"You should call me big sis now."
Kurenai, who had once been so small, had grown into an even more graceful young girl. Her hair was tied into a ponytail with a golden ribbon, making her look lively, youthful, and very cute.
She placed her hands on her hips, looked at Seiryū, and said with a proud little huff, "Don't forget, while you were trapped, I got older."
Seiryū fell silent.
How could anyone calculate it like that?
Naturally, there was no way he would call Kurenai "big sis." Seiryū waved a hand.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible. My body may not have changed much, but time still passed for me too."
"No, you owe me this."
Kurenai looked displeased. "And why can you call other people that, but not me? I'm clearly older than you now."
Since Seiryū looked younger than her, was it not perfectly normal for him to call her big sis?
She had finally found her chance.
She wanted to make Seiryū say it and fulfill one of her old dreams.
"Come on. Who was crying in my arms just now, and now you're already bargaining with me? What do you mean I owe you?"
Seiryū clicked his tongue.
Owe her?
Nonsense.
"I wasn't crying. That was... that was..."
Kurenai's face flushed red.
Remembering how she had acted just a moment ago, she still felt embarrassed.
But as stubborn as ever, she refused to admit it. She put on a serious expression and found an excuse.
"It was Genjutsu."
She nodded firmly and huffed. "That's right. It was Genjutsu. You were caught in my Genjutsu, so you saw it wrong."
"It was Genjutsu?"
Seiryū gasped and put on a shocked expression, though it was obviously fake.
"My Kurenai, whom I haven't seen in over two years, has actually become that skilled in Genjutsu?"
His tone became even more exaggerated.
"Even Madara might not be as good at Genjutsu as you. Amazing. Teach me. I want to learn."
Kurenai fell silent.
That sarcastic tone made her face flush even redder.
This time, from anger.
"You want to learn? Hmph. Then call me big sis."
"No, never mind. Just cast it again and let me see it. This time, I will definitely see through your Genjutsu."
"Forget it. It is impossible for you to break my Genjutsu."
"I can. Hurry up and cry again. No, I mean, hurry up and cast your Genjutsu again."
Kurenai fell silent again.
She really wanted to beat him up.
He had not changed at all.
He was still just as infuriating as before.
However, she was mature now. She would not stoop to the level of this brat.
Kurenai crossed her arms and huffed. "I won't argue with a child like you. People might think I'm immature. I have grown up."
Seiryū looked her up and down, then nodded. "Mm. You have grown up a bit."
Feeling his gaze sweep over her, Kurenai's face instantly turned bright red.
"Hey, where are you looking? Pervert!"
She was no longer an ignorant little girl. She could tell when someone was deliberately teasing her.
"Ahem."
Seiryū coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
"By the way, where is Uncle Shinku? Is he not home?"
When he found Kurenai, she had been practicing diligently in the backyard.
Her strength was also much greater than before.
She had clearly worked hard over the past two years.
However, he had not seen Shinku.
Kurenai's ponytail swayed as she said, "Father went out to handle some business. He won't be back until tonight."
Seiryū smiled. "Mm. Nothing happened at home, right?"
Kurenai's mood was excellent, and her face shone with a bright smile.
"Nothing. Everything is fine. Now that you're back, it's even better."
"Sorry for making all of you worry."
"Then call me big sis once, and I'll forgive you."
"In your dreams."
"Hmph."
Kurenai huffed, but she did not continue pushing the topic.
Instead, she chatted with Seiryū and told him about some of the changes that had happened during his absence.
Elsewhere, Seiryū's other clones had also gone to see Rin and Hina, letting them know he was safe and talking with them.
He treated everyone equally.
He had not forgotten anyone.
Rin and Hina were naturally overjoyed by Seiryū's return.
They had been deeply worried about him.
After not seeing him in over two years, they had countless things they wanted to say.
The fact that Seiryū had gone to them directly made them even happier.
As for the others, they naturally did not receive the same treatment.
Only Shinku, his foster father and future father-in-law, was informed through Bakudō #77: Tenteikūra. He was currently asking for leave so he could rush back to the Yūhi residence.
