At first, Yume only felt a bit cold, chilly.
But when she looked down, she was stunned.
Her blanket had been lifted.
Her clothes were pulled aside.
Her chest was cut open, the blood, flesh, and bones inside were all visible.
And her heart was beating violently.
Uehara Soma hadn't expected Yume Tsubakuro to wake up so quickly. Just as he was about to explain something, the knife in his hand involuntarily slashed across.
As the paralysis weakened, intense pain immediately caused Yume Tsubakuro to roll her eyes and faint.
Uehara Soma opened his mouth.
"Fainted, good."
"Explaining might not necessarily work."
Uehara Soma continued with his Body Modification Technique.
He reinforced the weak spots in Yume Tsubakuro's heart, and then, using Yume Tsubakuro's muscle tissue, he constructed several entities similar to blood pumps nearby.
This should solve the problem of Yume Tsubakuro's insufficient blood supply to the heart.
Even enhancing Yume Tsubakuro's blood supply capacity far beyond the ordinary.
In that case, Yume Tsubakuro could return to being the genius she was before.
No, she would be even more of a genius than before.
The sky gradually darkened.
The light of the setting sun spilled into the courtyard, leaves fluttering down. Uehara Soma's figure emerged and stepped into the yard.
Uehara Soma had already completed Yume Tsubakuro's Body Modification Technique.
All wounds were stitched up.
Now, Yume Tsubakuro just needed to patiently wait for time to heal.
A voice echoed in Uehara Soma's mind.
"Congratulations, host, on completing the task."
"Do you wish to leave the Dungeon Instance?"
"Yes!"
Uehara Soma's figure departed from the world of Toji no Miko.
Yume Tsubakuro opened her eyes, quickly looking around, but she didn't see Uehara Soma anywhere.
All doors and windows were securely closed.
"Was it just an illusion?"
...
Back on Forging Island, there was an additional set of forging materials in front of Uehara Soma, precisely Nikkari Ao'e's materials.
However, Uehara Soma didn't immediately start forging; instead, he stored away the materials first.
Later, at the training ground, he continued with his physical training.
Two figures approached Forging Island.
Ao leaned on his cane, looking toward the newcomers.
"Someone's coming."
Biwa Juzo instantly became alert, but soon, he realized something.
"Ao, are the ANBU Ninja still here?"
"They are."
Biwa Juzo's vigilance diminished a bit.
If the ANBU Ninja were still present, it meant they were aware of the newcomers' arrival. If the ANBU Ninja didn't intervene, it was likely on the orders of the Third Mizukage.
"Mayuko-senpai."
"Juzo, Ao."
Ao hurried forward.
"Mayuko-senpai, thank you."
Ao's treatment was divided into two parts.
One part was completed by Uehara Soma.
The other part was completed by Mayuko Ringo.
It can be said that both parts were indispensable.
Without one part, Ao might have died by now.
Therefore, Ao was grateful to both Uehara Soma and Mayuko Ringo.
"No need, I just did what I should do."
Mayuko Ringo waved her hand and looked at Biwa Juzo.
"Is Soma here?"
"Soma is at the training ground."
"This time, I'll have to disturb Forging Island for a while."
Mayuko Ringo said, "The situation with the Kaguya Clan has already been investigated by Mizukage-sama. It's not the action of the Kaguya Clan, but solely Kaguya Tai's actions."
"But, inevitably, there may still be similar entities within the Kaguya Clan."
"Mizukage-sama said, for my safety, I should remain hidden for the time being."
"Forging Island is currently the most suitable place."
Uehara Soma heard the commotion and looked over.
When he saw Mayuko Ringo, he ended his training.
"Mayuko-senpai."
"Soma, thank you for your surgical knives."
"Senpai, you're too kind."
Uehara Soma paused for a moment and said, "I heard Senpai just now saying you'll be staying on Forging Island for a while?"
"Yes, Mizukage-sama thinks my current situation is quite dangerous. He doesn't know if other members of the Kaguya Clan might target me, so he's instructed me to lay low."
As she spoke, Mayuko Ringo patted the head of a little girl beside her.
"This is my granddaughter, Ameyuri."
"Ameyuri, say hello to everyone."
Ameyuri Ringo obediently took two steps forward.
"Hi Juzo-senpai, Ao-senpai, Arafuni-senpai, and Soma-senpai."
Uehara Soma sized up Ameyuri Ringo.
Having heard Mayuko Ringo's name before, Uehara Soma found it familiar, especially because of the "Ringo" part. It seems his guess was correct, Ameyuri Ringo is actually related to Mayuko Ringo.
With her long red hair tied into two ponytails, a petite figure, and sharp teeth peeking out as she spoke, she appeared quiet at the moment. However, Uehara Soma could tell from her gaze that she was likely a very lively girl.
Uehara Soma didn't know much about Ameyuri Ringo's information beforehand.
He only knew that she was a genius from the Hidden Mist Village.
She excelled in using the Thunder Swords. And she surpassed Kurosuki Raiga in that regard.
Her health wasn't great, and she passed away at a young age.
This made Uehara Soma unavoidably recall his recent treatment of Yume Tsubakuro in the Dungeon Instance.
"Previously, when I saw Yume Tsubakuro, I thought, if there's anyone from the Hidden Mist Village who resembles Yume Tsubakuro, Ameyuri Ringo would be one. And now, she's just arrived at Forging Island."
However, Uehara Soma wasn't sure about Ameyuri Ringo's age before.
Because it wasn't explicitly mentioned in the original plot.
Now, looking at Ameyuri Ringo in front of him, Uehara Soma felt she should be a bit younger than Zabuza, but not by much.
Uehara Soma arranged an empty small house for Mayuko Ringo and Ameyuri Ringo.
Even though the Third Mizukage had reached the limit of his patience with the Kaguya Clan considering the village's current situation, he restrained his temperament and didn't take any action yet.
There were no further actions from the Kaguya Clan either.
It seemed like both sides had reached some kind of tacit understanding.
Kaguya Tai's death seemed as if it hadn't happened at all.
However, the relationship between the Kaguya Clan and the Hidden Mist Village has completely deteriorated.
The relationship between the two is beyond repair.
An eruption is just waiting for a trigger.
Kaguya Masui and Kaguya Neko have become the two most tormented individuals within the Kaguya Clan.
But their situations and thoughts are slightly different.
Apart from Kaguya Masui and Kaguya Neko, Kaguya En, the Clan Head of the Kaguya Clan, also feels overwhelmed, but he can't think of a solution, so he feels somewhat resigned.
"Our Kaguya Clan is truly strange!"
"We have those like Kaguya Tai who prioritize the ultimate interests of the family without using their brains."
"And then there's Kaguya Masui, who betrays the family for the sake of the village."
"What kind of bloodline could lead to such a situation?"
"The situation with Konoha's Uchiha is bad, but it's not as complex as the Kaguya Clan's."
"Fortunately, Kaguya Masui still holds some family loyalty and hasn't disclosed all the information to the Mizukage."
"Otherwise, there would be no room for maneuver."
"As for Kaguya Tai... let him rest in peace."
Kaguya Tai's death actually relieved Kaguya En.
Suddenly, a dreadful thought emerged in Kaguya En's mind.
"What if family members like Kaguya Tai were all gone? Would the situation in the Kaguya Clan improve?"
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