"Dammit..."
"Not enough!"
"Too slow!"
Hoshita Shūichi gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of his chakra into healing Kurama Sanyō's wounds.
But it still wasn't fast enough.
If he split his focus, none of the four injuries would heal in time.
Even concentrating on the two most critical wounds—the artery and the heart—the progress was agonizingly sluggish.
At this rate, Kurama Sanyō would still bleed out from his lungs or liver before recovery.
With the current situation, Hoshita Shūichi could only manage one shadow clone at most.
And without the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique, the clone's medical ninjutsu alone couldn't handle such severe internal damage.
The Iwa-nin's Rock Gunshot technique didn't just pierce the body—it caused cavitation and fragmented upon impact, scattering debris inside.
Though Kurama Sanyō's wounds appeared clean, the internal damage was far more complex.
Ideally, a team would be needed: one to extract the rock fragments with Precision Extraction Technique, another to mend the flesh with Mystical Palm Technique, and multiple healers working in tandem to perform Healing Resuscitation Regeneration.
But right now, there was only Hoshita Shūichi.
"Shisui, get Minato-sensei!" Hoshita Shūichi shouted.
Uchiha Shisui immediately created a shadow clone to fetch Namikaze Minato while his real body stayed behind.
He didn't trust the four Kusagakure ninjas.
But just as the clone left, the wall behind them exploded, and several figures stormed in, heading straight for the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"Stop them!"
The four Kusagakure ninjas charged forward, but amid flashes of lightning, they were swiftly knocked back.
"A one-tomoe Uchiha brat..."
A towering man disguised as a Kusagakure ninja glared at Uchiha Shisui. "You take the artifact. I'll handle this Uchiha and bring back his Sharingan."
Before the words fully left his mouth, his hands were already weaving signs.
Lightning Illusion: Flash Pillar!
A blinding light erupted, searing their vision.
The man lunged at Uchiha Shisui, who had shut his eyes—
Bam!
Before he could reach his target, the man was sent flying, embedded into the wall.
Namikaze Minato appeared, flicking a kunai before vanishing and reappearing in rapid succession. The three ninjas attempting to seize the box were sent sprawling with cries of pain.
In seconds, the enemies were neutralized. Minato returned to Hoshita Shūichi's side. "Shūichi..."
Hoshita Shūichi urgently explained, "Minato-sensei, Sanyō's injuries are too severe. Even the medical scroll isn't enough."
"Can we take him back to Konoha? Or use the Flying Thunder God to bring someone from Konoha—"
He trailed off, realizing the futility.
Even if Tsunade weren't suffering from hemophobia, treating Kurama Sanyō's wounds alone would be impossible.
With Tsunade incapacitated, bringing Yakushi Nonō wouldn't suffice either.
Kusagakure was too far from Konoha, and Namikaze Minato—unlike his Edo Tensei counterpart—lacked the Nine-Tails' chakra reserves.
Transporting one person might be feasible, but carrying multiple would drain him dry.
As for taking Kurama Sanyō back to Konoha...
Namikaze Minato's expression darkened with grief. "Returning to Konoha in one go isn't possible. With my current chakra, I can't teleport two people that far."
"And without you, Sanyō wouldn't survive the journey alone."
Uchiha Shisui trembled. "Minato-sensei... is there really no other way?"
Cough, cough, cough—
Kurama Sanyō suddenly convulsed, blood-flecked foam bubbling from his lips.
His unfocused eyes flickered open, barely making out the figures of Hoshita Shūichi and the others. A faint smile touched his lips. "Looks like... I won't be able to... walk this path with you anymore."
Hoshita Shūichi's throat tightened. He couldn't bring himself to offer false hope.
Kurama Sanyō turned his gaze weakly toward Hoshita Shūichi. "Shū... Shūichi, you've already... done more than enough. Even injuries like these... gave me time to say goodbye."
Hoshita Shūichi bit down hard, forcing back tears.
