Chapter 28: A Second Chance
In Konoha, everyone gathered around the Third Hokage, their hearts heavy with grief. Though Jiraiya and Tsunade were no longer young, that made the impending loss even harder to bear.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the faces around him. His mind drifted to his youth, following the Second Hokage on the battlefield. He saw the Sannin as they once were. He saw his wife and son.
The last face to appear in his mind was his most troubling student, Orochimaru. But there was no anger or sorrow on his face now, only a strange sense of peace. As Hokage, he had carried so much. Perhaps death was a release.
Jiraiya held the Third's hand tightly. "Hang on. You'll be okay."
Tsunade worked frantically, her healing chakra flowing into him, but the effect was minimal. The damage was too great.
Danzo returned, having failed to catch Orochimaru. Seeing the dying Hokage, he felt a secret thrill, but he kept up his act. "We've known each other for so many years. I never thought you'd go first. But this is a ninja's fate. I will protect Konoha for you."
His tone disgusted everyone. The Hokage wasn't even gone yet, and Danzo was already speaking as if he'd taken the title.
Danzo addressed the others. "I know you are sad, but the dead cannot return. You must accept this. You are all Konoha's elite. You will need to work even harder now."
Just then, a voice cut through his speech. "Who says the dead can't return? Let me try."
Danzo frowned, hating the interruption. He looked and saw it was just a boy. His face darkened further. One of his Root agents, Fū Yamanaka, stepped forward. "Where did this brat come from? Get lost. This is no place for you."
It was Takahashi. He ignored the man completely, flashing past him to appear right beside the Third Hokage.
Fū was stunned. As a Root elite, he'd seen many things, but he was utterly baffled. How did he get past me?
Danzo narrowed his eyes. This boy was not simple. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"A genin from the academy. Takahashi."
Hearing he was just a genin, Danzo felt relieved. Just a nobody.
"Since you are a ninja," Danzo said dismissively, "you should be helping the villagers in trouble. You can do nothing here. Leave. Now."
Takahashi fired back, "Can do nothing? I don't think so. There's a man dying right here. Doesn't he need help?" He pointed at the Third Hokage.
Jiraiya's eyes lit up. He grabbed Takahashi's shoulder. "What do you mean? Can you help Lord Third?"
"If all goes well, yes."
Tsunade shot him a skeptical look. As a master medical-nin with decades of experience, she was an authority. How could some snot-nosed genin succeed where she failed? This kid was just causing trouble.
Danzo's face was ugly. "If you are playing games with us, you will learn the consequences. The most famous ninja are here. There are rules for this sort of foolishness."
Takahashi remained completely calm. "It's simple. If I can't heal him, you can do whatever you want to me. You can't heal him now anyway. A dying horse is still a horse, right?"
His words were like a knife to Tsunade's heart, as if mocking her skills. She glared at him, her eyes promising retribution if he failed.
Takahashi waved for everyone to give him space. His method of healing was... brutal.
While he was protecting Hinata earlier, his traveling frog had returned. This time, it brought back a medical skill called "Please Don't Die."
The name sounded gentle, but the technique was not. It was cruel, with extreme conditions. It could only be used on someone at the very brink of death. If a comrade was too injured to fight but not dying, you had to make them nearly die first, then heal them. It was a savage process.
Looking at the Third, he saw the man didn't quite meet the "near-death" requirement. So, in front of everyone, he punched the Third Hokage hard in the stomach.
Jiraiya, who had been taking a swig of sake to calm his nerves, spat it all out. Tsunade's eyes bulged. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to make Takahashi regret his arrogance.
But Jiraiya stopped her. "I believe him. His eyes... they have a certain confidence. He wouldn't do this unless he was sure. Unless he's a complete fool."
Tsunade muttered, "And what if he is a fool?"
All eyes returned to the Third. The punch had confused everyone, especially the Hokage himself. What did I do to deserve this? For the first time in decades, he felt like crying.
Then, Takahashi began a process no one could understand. Within minutes, the Third Hokage's weak breathing grew stronger. His color returned. Soon, he was sitting up, completely recovered. The whole event was a miracle. Strangest of all, the Third Hokage's skin had become incredibly smooth and supple.
This was another side effect of "Please Don't Die." Anyone who received this treatment got flawless, glowing skin, almost reflective in the sunlight.
Danzo watched, utterly dumbfounded. What is this? How can a dead man walk again? And he's perfectly healthy!
Most importantly... Who the hell is this kid?!
A genin? He was fooling no one! A person the Legendary Sannin couldn't heal... cured by a genin? It was as outrageous as saying a genin could kill a Hokage.
Danzo stared at Takahashi, his eyes spitting fire. He gritted his teeth so hard they might crack.
"You... are really something else," he forced out, the words dripping with venom.