Chapter 157: Chapter 157: The Sage Transformation Issue, Tsunade Gravely Injured
Seeing everything unfolding as planned, Natsuro let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. After all, Konoha's villagers were, on the whole, quite sincere and straightforward. If it were the modern people from his previous life, Natsuro would likely have handled this differently.
Now, it seemed he might have some free time, and devoting himself to absorbing natural energy and further transforming his body seemed like an appealing option.
Danzo, observing the proceedings from afar, scoffed. Did Natsuro truly believe it would end here? Such naivety! Even if Tsunade didn't want the Hokage role initially, she would undoubtedly take action to sideline Natsuro once she assumed the title.
Unfortunately for Danzo, if Natsuro knew what he was thinking, he would likely only respond with a chuckle. Those who act in darkness often believe everyone else is the same, incapable of understanding that some might genuinely wish for the good of all.
Still, he had only chosen this approach because he trusted his understanding of the original Tsunade from the manga. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken this risk, as it could have been futile against someone with even slightly darker intentions.
The three Sand ninja gazed at Natsuro with admiration, marveling at his decisiveness. They'd researched him well; each time they met, it was hard to believe he was only thirteen. Now, his actions were even more astonishing; despite having the best chance to assume the Hokage position, he'd actively turned it down.
Gaara reflected on Natsuro's words, "Konoha does not need a 13-year-old boy to bear all of its burdens." But what about Suna? In the current state, Suna was at its most vulnerable, with its position as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages potentially at risk.
Thus, he was different from Natsuro. Suna needed someone to stand up for its survival.
Amid the cheers of the crowd, the celebration concluded smoothly, marking a day that would soon be the talk of other factions. Natsuro's reputation would spread even further, ensuring he'd become a target of interest—and likely animosity.
Upon returning home, he was greeted by a teasing Shinai. "Our little Hokage is back," she chuckled.
"Yes, I'm back, future Hokage's mother," Natsuro joked, turning to Ino. "And future Hokage's wife, as well."
Ino flushed at the title but found the idea of "Hokage's wife" rather appealing.
As expected, Natsuro found himself with a few days to focus on absorbing natural energy and refining his transformation. However, he quickly realized the process was exasperatingly slow. It became clear this task would be no simple feat, even with all his focus.
Thinking it over, he decided to leverage his unique situation. With two spirits at his disposal, he could focus one on his sage transformation alone, like a dedicated CPU for the task, leaving the main mind free for daily activities. While this caused a slight reduction in sensory perception, he figured it was a manageable sacrifice.
The transformation also brought a surprise. As Natsuro clenched his fist, he felt an increase in physical strength—minimal, but significant for the short time he'd spent on the transformation. He anticipated that once completed, his body would gain an unprecedented level of strength. This would likely address his chakra limitations by increasing his capacity for natural energy instead.
However, he found himself frustrated by the inability to master Sage Mode's chakra fusion since the natural energy he absorbed formed original chakra, not the enhanced Sage Mode type. He was curious if his final transformation might yield a different, personal form of Sage Mode.
Just as Natsuro began strategizing his next steps, he was unexpectedly visited by a toad from Mount Myoboku.
"Jiraiya-sensei is calling for me?" Natsuro was surprised; such a call signaled a dire situation. He recalled Orochimaru's recent movements and suspected the worst, an attempt on Tsunade's life.
"Yes, very urgent!" the messenger toad confirmed.
"I understand." Natsuro handed the toad a dried worm snack. "Please also inform the Third Hokage of the situation and that I'm heading out to assist."
"Of course," the toad replied, familiar with the Third Hokage from past communications with Jiraiya.
Natsuro nodded and closed his eyes, focusing on the Flying Thunder God seal before teleporting away, while the messenger toad made its way to the Hokage's office.
.....
"Hey, Pervy Sage, what are we going to do now? We can't help at all…" Naruto looked worriedly at the gravely injured Tsunade and Shizune, who, despite her exhaustion, was still using her medical ninjutsu to heal Tsunade's dreadful wounds.
"I've already sent the messenger toad to contact Natsuro. He'll be here soon, and he knows medical ninjutsu too," Jiraiya replied, watching as Shizune desperately worked on Tsunade's wounds. His usual playful demeanor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a look of grim seriousness and barely contained anger.
"Natsuro? If he's coming, there's definitely a way!" Naruto's face lit up.
Jiraiya felt a bit taken aback, feeling like Naruto trusted Natsuro more than him now, despite him still being the stronger one…at least, if he activated Sage Mode.
At that moment, a figure appeared in the room—it was Natsuro.
"Jiraiya-sensei, Naruto, it's been a while," Natsuro greeted them, quickly scanning the room and freezing when he saw Tsunade's severe injuries. His suspicion had proven true: Orochimaru had gone straight for Tsunade. In his mind, Tsunade's hemophobia made her an easy target.
"Long time no see, Natsuro," Naruto responded loudly. "Please, help out Shizune! And Granny Tsunade too!"
"Just as I mentioned in my message, Orochimaru sought out Tsunade," Jiraiya said solemnly, though he felt grateful that he had hastened his search and avoided any delay in rescuing her.
"So it's true," Natsuro's expression grew serious. "We can discuss it all later. I'll help Lady Tsunade first."
"Please do," Jiraiya nodded with gratitude.
Naruto seemed to pick up on the tension in the room and stayed quiet. Natsuro noticed the serious expression on Jiraiya's face, something he'd seen only once before during the Chunin Exams, when Jiraiya had tried to enter Sage Mode. But now, Natsuro could tell this anger was directed at Orochimaru.
Without further delay, Natsuro approached Shizune, observing the terrifying wounds on Tsunade and the injuries Shizune herself had sustained. "I'll take it from here," he said.
"No, I can still continue," Shizune said, looking at him with slight surprise and gratitude, though she was nearly at her limit.
Her pet pig, Tonton, also gave a few anxious squeals.
Natsuro didn't press further, reaching out with his hand to release the green, life-infused chakra that began to heal Tsunade. His medical ninjutsu had improved significantly, given all the techniques he had "borrowed" from the Head of Medical Corps.
Shizune noticed Natsuro's skill with surprise, then resumed her focus on treating Tsunade.
After some time, the worst of Tsunade's life-threatening wounds had finally been stabilized…
As Tsunade pulled through the critical stage, Shizune sighed in relief before blacking out from exhaustion, collapsing onto the floor.
"Shizune!" Naruto called out in concern.
"Shh, don't shout. She's just passed out from exhaustion," Natsuro said, continuing his work on Tsunade. "Naruto, take Shizune to rest in another room. Once I finish treating Lady Tsunade, I'll check on her."
"Got it!" Naruto nodded, lifting Shizune and carrying her to another room.
With Shizune no longer sharing the burden, Natsuro felt the pressure mount. Sighing, he thought, This is going to take all night.
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