pertwk Page 188
Page 188
And so, Tsunade examined it carefully for a long time, so long that even Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but pace back and forth, his eyes showing anxiety.
Finally, Tsunade let out a long breath and slowly withdrew her hands.
The emerald light in her palm then went out, and the room returned to darkness.
Tsunade's expression was uncertain, as if she had not yet recovered from the shock of the examination she had just received.
After a long while, she looked at Itachi with a complicated expression and blurted out, "You're still not dead?"
After she said those words, Tsunade realized that they sounded rather impolite.
However, Itachi, upon hearing this, did not become angry; instead, he remained extremely calm and serious.
"I can't die yet..." He raised his head and looked directly at Tsunade, slowly saying, "I can't die now."
Itachi's voice wasn't loud, but it was strong and clear, each word conveying an unwavering determination.
Looking at Itachi's serious expression, Tsunade felt a slight stirring in her heart.
She paused for two seconds, then finally sighed softly, shook her head slowly, and said helplessly, "If there's anything else you want to do, hurry up and do it."
Tsunade was very confident that, with her medical skills and experience, if she was helpless against a disease, then no one else in the world could cure it.
Rather than giving unrealistic hope, it's better to prepare people psychologically.
In an instant, the air seemed to freeze.
Upon hearing this, Itachi swayed slightly, his bloodless lips pressed into a straight line.
He was mentally prepared.
However, when Itachi heard the verdict from Tsunade's mouth, he felt as if a huge boulder was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
Chapter 171 The Secret Technique to Defeating the Third Hokage
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned upon hearing this: "Is there really no way at all?"
He felt very regretful.
Itachi Uchiha possessed strength surpassing that of the vast majority of ninjas and was the inheritor of the Will of Fire, yet he was destined to die young due to illness...
This is undoubtedly a great loss for the village.
Tsunade sighed and shook her head slightly: "At most, I can only extend his lifespan."
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi gripped his pipe tighter, a look of regret appearing on his face.
Kakashi stood to the side, a helpless look appearing in his eyes.
Unexpectedly, Itachi on the other side suddenly breathed a sigh of relief after a brief silence: "That's enough, extending it is enough."
He had thought his life was about to end, but now he heard that Tsunade could buy him more time—
For Itachi, this is already good news.
Seeing this, Tsunade nodded and said solemnly, "Give me some time, I'll go and prepare the treatment methods."
After saying that, she did not hesitate any longer, got up and walked outside to prepare the scrolls and medicines needed for the treatment.
Inside the room, Itachi also stood up and bowed to Sarutobi and Kakashi, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Third Hokage and Kakashi-senpai. I should take my leave now."
Kakashi asked with concern, "Are you leaving now? What about the Akatsuki...?"
Itachi nodded slightly: "I used Shadow Clones to sneak away from my comrades this time when I returned to Konoha. The clones can't last long, so I must get back as soon as possible to avoid giving myself away."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, without trying to stop him.
Itachi said no more and turned to walk outside.
Just as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and turned back to look solemnly at the two people inside the room: "Kakashi-senpai, Third Hokage, my identity... is with Sasuke. Please keep it a secret for me."
"Keep it a secret?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, somewhat puzzled.
Kakashi immediately understood Itachi's meaning, his pupils shrinking slightly: "You mean..."
A bitter smile appeared on Itachi's lips, and a complex emotion flashed in his dark eyes: "This misunderstanding may not be a bad thing for him. Let him continue to misunderstand!"
Kakashi was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "...I understand. I will keep it a secret for you."
"Thank you, Kakashi-senpai."
Itachi's face showed a rare expression of genuine gratitude.
After saying that, he didn't linger any longer, pushed open the door, and left quickly.
Watching Itachi leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, somewhat puzzled, "What happened?"
Kakashi sighed softly, a flash of reminiscence crossing his eyes: "Because of that dream... Sasuke had some misunderstandings. He believed that the murderer who killed the Uchiha clan was someone impersonating Itachi."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded meaningfully and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "That's fine too."
Kakashi looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's slightly wistful expression and didn't say anything more.
Even without Itachi's request, he had no intention of clearing up the misunderstanding for Sasuke.
Since this misunderstanding, Sasuke has become much more clear-headed.
Compared to burdening Sasuke with twisted hatred, this misunderstanding is a good thing for him.
……
Itachi walked briskly through the corridors of the Sarutobi clan's mansion.
