Chapter 72 Pathology of External Invasion

"As far as I know my own bloodline, both myself and my late parents, as well as our ancestors before us, were all very ordinary people. Therefore, in terms of physical constitution, I definitely have no special traits—neither yin to the point of red-eye disease nor yang to the extent of growing grass all over my body. My childhood experiences were similarly mundane... The only turning point that could have changed me from average to somewhat unique was my encounter with the Second Hokage."

Haseo was certain he had absolutely no connection whatsoever with those called "The Great" or "Six."

"At that time, I not only endured the Second's ninjutsu, but more importantly, I was holding a special ninja tool from Kumo. When the Second Hokage's Water Dragon Blast struck those tools, fragments entered my body... From what I later learned, it's said these ninja tools possessed by Kumo's rogue ninja, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, were originally created by the legendary Sage of Six Paths—the ancestor of the entire ninja world.

Maybe it all sounds wild, but if it's true, maybe the changes in my body came from that influence." After thinking for a moment, Haseo decided to share his guess with Kōga. Hearing Kōga describe his current condition further convinced Haseo there might actually be some truth to his theory.

Although his tone contained considerable skepticism regarding whether Kinkaku and Ginkaku's ninja tools truly originated from the legendary Sage of Six Paths, this was merely expressing a "normal" reaction... since the Sage of Six Paths was an ancient figure. Despite his name remaining within the ninja world, most ninja regarded him as a mythological character rather than the true founder of all ninja arts.

Actually though, Haseo knew perfectly well this wasn't just legend—it was fact. Those few weapons wielded by Kinkaku and Ginkaku weren't just immensely powerful; they could even perform extremely unique sealing techniques, and were indeed crafted by the Sage of Six Paths himself.

So Haseo suspected that at the time, it wasn't just the attack from the Second Hokage's Water Release Ninjutsu that had invaded his body—but also a cross-infection from relics of the Six Paths. Only God knows whether the special ninja tools made and used by the Sage himself carried traces of his chakra?

Considering further, although the Sage's two sons had long died, their lingering chakra continued causing chaos throughout countless ages. By comparison, if even his sons could leave behind such powerful chakra, then for the Sage himself to leave some behind would be even more natural.

"You actually came into contact with Kinkaku and Ginkaku's ninja tools?" Kōga asked skeptically, raising his eyebrows. If the facts were truly as Haseo described, then his own suspicions weren't groundless after all.

"Yeah, you could say I had direct exposure." Haseo replied. At the time, shattered fragments had embedded themselves entirely across his body—closer than even zero-distance contact could describe.

From Kōga's reaction, it looked like he knew a lot more than the average ninja. At least, he didn't immediately dismiss Haseo's ideas as mere nonsense or absurdity..."I've got some issues happening in my body, and I think it might be the work of immortal relics — something left behind by the Sage of Six Paths." Any normal ninja would just laugh it off as nonsense.

"But something still doesn't add up. Think about it—there's no second chakra signature coming from you at all. It's just your own chakra that's overgrown. If we take what you just said as a possible trigger, then yeah, it makes sense. But that's not the real issue," Kōga said after a moment of thought. He was sure Haseo only had his own chakra—no foreign chakra hiding in there at all.

"Doctor Kōga, aren't you even a little confused by what I just told you? You actually think the Sage of Six Paths was real?" Haseo couldn't help but ask, seeing the other's calm expression. In a way, he thought this was more important than his own health right now.

"I think he probably existed—it's just that those times were way too long ago," Dr. Koga replied with a smile. Whether he was serious or just joking wasn't clear.

"If you really believe that, then Doctor Kōga… let me put it like this, have you ever heard of rabies? The kind with a long incubation period, but once it hits, it's fatal?"

"…"

Kōga was momentarily stunned. After thinking it through several times, he finally got what Haseo was implying. Man, that was the first time anyone described the Sage of Six Paths in such a completely wild way.

But truthfully, Haseo's attitude toward the Sage was already quite friendly—especially friendly.

"Do you really think chakra carried on ninja tools—if such chakra even exists—could lie dormant inside you? Honestly, I think that idea is stretching it too far. To be honest, that kind of situation would be almost impossible," Kōga continued.

Take The Fourth Hokage and his wife for example—they sealed their chakra inside Naruto, and even that wasn't easily detected. But the key point was that theirs was deliberately hidden and sealed. Cases like Haseo's, where any chakra intrusion—if there was any—was purely accidental and without any technique involved, how could it possibly stay hidden?

"Well then, I guess we go with the expert opinion. I was just speculating anyway. Let's get back to the main issue—how serious is my situation? Is it bad enough that we need to take action immediately? And if so, what should we do next?"

"If things keep going the way they are, it'll get complicated—but nothing too serious, not yet. So for now, the short-term fix is easy—just get rid of any extra chakra every day. Until your overall physique improves further, carrying too much chakra isn't a good idea. Remember, the human body is a fragile vessel—too much power will eventually break it."

"Just releasing chakra sounds simple enough—I could fire off a few [Exploding Water Colliding Waves] daily. But according to your logic, wouldn't constantly releasing chakra make me draw on it more often? Over time, wouldn't that just boost my chakra production even more? In the end, wouldn't that backfire?"

Haseo found Kōga's proposed solution overly simplistic, almost like a scheduled reminder to get up for a midnight bathroom break.

"Problems must be addressed step by step. Compared to distant concerns, dealing with your current physical burden takes priority... Besides, what I suggested is only temporary. In a few days, I'll present a new approach—I already have a plan in mind," Kōga continued.

After laying everything out clearly, he reminded Haseo not to grow overly anxious. After all, he wasn't someone who simply left patients hanging after diagnosis; he was a physician committed to helping them resolve issues gradually—and especially so in Haseo's case, as he was indeed a rather uniquely important patient.

Haseo nodded slightly. "I understand. You're the one calling the shots."

In truth, no matter how serious Kōga seemed, he was merely viewing the situation from a medical perspective. As the directly involved party, Haseo himself didn't feel any real urgency. Firstly, he hadn't yet experienced the physical strain and mental stress Kōga had mentioned. Secondly, those very problems were currently bringing him positive benefits. Right now, Haseo was enjoying the boons brought by his rapidly growing chakra. As for potential issues that might arise later, they could wait until then.

Besides, who could really predict what the future would hold? That was still far away. And for a ninja like him, just surviving the next battle was uncertain enough already.

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