But Kurama Sanyō's life was slipping away. His final glance landed on Namikaze Minato, regret lacing his voice. "Sorry, Minato-sensei... won't be able to give you... a wedding gift."
Namikaze Minato's voice was thick. "Sanyō... you'll be remembered as Konoha's hero."
Kurama Sanyō's gaze grew distant, his whisper barely audible. "I... never wanted to be a hero. Just wanted... to stay with you all..."
Uchiha Shisui's eyes lowered—but nothing could hide the sudden, searing crimson glow in his pupils.
Kurama Sanyō couldn't be saved.
As Hoshita Shūichi withdrew his trembling hand from the lifeless body, he felt a hollow ache.
He'd seen death before—in Konoha's hospital, on the battlefield.
But this was the first time it had felt so close, so personal.
And as a friend, he'd been utterly powerless to stop it.
For the first time, Hoshita Shūichi understood why Tsunade—a battle-hardened kunoichi—had developed something as seemingly trivial as hemophobia.
If Yakushi Nonō were to die like this in front of him...
If Shizune, Ten'un, Namikaze Minato, Kakashi, or Might Guy...
Just the thought filled him with dread.
Namikaze Minato placed a hand on Hoshita Shūichi's shoulder, but before he could speak, his expression sharpened. "Shisui, move!"
Uchiha Shisui had already sensed the danger and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
The moment they retreated, the Box of Ultimate Bliss—previously inert—suddenly lashed out.
An invisible force engulfed the four Kusagakure ninjas and the four fallen enemies, dragging them into the box.
Namikaze Minato's face was grim as he reappeared outside the door. Though the box didn't attack again, it now radiated a sinister aura, its chakra pulsating violently.
Uchiha Shisui's crimson eyes locked onto it. "Minato-sensei, it seems to have absorbed their chakra."
Namikaze Minato nodded. "Shūichi, we have to seal it—now!"
Hoshita Shūichi silently activated 2x Focus Mode, numbing his grief.
Unfurling the sealing scroll, he and Namikaze Minato formed hand seals in unison. The moment their palms touched the scroll, seals slithered toward the box like living things.
This time, there were no interruptions. The Eight Trigrams Seal took hold, suppressing the box's malevolent energy and silencing its chakra.
No sooner had the sealing ended than Muui arrived, his face ashen. "Minato, our village leader... he's dead."
The three exchanged glances, startled.
Muui bowed his head toward Kurama Sanyō's body. "My deepest apologies. Our leader was ambushed... that's why we couldn't reinforce you earlier."
Silence fell over them.
Hoshita Shūichi, having deactivated his focus mode, felt a surge of frustration. "Some attackers escaped, didn't they?"
Muui nodded. "They were too strong. We couldn't stop them."
Hoshita Shūichi turned to Namikaze Minato. "Minato-sensei, I want to do something for Sanyō."
Uchiha Shisui stepped forward. "Me too."
Namikaze Minato studied Uchiha Shisui's newly awakened three-tomoe Sharingan before nodding. "Be careful. I'll join you once things here are settled."
He handed Hoshita Shūichi a Flying Thunder God kunai.
With the kunai in hand, Hoshita Shūichi and Uchiha Shisui left Kusagakure, heading west.
Following the trail, they soon paused at a fork. Uchiha Shisui examined the tracks. "They split up."
Hoshita Shūichi narrowed his eyes. "Not shadow clones. We'll follow one path."
They chose the left trail and pressed on.
Ten minutes later, as they passed a flooded area, a figure erupted from the water, spitting a barrage of Rock Gunshots at their backs.
But the projectiles passed harmlessly through their dissolving forms.
"An illusion?!"
The Iwa-nin's realization came too late. His vision filled with a pair of spinning crimson tomoe, and his eyelids grew unbearably heavy.
Uchiha Shisui's Illusionary Displacement Technique had tricked him from the start.
But just as the hypnosis took hold, the Iwa-nin exploded into smoke.
A shadow clone!
Uchiha Shisui warned, "Shūichi, be extra careful. This one's likely a jōnin."
