While Qingshui was racking his brain over how to deal with the troublesome Might Duy, Konoha was actually having trouble dealing with Might Duy as well.
The only difference was that Qingshui was thinking of how to kill Might Duy, while Konoha was thinking of how to heal him.
Inside the medical room.
Orochimaru stood before Hyuga Hizashi, subtly reaching out and touching his shoulder, giving him a look.
Hyuga Hizashi averted his gaze from behind the curtains in the room, suppressing the shock in his heart, and lowered his head.
On a nearby hospital bed, Might Duy, who had been injected with an anesthetic, lay quietly, eyes closed in unconsciousness.
A Medical Ninja withdrew his hands from Might Duy and turned to Orochimaru.
"My apologies, Hokage-sama, but Mr. Duy has too many internal injuries. I'm afraid I can't heal him immediately. The Medical Ninjas on the front lines misjudged his physical condition. Given his current state, conservative treatment will require at least two months to recover to a point where he can use that forbidden jutsu again, unless..."
"Unless Tsunade herself comes to treat him, only then can this time be shortened?"
Orochimaru interjected.
"Yes, so I suggest immediately dispatching a squad to send Duy back to the village. From here, it's just over Kikyō Pass to get back to the village; it won't take much time."
"You may leave for now. Hizashi, stay. I have some questions."
Orochimaru said.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The Medical Ninja responded to Orochimaru, then exited the medical room.
"Hokage-sama, may I ask what you wish to ask of your subordinate?"
Hyuga Hizashi respectfully said.
"Shouldn't you be the one asking me now, Hizashi-kun?"
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes gazed at Hyuga Hizashi with a hint of a smile.
The latter stiffened, took two steps back, and performed a perfect ninety-degree bow.
"My apologies, Hokage-sama, I didn't mean to..."
"I'm not blaming you. Tobirama-sama, you can come out now."
Orochimaru said with a chuckle.
A cold, blue figure instantly appeared in the medical room.
Tobirama Senju sized up Hyuga Hizashi.
A capable ninja, but a typical Hyuga ninja whose true nature was suppressed by the Hyuga Clan rules.
"Don't be nervous, Hyuga Hizashi. I wouldn't lay a hand on someone from the same village. The secret of the Impure World Reincarnation will be revealed sooner or later, but you must keep it a secret until it publicly appears on the battlefield."
"Yes! Second Hokage-sama!"
Hyuga Hizashi, already bent at ninety degrees, lowered his head even further as a sign of respect.
It really was the deceased Second Hokage!
"Tobirama-sama, do you know anything about the Eight Gates Formation on Duy?"
Orochimaru shifted his gaze from Might Duy to Tobirama Senju, his snake-like eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.
"Of course. The concept of the Eight Gates has been around for a long time. People discovered these eight restrictions on the human body very early on, and there are historical records of it.
However, there were never any complete Taijutsu or Ninjutsu related to it, so it naturally faded from people's minds.
Out of curiosity, I once researched related materials, because the underlying principles made me believe it was very suitable for ninjas with naturally strong bodies, abundant vitality, and astonishing recovery capabilities, like the Senju and Uzumaki. As long as the Gate of Death wasn't opened, one could still gain power through the first seven gates, making it highly valuable for research.
For this, I even specially recruited a group of children who didn't pass the Ninja Academy but had some Taijutsu talent, and taught them the rudimentary Eight Gates Formation that I developed based on the principles. However, no one's progress satisfied me, so later I found the top student from that year's Ninja Academy to try it."
Orochimaru's eyes flickered, and he started to make connections based on Might Duy's age.
"Hatake Sakumo?"
"It was indeed a child from the Hatake family, but after opening the first gate, he gave up on continued training because he felt this jutsu wasn't suitable for him. He believed that with his own sword, he could also reach the pinnacle of the ninja world, and there was no need to take such an uncertain path.
Right, logically speaking, if that child had truly achieved what he said, he should be a pillar of the village just like you now."
Orochimaru was silent for two seconds, then nodded.
"He was indeed very famous, known as Konoha's White Fang. When he was alive, even I had to show him respect, and he was once my main competitor for the Hokage position. It's a pity he died a few years ago."
"That is indeed a shame."
Tobirama Senju shook his head with regret, seemingly sighing.
