Chapter 202: Continuing to Write the Story of Youth

Shimura Seito glanced to the side with a puzzled expression and found that Arida Sanjirō was also looking back at him with the same confusion. It was only then that they realized someone had appeared behind them.

"Who's there?!"

Both of them swiftly maneuvered into a defensive stance, widening the distance between themselves and the newcomer. When they finally laid eyes on the unfamiliar figure, Arida Sanjirō instinctively gripped his weapon, preparing for battle. However, before he could make a move, Shimura Seito reached out to stop him.

"What are you doing?"

"Stand down!" Shimura Seito shot him a look of disdain. This fool was too short-sighted—how could he not recognize the person before them? Truly blind.

Lowering his guard, Shimura Seito stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Kakuzu, I am Shimura Seito of the Shimura clan. I never expected you to personally come to this place—it is truly an honor!"

Hearing Shimura Seito's words, Arida Sanjirō was stunned. Even Ebisu and the others were taken aback, while Guy, still somewhat confused, lifted his head in uncertainty.

Kakuzu, however, ignored their shock. He walked steadily toward Might Duy, who was now visibly reddened from the extreme heat his body had endured. He placed a hand on Duy's wrist, feeling his pulse, and quickly arrived at a conclusion.

"The flow of chakra is beyond saving. His life force is steadily depleting. Once the energy in his heart is completely exhausted, there will be no turning back."

"L-Lord Kakuzu, is there any way to save my father?"

Tears streaked down Guy's face, but his young eyes shone with hope. He had never been good at remembering names, yet he had once heard Kakashi mention Kakuzu in passing. This time, he had somehow managed to recall the name correctly—a rarity for him.

"Judging by his pulse, your father has at most three minutes left. However, there may still be a way..."

As he spoke, Kakuzu recalled how Naruto had saved lives using Yin-Yang Release in the original events. That power, capable of creating life itself, was what had allowed Kakashi to avoid becoming permanently one-eyed. But Kakuzu was not someone who relied on cheats—he preferred practical, replicable methods.

He placed a hand on Might Duy's chest and formed a single-handed seal.

"Eight Trigrams Seal—Activate!"

Dark seals spread across Duy's chest, temporarily suppressing the last remnants of chakra still circulating through his heart. This measure would, at the very least, slow down the progression of his death. Based on his pulse, Duy originally had only three minutes left. Now, he had roughly an hour.

Time was precious. Without further explanation, Kakuzu quickly formed hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu."

With a burst of smoke from a summoning scroll, a large metal case appeared before him. This was one of Kakuzu's prized possessions, worth tens of millions. He unlatched the case, revealing an assortment of medical tools neatly arranged inside.

He pulled out five syringes. Before anyone could react, the needles had already been plunged into their arms, drawing blood samples. He also extracted a small amount of Duy's blood and mixed it with pre-prepared samples for analysis.

Kakuzu's methods were crude—this was a battlefield, after all. There were no proper medical facilities, no advanced equipment. Improvisation was necessary.

At the same time, he ordered Might Guy and the others to search for any Mist ninja who might still be alive. Any survivors were to be brought over immediately.

...

Half an hour later, over a dozen Mist ninja lay sprawled across the ground. Kakuzu had stabilized their conditions just enough to keep them alive for the time being. Soon after, the blood test results came in.

"I need a specific blood type, but unfortunately, neither of you are a match."

Ebisu and Shiranui Genma exchanged glances, disappointment evident in their eyes.

"Lord Kakuzu, is there anything else we can do?"

"Yes, we want to help Duy-san!"

Their eagerness was apparent. Kakuzu nodded and handed them a set of syringes.

"Then help me draw blood. You should have learned basic medical procedures at the academy."

Genma and Ebisu accepted the tools with determination, while Guy immediately rolled up his sleeve, ready to contribute his own blood.

"No, no." Kakuzu shook his head. "Your body hasn't fully developed yet. You can't provide enough blood to make a difference."

His sharp gaze shifted to Shimura Seito and Arida Sanjirō. Both men instinctively flinched.

"You two played a part in this battle. When you return, the Hokage will reward you well. Everything we do here is for the good of Konoha—understand?"

With one sentence, Kakuzu encapsulated their ideals. The words they had spoken before were now coming back to haunt them. And against Kakuzu, did they truly have any power to resist?

In the end, they could only grit their teeth and extend their arms.

What they failed to notice was the slight smirk that tugged at Kakuzu's lips.

Their precious blood was drawn without hesitation, flowing freely into storage. Now came the most crucial step.

Threads of black tendrils emerged from Kakuzu's body, extending toward Might Duy and one of the Mist ninja who was barely clinging to life. He began transferring the vitality from the dying Mist ninja into Duy's body.

This process was merely a temporary solution, stabilizing Duy's waning life force for the time being...

Might Duy's body was still severely depleted, his veins and meridians completely drained. Three days passed in the blink of an eye. When looking at the scene once more, things had changed.

Ebisu and Shiranui Genma, who had been helping out, were now sprawled on the ground from exhaustion. The relentless effort over the past few days had pushed them to their limits, and now it was Might Guy who was taking care of them.

On the other side, Shimura Seito and Arida Sanjirō were in a far worse state. Their skeletal hands reached out weakly—it was hard to tell whether they were begging for help or mercy.

"Kakuzu… Kakuzu… I can't do this anymore."

...

After days of grueling effort, Shimura Seito felt completely spent. He had lost so much weight that his body had begun to break down. If this continued, he might not survive. Beside him, Arida Sanjirō had already closed his eyes. Whether he had simply fallen unconscious from exhaustion or something worse had happened, there was no sign of movement.

Kakuzu walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. When we return, I'll personally report your contributions to the Hokage. Your efforts in repelling Kirigakure were invaluable."

Hearing this, Shimura Seito almost burst into tears. What use was recognition if he didn't even have his life? With his body in this condition, would he even be able to continue as a shinobi? He recalled the words of the great Danzo-sama: Those who are no longer useful to the village should disappear from this world on their own.

Might Guy ran over and looked at Kakuzu.

"Lord Kakuzu, thank you."

"It's nothing. Your father is a great man."

Kakuzu reached out and ruffled Guy's bowl-cut hair. Might Duy's life had been saved, but his meridians were beyond repair. For the rest of his life, he would likely be confined to a wheelchair.

Even so, Kakuzu believed that father and son would continue to write their own legend of youth in the days to come.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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