Hoshita Shūichi nodded and pressed forward, Uchiha Shisui close behind.
He'd failed to protect Kurama Sanyō—but now, with these cursed eyes, he'd shield his remaining comrade.
Another stretch of pursuit, and Hoshita Shūichi suddenly halted.
Hidden behind a giant mushroom, the Iwa-nin jōnin frowned. "These brats are sharp."
"That one's bad enough, but the three-tomoe Uchiha is trouble."
He was the rear guard, just as Uchiha Shisui had guessed.
But before he could strategize, Hoshita Shūichi was already airborne.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
White fire blossoms erupted underfoot as Hoshita Shūichi shot toward the Iwa-nin's hiding spot like a comet.
"What the—?!"
The Iwa-nin's eyes bulged. "How?!"
"Genjutsu?"
"No—it's real!"
Mid-flight, Hoshita Shūichi drew his sword. Azure flames erupted along the blade, forming a massive, slightly translucent greatsword. With a two-handed swing, he cleaved downward from fifteen meters away.
"You little—!"
The Iwa-nin fumbled with his kunai, delayed by shock.
Uchiha Shisui's shuriken intercepted them effortlessly.
CRACK!
The massive tree trunk split like kindling. The Iwa-nin leaped back, but not before the searing blade grazed his chest, leaving a charred gash.
Fabric and flesh parted under the heat, agony twisting his face.
Uchiha Shisui's follow-up shuriken rained down, each one wreathed in fire as Hoshita Shūichi exhaled flames—
Phoenix Sage Fire Technique + Shuriken: Phoenix Flower Nail Crimson!
The Iwa-nin drew his sword, teeth gritted.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He deflected the projectiles, but Hoshita Shūichi was already upon him.
Their blades clashed in a storm of sparks, weaving through the oversized flora. Uchiha Shisui darted between shadows, his Sharingan tracking every move, poised to strike.
Then—azure light flared.
The Iwa-nin's sword shattered under the Ame-no-Murakumo. Snarling, he slashed with the broken blade in one hand while driving a kunai toward Hoshita Shūichi's gut with the other.
But Hoshita Shūichi didn't dodge.
His Azure Flame Skyblade severed the Iwa-nin's remaining sword—and his arm.
At the same moment, the kunai pierced Hoshita Shūichi's flak jacket, burying itself in his abdomen.
Uchiha Shisui's breath hitched. Hoshita Shūichi could've avoided this if he'd abandoned the attack.
The Iwa-nin howled, kicking off the tree to retreat.
As the kunai withdrew, the wound sealed almost instantly.
Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique.
Hoshita Shūichi didn't flinch—10x Focus Mode dulled the pain.
His eyes locked onto the Iwa-nin, who, despite his missing arm, managed to hurl an Explosive Tag-laden kunai to intercept Uchiha Shisui's Fireball Jutsu.
Then Hoshita Shūichi opened his mouth.
A needle-thin beam of white-hot light lanced out, blistering his lips but striking true.
The Iwa-nin raised his broken sword reflexively, tilting his head.
The beam pierced the metal—and kept going.
It grazed his neck.
Then, as Hoshita Shūichi adjusted his aim, it sliced clean through.
The head toppled before the body.
Uchiha Shisui appeared at Hoshita Shūichi's side, alarmed. "Shūichi, you—"
Hoshita Shūichi exhaled, the tension leaving his body. "Don't worry. Healing Resuscitation took care of it."
Uchiha Shisui eyed his blistered lips.
Hoshita Shūichi shrugged. "An unfinished technique."
The High-Temperature Ray was the form, not the name.
Since it wasn't complete, he hadn't named it.
Relieved, Uchiha Shisui asked, "Do we keep pursuing?"
Hoshita Shūichi studied the Iwa-nin's corpse and shook his head. "We don't know their numbers. Pushing further is too risky. Let's wait for Minato-sensei."
The rage that had fueled him was spent. Reason had returned.
Read advance chapters here:
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