Sound Village.
Kimimaro lay on a bed as Tsunade conducted an examination beside him.
"This is Kekkei Disease," Tsunade explained, her voice calm yet tinged with concern. "Essentially, it's caused by the overwhelming power of a Kekkei Genkai."
"It often manifests during childhood. When a ninja awakens their Kekkei Genkai at too young an age, their body might not be able to withstand the immense power it brings. This leads to cellular collapse, which is what we call Kekkei Disease."
Orochimaru stood with his arms crossed, gazing at Kimimaro on the bed. His voice was soft yet sinister as he asked, "Is there no way to cure it?"
Tsunade sighed deeply. For a medical ninja, encountering a patient they couldn't heal was one of the most painful experiences.
"I'm afraid not. Any medication can only delay his death."
"Unless his physical constitution can be enhanced at the cellular level, there's no hope."
Orochimaru licked his lips. "Enhanced at the cellular level, you say?"
Tsunade's expression darkened as she caught sight of Orochimaru's demeanor. A realization struck her immediately. "Orochimaru, don't tell me you're still conducting that research?"
Her face showed clear disgust. After all, it involved her grandfather, who was constantly being used as an experimental subject. How could she not take it personally?
Orochimaru, however, remained unfazed by her disdain. "Tsunade, I'm merely pursuing the truth."
"And besides, I'm on the verge of success!"
"Hmph!" Tsunade let out a cold snort but found herself powerless to stop him.
She understood all too well the allure her grandfather's power held for the world. Even back in Konoha, her teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't resist dabbling in this forbidden area.
And Hiruzen was someone who had truly inherited the Senju clan's legacy. In a way, he was family.
"Now that my job is done, I'll be leaving."
"By the way, the consultation fee is thirty million." Tsunade didn't hesitate to name an exorbitant sum, shamelessly setting aside her pride when it came to money.
At Orochimaru's signal, one of his subordinates brought over a chest. Tsunade eagerly accepted it and opened it without delay.
"Orochimaru, what's the meaning of this?"
Inside the chest wasn't just thirty million—it was fifty million.
"Who knows?" Orochimaru's voice echoed from the depths of the cave as his figure gradually disappeared from sight.
"Hey, kid, what are you looking at?!" Tsunade snapped at Deidara, her face involuntarily flushing red.
Damn it! I really want to kill this brat!
After Tsunade and Shizune left, Kisame spoke up. "It seems that Itachi-san might also have Kekkei Disease."
"But even the greatest medical ninja in the ninja world, Tsunade, couldn't cure it!"
Blame Itachi's thoughtless father, Fugaku Uchiha!
Sending a three-year-old Itachi to the battlefield not only left him with lifelong psychological trauma but also forced him to awaken the Sharingan prematurely. Later, the Mangekyō Sharingan further strained his body, which couldn't handle such immense power, leading to Kekkei Disease.
Even Madara and Sasuke, who were practically the Sage of Six Paths' chosen sons, awakened their Mangekyō Sharingan later than Itachi!
Similar cases included Kimimaro before them and Yakumo Kurama from Konoha, both of whom suffered from physical issues due to awakening their Kekkei Genkai too early.
"Kisame, don't worry," Deidara reassured him.
"Orochimaru's research on Hashirama's cells is progressing well. You saw his confident expression just now."
"Once the research succeeds, we can transplant some of Hashirama's cells into Itachi. That will naturally cure his Kekkei Disease."
But isn't there a bit of a queue for Hashirama's cells? At this rate, Wood Release might as well become a commodity!
The two walked out of the underground cave in the Sound Village, preparing to return to the Hidden Rain Village or head elsewhere. Just then, Deidara's ring buzzed with a long-awaited communication from Nagato.
"Leader, what's the matter?" Deidara asked, puzzled.
"Deidara, Kakuzu and Hidan have been captured by Iwagakure!" Nagato's voice carried a hint of gravity.
What?!
Kakuzu and Hidan weren't exactly weak. Unless that old man Onoki came in person or deployed a large ninja force, how could they possibly be captured?
"I don't know the exact details, but Onoki sent a letter demanding that you personally come to Iwagakure."
"Otherwise, he'll execute Kakuzu and Hidan," Nagato explained, clearly irritated. If it weren't for the hostages, his usual temper would have led him to storm Iwagakure with brute force.
"What do you think?" Kisame asked. He had also received the same message.
"Let's head to Iwagakure. What a hassle," Deidara sighed.
If it had been any other village, this would've been a tricky situation. But since it was Iwagakure, things were much simpler. After all, he was the top candidate for the Fourth Tsuchikage. The real challenge was figuring out how to convince that stubborn old man, Onoki.
The two made their way to Iwagakure, taking over a day to reach it. As the village came into view, Deidara's sharp eyes spotted Onoki waiting outside the village with a group of people. Clearly, they were here to intercept him, and their aggressive posture suggested they weren't planning on a peaceful negotiation.
If Onoki had intended to talk things out, he wouldn't have chosen a location outside the village. It seemed more likely that he planned to capture Deidara by force.
Deidara turned to Kisame. "Kisame, it looks like we'll have to split up. One of us needs to deal with this group, while the other sneaks into Iwagakure to rescue Kakuzu and Hidan."
"I'll handle them," Kisame said with an excited shark-like grin.
"I'm not really interested in infiltration missions anyway."
"Besides, you're more familiar with Iwagakure."
Deidara nodded and created a Clay Clone. His real body concealed itself and began sneaking into the village.
"Kisame, be careful during this fight. If that old man's Dust Release hits you, you'll die instantly," Deidara's Clay Clone warned as it relayed information to Kisame.
"The famous Dust Release," Kisame mused. "Even though Kirigakure hasn't directly clashed with Iwagakure, I've heard of it."
"They say it can disintegrate enemies down to the atomic level. If you get hit, you're dead, no matter who you are."
"But don't worry. I'm the type who grows stronger when facing tougher opponents. Look, even Samehada is getting excited."
On Kisame's back, Samehada trembled and emitted a series of clicking sounds.
That's exactly why I'm worried! Deidara thought to himself.
"See those two over there?" Deidara pointed out.
"One is Onoki's son, Kitsuchi, and the other is my senior, Akatsuchi."
"They're both skilled Earth Release users, and Earth Release happens to counter your Water Release. So you really need to be careful."
Deidara continued to provide information.
His senior, Akatsuchi, might only be at a pseudo-Kage level, but Kitsuchi was undeniably Kage-level. His performance during the Fourth Great Ninja War proved that his Earth Release techniques were formidable.
Moreover, Deidara knew his former teacher, Onoki, all too well. The old man was cunning and ruthless. He would use any means necessary to achieve his goals, so if a fight broke out, it would undoubtedly involve overwhelming numbers and tactics.
"Don't worry. Besides Water Release, I'm also skilled in kenjutsu. And I have Samehada!" Kisame remained confident.
Deidara rubbed his forehead. "Alright, I have just one request."
"What's that?" Kisame asked.
"Don't take off your clothes."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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