In the wild outskirts, a huge earthen house stood abruptly. The walls were covered with cracks, evidence of the intense flames that had burned them. Inside, Whitebeard lay quietly, his weapon, Murakumogiri, placed outside and propped up beside the earthen house.
Tsunade and Shizune were also inside. They were dressed in white lab coats and wore sterile masks—items retrieved from a sealing scroll. Ninja techniques can be very convenient sometimes.
"Lord Whitebeard," addressing Whitebeard with respect due to his non-ninja status, his ability to annoy Konoha's higher-ups, his foster son's resemblance to Nawaki, and his wealth, Tsunade withdrew her hands, frowning deeply, "Your condition is dire, unprecedentedly so."
She had treated many severely injured people on the battlefield and even now. However, she had completely given up on her duties, and she would still treat some dignitaries to gather gambling funds. She had encountered many complicated cases.
What kind of patients hadn't she seen?
However...
This was the first time she had seen someone like Whitebeard, with one hidden ailment after another accumulating in his body.
Actually, when she walked into this makeshift operating room, her disciple Shizune had already reminded her that Whitebeard's condition was very serious. But Tsunade had been somewhat dismissive.
How serious could it be?
From the outside, Whitebeard seemed very healthy, just slightly aged.
It wasn't until she examined him closely.
That she realized...
Shizune hadn't exaggerated at all.
"I suspect it's due to your body's unusual strength," Tsunade said in an astonished tone, "If your hidden ailments were spread out over 100 people, none of them would survive the night, but you've endured."
"Gurararara! Perhaps my idiot son has contributed to that!" Whitebeard laughed nonchalantly.
No matter how alarming the doctors from Konoha or Shizune and Tsunade tried to make it sound.
Whitebeard wasn't worried.
Even if he received a critical illness notice and were told he would die tomorrow, Whitebeard wouldn't worry.
Men of the sea.
Do not fear death.
"Naruto?" Tsunade was taken aback, thinking of the Nine-Tails' chakra. If Naruto could use the Nine-Tails' chakra, perhaps it could indeed prolong Whitebeard's life.
"It's Marco!" Whitebeard laughed.
Marco...
A name unfamiliar to Tsunade. Could he be another very skilled medical ninja?
If so, Tsunade thought his medical skills might be on par with hers or just slightly inferior.
"Hu!" Tsunade exhaled heavily, feeling pressured, and said, "Lord Whitebeard, in your condition, you need anesthesia and surgery."
"No need for anesthesia," Whitebeard said, "Just cut."
"Huh?" Before Tsunade could respond, Shizune was dumbfounded.
Shizune exclaimed, "You don't need anesthesia??"
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed loudly, his laughter echoing outside the earthen house, "A man who needs anesthesia for a few cuts doesn't deserve to sail the seas!"
Tsunade and Shizune fell silent.
They had to admit.
The bold and heroic Whitebeard had a unique charisma. No wonder Naruto, Konoha's jinchuriki, would recognize Whitebeard as his "foster father."
"Shizune," Tsunade said, "Prepare for surgery."
"Okay!" Shizune nodded quickly.
Tsunade took out a cloth bag, covered her eyes, and continued, "Describe every detail of the surgery to me."
"Yes!" Shizune nodded again.
Meanwhile.
Tsunade, with her eyes covered, used chakra to cut her thumb: "Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!!!"
...
"Kakashi-uncle, is that big sister Tsunade really good at medical ninjutsu?" Naruto, helping hold Shizune's pet pig, Tonton, grew increasingly anxious.
His small face was full of worry and concern.
"Trust in Lady Tsunade," Kakashi said, "It's said that during the ninja wars, Lady Tsunade healed many who were pronounced dead."
"And... I've also heard that Lady Tsunade's summoning beast is the Slug Sage from the three great sacred places," Kakashi continued, "A very powerful summoning beast."
Compared to Naruto's worries.
Kakashi trusted Tsunade.
However...
Kakashi found himself feeling a bit uneasy, not knowing where this emotion came from.
Was he worried about Whitebeard? Or was it because he felt indebted to Naruto, thus worrying about Naruto's "family"?
Kakashi was startled by his thoughts.
He pondered and concluded it was likely the latter.
After all...
If it were the former, would it mean Whitebeard's charisma had swayed him?
What a joke!
"Kakashi-uncle!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed in shock and anxiety, "Blood! So much blood is coming out!!"
They saw.
A gap opened in the temporary operating room, and blood flowed out like a stream. After the blood stopped flowing, the gap was closed from the inside.
Whitebeard's enormous size meant the blood loss from surgery was several times that of an ordinary person!
"It's okay, Naruto," Kakashi said uncertainly, "Bleeding during surgery is normal."
In reality.
While comforting Naruto, Kakashi's palms were sweating.
He realized he was genuinely worried about the surgery's success!
How could this be?
Kakashi's mind involuntarily recalled Whitebeard's doting treatment of Naruto, his unique paternal love, always evident to the onlooker.
Those scenes, in retrospect.
Made Kakashi feel envious.
His father's figure, Hatake Sakumo, began to overlap with Whitebeard's in his mind.
Scaring Kakashi into a cold sweat.
He slapped himself.
Smack—
Crisp!
Loud!
"Kakashi-uncle, why... why did you hit yourself?" Naruto looked up, seeing Kakashi's strange behavior.
Kakashi was silent for a few seconds and lied, "There was a mosquito."
"Kakashi-uncle, it seems like you're lying..."
Naruto bluntly exposed him.
Kakashi: "..."
Was his acting and lying too poor?
Or was Naruto's intuition too sharp?
...
The unprecedented surgery lasted from 1 PM until 5 PM.
A full four hours!
Boom—
Until... the earthen door of the makeshift operating room was violently kicked open.
First out was Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, how is Whitebeard..." Kakashi began to ask but noticed something off about Tsunade.
She hastily removed her mask, not daring to look back, her face paler than anyone else's.
Her body was trembling uncontrollably.
She frantically wiped her hands, trying to clean off the few drops of blood.
"Accidentally... saw blood..."
Tsunade's voice trembled.
Completely out of control.
...