Orochimaru remained unperturbed, but quickly steered the conversation away from Hatake Sakumo:
"And then? Second Hokage-sama."
Tobirama Senju, suspecting nothing, continued:
"At the time, I naturally thought that the development of this jutsu had failed. Those without talent couldn't learn it, and those with talent didn't need to learn it, so there was no need to perfect the later gates.
I just never expected that after so many years, among that group of children who couldn't even pass the Ninja Academy, someone actually succeeded in perfecting this failed jutsu."
Tobirama Senju crossed his arms, his red eyes looking at Might Duy with a hint of amazement.
He knew perfectly well the immense hardship and perseverance it took to master the Eight Gates Formation.
"Opening the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, will lead to death?"
"Yes, but according to my estimation, it could unleash a power at least ten times greater than that of the Five Kage, and even more if the foundation is strong enough!"
Tobirama Senju paused, then added, "This doesn't include my elder brother among the Five Kage."
Orochimaru nodded slightly, his first thought being whether Might Duy could use the Gate of Death on Qingshui.
If that guy died, while the Sand Village would still retain some strength, they definitely wouldn't be able to push Konoha into such a sorry state.
However, since Qingshui had countered the Flying Thunder God and possessed the ability to teleport, Orochimaru felt it would be difficult for Might Duy to land a hit, even if he opened the Gate of Death.
But if the Gate of Death were reserved for someone else, it would be a huge waste.
Because even without opening the Gate of Death, by just opening the Seventh Gate, Might Duy already possessed Kage-level combat power capable of suppressing Rasa. As long as his internal injuries were healed, he could be treated as a genuine Kage-level powerhouse for most situations.
"I know what you're thinking, but someone who can open the Seventh Gate might not necessarily be able to open the Eighth. It's already very difficult for him to open the Seventh Gate; the Eighth Gate is much harder, and he might not have fully developed it yet."
Tobirama Senju placed a hand on Might Duy, beginning to assess his condition.
He had a deep understanding of the human body and was skilled in Medical Ninjutsu. When Tsunade was developing the Medical Ninja system, she drew heavily on the various human experimentation data her great-granduncle had left behind.
"I already examined Duy's condition earlier. Jonin Urushi, who just left, was correct in his assessment; it will take at least two months for him to recover."
"I know," Tobirama Senju said calmly, closing his eyes to sense more deeply. He occasionally pressed gently on several spots on Might Duy's body, finally stopping at his heart.
"He's still perfecting the Eighth Gate; it's not complete, but there are already signs of training in the corresponding area," Tobirama Senju finally concluded.
"Whether the Eighth Gate is perfected or not, we'll know by using the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique to remove the anesthetic from his body and wake him up to ask. I'll go call Jonin Urushi back."
"No need, I can do it. Orochimaru, if you want to further your experimental research in related fields, you still need to strengthen your Medical Ninjutsu. It's very useful."
"I know, but the Second Great Ninja War lasted too long, and in the two or three years of peace that followed, I was researching other ninjutsu. Now the Third Great Ninja War has started, and I've even become Hokage, so I have even less time to learn," Orochimaru explained.
Before long, the unconscious Might Duy slowly regained consciousness.
He felt like he had woken up too fast.
He woke up to see the Second Hokage, who was supposed to be dead.
Or perhaps he himself had died and was now seeing the Second Hokage in the Pure Land?
"Lord Second, I..."
"Duy, don't be surprised. Orochimaru used... a contingency I left behind before my death, summoning me back from the dead, from the Pure Land, to help Konoha in its time of crisis. Your body is in poor condition, so stay in bed. Don't move, to avoid dislocating any broken bones."
Tobirama Senju extended a hand towards Might Duy, signaling him to calm down.
Perhaps due to a slight residual sedative, Might Duy, though surprised, didn't appear overly agitated.
Normally, he would have forced himself to ignore his injuries, excitedly shouted about youth, and then immediately celebrated by doing a hundred push-ups in bed.
"Duy, you've done very well. Even I, back in my day, gave up on the Eight Gates Formation. I never imagined you would successfully perfect this technique. Now, tell me about it in detail."
"Yes, yes! Lord Second! But... the Eight Gates Formation isn't truly perfected yet. I haven't figured out how to open the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death. It will probably take a few more years."
