Chapter 163: The Final Night of Kannabi

"Yuto-sama, you have arrived..."

"Where is Jiraiya-sama? Take me to him."

"Still in the emergency room. It looks...bad..."

"I see. I will take over his treatment." Yuto changed his clothes and, led by a Konoha Chunin, entered the emergency room.

This was the expected response from "Lone Lion of the Hyuga," a master of medical ninjutsu and a core member of the loyal student lineage. He couldn't just stand by.

Entering the emergency room, Yuto's first sight was of the tall, white-haired man lying on the bed.

He understood why that Konoha Chunin looked so despondent.

Jiraiya was still alive.

But in a sense, his life as a shinobi had ended that night.

—Jiraiya's legs below the knees had been torn off by some force!

His body was wrapped in bandages, his skin emitting a strong medicinal odor, and his body temperature was very high, a sign of organ failure.

With the level of Konoha's field hospital, Jiraiya would not die, but those lost "roots of the shinobi" were beyond saving. Yuto couldn't bring them back.

Following Orochimaru's departure, Konoha had lost another high-ranking combatant.

In a high fever, the unconscious Jiraiya was still muttering softly.

Yuto bent down, putting his ear close to Jiraiya's lips, barely catching a few syllables.

"Fukasaku Sage...Shima Sage..."

Yuto straightened up, his face expressionless as he calmly instructed, "Remove all the bandages. This is nonsense. Who is in charge here? Such a high fever must be reduced physically first..."

An hour later.

Yuto changed his clothes and left the emergency room.

"Thank you for your hard work, Yuto-sama." A Chunin from the same village handed him a cup of water.

Yuto accepted it, sighing, "When Jiraiya-sama wakes up, inform me immediately. Also, have someone from the Yamanaka Clan come over to prevent any mental issues...sigh."

The Chunin nodded wearily, saluted, and returned to the emergency room with the other medical shinobi to care for the still-unconscious Jiraiya.

Yuto rubbed the water cup, lost in thought.

Because of his interference, the battles at the Kannabi Bridge were even more brutal than in the original story.

Madara Uchiha had taken the Rinnegan early to counter him, causing Nagato's death.

However, as a result, a single Mangekyō Sharingan, Sage Mode Jiraiya, and the reanimated Sakumo Hatake barely managed to kill Nagato.

A body of an Uzumaki, top-level ninjutsu talent, and the Rinnegan, if Nagato really went all out, everyone would be in trouble.

Jiraiya lost his legs. Though his life, chakra, and experience were intact, he would certainly retire to the second line, weakening Konoha's strength again. Hiruzen's decisions would also change. Not to mention, the "Konoha attacks Amegakure" alone would have a profound impact on the world.

Fortunately, the Third Shinobi World War was about to end. In a few months, after the "Three-Tails Incident," the Five Great Nations would sign peace treaties, licking their wounds and gathering strength, waiting for the next war.

Next year, on October 10, Year 59 of Konoha, the official plot of Naruto begins with the Nine-Tails' Attack. According to the time, there were only nineteen months, less than six hundred days.

Yuto didn't even know if he could live until then—his life was entirely supported by transplanted Main Family Byakugan. Once those eyes were used up, the Caged Bird would activate, and he would die.

He was waiting for the next curse mark erosion to determine his remaining time and finalize his plan—choosing a good day was important.

That genius Hyuga ancestor never imagined that the Caged Bird they painstakingly developed would become a death sentence for a branch family boy...or rather, the entire Hyuga Clan.

Unreasonable methods would lead to unreasonable outcomes.

'Damn Caged Bird...' Yuto muttered to himself, touching his cold Konoha forehead protector.

At that moment, a frantic voice suddenly echoed through the Konoha camp:

"Yuto! Where is Yuto?"

Minato rushed into the camp, holding Kushina wrapped in a white cloth.

Blood soaked through the cloth, staining it with bizarre flowers.

The handsome young man was drenched, sweat and blood dripping to the ground, leaving red footprints with each step.

"Yuto! I heard you were in the Rain Country camp, so I came over. Save Kushina...please!" Minato's voice trembled.

This was the first time Yuto had seen him so distraught.

Without a word, Yuto took the red-haired woman and carried her to the emergency room next to Jiraiya.

He lifted the cloth, and the branch family boy gasped.

