In the evening, the door to the operating room slowly opened.
Emiya Shirou walked out with a look of shame, while the terrified assistant followed, too afraid to speak. Judging from their expressions, it seemed they didn't bring good news.
"Senior!" The young Sarutobi Hiruzen forced himself to stand up. "I am Sarutobi Sasuke's son, Sarutobi Hiruzen. How is my father's condition?"
The corner of Shirou's eyebrows twitched.
"Senior?" Hiruzen looked at him, a sense of fear suddenly rising in his heart, afraid of hearing bad news.
"It's nothing," Shirou waved his hand, his face nonchalant. "There was a... situation... midway through the surgery. But in the end, he survived this time."
"A... situation?" Hiruzen's heart sank. Ninjas always encounter situations on missions. Many end up permanently disabled. Could it be that his father...
"Wait a moment," Shirou gestured for him to wait. "He's getting dressed by himself now. You'll be able to see him in a little while."
"Thank you, senior," Hiruzen could only thank him first, a look of confusion on his face.
Getting... getting dressed? What does that mean? Isn't my father severely injured? Does he still have the strength to get dressed?
Click. The door was pushed open directly.
"Eh?" Sarutobi Sasuke was startled when he walked out. He hadn't noticed a group of little ones gathered at the door, his own son among them. But the ones who were truly shocked were the ninjas who had carried him here.
"Is this... a joke?"
"In that condition... can he really be saved?"
"No... even if he could be, he shouldn't be healed to this extent, right?" These medical skills were a bit too exaggerated. They couldn't imagine that a patient on the brink of death could recover his mobility just like that.
There wasn't even a trace of injury. His skin was as tender as a newborn's, as if the fact that everyone had brought him here this morning was just their imagination.
Are we really not under a genjutsu?
Even Hashirama, who had great confidence in Shirou, was shocked. He rubbed his eyes forcefully.
"This kind of injury is not difficult to heal," Shirou's face showed no trace of self-satisfaction. The surgery was not complicated, just beyond the courage and experience of Konoha's current medical ninjas. Only he, with his reanimated body and infinite chakra, could persevere.
"I must thank you for saving my life, Your Excellency," Sasuke thanked Shirou with a sincere face.
"Thank you, senior!" Hiruzen quickly followed.
"You can't call him senior," Sasuke quickly corrected his son. "It would be too rude. It's also rude to call him 'Lord'. You must address him as 'Your Excellency'." In this era, "Your Excellency" was generally used for a daimyo, but in Shirou's era, his prestige was already higher than any daimyo's ancestor.
"No need to be so particular," Shirou shook his head. "To me, titles and such are all secondary."
"Hehe... then does senior have a nickname?" Seeing his father was fine, Hiruzen's mood completely relaxed. The fourteen-year-old had a lively personality. He reverted to his old ways, sticking his tongue out at his perfectly healthy father.
"Hiruzen!" Sasuke quickly held his son back.
"Probably... I do," Shirou actually answered. "There are probably many people who secretly think I'm a foolish and naive person. They probably have given me some nickname, but I wouldn't know."
"How is that possible!" Sasuke quickly took his side. "Whoever dares to disrespect Your Excellency, we will definitely not let them go!"
"That's right!" Hashirama's face was also full of determination. But he also had a jumpy personality. He immediately started stroking his chin. "But we should also give Lord Emiya a nickname that is easy to say and reflects his characteristics..."
"Hey, hey, hey, Lord Hokage!" Two ANBU quickly stopped him.
"Alright," Shirou seemed not to care and specifically reminded Sasuke, "When I was saving you, I made some of your cell tissues accelerate their division and regeneration. This might also make your body age a little faster."
"Being able to survive is already very lucky," a look of sincere gratitude appeared on Sasuke's face. "It's okay. Our clan tends to look old anyway." This experience made his life feel somewhat magnificent. "We will remember this debt of gratitude." He seriously thanked the First Hokage's group again, and also took the time to tap Hiruzen on the head. "Don't be rude to Lord Emiya."
"I don't even know his name yet... His surname is Emiya? Could he be a descendant of the legendary sage Emiya Shirou?" Hiruzen didn't mind the little bit of pain. He was just curiously looking at that strange and unfamiliar medical ninja.
Just at sunset, the figure of a boy, backlit by the evening glow, rushed in. "Hey, Hiruzen! I just heard that your father was severely... injured?" But before he could finish, he saw Sarutobi Sasuke, walking behind the group of friends, looking dotingly and completely fine.
He looked not at all like someone who was severely injured and near death. The boy's face changed abruptly. He felt like he had been tricked again.
"Hiruzen! Was it your prank again?"
"Hey, Danzo, listen to me..." Hiruzen quickly stepped forward.
"You're still trying to trick me!" the boy's face was full of anger as he ran out again, his voice, suppressed with anger, echoing in the corridor. "Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"