Chapter 68: Danzo Showed Up in a Hospital Room, So You Know It's About to Get Political

"Captain Kitayama, that operation was amazing!"

Hyakusa's voice practically sparkled with excitement as she walked alongside her superior.

Kitayama let out a long breath of relief. "Poisoning an Aburame is no easy feat… we were lucky to catch the case early and had the right techniques on hand. It really proved the value of the combined medical jutsu we've been developing."

The Aburame Clan, infamous for harboring insects inside their bodies, were notoriously difficult to treat. In this case, the poison had been specifically engineered to bypass the insects' filters and infect the host directly. Tracing the exact source had been like searching for a needle in a forest.

"If it weren't for Garou's contribution to the surgical method, I wouldn't want to handle an Aburame case ever again," Hyakusa continued to grumble.

"That procedure was exhausting."

"Agreed."

Neither of them noticed the silent figure leaning against the doorframe behind them, a tall man in a long cloak and dark sunglasses.

He stood up slowly.

"Kitayama," the man said in a calm, flat voice.

"Thank you for saving the child."

"No, no, it was nothing! I mean, this case was just… complicated."

"And it wasn't all me!" Kitayama stiffened as she recognized the man.

Shibi Aburame, head of the Aburame Clan.

Her tone became formal almost instantly. "We used a new medical ninjutsu, something developed recently to pinpoint poison sources. Without it, the condition would've worsened."

"New medical ninjutsu?" Shibi adjusted his glasses, then gave what could only be described as a faint, awkward smile.

"That explains it. Thank you again."

"…"

There was something oddly passive-aggressive about the way he said it. Kitayama suddenly felt cold sweat down her back.

'Should I… be worried he's going to lodge a complaint next time?'

Still, she knew the state of the medical division better than anyone.

Konoha's Medical Division was top-tier in the world, but their ability to handle targeted, clan-specific poisons in a short time frame had always been limited.

Especially after Lady Tsunade's departure, few innovative medical techniques had emerged.

The last breakthrough was Garou's Chakra Needle Technique.

Without question, he had pioneered it. While the rest of the medical division had contributed to development and training, none could claim to be the technique's true inventor.

"Anyway, I'm grateful to all of you," Shibi said with a short bow before walking toward the patient wing.

Kitayama and Hyakusa exchanged nervous glances.

"…When did he even show up?" Hyakusa whispered.

"I have no idea. Thank god he wasn't offended. He could've filed a formal complaint."

"…You know I'd be the one stuck handling that complaint, right?"

"…Fair."

Meanwhile, Shibi stopped outside the child's room, quietly resting his hand on the doorknob.

He may have looked calm, but his ninja senses were acute. He'd heard every word from the hallway. Still, he let it go. What mattered was that the kid was alive.

As he entered, his brows lifted slightly.

"Danzo-sama?"

"Shibi. Sit down." Shibi hesitated briefly before taking a seat near the window. The kid was still unconscious, so he had time.

Danzo's voice was low and cold. "Do you think this incident was a coincidence?"

"…I don't know," Shibi replied after a moment. His tone was measured, guarded. Though his clan still cooperated with Root, that didn't mean he trusted Danzo.

Their alliance was one of convenience, nothing more. He wasn't entirely sure what Danzo wanted, so he stayed cautious.

Danzo snorted. "The Kamizuru Clan is barely holding together."

"They're on the brink of extinction. You think they still have the resources to research a poison specifically tailored to your clan?"

"Perhaps… Rock Village decided to reinstate them?" Shibi mused.

After all, sometimes your enemies understand you better than your allies. The Kamizuru Clan had battled Aburame shinobi before. If anyone could create such a targeted poison, it would be them.

"No. This level of biochemical refinement isn't their doing," Danzo said darkly. "Whoever made this, someone else is pulling the strings. I don't have a suspect yet."

He stood up.

"But I can point you to someone who might help."

"Who?" Shibi asked.

"Garou Zenin."

—

Elsewhere, inside the ninja tool factory,

"What do you think, Garou?" Kakashi asked, arms crossed as they reviewed the prototypes.

Garou said with a sigh. "Honestly, there's no easy way to optimize this right now. Adding a second internal barrier seal does increase efficiency, sure. But it introduces new issues."

He rubbed his temples. Fix one problem, and another cropped up. The double-layered barrier setup worked well in theory, but in practice, few shinobi had the skill to use it.

Even among elite jonin, mastery of barrier jutsu was rare.

"That's true," Tenten said thoughtfully. "What if we used chakra-conductive metal instead?"

"That's ridiculously expensive," Kasumi muttered under her breath. "Do you know how much chakra metal this size would cost? That could make five high-grade blades. Waste of resources."

"Still, that's something the Hokage's office should worry about, not us," Kakashi said, pulling the conversation back on track. "Let's focus on the prototypes."

They began reviewing the four models.

Unlike chakra weapons, these tools didn't require fine-tuned craftsmanship, the design and seal structure remained the same. As long as the base construction was precise, the performance was consistent.

That was excellent news.

It meant the tools could be mass-produced.

The only drawback was, they weren't particularly practical for standard missions. These were battlefield tools meant for team operations or large-scale engagements, not stealth or solo work.

"Don't feel too disappointed," Kakashi said with a small grin. "For a first iteration, this is a success."

He chuckled, adding, "Take my first original jutsu, for example. When I created it, it had a major flaw."

"You mean that lightning technique you used with one hand?" Kasumi's eyes lit up. "That move was so cool! I wanted to learn it but couldn't find anything about it. Wait, did you invent it?!"

"You invented a jutsu, Kakashi-sensei?" Tenten looked equally stunned.

Kakashi squinted at them. "Why is that so hard to believe? I was considered a genius back in the day, you know."

"Uhh… I didn't mean it like that," Tenten stammered.

"What she meant," Garou added helpfully, "is that you don't look the part now."

"No! That's not what I…!" Tenten's face turned crimson.

She couldn't deny it, though.

Kakashi was always late, seemed perpetually distracted, and spent more time reading adult novels than teaching, definitely not the 'inventor' type.

"Kakashi-sensei used that move to literally cut through lightning," Garou added, defending him.

Kasumi leaned forward eagerly. "So, did you ever fix that flaw?"

"…In a way," Kakashi admitted with a sigh.

"It was the Sharingan, right?" Garou said quietly. "Your jutsu is designed for high-speed assassination, extreme acceleration. But normal people can't handle that without perfect reaction timing."

Kakashi nodded.

The appreciation was nice, but something nagged at him.

Garou's understanding was too precise.

'This kid… He sees through the jutsu too easily. He could probably invent a better version if he wanted to…'

And that realization unsettled him more than he'd like to admit.

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