"You'd better wait outside."
Tsunade hesitated for a moment, then whispered to Kawaki.
She couldn't even bring herself to meet his gaze.
She still didn't want Kawaki to see her at her weakest.
If something really went wrong, wouldn't it be better not to see it with your own eyes?
That thought lingered in her mind as well.
"How could that possibly work?!"
Kawaki immediately refused, raising his voice.
If he waited outside, what was the point of him even coming here?
"I was just teasing. Don't take me seriously."
Already feeling a little guilty, Tsunade gave up trying to persuade him further when she sensed how firm Kawaki was.
"That's more like it."
"You just focus on the fusion process. I'll be right by your side."
Kawaki gently squeezed Tsunade's hand, his expression softening with affection.
"Okay."
Tsunade slightly nodded and agreed.
"You two are getting pretty cozy, huh."
"I'm ready over here."
Orochimaru held the syringes, barely hiding his excitement.
At this point, he felt more exhilarated than worried.
As long as Tsunade succeeded, his own fusion would become much more promising.
Of course, he wasn't treating Tsunade like some sacrificial test subject.
It's just that his progress with cell fusion lagged far behind Tsunade's—that was simply unavoidable.
They were related by blood, which gave her a much faster fusion rate—one he could only envy helplessly.
"Do it then."
Tsunade pushed up her sleeve, revealing her fair arm.
"Misaki, keep an eye on the data."
Orochimaru gave instructions while jogging forward, pushing Kawaki aside.
"Got it, teacher."
Misaki jogged over and stood near the equipment.
"All set?"
Orochimaru tightened the tourniquet on Tsunade's arm, tapped the vein gently, giving her a moment to prepare.
"Don't waste time talking nonsense. Hurry up."
Tsunade glared, thinking Orochimaru was just stalling.
With this much preparation time, the injection should've been done by now.
"Alright."
Unfazed, Orochimaru smiled and slid the needle into Tsunade's vein.
As his thumb pushed forward, Kawaki's heart twisted involuntarily.
"There."
"Not a single drop wasted."
Orochimaru withdrew the syringe and tossed it onto a nearby tray with a sharp clink.
"How do you feel?"
Kawaki couldn't wait to ask, completely forgetting that when he'd gone through the treatment, the effects hadn't kicked in this quickly either.
"What kind of sensation do you expect? It hasn't even started yet."
Tsunade still had strength enough to argue back.
She could feel a strange energy slowly spreading through her body along with the flow of her blood.
"Good, good."
Kawaki worried about sudden, dangerous rejection symptoms striking Tsunade.
He knew just how dangerous the process could be.
"Don't rush. The effect will kick in soon."
"I remember clearly—you started reacting after one minute and thirty seconds."
Orochimaru remembered Kawaki's reaction timing down to the second.
Although he now appeared perfectly calm, he had actually prepared meticulously for this experiment.
Even if this were his own body lying there, he might not have been this careful.
"You sure have a good memory."
Kawaki himself hadn't even remembered the exact time.
He only knew that shortly after the injection, he felt intense pain—an experience that would be unforgettable for his entire life.
It couldn't be described in words; it could only be described as deeply etched into one's bones.
"This is just basic procedure."
"Back then..."
"Ahh!"
Before Tsunade could finish speaking, her sentence was interrupted by a sudden sharp pain inside her.
A piercing scream sent chills down their spines.
Then her face started to twist in agony. Kawaki stood beside her, listening to Tsunade's screams as his legs wobbled beneath him.
He didn't know that Tsunade had experienced the exact same thing before.
"This is a normal response. Don't worry."
"Miss Misaki, how do the data look?"
Orochimaru comforted Kawaki briefly, his expression unreadable—was he serious, nervous, or something else entirely?
"It's similar to Brother-in-law's previous surge in data. It's within the normal range."
Without even glancing away, Misaki stared intently at the instrument screen.
"Good. Let me know immediately if anything changes."
Orochimaru steadied himself. At this moment, he was the only backbone they had left.
Kawaki was originally an outsider with no relevant knowledge. Given his lack of expertise, just being present without interfering was already a success.
"Understood."
Misaki responded and fell silent again.
As the pain intensified, Tsunade not only screamed but also began squirming repeatedly on the operating table.
The pain had become unbearable, beyond what she could endure through sheer willpower alone.
If possible, she wished someone would just knock her out cold.
But it was probably pointless anyway. Before the pain disappeared, she believed she'd definitely wake up from it again.
"I'm here, I'm here."
Kawaki muttered unconsciously and instinctively reached out toward Tsunade's hand.
"Don't touch her now."
Orochimaru didn't lay a hand on him. He simply reminded softly.
He trusted that Kawaki could listen.
"Okay."
Kawaki's hand froze midair, trembling slightly, before slowly pulling back.
"Ahhh! AAAAAHHH!!!"
Tsunade's screams grew louder and louder, while the surgical table groaned with every violent jerk.
If it hadn't been reinforced beforehand, it probably would've broken by now.
"Teacher, the data fluctuations are becoming extremely erratic."
Misaki sounded anxious. Although all these phenomena had occurred during Kawaki's experiment previously,
seeing them unfold in real life still shook her deeply.
For an ordinary person, this path would end in nothing short of death.
There's still more to this chapter!
Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade, please bookmark (m.
"Mmm, we've entered the critical phase."
"Let me know if it exceeds the threshold we previously calculated."
Orochimaru remained professionally calm.
So far, everything was still under his control.
"Understood, Teacher."
Misaki clenched both fists tightly, her expression filled with tension.
"Is Tsunade turning red?"
Kawaki dared not make contact but couldn't understand the situation either, so he asked Orochimaru for help.
"Her cells are undergoing structural changes. This is a good sign."
Orochimaru glanced at the thermometer. It showed that Tsunade's temperature has already hit 45 degrees Celsius.
That was one degree lower than Kawaki's shocking temperature earlier.
Without their extraordinary physical stamina, even an elite ninja wouldn't have survived this.
A fever above forty degrees would kill a normal person outright.
Orochimaru privately admitted his body wasn't as strong as theirs. He would need to adjust his fusion plan accordingly.
"How long will this process last?"
"Is there anything that can at least ease her pain a little?"
Kawaki felt anxious and helpless watching Tsunade in such agony, yet he could do nothing.
"There is something, but I'm hesitant to use it."
"There's no actual testing data to reference. I'm worried it'll backfire."
"We can only let her endure it herself, just like you did last time."
Orochimaru held nothing back—it was the truth between friends.
Even if he lied and said there was no solution, Kawaki wouldn't have known any better.
"Fine then."
Fortunately, Kawaki hadn't lost his mind—he knew absolutely nothing about this field.
For now, following Orochimaru's advice was clearly the best option.
Tsunade continued shrieking in pain, her cries echoing throughout the entire operating room.
Her once-beautiful face had contorted into something terrifying, no longer resembling the lovely woman she once was.
It was no wonder she didn't want Kawaki to see her like this.
The helplessness of watching from the sidelines tore at Kawaki's heart.
He hated being powerless to take her place and suffer instead of her.
All he could do was silently pray for this torment to end.
Even if the fusion failed, as long as she was safe—that was all that mattered.
Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade – Please bookmark: (m.