"Luckily, my internal organs weren't damaged..." Kakashi muttered as he swallowed the medicine prescribed by the doctor. After receiving treatment from the medical ninjas, he felt much better.
He no longer needed to clutch his abdomen while walking, though there was still a dull pain that would take several days to heal.
As he stepped out of the hospital, he saw the medical ninjas returning the delicate medical equipment inside.
"Done with the checkup?" Kakashi mumbled.
He suddenly thought of something.
"Hey! Wait a minute," he called out, stopping a medical ninja who was pushing a trash bin.
Kakashi casually peeked into the bin.
Inside were broken needle tips.
Some were stained with blood.
Kakashi said, "I'll take care of these."
"That goes against hospital regulations," the medical ninja started to refuse, but Kakashi's next words made him freeze.
With his dead fish eye open, Kakashi touched the pouch of ninja tools at his waist.
He said, expressionless, "Don't even think about conducting human experiments. If that Whitebeard finds out about your little tricks, you'll have to face his wrath."
"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Running Jutsu!!!"
A blinding flash of lightning erupted inside the Konoha Hospital.
When the lightning vanished.
The ground behind Kakashi was charred, with burnt remains scattered around. The high temperatures had melted the needles stained with blood.
Every valuable blood sample.
Turned to ash.
"Hatake Kakashi!" The medical ninja before him was furious, his eyes bulging with anger.
Damn it!
He had planned to secretly hand over these blood samples to Danzo, which was supposed to be a surprise for the Root.
Now.
Everything was ruined!
...
"Wait, what?" Kakashi looked up at Whitebeard, finding it hard to believe: "The doctors said you don't have long to live?"
"Did you believe their nonsense?" Whitebeard laughed heartily, "Gurararara, if I were dying, I'd already be dead."
Indeed.
All the medical ninjas in Konoha Hospital thought that even a fraction of Whitebeard's internal injuries would have instantly killed an ordinary person.
But Whitebeard was still alive.
And he was doing well.
"I'm not like you ninjas made of mud!" Whitebeard grinned, "Living another three years isn't a problem!"
Kakashi retracted his gaze, walking with his hands in his pockets. "Three years later, Naruto will only be eight or nine years old."
Maybe it was Whitebeard's life-threatening jab that woke him up.
Kakashi continued, "Naruto lost his parents right after he was born. How should I put it... he wouldn't want to lose you too."
"Gurararara! White-haired brat, why do you care about me so much?"
Whitebeard glanced at him, "Do you want to be my son too?"
"..." Kakashi didn't bother to refute this time. He sighed, "I'm just thinking about my sensei's child."
Kakashi subtly switched sides.
He walked on Whitebeard's left.
He felt that the giant naginata in Whitebeard's right hand might accidentally bump into him.
Given his small frame, if it hit him, he'd be in the hospital himself.
After some thought.
Kakashi continued, "Konoha Hospital has top-notch medical facilities. If even they can't help, then I suggest finding an even better doctor."
"We once had an excellent medical ninja in Konoha, but due to various events, she became disheartened and left the village."
"Her name is Tsunade!"
Kakashi rarely talked this much. He felt that he didn't dislike Whitebeard.
"If you can find her..."
Kakashi stopped because he saw Whitebeard had stopped. "Hmm? What's wrong?!"
Kakashi quickly realized.
He looked ahead.
"Naruto?!"
In the cool night air of Konoha Village.
A giant stood firm with his naginata.
A ninja with hands in his pockets looked surprised.
A tearful Naruto looked at the two of them.
The three stood still.
"D-Dad, I woke up to go to the bathroom and found you gone, so I followed your footprints."
At this moment, Naruto's voice was trembling.
Given Whitebeard's size, he left footprints even on firm ground.
"Dad, what... what the ninja uncle said, is it true? I heard... I heard a lot."
Naruto couldn't hold back his emotions. He kept wiping his tears, but no matter how much he wiped, they wouldn't stop.
Eventually, the tears fell down his cheeks to the ground.
Just then, Naruto noticed a shadow blocking the moonlight, and everything turned dark.
Looking up, he saw his dad's towering figure.
He couldn't see Whitebeard's face clearly.
Recalling the conversation he heard while running here, Naruto's tears flowed uncontrollably.
"You stupid brat!!!"
Whitebeard didn't hesitate, giving Naruto a solid "love punch" on the head.
Boom!!!
Naruto felt a wave of pressure on his head, causing him to scream and fall to the ground.
Suddenly!
The ground beneath him caved in.
Naruto fell into the hole.
"Ouch!!" The pain made Naruto cry out. He looked up at his dad from the pit. Finally, he saw that his dad always had a confident smile.
"Your dad is Whitebeard! I'm not dying anytime soon!" Whitebeard reached down, grabbing Naruto and lifting him, "You idiot, stop crying and sniffling!"
Suspended in midair, Naruto saw...
The pit was enormous.
Wiping his tears and snot, Naruto, gathering his courage, weakly said, "Dad, you didn't answer me."
Whitebeard was silent for a few seconds before placing Naruto on his shoulder. He grinned, "I've lived for 72 years. How many old guys at sea live this long?"
"I... I only have you, Dad."
Naruto clung to Whitebeard's mustache, "I don't want you to leave me. I don't want to be without you! Without you, I don't want to be Hokage or be accepted."
"Dad! Let's leave Konoha!"
Naruto gritted his teeth, saying something shocking: "Didn't the ninja uncle say there's a skilled medical ninja named Tsunade? Let's find her together!"
"Eh? Wait! Hold on!"
This time, it was Kakashi's turn to be shocked. His pupils contracted.
Naruto wanted to leave Konoha?!
Oh no! He hadn't intended for this!
Kakashi gasped.
He seemed to have...
Caused trouble!
...
...