"It's nothing. I was caught in an illusion just now, but I've already broken free from it!" Tsunade took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in her heart, and then turned her gaze back toward Itachi.
Itachi stood quietly not far from her, his face pale as paper.
Yet there was an extraordinary calmness in his presence.
"Ahem… Lady Tsunade, could you… examine me?" Uchiha Itachi spoke again, his voice steady like a windless lake, without a ripple of emotion.
It was as if their previous conversation in the illusion had never even happened.
"All right, I'll check your injuries!" Tsunade nodded slightly and stepped toward Itachi with measured, steady steps.
However, just as she was about to reach him, Kisame, who had been behind her, suddenly moved like a black lightning bolt, blocking the space in front of Itachi. His eyes were filled with caution as he fixed his gaze on Tsunade.
Kisame held his massive sword across his body and then turned to Itachi. "What's going on? Why would she suddenly want to heal your injuries?"
Just moments ago, they had been locked in a fierce battle. Yet in only a few breaths, Tsunade had changed her intentions. It was incomprehensible.
"We've already fought in the illusion, and she agreed to check my injuries," Itachi said, coughing lightly, a hint of fatigue in his voice, though his tone remained firm.
He paused before continuing, "Step aside. It's fine."
"All right." Though filled with doubt and reluctance, Kisame finally moved aside. He knew well the power of Itachi's genjutsu and thought that perhaps Tsunade had truly realized she couldn't defeat him, so she chose to heal him instead.
Still, his vigilance did not waver. His eyes never left Tsunade and Shizune.
If Tsunade showed even the slightest unusual movement, he would strike immediately.
Tsunade seemed oblivious to Kisame's hostility. She ignored the tense and alert shinobi beside her and walked straight to Uchiha Itachi, her expression focused.
She slowly placed her hand on Itachi's body. Her chakra, like delicate threads, began carefully probing his condition.
But as her examination deepened, her expression grew heavier. Her normally relaxed brows gradually knitted into a frown.
Finally, she let out a soft sigh, her voice full of helplessness and regret. "Your condition is worse than I expected. Your body is severely depleted."
"What do you mean by 'depleted'? Can you treat him or not?" Kisame, having no knowledge of medical ninjutsu, couldn't understand what Tsunade meant. Still, he asked anxiously.
"It means that Itachi has overexerted his body through training and battles since he was young. He has even faced near-death fights a few times, and now his body can no longer handle the burden of the chakra within him," Tsunade said thoughtfully, organizing her words to make her meaning as clear as possible.
In short, Itachi's body was too weak, like a crumbling building ready to collapse at any moment.
"Then can you treat him?" Kisame asked again, his voice heavy with concern and barely concealed urgency.
"No. This condition cannot be treated," Tsunade said decisively, shaking her head without hesitation.
"You…" Kisame's anger flared instantly, his chakra rippling with his rage. "We came to you for treatment, and you're telling us it's impossible? Are you refusing to help?"
Kisame gripped his sword tightly, ready to take action against Tsunade.
"Kisame!" Itachi immediately intervened, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable authority.
He then looked at Tsunade, a hint of hope in his eyes, and asked seriously, "Can it at least be delayed? I'm not ready to die yet… cough…"
His words trailed off, tinged with quiet sadness and resignation.
"Itachi… we don't have to stay here. We can find another medical ninja!" Kisame said, his heart aching as he saw the faintly sorrowful and resigned look on Itachi's face. He quickly stepped forward, intending to support Itachi and leave.
If Tsunade couldn't help, he would find someone else. There had to be a way to cure him.
"Find another medical nin?" Tsunade fell silent. She lowered her head slightly, as if recalling something, and then continued.
"Do you know that the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, died from this same condition? Even I can't treat him. Others are no different."
"Hashirama Senju?" Kisame's face filled with shock at the name.
"That's right!" Tsunade's voice turned heavy, as if shrouded in a dark haze. "Back then, he fought for so long that his body gave out, weakened… and finally, he fell!"
Kisame's body jolted at her words, and the motion of pulling Itachi away froze instantly.
Since the founding of the ninja village, Hashirama Senju had been the only one called the God of the Shinobi World.
Everyone knew his strength and legendary feats. And he had died because of this illness… so what about Itachi?
Thinking of this, Kisame grew even more worried for Itachi.
"After the First Hokage passed, I studied this condition caused by prolonged battle, and I found a few ways to extend life!" Tsunade continued speaking once she saw Kisame no longer insisting on leaving immediately.
"What ways?" Itachi's eyes flickered with a hint of light, and he asked eagerly.
"Right now, your weak constitution can't withstand the erosion caused by your chakra and your dojutsu," Tsunade said, her gaze sharp and focused, fully professional.
"If you disperse your chakra and remove your eyes… then perhaps you could live for several more decades!"
"Impossible!" Itachi shook his head decisively, without hesitation.
He was still alive now to intimidate anyone in Konoha who might threaten his younger brother. Without his strength, he would be at the mercy of others. Death was better than that!
So he would never accept this suggestion.
"Heh… you've made the same choice as the First Hokage!" Tsunade let out a bitter smile, one full of resignation to fate and memories of the past.
She paused for a moment, then continued, "Then I will only use special methods to keep your life going. During this time, you will need rare supplements to maintain your constantly depleting body. How long you can hold on… that depends on how strong your will is!"
Tsunade spoke seriously, offering another treatment plan—the only hope they had right now.
"How long it lasts… depends on my will?" Itachi muttered quietly, his eyes flickering with struggle and thought. Finally, he nodded firmly. "Please treat me according to the second method!"
While the two were talking, a few people slowly came out from the direction of the town.
At the front, Genya saw the scene and a slight smile curled at the corners of his lips. His tone carried a teasing note. "It's lively over here~~"
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