Jiraiya also learned the news immediately and hurried straight to the Hokage's office to see his disciple, whom he had not seen in over two years.
Seiryū's main body discussed many things with the others in the Hokage's office and gained a clearer understanding of the current situation.
He learned about Madara and Ryota.
He also learned how many Tailed Beasts Madara had captured so far.
That afternoon, Seiryū went to Konoha Hospital to visit Might Duy, with Kurenai following beside him.
Injuries that Tsunade could not heal might not necessarily be beyond Seiryū's ability.
So he planned to examine Duy's condition himself.
As the hero who had saved Konoha, Duy had been placed in a high-level ward and was receiving proper care.
Seiryū pushed open the door and entered with Kurenai.
Inside the ward, they saw Duy and his son, Guy.
Duy and Guy were both shocked and delighted by Seiryū's return.
They did not know where Seiryū had gone or what exactly he had done during this time. They only knew that he had run into serious trouble and had been unable to return to Konoha.
Now that they saw him return safely, they were naturally relieved.
They also noticed that Seiryū looked almost unchanged from more than two years ago, but both father and son were easygoing people, so neither of them asked about it.
"Hahaha! Surviving at all is already a blessing. If I can't be healed, then so be it. This too is youth!"
Duy's lower body could not move, and calling him paralyzed would not be an exaggeration. Even so, his spirit was as bright and passionate as ever.
Still burning with youth.
"As expected of you, Uncle Duy. Still as carefree as ever."
Seiryū gave him a thumbs-up and continued, "Let me take a look. My Medical Ninjutsu is a little special. It might have some effect."
Speaking of which, the reason Duy had been able to fight Madara after opening the Eight Gates was partly because his body had been better conditioned than before.
That had allowed him to display even greater power.
Perhaps he had not reached the same level as Guy in the original timeline, where Guy's strength came close to the Six Paths level, but he had still reached a height comparable to Hashirama and Madara at their peak.
From Tsunade, Seiryū had already learned about that battle.
Madara had almost been taken down.
Guy's voice was filled with excitement. If possible, he naturally did not want to see his father paralyzed in bed.
"I'm counting on you, Seiryū."
Seiryū waved a hand. "There's no need to be so formal with me."
Through the special perception of Vollständig: Heavenly Eye, Seiryū clearly saw Duy's physical condition.
The more he examined him, the more alarming it became.
Comminuted fractures in all four limbs.
Half of his body was nearly depleted.
His chakra pathways and blood vessels were badly damaged.
The fact that he had survived such injuries proved that his vitality was not weak.
It also showed one more thing.
Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu had grown even stronger.
Otherwise, saving Duy's life would have been impossible.
"Kaidō."
Seiryū formed a seal with one hand, and a pale green light fell over Duy, beginning to repair his injuries.
"This is..."
When the pale green light touched his body, Duy, who had barely felt anything for so long, suddenly felt a tingling sensation.
It was so comfortable that he almost cried out.
Fortunately, his willpower was tough, and he swallowed the sound.
Even so, his face flushed, his body trembled constantly, and his expression became extremely strange, as if he were desperately holding something back.
Anyone who did not know better might think he was constipated.
The corner of Seiryū's mouth twitched.
Kaidō's effect was as powerful as ever.
Except for Seiryū himself, everyone treated by it, regardless of gender, would show a strange expression.
Used properly, this could almost become a terrifying control technique.
However, if it was used on girls, the result was at least pleasant to look at.
On men, it was painful to watch.
Seiryū did not usually like using Kaidō on others. Its side effects were a little too awkward.
But this was Duy, an elder who had always treated him well.
Of course he had to try and see whether he could heal him.
Kaidō's healing effect was powerful.
Duy's injuries began to recover bit by bit, and his depleted body showed faint signs of vitality returning.
But Seiryū soon frowned.
He discovered that not only was the healing slow, but the rate of cellular division being forced was also far beyond normal.
As everyone knew, a person's cells could only divide a limited number of times.
That limit represented the boundary of a person's lifespan.
