Chapter 8: Konoha Hospital
Orochimaru jolted awake from the dream, his body tensing instantly.
His cold, calculating eyes—sharp as kunai blades—radiated extreme vigilance and chilling intent as he rapidly surveyed his surroundings.
The research lab was empty. The air hung thick with the familiar scent of disinfectant, and the sky beyond the windows remained dark.
"I'm back already?"
Orochimaru leaned back in his chair, glancing at the clock mounted on the wall.
Only about ten minutes had passed since he'd fallen asleep.
But within that dream, it had felt like at least half an hour. Clearly, that mysterious Cathedral of Bones operated on a different temporal flow than the material world.
Orochimaru rubbed his temples hard, a flicker of genuine fear and hatred crossing his normally impassive face.
"Orochimaru, be wary of the Third Hokage and Danzo."
That had been the first fragment of destiny "Adam" revealed to him before he'd departed the dream.
Being cautious of Danzo made perfect sense to Orochimaru.
As their collaboration on forbidden research had deepened, they'd touched upon numerous projects explicitly banned by Konoha's leadership. Although they theoretically kept each other in check, there was no guarantee that something wouldn't go catastrophically wrong in the future.
And though Orochimaru desperately wanted to dismiss the prophecy as elaborate deception, Sakumo's example was still fresh—undeniable proof that the warnings might be genuine.
He had to exercise caution, no matter what.
While contemplating this, Orochimaru reopened his research scroll, deleted the final paragraph, and replaced it with new text:
"Wood Release research shows significant promise. Still require approximately several dozen additional test subjects—preferably death row inmates from Konoha's prisons. Your devoted disciple, Orochimaru."
"Heh, fate..." Orochimaru sealed the scroll with a dark smile, crossing his arms. His pale purple eyes half-closed as strange emotions brewed within them. "Then let me wait and see what unfolds."
The black mist dissipated like a receding tide.
Uchiha Kazuki slowly opened his eyes, a splitting headache causing him to frown deeply.
In the corner of his room, the brass candleholder that had been burning steadily was now extinguished.
Wisps of white smoke rose from the wick, releasing a peculiar fragrance into the enclosed space.
"Maintaining a Sequence 3-level dream puts far too much strain on my spirituality," Kazuki muttered, gently massaging his temples with his fingers. Though it couldn't completely cure the problem, it at least slightly alleviated the symptoms. He let out a heavy sigh. "Even with the spiritual energy extracted from ten people, the dream only lasted ten minutes."
Hermes' Brass Candleholder was the core component of his dream construction abilities.
Crafted using the Beyonder characteristics of a Sequence 3 Dream Weaver, this Extraordinary item possessed some of that pathway's incredible abilities. It could weave whatever dream the holder desired and forcibly pull anyone within a one-kilometer radius into that shared dreamscape. The duration and power of the constructed dream were directly linked to the quality and quantity of spiritual energy burned within the candleholder.
Of course, like all Extraordinary items, it was a double-edged sword. Its negative effects were substantial.
First, maintaining the dream would rapidly deplete the holder's spirituality. If spirituality became excessively depleted, the holder would experience severe symptoms—loss of control, madness, or even death.
Second, after using Hermes' Brass Candleholder, there would be a mandatory 24-hour period of misfortune.
The "misfortune" in question wasn't bad luck in the conventional sense. Rather, within a one-kilometer radius of where the candleholder was used, everyone's subconscious would be affected, developing an inexplicable hostility toward the user.
Kazuki theorized it was likely a characteristic inherent to the Spectator pathway—the candleholder extensively overwrote and guided the subconscious minds of everyone in its area of effect.
In simpler terms: this candleholder actively wanted to kill its holder.
"Just like 0-08 from the original story," Kazuki thought grimly, carefully concealing the Hermes' Brass Candleholder in a secure location before preparing for sleep.
The night passed without incident.
As dawn broke, Kazuki naturally woke—a habit cultivated through years on the battlefield.
As a shinobi, one had to remain constantly vigilant of their surroundings, whether in combat or civilian life. Any moment of carelessness could lead to irreversible consequences.
After dressing properly in his standard attire, Kazuki left the Uchiha compound.
Along the way, people cast strange glances in his direction—looks subtly tinged with inexplicable hostility.
I hope today goes smoothly.
Knowing the situation, Kazuki could only pray silently that nothing catastrophic would happen during these 24 hours. He walked quickly toward Konoha Hospital, hoping to minimize his exposure to crowds.