In the original timeline, Might Duy opened the Gate of Death to fight the Seven Ninja Swordsmen several years later.
"You don't need to do that. It's not yet time for you to use the Gate of Death. This technique, you can only use it at the most crucial moment to protect the village."
Tobirama Senju crossed his arms, shaking his head at Might Duy, and then gave Orochimaru a meaningful look.
"Indeed, the village cannot afford to sacrifice such a talented individual as Duy. The Eight Gates Formation has high research value. Even without the Eighth Gate, the Seventh Gate can allow someone like Duy to temporarily suppress a high-ranking Sand Hidden Village powerful figure. The value of this to the village may not be lower than ninjutsu like the Flying Thunder God."
Orochimaru said with a smile to Might Duy, "Lord Hokage, I can write down the perfected Eight Gates Formation and give it to the village..."
"No need to rush, Duy. First, recover from your injuries. As for the perfected Eight Gates Formation, you can hand it over whenever you wish. Before that, I have some good news for you.
You rendered great service in this battle. Based on the unanimous recommendation of Jonin Hyuga Hizashi, Yūhi Shinkō, and Aburame Shiro, and with the Hokage's approval, the village has now promoted your ninja rank to Special Jonin.
It's a bit low, given your achievements and strength, Jonin wouldn't be a problem either. As long as you pass the relevant theoretical knowledge assessment and training, there will naturally be a spot for you in the Jonin class."
"Yes!"
Perhaps the residual sedative had worn off, as Might Duy finally became excited.
"Hizashi."
"Lord Hokage."
"For the time being, you will personally protect Duy. I will also dispatch two Anbu members to assist. Be careful, as Sand Hidden spies might attempt to assassinate Duy in the near future."
Orochimaru instructed Hyuga Hizashi, then instantly departed with Tobirama Senju.
Might Duy was only a Genin in his normal state, unlike other powerhouses who possessed high basic combat abilities, so the cost of assassination would be much lower. If the Sand Hidden Village saw an opportunity, they would certainly try, so a well-configured team had to be assigned to accompany Might Duy.
Subsequent missions would likely also involve this configuration.
Hyuga Hizashi possessed the strength of an Elite Jonin, along with the formidable Byakugan. All that was needed was to pair him with two Anbu ninjas with sufficient anti-espionage and anti-assassination experience.
"Might Duy's appearance was timely, but he won't be able to fight again anytime soon. The situation hasn't changed yet."
In the long tunnel, Orochimaru and Tobirama Senju walked side-by-side, Orochimaru's voice hoarse.
Tobirama Senju said:
"I've reviewed the improvements you suggested for Impure World Reincarnation. Some are indeed feasible. Sacrificing some control over the reincarnated individual in exchange for greater power is certainly possible. As long as the quality of the sacrifice is adequate, in theory, it could allow Kage-level individuals to unleash most of their power from when they were alive.
If we could have two more high-level individuals like that, it would be enough to change the village's situation. However, there's no way my elder brother could recover most of his strength. Whether he could even recover half is probably difficult to say."
Orochimaru glanced over slightly:
"Lord Tobirama, just how strong were the First Hokage and Madara? And how do they compare to Qingshui from the Sand Village?"
"The Valley of the End was originally a flat plain. It was created by the aftermath of the battle where my elder brother killed Madara.
That fellow from the Sand Village can contend with the combined efforts of you, the Monkey, and Jiraiya. But if it were my elder brother and Madara…"
After a moment of thought, Tobirama Senju said:
"Perhaps the combined efforts of the Five Kage of our generation could force them to use their full power, but I doubt we'd have much chance of winning.
In this era, there's no one who can rival my elder brother and Madara. That Qingshui is only sixteen. Perhaps when he truly reaches his peak, he might have a chance, but certainly not now.
So, it's best if we eliminate him as soon as possible. Otherwise, once he grows stronger, we'll have to think of other solutions."
Tobirama Senju also felt regret that such a person was born in the Sand Village instead of Konoha.
Orochimaru's eyes were pensive.
As the God of Shinobi, the First Hokage's power was unexpectedly immense.
What if there was a way to fully revive and control him?
And Uchiha Fugaku's Sharingan… it was a Mangekyo Sharingan, just like Madara's. Would he, in the future, also have the chance to possess power equal to the First Hokage, like Madara?
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