Ch.282 Surgical Plan

Stepping out of Sasuke's hospital room, Uchiha Shinji glanced back at Sasuke, who was still lost in his own emotions, and let out a silent chuckle. 

For a gifted Uchiha, proper stimulation could greatly enhance their dojutsu power. 

Because the Sharingan, this pupil of the mind's reflection, inherently possessed the ability to mirror one's own will, and emotions were an extension of that will. 

In the original timeline, looking at Sasuke's growth, one would notice that the periods when his strength surged the most were often the times when he was deeply provoked. 

While Shinji visited Sasuke, Kakashi, who had left earlier, sought out Jiraiya. 

Jiraiya asked, "How's the little Uchiha brat doing?" 

"His body's fine, it's just…" 

Kakashi trailed off, shaking his head with a sigh. 

"Looks like a troubled kid, huh!" Jiraiya grinned, then added, "With a brat like that, you've got to have some patience." 

"Hm!" 

Kakashi nodded. 

Truth be told, he saw a lot of his younger self in Sasuke, which was why he paid extra attention to him. 

Jiraiya teased again, "With Naruto stirring things up, it seems the shinobi academy's about to get a lot more interesting!" 

In an underground lab within the Hidden Leaf Hospital… 

Switching off the equipment, Tsunade said to the shinobi lying on the machine, "Yamato, thanks for your hard work this time!" 

Yamato stood and saluted, "I'm glad to be of help!" 

Tsunade nodded, "Go rest for now. If I need anything else, I'll have someone notify you!" 

"Yes!" 

Yamato acknowledged, then left the underground lab. 

After Yamato departed, Shizune, who had been assisting Tsunade, spoke up, "Lady Tsunade, are you really going to transplant the First's cells into Yakumo? Isn't it too dangerous?" 

"Sigh!" Tsunade let out a soft breath, saying, "There's no other choice! Before awakening the Koryugan, Yakumo could still drop out and rest to slow her body's deterioration. But now that she's awakened the Koryugan, her body simply can't handle this level of dojutsu Bloodline Limit. If we don't transplant the First's cells soon to fundamentally revive her physical condition, with her current state, she might not last half a year!" 

This was the first time Shizune had heard Tsunade's judgment on Yakumo's condition. She gasped, "Hiss, not even half a year?!" 

"That's the optimistic estimate!" Pausing, Tsunade furrowed her brow, "Based on my earlier guesses, factoring in the extra strain of the Koryugan, Yakumo's body probably won't even last three months!" 

Clearly. 

Even Tsunade hadn't noticed that Shinji, through 'Wazunagi,' was secretly channeling high-quality Yang Release chakra into Yakumo's body. 

So, she could only attribute Yakumo's abnormal recovery to the Koryugan. 

At that moment, the machine displayed its data. 

Shizune hurriedly recorded it all, then handed it to Tsunade, "This is Yamato's physical exam and cell analysis data from just now." 

As Tsunade reviewed the data, her brows sometimes knit tightly, sometimes eased into contemplation. 

Transplanting the First's cells had always been a taboo in Hidden Leaf, because the procedure was incredibly difficult with almost no successful cases. 

The only success story was Yamato, who had just left. 

And that was an experiment Orochimaru conducted privately, not an official Hidden Leaf trial, so most of the data from back then had been lost. 

Though medical ninjutsu had advanced over the years, and Tsunade's skills far surpassed those of the seniors who handled the First's cell transplants in the past, she still regarded this dangerous treasure with deep reverence. 

If Yakumo's life weren't hanging by a thread, she'd never consider it. 

After a long while, she closed the report and said gravely, "Yamato's data aligns with my earlier estimates. When Orochimaru performed the transplant, he used an excessive amount of suppressants, which barely allowed Yamato to withstand the First's cells' erosion." 

Shizune felt a bit speechless at that. 

Suppressants were a double-edged sword. No conscientious medical shinobi would lightly administer them to a patient, let alone overdose. 

But who could've guessed that Orochimaru, unbound by morals, had stumbled into success by overdosing on suppressants, boosting the First's cell transplant success rate by sheer luck? 

"Orochimaru's method reduced the First's cells' activity and left hidden risks, but it's undeniably a solid approach." Pausing, Tsunade continued, "Still, the village's collected data is incomplete. I'm afraid we'll need to talk to Danzo!" 

Orochimaru's human experiments in the village were backed by Danzo—a fact ordinary shinobi might not know, but the Third Hokage had always been well aware of it. 

If Orochimaru hadn't gone overboard, repeatedly targeting their own, he wouldn't have turned against him outright. 

Shizune said, "Please rest assured, I've already contacted the Nara Clan's deer garden for the missing herbs needed to prepare the fusion agent. They promised to send high-quality materials as soon as possible." 

Tsunade nodded, "Good, you handle the fusion agent. I'll go see Danzo!" 

In Hidden Leaf, others might fear Danzo, but Tsunade certainly didn't. 

That night… 

Through 'Jikibi,' Shinji learned of Tsunade's surgical plan from Yakumo at the earliest moment. 

Since Yakumo was already Tsunade's disciple, Shizune didn't hide the surgical details from her, compiling Tsunade's approach and process into a document and handing it to Yakumo. 

After all, even with Tsunade overseeing it, this surgery carried enormous risks, so it required Yakumo's and the Kurama Clan's consent. 

And this, undoubtedly, worked in Shinji's favor! 

Through 'Jikibi' and 'Wazunagi,' he studied Tsunade's surgical plan, a storm of awe raging in his heart. 

"As expected of Tsunade!" 

A thousand words melted into a single exclamation. 

Shinji had to admit, compared to Tsunade, he was far too green. The surgical plans he'd been so proud of paled in comparison to a true master's work, instantly revealed as amateurish. 

"Good thing it was Karin…" 

Immediately after, a wave of dread hit him. 

Compared to Tsunade's plan, the White Zetsu cell transplant he'd arranged for Karin was riddled with flaws. 

Its ultimate success was entirely thanks to Karin's robust Uzumaki Clan sage body. 

If he'd applied Karin's surgical plan to the frail Yakumo, the consequences would've been unthinkable. 

After collecting himself, Shinji studied Tsunade's plan for Yakumo while quietly mulling it over. 

He figured that if Tsunade's surgery succeeded this time, he could follow her example, transplanting the First's cells into Karin to overwrite the diluted White Zetsu cells, further enhancing Karin's constitution.