Chapter 18: During the Surgery
Chapter 18: During the Surgery
"There are multiple internal injuries throughout his body. Fragments of rock from the Explosive Tag have embedded themselves inside him, and some of these fragments broke into even smaller pieces once inside, causing further damage to various parts of his body!"
Hyuga Ao, having completed an initial examination, made a decisive call, and the others nodded in agreement.
However, Kurama Yuu's expression was more complex.
He was unsure whether to disclose the injuries he had just discovered. At present, a section of the injured man's arm was covered in a purplish aura, indicating poisoning. The toxic gas appeared intermittently.
Kurama Yuu recognized the poison immediately—it was a toxin specifically formulated for ninjas.
The toxin could spread and cause symptoms throughout the body, and a preliminary check might miss it if luck wasn't on their side.
Overlooking it now and failing to prepare a treatment plan would undoubtedly lead to major issues during the recovery phase. Furthermore, if Hyuga Ao, the lead surgeon, had to confront this problem directly, it might ruin his surgical career.
Considering this, Kurama Yuu chose to remain silent about the ninja poison, not intending to mention it.
"Any objections?" Hyuga Ao asked as he surveyed the room. With no further comments or objections, they could quickly proceed with the medical plan.
But Hinata, watching from the sidelines, stared at Kurama Yuu, who remained silent.
Her terminal displayed clear information about the ninja poison, which was currently visible on the injured man's arm. Yet, Kurama Yuu had said nothing.
After reviewing Hyuga Ao's notes earlier, Hinata had gathered various common cases in her database, and she had nearly confirmed the patient's condition from the terminal scan.
However, Kurama Yuu had not mentioned it!
She could guess the tension between Hyuga Ao and Kurama Yuu. Given that Hyuga Ao, as the lead surgeon, held a higher rank and had a promising future, it was not surprising that Kurama Yuu might have personal motives.
Realizing this, Hinata decided to act accordingly.
She chose to remain silent as well because the ninja poison's mark had already faded, indicating the poison had begun to invade the patient's body.
Even if she spoke up, it might not be believed, so silence was the best option, and she had already prepared a contingency plan.
"No objections. I'll first perform the incision to remove the rock fragments, then use Healing Jutsu to repair the internal injuries, and finally suture the wound."
"Begin the surgery!"
After confirming there were no further objections, Hyuga Ao set the plan in motion and started the surgery.
The nurses began preparing the necessary tools and materials as the surgery room, stocked with various materials, came into use.
As usual, anesthesia was administered first. Once the patient was under anesthesia, Hyuga Ao began the procedure with full concentration.
He removed the rock fragments and placed them on a tray, using his Byakugan to observe the patient's condition and pinpoint the fragments' locations.
Unlike the previous case, the injuries this time were less severe, with many rock fragments visible on the surface and their trajectories somewhat predictable. Thus, the operation required only the extraction of these fragments.
As blood flowed, a faint, peculiar odor replaced the earlier faint fragrance, unnoticed by the attending medical ninjas. The surgery continued unabated.
"Still as excellent as ever," Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction, his gaze reflecting approval.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Beep! Beep! Beep!"
But suddenly, the previously smooth surgery process encountered complications.
When Hyuga Ao extracted more rock fragments, he noticed the blood had turned dark purple and emitted a strong acidic odor, replacing the previously subtle fragrance with a foul stench.
"This is—ninja poison?" Hyuga Ao frowned, immediately recognizing the issue.
However, the patient's condition on the operating table was deteriorating, and the surgery couldn't be stopped immediately.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, observing the scene with a troubled expression, seemed to sense something and scrutinized Kurama Yuu's direction but did not voice his concerns.
"Clink."
As Hyuga Ao removed another fragment and placed it on the tray, he began to feel a tingling sensation on his skin, followed by dizziness and weakness.
The ninja poison began to spread and dilute through the blood, affecting Hyuga Ao directly and causing him to feel faint and disoriented.
"Ao-sama!" The nurse, noticing something was wrong, cried out and managed to support Hyuga Ao before he lost consciousness.
"Thud!"
With a muffled thud, Hyuga Ao collapsed, and the nurse was also overwhelmed and fell unconscious.
Kurama Yuu's eyes flashed with a subtle smirk as he prepared to take over the surgery.
However, even Kurama Yuu himself felt dazed by the ninja poison's effects, which impaired his cognitive abilities significantly.
Holding his forehead, Kurama Yuu struggled to stay upright, his condition much better than Hyuga Ao's, who had been in close contact with the poison.
"Beep! Beep! Beep!"
With the surgery halted and the room in chaos, alarms began to sound, signaling the deteriorating state of the patient.
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to intervene.
"I'll handle it."
Hinata, who had been waiting for this moment, decisively activated her chakra to create an ice-blue chakra scalpel and took over the surgery.
Instead of delegating, she personally took the scalpel and began the operation.
Kurama Yuu was momentarily stunned, unable to think clearly due to the poison's effects.
Hinata scanned the terminal panel, which displayed the patient's blood loss, breathing status, body temperature, and condition. She quickly absorbed this information and mentally rehearsed the procedure before proceeding.
With calm precision, she cut the target area, carefully used forceps to remove the rock fragments, and placed them on the tray.
"Clink!"
A crisp sound followed as a blood-stained rock fragment appeared on the bright tray.