"What a shame."
Kin lay with his head resting on his arm inside the tattered tent.
The force of Tsunade's punch hadn't been enough to harm him, and she hadn't truly intended to hurt him in the first place.
It was just a pity he couldn't get a date with Tsunade.
Namikaze Minato had his childhood sweetheart, but Kin had nothing yet.
"Could you please get out!?" A voice brimming with suppressed anger rang out beside him.
Kin turned to see a drenched woman with long black hair and markings on her face, wrapped tightly in a towel, glaring at him furiously.
"Oh!? Long black hair."
Kin's eyes lit up. Though her figure didn't seem particularly impressive, she still fit his aesthetic.
"Hey there, wanna go out?"
The frivolous remark ignited the woman's rage.
"Demon Fang! Bite him!!"
A large black dog suddenly lunged at him.
"Woof!"
"The Inuzuka Clan, huh."
Kin slammed his hands on the ground, using the recoil to spring to his feet. Seeing the charging black dog, he hurriedly explained,
"This is a misunderstanding."
To his surprise, this only made the woman angrier.
"Kill him!!"
With no other choice, Kin vanished in an instant using Shunpo.
Shunpo was excellent for movement, though its difficulty made it less ideal for combat. But in this situation, it was perfect.
Once Kin was gone, the woman reluctantly called Demon Fang to a halt.
"What an undeserved disaster."
Kin returned to his earlier spot. Standing nearby, Hatake Sakumo glanced at him but said nothing.
Nara Shikaku and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Kin watched as Tsunade rapidly treated the injured.
"So fast?"
He was surprised by her speed in mastering the technique. Even with his "Golden Finger," it had taken him an hour to learn it.
"Wait." Kin suddenly narrowed his eyes.
This drew a concerned look from Hatake Sakumo.
"What's wrong?"
Kin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he noticed Tsunade's hands were turning dark.
"Tsunade-sama is pushing herself too hard."
"What do you mean?"
Hatake Sakumo frowned, disliking the cryptic tone.
Kin explained,
"The Thousand Spider Poison Hand counters most poisons, but it's extremely difficult to master. Tsunade-sama hasn't fully mastered it yet."
"What will happen?" Sakumo asked urgently.
Kin pondered for a moment.
"Tsunade-sama is enduring the full pain of the toxins. Right now, she's experiencing every bit of suffering these poisoned individuals are going through."
He admitted to himself that he couldn't make such a selfless sacrifice, but he admired those who could. After all, who wouldn't want friends willing to give their all for others?
"Tsunade-sama is being too hasty."
Based on her current progress, she could have mastered it with half a day's effort.
Hatake Sakumo's expression darkened. He hadn't realized the extent of Tsunade's sacrifice.
He glanced at Kin, sensing the detachment in his heart.
This wasn't about being an Uchiha—it was just who Kin was.
After a moment of silence, Sakumo opened his eyes and asked,
"What if she continues?"
Kin calculated.
"The poison will deepen, potentially affecting her body. By the time she finishes healing everyone, she'll lose the ability to fight."
"Will her life be in danger?"
Kin gave Sakumo a strange look.
"Sakumo-sama, don't you know Basic Internal Energy can expel toxins? The Thousand Spider Poison Hand can also detoxify. Tsunade-sama will just be in discomfort for a while."
For a shinobi, such discomfort was hardly a major issue.
Hatake Sakumo sighed in relief. He did know about Basic Internal Energy's detoxifying effects.
The two of them watched as Tsunade treated the injured one by one.
As the toxins left the shinobi's bodies, their eyes closed, and with soft breaths, they fell into a deep sleep.
After days of enduring the poison, they had reached their limits. The moment their bodies relaxed, they succumbed to exhaustion.
"Shinobi don't snore," Kin mused, rubbing his chin as his thoughts wandered.
It was a trained habit. Snoring during a mission could be deadly.
Meanwhile, Tsunade endured the pain coursing through her body. She felt every ounce of suffering the poisoned shinobi had experienced.
Yet, the agony didn't hinder her treatment.
Placing her hands on a patient, the water-natured chakra in her palm formed a vortex, steadily drawing out the toxins.
This method only worked for this specific poison.
Because the Thousand Spider Poison Hand's seal was incomplete, scattered toxins seeped into her hands, spreading through her body. However, her modified Basic Internal Energy suppressed them, preventing her from losing mobility.
She then used Mystical Palm Technique to heal.
Another treatment completed.
The sky shifted from clear blue to dusk, then to night. Torches were lit, and by midnight, Tsunade had treated the last patient.
She exhaled deeply, but as she stood, a wave of dizziness hit her.
She collapsed to the ground.
"Tsunade!"
"Tsunade-sama!"
"Tsunade-senpai!"
People rushed to her side.
Gritting her teeth, Tsunade said to Hatake Sakumo, "The antidote... I'll make it tomorrow."
Then, she lost consciousness.
Uchiha Kin had already vanished.
Hatake Sakumo looked at the sleeping patients on the stretchers, then down at Tsunade as she was carried away.
"Thank you, Tsunade," he murmured.
A bespectacled kunoichi appeared like a ghost at Sakumo's side.
"White Fang-sama, now that the poison is dealt with, once Tsunade develops the antidote, we can counterattack."
Sakumo's gaze sharpened, his aura radiating intensity.
The kunoichi felt as if a blade had grazed her eyes, forcing her to shut them.
Sakumo-sama is growing stronger.
"No need to wait for Tsunade. I'll lead a small squad to counterattack now."
Her eyes flew open in disbelief.
"Sakumo-sama, that's suicide!"
A small squad against the entire Sand Village? Even the Third Hokage couldn't pull that off.
"I am the commander here. You need only follow orders."
Sakumo's calm stare made the kunoichi feel a blade pressing against her neck.
"Who will you take?"
She didn't dare argue, though she was certain Sakumo was marching to his death.
Without hesitation, Sakumo stated his requirements.
"A perceptive shinobi with strong survival skills and—"
"Uchiha Kin."
...
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(End of Chapter)