asked.
"Yes, Sensei," Kaida answered.
In the past few days, Kaida had diligently practiced regenerating various tissues in the body, making them fully functional again. Now, only the brain remained—the most complex part of all. The bandit who had to stay awake throughout the process was overjoyed to hear that the training was about to end, and in this final part, he would be unconscious.
"Sensei, I've been meaning to ask—why has that bandit been so cooperative all this time? He hasn't done anything to resist," Kaida asked, now that he knew he wouldn't have to deal with the bandit anymore.
"Simple. I promised him that if he helped me teach my student, I would spare his life. He would just be sent to work in the mines and live a normal life as a miner," Mitsuru said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Are we really going to let him live after what he did, just because he helped me?" Kaida asked, clearly unhappy with the idea.
"When did I say that? It was just an excuse. Don't you think it will be interesting when I tell him it was all a joke?" Mitsuru said with an innocent smile on her face.
But Kaida felt a chill run down his spine. He could almost see a devil's face behind Mitsuru's innocent expression. The poor man had endured inhuman amounts of pain, thinking he just had to last a little longer before he would be set free. When he found out it was all a lie, he might die of a heart attack. For a moment, Kaida actually felt pity for the bandit.
"Enough of that. Let's go. I don't have all day for this," Mitsuru said, changing the subject.
"Sensei, you do have all day. The other chiefs are handling your work," Kaida pointed out.
"And? I finally got a chance to live a normal life. Do you think I'm going to spend these three months sitting in the hospital? If it weren't for emergencies, I wouldn't even be here now," Mitsuru said, stating it as a matter of fact.
She stood up and started heading toward the room where the bandit was kept, with Kaida following silently, unsure of what to say.
The final part of the training involved regenerating brain tissue—the most complex tissue of all. This could only be done in certain areas; if the hippocampus, where memory is stored, was damaged, it couldn't be regenerated.
Even if it were regenerated, the person would end up as an empty shell—a newborn in an adult body. That person would essentially be dead. However, other parts of the brain were equally important, and if treated incorrectly, it could result in slower thinking and decision-making abilities—a death sentence for a ninja.
They reached the room, where Mitsuru administered a drug that knocked the bandit out. She then used special tools to cut open the man's skull.
"Now, Kaida, pay attention. This part of the brain is the cerebrum, and its function is…" Mitsuru began, going into great detail about each part of the brain—what type of tissue it was made of, what its function was, and whether that tissue could be repaired.
Kaida paid full attention to everything she said. She also explained which parts were especially important, and if damaged, there would be no going back. This knowledge wasn't only crucial for medical ninjutsu but also in other areas, such as understanding which parts of the head to protect in a fight or how to incapacitate an enemy with precise blows.
After explaining every detail about the brain, Mitsuru began demonstrating how to heal specific parts by causing slight damage and then repairing it.
After two hours of learning, Kaida finally got the chance to practice. Mitsuru damaged the cerebrum (the part we typically picture when we think of the brain—that white, spongy-looking mass), and Kaida had to repair it.
Kaida failed in his first attempt. The tissue he regenerated was completely useless, unable to pass the necessary signals, as if all the neurons in that area were dead.
"No problem. Try again," Mitsuru encouraged.
"Again."
"Again."
"Again…"
This continued for six hours, but in the end, Kaida finally managed to regenerate functional brain tissue.
"Good. Now, I've taught you everything I needed to. From now on, it's up to you to master everything I've taught you. You should be able to do this with your eyes closed if you want to learn the Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu," Mitsuru said.
"Okay, Sensei. I'll try to master it as soon as possible," Kaida replied.
"How many seals have you learned so far?"