"Since I was coming to find you, I naturally had to investigate you first," Shigure said calmly, his tone steady, as though completely unaware that Tsunade was moments away from attacking.
But Tsunade could sense something—there was no hostility coming from him. His posture was relaxed, his chakra steady. This boy wasn't here to fight.
"This isn't something that can be uncovered through simple investigation," she said, her golden eyes narrowing. "How exactly did you find out?"
Her hemophobia was a deeply guarded secret. No one outside of Shizune should've known—certainly not some kid from the Hidden Mist.
"You don't need to worry about that," Shigure replied evenly.
Things were getting complicated.
Shigure frowned slightly, lost in thought.
'Great Sage, do you have a way to remove Tsunade's hemophobia?'
[Great Sage: No. This is a psychological barrier. I cannot erase what lies within the human heart.]
So, the Great Sage couldn't help him here.
'Then can you analyze Tsunade so I can acquire her medical skills?'
[Great Sage: Analyzing Tsunade will allow you to copy her combat abilities. Medical skill, however, is not merely medical ninjutsu—it is knowledge and experience, something that cannot be transferred through analysis.]
"...I see."
Medical ninjutsu could be learned, but true medical expertise—the years of experience, instinct, and understanding—couldn't be replicated.
Shigure exhaled, frustration flickering behind his calm demeanor. Then what should I do about Ringo?
Was she truly beyond saving?
If Tsunade's fear couldn't be cured, the only one capable of breaking that psychological chain was Naruto himself. But unlike the original timeline, Orochimaru's hands were fine this time. Would he still seek Tsunade's help?
If he didn't, then Naruto might never be the one to inspire her again.
The thought gave Shigure a headache. "This is troublesome…"
Tsunade's voice snapped him back to the present. "If you won't tell me, I won't help you treat that girl!"
Without waiting for a response, Tsunade called to Shizune and turned to leave.
"Let's go, Shizune."
The two disappeared down the hallway, leaving Shigure standing there, watching their backs.
For a long moment, he didn't move.
Should I try to resolve Tsunade's trauma myself?
No. That wasn't something that could be forced. Healing the heart was harder than mastering any jutsu.
When he returned to the room, Ringo was struggling to sit up, her face pale but smiling faintly.
"Thank you, Lord Shigure," she said softly.
"Even if it's impossible, I'm still grateful for everything you've done for me."
Shigure froze. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
He had saved Ringo originally out of practicality—to rebuild the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, to make use of her potential. Yet hearing her speak with such genuine gratitude stirred something unfamiliar inside him.
He looked at her quietly. "Don't thank me. I did it for the village."
Ringo shook her head, smiling weakly. "Even so, I'm still moved. I never thought that, in your eyes, I'd be worth so much money."
Shigure blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Her smile widened, her eyes glimmering faintly with tears. "I heard everything earlier. You offered two hundred million to have me treated… Someone like me—who's already dying—being worth that much to you… It makes me really happy."
Shigure fell silent, completely caught off guard.
That's… moving?
He had offered the money as a matter of pragmatism. To him, it was a simple transaction—value for life. But somehow, she'd taken it as proof that her existence mattered.
He sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Using money to measure a person… shouldn't that make them resent me?
Yet, as he looked at Ringo's faint but peaceful smile, he realized—sometimes, even misplaced hope could keep someone alive.
Why did Ringo look like she'd been taken down by her own hand?
Shigure understood Ringo better than most. It wasn't the money that mattered — it was that Shigure was willing to spend it, that he wanted to give. Being needed, being cared for — that was what made Ringo glow. Thinking of that, Shigure let out a quiet sigh. Ringo had been lucky to meet Lord Shigure.
"You should rest," Shigure said. "Tsunade can save you — there are some complications, but it's possible."
"I'll find a way." Tsunade's jaw was tight with worry, but Shigure kept talking. Even if Tsunade couldn't solve everything right now, circumstances might change; if something shifted and Tsunade's heart softened, she could treat Ringo later. Shigure needed to make sure that option existed.
He hurried downstairs and intercepted Tsunade as she was leaving the village.
"Kid, what are you doing?" Tsunade's face was austere.
Shigure didn't hesitate. "I'll give you a deposit. You can't do it now, but if someday you can — and Ringo's still alive — you must treat her."
He tossed a heavy pouch into Shizune's hands. The weight of the coins made her blink. Two hundred thousand — an almost obscene sum for someone so young.
Shizune wondered: would the boy hand over money just to make them vanish? But Tsunade listened. She felt the sincerity in Shigure's voice. He was a Kirigakure shinobi, yes, but Tsunade was a medical ninja first. Could she turn away from that earnest plea?
Before she could answer, a fierce tearing sound cut the air.
A roar, then a forceful shout:
"Rasengan!"
A ball of spiraling chakra struck Shigure's shoulder. He was flung like a ragdoll, tumbling ten meters before landing and rolling to a stop.
Tsunade's eyes sharpened. The technique — the shape of the chakra — it was the Fourth Hokage's jutsu.
A boy stood where Shigure had been. Slightly shorter than him, blond hair tousled in a familiar way. Naruto's forehead protector marked him as a Konohagakure genin.
"Shigure! Come back to the Village with me!" Naruto's voice was fierce and unyielding.
Shigure touched his shoulder, then looked up at Naruto with an incredulous smile. How had the boy found him? He had concealed his aura tightly.
The Great Sage thought: there's a form of telepathy among the Tailed Beasts — they can sense each other and sometimes zero in on a location.
So the Nine-Tails inside Naruto had led him here.
Escape was impossible.
Tsunade's brow furrowed. Naruto wore Konoha's protector, while Shigure bore the markings of Kirigakure. Why would a Konoha genin strike to seize a Mist shinobi? Had Shigure done something in Konoha?
"Kid — are you a Konoha ninja?" Tsunade demanded.
Naruto only glanced at her, then fixed his gaze on Shigure. "Are you coming back with me?"
His tone ignored Tsunade; he answered to something else — duty, or the pull of the Nine-Tails within him. Shizune bristled at his insolence toward Tsunade, but before she could scold him, Shigure cut in.
"No."
Naruto's expression hardened. "Then step outside the town. If you don't come willingly, I'll knock you out and drag you back."
Tsunade and Shizune exchanged stunned looks. This wasn't a simple arrest or an attack between strangers — there was a history here, or at least a strange familiarity that made their faces unreadable.
Friends? Rivals? Or something more tangled?
Outside the tense quiet, Shigure watched everything with a sinking feeling. Whatever bonds pulled at these two boys — Shigure and Naruto — would not make this night simple.
And somewhere beneath the clash, Ringo's fate still hung, fragile as a breath.
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)