An eerie silence hung in the air as Kakashi clutched his abdomen, struggling to stand up.
The mental guilt was far more agonizing than the physical pain.
Each question from Whitebeard left Kakashi lost for words.
He knew he had acted like a heartless opportunist, and he felt unworthy of Minato's legacy. The way Minato had treated him kindly, but he hadn't returned that favor by looking after Minato's child.
Kakashi couldn't meet Whitebeard's gaze.
He couldn't tell if it was guilt or reverence that kept him from looking into Whitebeard's eyes.
"I..."
Kakashi finally said, "I believe you should go to Konoha Hospital, and it would be good for both you and Naruto. If there's something wrong with your body, we should find a way to treat it."
He avoided giving a direct answer to Whitebeard's questions, redirecting the conversation.
"You're the only family Naruto has," Kakashi added, taking a deep breath.
At this moment
He had come to terms with the relationship between Whitebeard and Naruto, and that's why he advised Whitebeard to go to Konoha Hospital.
As he knew that Naruto had no father or mother.
Finally, finding a father figure was a precious thing. If this newfound "father" left him due to health issues,
Naruto's situation would be truly pitiable.
.....
Konoha Hospital
Kakashi, with one of his Sharingan eyes, realized that both Whitebeard and himself needed medical attention.
Whitebeard's powerful poke left Kakashi in excruciating pain. He had difficulty breathing, and he had to take a deep breath even after walking a few steps.
Not good!
He thought his internal organs might be damaged.
With this thought in mind,
Kakashi reluctantly turned to glance at Whitebeard behind him, but he couldn't blame him for the excessive force used.
This led to the arrival of two extraordinary figures at Konoha Hospital.
The first was the renowned "Copy Ninja," Kakashi Hatake, and the second was the newly famous "Giant," Whitebeard. Their presence caused quite a stir at the hospital, even on a quiet night.
The number of medical ninjas in the hospital was fewer at night, but they still swarmed around Whitebeard and Kakashi,
"Excuse me, Giant-san! Hello!" a bearded, middle-aged medical ninja, appearing quite nervous yet excited, approached. "Giant-san, are you here for a medical examination?"
Whitebeard glanced at the structure of Konoha Hospital and remarked, "Your hospital's floors are built rather low!"
Konoha Hospital's floor height, approximately four meters per floor, was already considered high compared to residential buildings.
However, for someone of Whitebeard's colossal stature, four meters was insufficient.
"No worries!" the older medical ninja reassured him. "We can simply move all the medical equipment outside."
This is a giant!
These medical ninjas were in their teens and twenties, with the older ones being in their fifties or sixties.
They had treated various patients in the village, including formidable ninjas and ordinary citizens.
But they had never encountered a giant in their lives. To them, Whitebeard was a unique and intriguing medical case.
They couldn't wait to examine him, to see how a giant's body structure differed from that of an ordinary person.
"Kakashi-san, are you here for a checkup too?" the medical ninjas, eager to get started, turned their attention to Kakashi, the Copy Ninja.
Kakashi was finding it hard to cope with their odd enthusiasm.
"Yes," he replied with a hint of resignation, clutching his stomach. "I'm here for a checkup. But, can you please not stare at me like that?"
Then
Kakashi was escorted into Konoha Hospital by a few medical ninjas, while the other medical ninjas from the hospital carried numerous medical instruments outside.
They were not worried at all about whether their actions would lead to inaccuracies in these highly precise medical instruments or if they might cause damage.
Tonight, the hospital's director is not home.
"Hmm, it feels quite familiar." Whitebeard mumbled as he observed the bustling medical ninjas surrounding him, reminding him of his time aboard the Moby Dick.
He believed that his new Whitebeard Pirates probably needed highly skilled medical ninjas.
Or...
Why not just snatch a few from Konoha Hospital?
Whitebeard scrutinized the group of medical ninjas at Konoha Hospital with an unusual gaze while they, in turn, were conducting a thorough examination of his aging body.
"It seems like he's just an enlarged version of a normal human?"
the medical ninjas soon discovered that Whitebeard was not from some exotic race, and his organ and general physical condition was no different from that of an average person.
Uh!
The only exceptional aspect is Whitebeard's remarkable physical strength, as their needles snapped when they attempted to pierce his skin.
This level of physical fortitude even surpasses that of a Taijutsu ninja. Can a regular human truly attain this level of muscular development?
It's truly astonishing!
As time passed during their examination of Whitebeard, the expressions on their faces became increasingly bewildered. They huddled together in whispered discussions as if they had encountered a complex medical problem.
"...Giant-san," one of the older medical ninjas, with a shocked expression hidden behind his mask, was at a loss for words.
He couldn't help but gaze at Whitebeard's imposing figure and then at the freshly printed medical report he held.
He nervously cleared his throat.
"Gurararara! what? Why is everyone acting so weird? Am I on my terminally ill or something?" Whitebeard remained nonchalant, well aware of his physical condition.
During his time aboard the Moby Dick, his sons had arranged countless examinations for him.
"Terminally ill? Well, perhaps that term is a bit too humble," the medical ninja took a deep breath, clearly astounded, and went on to say,
"You... how have you managed to live this long?"
While this statement might seem impolite at first glance, it truly reflected the thoughts of these medical ninjas, who couldn't fathom how Whitebeard, at the age of 72 had accumulated such a multitude of concealed injuries. They continued to scrutinize his body, searching for any abnormalities.
"Giant-san... If the health issues you have were placed on an ordinary person, or even on an elite Konoha ninja, they would likely be declared dead."
The medical ninja continued, "We apologize, but with Konoha's level of medical expertise, we may not be able to provide you with effective treatment.
We've never seen a person with so many hidden injuries.
Muscles, bones, blood vessels, and organs all appear normal on the surface, but under careful examination..."
Not a single one is unscathed!
Each one has an issue!
Each one of them
Each one harbors a hidden injuries!
They couldn't help but fix their gaze on the scar on Whitebeard's chest, unable to fathom how many battles this man had been through, how many times he had faced the brink of death...
How could he accumulate such a host of injuries?
The man before them...
It is as if he is the very embodiment of the essence of war!
.....
.....
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