Kushina's body was unrecognizable. On her exposed abdomen, the sealing technique of the Uzumaki Clan slowly rotated, struggling against the rampaging Tailed Beast inside her.

Her skin seeped crimson Nine-Tails chakra, tearing at her muscles and organs while simultaneously stimulating cell regeneration, exhausting her life force.

Half of Kushina's red hair had turned white.

For the Uzumaki Clan, this was a sign of imminent death. In the original story, Nagato looked the same after using the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu.

In just a few seconds, the bed was soaked with blood, which dripped through the operating table to the floor, making a plopping sound.

Minato rushed in, his blue eyes filled with pain:

"Although I strengthened the seal, Kushina's semi-Tailed Beast transformation lasted too long... The Nine-Tails' chakra is clogging her body, constantly destroying it."

Activating his Byakugan, Yuto saw the vibrant red inside Kushina's body and spoke with difficulty:

"Minato-senpai, you're right. The Nine-Tails' chakra has fused with Kushina-senpai's muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. To save her, every bit of Tailed Beast chakra must be removed. The surgery isn't difficult; my sensei and I can do it, but... it will take a long time."

Minato's body seemed to sway, his blue eyes dimming.

But the next moment, his eyes widened, and his pupils regained their vitality.

Yuto took out a crystal necklace from his chest.

"This was given to me by my sensei. Although not explicitly stated, I sensed it contained the power of Wood Release... I heard the First Hokage could suppress the Nine-Tails with chakra."

"Using this necklace to suppress Kushina-senpai's Nine-Tails chakra temporarily halts her life force from dissipating, giving me time to complete the surgery."

Yuto smiled, patting Minato's shoulder, cutting him off:

"It's alright, Minato-senpai... If my sensei knew I refused to save Kushina-senpai because I didn't want to part with a necklace, she'd probably kick me out of Konoha."

"Besides, I'm still waiting to attend your wedding. Didn't you say you'd make me your groomsman?"

As he spoke, Yuto crushed the crystal, its powerful chakra turning to powder, which he evenly sprinkled on Kushina.

Even after many years of death, the First Hokage's power was immense. The Wood Release firmly suppressed the Nine-Tails' chakra, and Kushina's trembling body gradually calmed down.

"Minato-senpai, if you want to stay nearby, get a chair. This surgery... will take a long time."

...

At 2 AM, Minato helped Yuto out of the emergency room.

Separating the Tailed Beast chakra was a painstaking task. Yuto didn't do it all at once; this kind of surgery was like "removing splinters with a needle," destroying Kushina's body while separating it. It couldn't be rushed; slow and steady was best.

Due to the immense chakra, physical, and mental exertion, Yuto didn't chat much with Minato. He returned to his office in the Rain Country camp and collapsed on the bed.

However, he only rested for an hour before opening his eyes.

"Always busy."

Yuto sighed, got up, and quietly sneaked out of the camp.

He walked a long distance to the Rain Country border, entering a small house built with temporary Wood Release.

Kitsu sat in a chair, idly combing his singed hair. Noticing the arrival of his main body, he didn't even lift his eyelids:

"You're so slow..."

"Too many things, and Konan's condition is stable, no rush."

"Fine, fine, you're the medical expert, everything you say goes... Huh?" Kitsu looked up, frowning:

"I can't sense the First Hokage's chakra anymore."

"I used the necklace to save Kushina, to suppress the Nine-Tails' power, nothing else could do it."

"Why save her?"

"If she dies, Naruto can't be born. Killing the protagonist early might provoke the Sage of Six Paths, and Naruto is a backup vessel for Uzumaki clones..."

Yuto became silent, shrugging off his blood-stained coat, exposing his back:

"Let's stop here. I'll wait for the next curse mark erosion to finalize the plan, choose a good day to attack the Hyuga Main Family... I'm tired, do it."

Kitsu held the brush, applying liquid to Yuto's back with a dark expression, but his movements were gentle.

"What will the final result be? Are you confident in reversing the curse mark?"

"No idea, this medical ninjutsu isn't easy to practice... But it's okay, even if I fail, I've caused enough trouble for Konoha... Done?"

"Done, rest."

Yuto's vision gradually blurred, and he fell into a deep sleep.

In the dark night, Kitsu sighed, dragged a blanket, and covered his main body.

"Sleep, soon there will be no more troubles..."

(End of Chapter)