Kaidō healed injuries by accelerating cell division.
In other words, it healed wounds by consuming the patient's vitality and lifespan.
Seiryū had known this for a long time.
That was the principle behind Kaidō.
It did not use Seiryū's vitality. It used the vitality of the person being treated.
It was more like a version of Creation Rebirth that could be used on someone else.
On top of that, Duy's current physical condition was already terrible. Half of his body was close to exhaustion.
If Seiryū forcibly extracted his vitality to heal the injuries, Duy's lifespan might dry up entirely.
It was not that Kaidō's effect was weak.
Duy's body simply did not have enough vitality left to support the treatment.
Seiryū ended Kaidō and frowned.
"This is a little tricky."
Seeing Seiryū's expression, Duy smiled heroically.
"If it can't be done, then let it be. The fact that I survived is already good fortune."
Although Guy was a little disappointed, he still smiled.
"Father is right. Surviving after opening the Eight Gates is already a miracle."
"And now Father is the idol of Konoha's younger generation. Many people want to learn the Strong Fist style."
This, too, was youth.
It was also his father's choice.
Guy was not sad.
He was proud.
Now, many among the younger generation had changed how they viewed Taijutsu.
Taijutsu could also allow a person to stand at the peak of the shinobi world.
Seiryū thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry. It isn't impossible to heal him. I am quite confident I can treat Uncle Duy's injuries, but it will take some time."
Seiryū had several possible solutions.
First, transplant Hashirama cells into Duy. People who had lost half their bodies could recover through the use of Hashirama cells. If Duy received them, his injuries might heal on their own without Kaidō.
Second, also using Hashirama cells, he could research them further and extract their chakra and vitality to support Duy's treatment.
With enough vitality supplied from outside, Kaidō could continue healing him.
Third, Seiryū himself possessed Yang Power. Yang Power could even create life, so healing these injuries should be effortless once he mastered it properly.
Fourth, he could kill Duy first, summon him back with Impure World Reincarnation, and then dump the resurrection problem on Nagato.
Fifth...
In any case, Seiryū could think of quite a few methods.
However, most of them would take time. This could not be solved all at once.
"Hahaha! Even something that troubles Hokage-sama sounds simple when you say it."
Duy laughed, then gave Seiryū a thumbs-up.
"Since you are confident, then I will leave my injuries to you. I still want to become a Taijutsu instructor and spread the Strong Fist style."
As he said that, he suddenly paused.
He looked at his right hand, his voice filled with shock.
"My body can move?"
"My Medical Ninjutsu isn't weak either."
Seiryū smiled and warned him, "Although you can barely move now, you have only recovered a little. Don't make any intense movements."
Kaidō was indeed miraculous.
If someone was not injured, Kaidō would not consume vitality.
It would only produce that awkward side effect.
Otherwise, Seiryū would not have occasionally used the technique to ambush Tsunade and enjoy her embarrassed reaction.
Although he had not used Kaidō for long just now, it had still improved Duy's injuries.
At the very least, he no longer had to lie completely paralyzed in bed.
He could now barely sit up and offer a toast.
Duy was deeply impressed.
"Amazing. With you in Konoha, we no longer have to fear Madara's next invasion. You are far stronger than us."
Guy was also very happy.
"Thank you, Seiryū. I will burn my youth as well and protect Konoha!"
"Guy, you truly are my son. One day, you will become as strong as Seiryū."
"Father, I will. I will definitely surpass you and surpass Seiryū one day. I will not betray my youth."
"Guy!"
"Father!"
Perhaps because they were happy, or perhaps because their emotions had reached a peak, the father and son embraced each other and shouted passionately about youth.
The scene was, in its own way, very harmonious.
Seiryū fell silent.
Kurenai fell silent.
This father and son were still as youthful as ever.
After saying goodbye to them, Seiryū left the ward with Kurenai.
Walking beside him, Kurenai asked, "Where are we going next?"
Seiryū thought for a moment and said, "Let's go see Kushina. While we're there, I'll have a chat with the Nine-Tails inside her."
(To be continued.)