He only came to his senses after he walked out the door.
Perhaps it was because he heard his own ending with his own ears.
In a daze, I actually forgot that I was still wearing my original face!
Itachi quickly formed a hand seal for the Transformation Jutsu.
With a "poof," white smoke rose, and in the blink of an eye, he had transformed into an ordinary-looking middle-aged man with black hair.
After confirming that the disguise was complete, Itachi looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Luckily, I changed my clothes specifically for returning to Konoha this time, so I wasn't too conspicuous."
After transforming, Itachi dared not linger any longer and disappeared in a flash.
No sooner had he left than a figure emerged from the shadow of a large tree not far away.
Under the moonlight, one could see that the person was wearing a mask from the Konoha Anbu and had a slender build.
Although the mask covered her face, the exposed hair was a striking light gray.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing in the direction Itachi had left, and muttered to himself, "Uchiha Itachi... he actually came out of Hiruzen Sarutobi's house?"
Beneath the mask, the Pharmacist Kabuto's lips curled into a cold smile.
He was very aware of Orochimaru's obsession with the Uchiha clan.
These past two days, he had been secretly gathering intelligence on Orochimaru's orders, but to no avail. He never expected to stumble upon such a scene tonight.
……
Not long after, deep within the Konoha dungeon.
In the dark and cold cell, the chains clanged crisply, and a flickering oil lamp in the corner emitted a dim, yellowish light.
Orochimaru was bound hand and foot and locked in the center of the room.
His body was covered in new bruises and wounds, his long, black hair was disheveled, and his vertical pupils gleamed in the shadows.
I heard a soft sound of footsteps approaching from afar.
"Lord Orochimaru."
The newcomer called out in a low voice; it was none other than Yakushi Kabuto, dressed in ANBU attire.
"You've already gathered information about the dream so quickly?"
Orochimaru's hoarse voice, tinged with urgency, was squeezed out from his throat.
He stared intently at Dou, his golden eyes burning with excitement.
Kabuto shook his head slightly: "I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru. I've been secretly investigating these past two days, but it seems no one in the village knows about 'dreams,' and I haven't found any valuable clues."
"Hmph!" Orochimaru's face darkened, his eyes narrowing as he couldn't hide his disappointment and displeasure. "Then why did you come to see me?"
“However—” Kabuto calmly adjusted his glasses, “there is some information that I think you will be interested in.”
"Oh?" Orochimaru's expression shifted, signaling him to continue.
Kabuto took two steps closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Just now, I saw Itachi Uchiha walk out of Hiruzen Sarutobi's mansion with my own eyes."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's sinister eyes suddenly lit up: "What?! Uchiha Itachi? He's actually from Konoha?"
Orochimaru's face was filled with barely concealed excitement.
“Yes. And—” Kabuto pushed up his glasses and continued, “Before Itachi came out, I saw Kakashi Hatake hurriedly invite Tsunade to the Sarutobi residence as well.”
"Oh?" Orochimaru licked his dry lips, a meaningful smile on his face. "If it were just about delivering information, there would be no need for him to come back in person. The fact that he rushed to find Tsunade as soon as he returned... the situation is obvious: Itachi's health is in trouble! And it's a problem that only a medical ninja of Tsunade's caliber can handle."
"That's exactly right, that's also my guess." Dou nodded slightly, unable to hide his excitement, "That's why I rushed here to report to you!"
In the silent cell, Orochimaru suddenly chuckled, his eyes flashing with fanaticism and greed: "What a rare opportunity!"
A vague and ethereal dream, compared to the Uchiha bloodline limit he had long awaited.
Not to mention, this was Uchiha Itachi, whom he had been coveting for a long time...
Orochimaru didn't hesitate at all. He took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and felt every inch of chakra in his body cheering: "It seems it's time to leave this place!"
Before he could finish speaking, Orochimaru suddenly opened his mouth, and a snow-white shadow darted out with a "whoosh"—
It was a white snake as thick as a thumb!
The little snake slithered out of the cage, quickly coiled up along the outstretched arm, and slipped into his sleeve.
"Let's go! Let's go back to Otogakure first!"
Orochimaru's voice came from the small snake's mouth, revealing his barely concealed excitement and impatience.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied with a slight bow.
After hiding the small snake in his arms, he glanced at the figure bound by chains in the cell, then retreated into the darkness without a second thought, leaving the dungeon unnoticed.