"Good morning, Dr. Kazuki!"
"Morning, Dr. Kazuki~"
"Oh, Dr. Kazuki is here?"
Fortunately, Konoha Hospital was located far from the Uchiha compound—well outside the affected area covered by Hermes' Brass Candleholder's lingering influence.
Otherwise, he would have seriously had to consider canceling today's appointment.
After all, today's particular patient was quite a... violent individual.
In the hospital's top-floor private office, Kazuki composed himself and carefully pushed open the door.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, bathed in the rising sun like golden silk draped across her shoulders, was a woman whose beauty could stop hearts.
Her honey-blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail. She possessed a delicate face and a stunning figure that defied her nearly thirty years of age—her skin still as smooth and flawless as porcelain. Long eyelashes covered her currently closed eyes, trembling slightly. Her right hand propped up her oval face as her head bobbed up and down rhythmically.
She was dozing off while standing.
Very beautiful.
After seeing her in person, Kazuki finally understood why Tsunade Senju topped every popularity poll and dominated fan discussions across the shinobi world.
The legendary Slug Princess—one of the three Sannin—Tsunade Senju.
"Mmmmph—"
However, the picturesque scene shattered when Tsunade suddenly woke with a start.
She yawned widely, completely abandoning any pretense of elegance, then stretched vigorously—causing her already impressive chest to heave quite dramatically.
Don't look, don't look, don't look...
Kazuki silently chanted his mantra, keeping his eyes carefully averted, maintaining his composure despite the very obvious... distractions.
"Ah, kid, you're here." Tsunade raised her eyelids lazily, half-covering her mouth with one hand. She looked like she'd gotten maybe two hours of sleep. "Sorry, got caught up gambling last night. Went a bit late."
Kazuki suppressed his overwhelming urge to comment on her life choices and spoke calmly. "Lady Tsunade, if today is inconvenient, I can reschedule for tomorrow."
Tsunade Senju was, to a significant extent, one of his most important clients.
Why "to a significant extent"?
The reason was simple: this woman didn't always pay him.
Sometimes she'd win big at gambling and pay triple. Other times she'd lose everything and offer him an IOU instead.
"Oh, no need for that!" Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, grinning. "Let's do it today. I actually made a fortune last night!"
Tsunade? Made a fortune?
Upon hearing this statement, Kazuki's brow twitched violently.
Good heavens.
According to the ironclad laws of the Naruto universe, whenever Tsunade experienced good luck at gambling, it meant someone close to her was about to suffer catastrophically.
It was the universe's way of maintaining balance.
"Understood, Lady Tsunade." However, Kazuki kept these thoughts firmly locked away. He certainly wasn't going to say them out loud.
There was one very simple reason for this discretion: fear of being beaten to death.
"Thanks for doing this, kid."
A touch of genuine tenderness appeared in Tsunade's amber eyes as she straightened up in her chair, her expression softening. "If it weren't for your help, I'd probably still be trapped in the shadows of the past. Unable to move forward."
"It's my honor to help you, Lady Tsunade."
Kazuki wore a gentle, warm smile as his dark eyes slowly transformed, bleeding into crimson. Three tomoe appeared in each eye, spinning slowly. "Are you ready? The treatment is about to begin. Please relax and clear your mind."
"Yes. I'm ready."
Deep within Tsunade's brown eyes, a trace of bittersweet reminiscence appeared. Her breathing slowed as her mind gradually emptied of conscious thought.
"Genjutsu: Wish Fulfillment!"
Kazuki formed the hand seals with practiced precision, his Sharingan spinning rapidly.
However, beneath this theatrical display, he secretly mobilized his mental abilities—his true power. A glint of light flashed in his eyes.
Hypnosis.
Under his spirit vision, he could clearly observe Tsunade's mental body—watching as the gates to her subconscious mind opened wide, completely defenseless.
Perfect. Let me test just how effective Sequence 6 psychological suggestion really is.
Kazuki silently apologized to his patient as his consciousness dove deep into Tsunade's mental ocean, carefully implanting a subtle psychological suggestion within her subconscious.
Nothing harmful—just a small adjustment to help her healing process along.
After all, a doctor should always do what's best for their patient.
Even if the patient doesn't know what's best for them yet.
Author's Note: Tsunade's being treated—but is Kazuki helping or manipulating? The line gets blurrier... Thanks for reading!
[End of Chapter 8]
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