In the blurry, shaking picture on the television, one can see that the wound on Tsunade's chest is right at the position of the heart, and fresh blood is continuously flowing out, clearly having received a fatal injury.
Kakashi's lips went dry.
Could it be that this time will also end in failure, could it be that the Third Hokage, in the end, still cannot put down the burden, to enjoy even a moment of peace in his later years?
"Wait."
Ryosuke pointed at Tsunade's shoulder.
A palm-sized slug was lying there, continuously transferring life energy into Tsunade's body with each breath, the wound was healing quickly.
"It's Lady Tsunade's ninja beast, Katsuyu!"
Kakashi let out a breath of relief.
Tsunade was already famous for medical ninjutsu, and with the assistance of Katsuyu Healing, no matter who the enemy was, as long as they could not kill her in one strike, with Tsunade's methods she could recover in an extremely short time.
But before Kakashi's suspended heart could be put down, he discovered that the just-healed wound had strangely torn open again.
"This… what is going on?"
Kakashi turned his head toward Ryosuke, "You pressed replay?"
Ryosuke shook his head, the Hermit Purple certainly did not have the function of recording or replaying.
This was the scene happening in real time, Tsunade's injury was continuously experiencing the process of healing, tearing again, then healing again, then tearing again, circulating repeatedly.
"It seems to be some kind of 'curse.'"
Ryosuke pointed at the image in the television and said, "It's simply like the 'Tsunade has a wound on her chest' matter has been fixed in place. No matter what method she uses for treatment, it will always return to the result of 'being injured.'"
After hearing this, Kakashi's heart was shocked, "Does this kind of ability really exist?"
Ryosuke slightly shook his head.
From the first day he came to the Naruto world, Ryosuke had been fighting with ninjas, and had obtained a general understanding of the ninjutsu of this world.
The combat style of the Naruto world leans more toward "direct power," all kinds of ninjutsu and taijutsu, and even genjutsu, are all for controlling the opponent or killing the opponent.
But Tsunade's injury being fixed in place was more like a Stand user's rules-based ability.
"Only by taking a look can we know."
Ryosuke looked at the television screen, searching for clues from it, and very quickly they discovered a lead.
Hot spring inns.
Everywhere there were hot spring inns.
"Land of Hot Water."
Kakashi reacted, "Only the Land of Hot Water has so many hot spring inns, and also, look at the mountains and forests in the background, the beautiful scenery matches the standards of the Land of Hot Water."
"Then let's set off."
Ryosuke patted his butt and stood up, "I'll go pack my luggage."
"Set off?"
Kakashi froze, "Not waiting for the Third Hokage's reply, to confirm whether he agrees to your reward?"
Ryosuke lifted his chin toward the struggling Tsunade in the television, "In this situation, can we still wait?"
If it were someone else coming to ask Ryosuke for help, then forget it, but Kakashi and Ryosuke still had some friendship, even without mentioning a reward, if invited as a favor, Ryosuke would make a move.
"Moreover, "
He looked toward the moonlight outside the window.
"That little old man will agree."
———
"I agree."
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up a pen and signed the document handed over by the Anbu ninja.
The Anbu ninja bowed and withdrew.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting within the Hidden Leaf Village, in a patch of forest, in front of him was a burning campfire.
Under the light of the fire and shadow, the wrinkles on his face appeared as deep as if carved by a knife.
Through the gaps in the branches, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the moonlight above his head, and lightly sighed, when at that moment, a slightly charred small roasted fish was handed over.
"Grandpa Hokage, what are you thinking about, the fish is burned."
Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head, saw the roasted fish handed in front of him, and saw Naruto in front of him, a smile appearing on his tense face.
"Thank you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said, "I was just thinking, I really am old."
He took the roasted fish, took a bite, and felt it was a bit bland.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi knew, the fish was not actually bland, it was that he had grown too old, his sense of taste had become quite numb, so that he would feel everything was bland.
Naruto tilted his head and said, "Grandpa Hokage, weren't you originally an old man?"
"Yes, I was originally an old man."
He spread open his palm, "But in the past, I felt I could still fight, felt that my mind was still clear enough."
"Then… Grandpa Hokage, now you can't fight? Or your brain is muddled?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and said, "I can still fight, my mind is still fairly clear, but here, "
He pointed to his own chest.
"Has become weaker than in the past."
"Naruto, every person in this world is different, we observe others, project our hearts into others, and thus, in the process of communicating with one different person after another, take others as mirrors, to clearly see ourselves."
"In the past, I would not be influenced by observation, a mirror was just a mirror. But I don't know from when, I could no longer distinguish between the mirror and myself, unable to make correct judgments."
"This is what it means to be old."
Hiruzen Sarutobi reached out, patted Naruto's head, "Do you understand?"
Naruto decisively shook his head.
Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed loudly, "It's good if you don't understand, when you understand, you will also be old, I hope that day can come later, the later the better."
Naruto blankly looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, not understanding why Grandpa Hokage was like this today, today Hiruzen Sarutobi had spoken more than on any day in the past.
"Naruto."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Tomorrow we set out, to go see the Hidden Mist Village, to help me see what the so-called 'Other Shore Realm' is like."
Naruto was stunned.
"I… am I not a demon fox? Many people say, I will be trapped in the village for my whole life, unable to go out."
Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of that night's heavy rain, thought of the slain Yagura, thought of the rumored giant stone sphere body condensed in the sky.
He did not explain much, only smiling and patting Naruto's head.
"The things that mattered in the past, no longer need to matter… go."
"Oh, oh!"
Upon hearing that he could go out to play, Naruto was naturally extremely happy, but after being happy, he turned his head and asked Hiruzen Sarutobi,
"And you, Grandpa Hokage? Not coming along to play?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up with effort and slowly, he looked at the Hokage hat in his hand, raised his hand and placed it on Naruto's head.
"I am old, I can't walk anymore. Someone like me, should stay in the darkness of the old era."
He took steps, walking under the shade of the trees, the moonlight blocked by the branches and leaves, the road ahead becoming darker.
Naruto blankly watched the back of Hiruzen Sarutobi walking into the darkness, he suddenly grabbed a burning piece of firewood from the ground, pat pat, running forward on his short legs.
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head in surprise, and was grabbed by Naruto's hand.
"If Grandpa Hokage can't walk, then I will take you along, after all, "
Naruto raised his little face.
"My dream is to become Hokage!"
The light of the torch illuminated the darkness ahead, casting the shadows of the two of them behind, perhaps because the torch was held in Naruto's hand.
His shadow, looked taller than Hiruzen Sarutobi's.
The next day.
Asuma, Guy, and Ebisu, the three led teams, in total a group of over thirty made up of ninjas, various civilians, and children, set out by carriage toward the Land of Water, Hidden Mist Village.
At the same time, Ryosuke and Kakashi set foot on the journey to the Land of Hot Water, to search for Tsunade.
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