"Next… I'll have to spend some time in the Hidden Cloud Village."
With one last glance at Killer Bee, now the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki wildly swinging his octopus legs, White Zetsu's body melted into the ground like liquid and disappeared.
His mission wasn't just to gather intelligence on the Jinchūriki's abilities but also to collect information on the renowned strength of the Hidden Cloud's shinobi and their defensive arrangements.
The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki had always resided in the Valley of Clouds and Lightning. Knowing the location of the Two-Tails Jinchūriki would make Ye Zi's mission much easier.
Additionally, understanding the Hidden Cloud's defenses would give Ye Zi a better grasp of the situation.
White Zetsu moved silently beneath the ground, infiltrating the Hidden Cloud Village teeming with powerful shinobi, gathering intelligence right under their noses.
When it came to intelligence gathering, no one could match White Zetsu. After finishing in the Hidden Cloud Village, he would head to the Hidden Mist Village to prepare for capturing the Six-Tails Jinchūriki.
White Zetsu, Jiraiya, and countless intelligence operatives from various villages operated in the shadows beneath the surface of peace, showcasing their skills. Yet, no matter how active or diligent they were, they could find no trace of Ye Zi, whose name had already spread across the shinobi world.
It was as if Ye Zi had vanished from the face of the earth.
Despite their confusion and doubt, time waits for no one, and both people and events constantly change.
Blossoms bloom and fruit ripens; leaves wither and fall.
Life is born, and life ends.
Everyone keeps moving forward.
At a Hidden Waterfall base, one person suddenly collapsed mid-stride, it was Kimimaro.
In his relentless pursuit to assist Ye Zi, Kimimaro had thrown himself into rigorous training. Most of his time was spent honing his kekkei genkai, Shikotsumyaku. While this intense training had rapidly advanced his mastery of the ability, it also brought severe side effects.
Blood-streaked bones broke through his body repeatedly. The pain from these abrasions was immense, yet Kimimaro endured it with sheer willpower. However, he couldn't overcome the genetic illness that ultimately felled him.
Jūgo was the first to discover Kimimaro collapsed in the solitary training room. Initially, he thought Kimimaro was merely exhausted, but upon seeing the pain etched on Kimimaro's unconscious face, he realized it wasn't that simple.
Panicking, Jūgo carried Kimimaro to find Shin and Kotoe.
Both were alarmed upon seeing Kimimaro's condition. Among the children, Kimimaro was unique and undeniably the most diligent.
Shin quickly examined Kimimaro and identified the issue. Without hesitation, he decided to take Kimimaro to Nanako while instructing Kotoe to notify Ye Zi.
"Everyone, continue your training. Jūgo, you stay here too."
After issuing his instructions, Shin carried Kimimaro to Nanako's lab.
Kotoe headed toward the exit to inform Ye Zi.
In their eyes, Kimimaro was someone Ye Zi valued highly, so they believed Ye Zi needed to be notified immediately.
Shin arrived at the lab with Kimimaro in his arms. Orochimaru and Nanako were in the middle of researching Hashirama's cells and were displeased by the sudden interruption.
This was typical of researchers.
Feeling the displeased gazes of Orochimaru and Nanako, Shin sighed deeply. He couldn't afford to offend either of these two.
"Nanako, something seems wrong with Kimimaro's health. Can you take a look at him?" Shin quickly explained.
Hearing this, Orochimaru and Nanako shifted their attention to the unconscious Kimimaro.
"Lay him here," Nanako instructed calmly.
Shin nodded and swiftly placed Kimimaro on a platform, then stood aside obediently.
Orochimaru, arms crossed, also stood silently. This child lying on the platform was the last surviving member of the Kaguya clan, wielding the extremely practical kekkei genkai, Shikotsumyaku.
Nanako carefully examined Kimimaro, her expression growing more serious as time passed. She drew a vial of blood from him and, without lifting her head, handed it to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru-sama, please analyze this blood sample."
Orochimaru said nothing, taking the vial and heading toward the instruments.
Shin watched Orochimaru's actions with visible surprise.
"Is this really Orochimaru?"
With the blood analysis underway, Nanako continued meticulously checking Kimimaro's body and used medical ninjutsu to alleviate some of his pain.
Her initial diagnosis suggested an illness. Even in his unconscious state, Kimimaro's face was twisted in pain, a clear indication of the severity of the condition.
Kimimaro was someone who could endure the excruciating pain of using Shikotsumyaku repeatedly.
At this moment, administering anesthesia would ease his suffering, but Nanako refrained as it could interfere with her diagnosis.
Twenty minutes later, she finished her examination, noted her preliminary findings, and then administered anesthesia to Kimimaro.
With the anesthesia taking effect, the pain on Kimimaro's face gradually faded, and his expression became peaceful.
"What's wrong with Kimimaro?" Shin asked softly.
Nanako frowned slightly and replied, "It's a type of illness, and for it to manifest so severely in its first episode is quite worrying."
The full diagnosis would require the blood test results, and she might also need to collect more samples from Kimimaro, such as bone marrow.
"It's that serious?" Shin furrowed his brow.
Nanako nodded slightly and walked toward Orochimaru. The blood test results would take time, and she had some information to relay to him. Then, she moved to her desk to consult additional references and organize her notes.
Orochimaru's expertise in medical ninjutsu was limited to assisting Nanako with tasks like blood analysis. Beyond that, he wasn't much help.
Ten minutes later, Ye Zi and Kotoe entered the lab together.
When Ye Zi and Kotoe entered the room, Shin greeted them.
Orochimaru and Nanako also noticed Ye Zi's arrival, but they didn't greet him, remaining focused on their work.
Seeing this, Ye Zi didn't disturb them. He walked to the platform where Kimimaro lay unconscious and asked, "What's going on?"
Shin explained, "According to Nanako, it seems Kimimaro has contracted some kind of illness, but the results aren't out yet."
"Illness…" Ye Zi's eyes flickered. Ever since arriving in this world, he had rarely encountered people falling ill.
Not to mention the availability of medical ninjutsu, the people in this world had robust constitutions. Even if they did fall ill, they had strong medical support.
"It seems quite serious, according to Nanako," Shin added.
Ye Zi fell silent. If even Nanako said it was serious, then the situation was indeed grim.
Nanako's medical skills were exceptional. Compared to Tsunade, her advantage lay in unconventional techniques. Not traditional medical ninjutsu but methods that combined medical practices with human anatomy research.
"You two can go about your tasks," Ye Zi suddenly said to Shin and Kotoe.
Kotoe's eyes shifted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately, she held back. She nodded and left with Shin to return to the training grounds to continue training the children.
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Currently on Chapter 522 - A Village in the Thick Fog