As soon as Mizuki finished speaking, an older man stood up. With one hand gently resting on Hayate Gekko's forehead, he bore a scar across his face and wore a golden ponytail—none other than Ino Yamanaka's father, Inoichi Yamanaka.
"How is he?" the Third asked.
"Not good," Inoichi shook his head. "His body has suffered major trauma and has entered a protective state. If we forcefully extract intel, it would be like violent intrusion into his mind, causing irreparable damage to his brain. Given his current condition, it'd likely result in death."
The situation was clear—if they wanted more intelligence, Hayate Gekko's last hope of survival would have to be sacrificed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath.
"The last time I faced such a choice... Hizashi Hyuga chose self-sacrifice."
Looking around at the expectant eyes waiting for his decision, the Third Hokage said solemnly, "Do your best to save him, Mizuki, sir."
"Of course, sir!" Mizuki quickly responded upon hearing his name called.
"You're most familiar with the properties of the life-saving pills you developed. Work with the emergency team—whatever you need, just tell the hospital."
"Yes, understood."
In the end, the Third chose to preserve Hayate Gekko's life. Sacrificing a compatriot for vague intel of uncertain value went against everything he believed in.
After making the decision, Hiruzen turned to the Anbu beside him and ordered, "Immediately summon all Jonin and Tokubetsu Jonin in the village to my office for an emergency meeting."
Even without crucial intel, the worsening situation in the village was undeniable. As the dominant power in the ninja world with the largest share of resources, if Konoha lost its deterrent effect against rivals, it risked being attacked from all sides. Having held the title of Hokage for decades, Hiruzen fully understood the severity of the situation—he had to prepare countermeasures.
As the Third Hokage departed, Mizuki officially took over as temporary Medical Ninja.
Hayate Gekko's condition was indeed tricky—his body was barely holding on, but using Medical Ninjutsu too aggressively would result in excessive chakra overuse, further depleting what little chakra he has left.
"Reduce the frequency of Medical Ninjutsu usage. Only intervene when his condition worsens drastically. Keep up the nutrient supplements," Mizuki advised the attending medics.
"But if we stop treatment, the patient won't last!"
"Listen to me—he still has a chance now. If you keep pushing like this, he won't make it until sunset," Mizuki insisted. "Focus only on keeping the vital organs functioning. Don't waste effort on limbs or non-critical injuries. I'll take responsibility for any consequences."
After a brief hesitation, his orders were carried out properly.
Though only a half-competent medic—his skills in Medical Ninjutsu barely passable and his grasp of human anatomy tenuous at best—Mizuki could still offer some useful suggestions. From here on, standard procedures would suffice.
"If only Princess Tsunade were here," muttered one of the attending medical ninjas.
"Don't stop the CPR. Keep his body temperature stable," Mizuki instructed. "Tsunade is certainly capable, but you all must also do your part. We can't rely on just one person for all the medical work."
The departure of the Sannin had indeed dealt a heavy blow to Konoha. Their once-advanced medical capabilities had greatly deteriorated. Even the Mystical Palm Technique, a standard Medical Ninjutsu, had become a rare skill. It was surprising how few people in the entire hospital could perform it.
Mizuki didn't leave the hospital until late at night. As he walked down the empty streets, he felt countless eyes lingering on him.
["Security has definitely increased,"] he thought.
In the distance, he noticed the light in the Hokage Office was still on. After some consideration, Mizuki headed toward it.
Standing before the Hokage Office, Mizuki knocked lightly on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Mizuki here to report."
"Come in."
As he entered, Mizuki was surprised to find Danzo already there.
"It's so late. What's going on?" he asked.
"It's about Hayate Gekko," Mizuki replied. "He has been effectively stabilized for now and is out of immediate danger, but his severe chakra depletion is beyond my ability to treat. In fact, this goes beyond even what medical ninjutsu can solve."
Upon hearing that, Danzo turned to the Third and said, "I've been saying this all along. We should have seized the intelligence early so we'd have time to prepare. If you're unwilling to take action, then let me do it."
The Third didn't respond. Instead, he ordered Mizuki, "You may go now. Don't spread today's news."
"I understand." Mizuki wasn't foolish enough to go around spreading such life-threatening information.
Dragging his exhausted body home, Mizuki was surprised to see his fiancée Tsubaki still waiting for him.
"Why are you still up? It's already so late," Mizuki felt slightly guilty. He wished he had come home earlier knowing someone was waiting for him.
"That's fine. I'm just relieved to see you back."
"It's not like I was injured—I just went to help out. What trouble could I get into?" Mizuki joked with a smile.
"Hmm," Tsubaki replied with concern. "Is another war about to start? Lately, the atmosphere has felt ominous."
Recently, large numbers of ninjas from the village had been deployed everywhere. Everyone worked under extreme pressure. Frequent reports of seriously injured ninjas kept reminding everyone—war was near.
For this generation who had lived through the previous Great Ninja World War as children, that painful past had long been buried, never to be mentioned again. Particularly for orphans like Mizuki, the hatred of war ran deep in their bones.
Feeling her unease, Mizuki pulled Tsubaki into his arms and comforted her: "It'll be okay. I'll protect you."
By not denying her question, he knew she would understand his meaning. Mizuki wouldn't openly express such thoughts outside, but at home, letting Tsubaki know a little ahead of time and preparing early was better, to avoid harm during the ambush expected within a month.
The next morning, Mizuki fought off his drowsiness and got up early. Sakura Haruno was already waiting for him. He could be lazy by nature, but he couldn't let that ruin someone else's dream.
Groggy-eyed, Mizuki opened the door, only to find someone already standing there.
"It's you? What's up?" Surprisingly, it was Yugao Uzuki at the door.
"I came to thank you," Yugao bowed slightly. "Last time during the mission, Gekko was under your care, and this time I owe my life entirely to you."
Thanks, but back in the Land of Waves, that was just what the mission required—it wasn't really a favor. Whether we'll make it out alive this time is still up in the air. The upcoming confrontation with Danzo wouldn't be easy. Even if the Third didn't approve, Danzo might still take matters into his own hands. If consciousness wasn't regained soon, things could become truly dangerous.
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