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"What a pity."
Jin lay on his back with his arms behind his head in the collapsed tent.
Tsunade's punch hadn't been strong enough to cause him any real harm, and it was clear she hadn't meant to seriously hurt him.
It was just unfortunate that he couldn't get a date with Tsunade.
Minato already had a childhood sweetheart, yet he had nothing.
"Can you get out, please!?" A voice, barely restraining its anger, came from nearby.
Jin turned to see a woman with long black hair, her face marked with tattoos. She was drenched, her entire body wrapped in a towel, glaring at him with fury.
"Huh? Long, straight black hair."
Jin's eyes lit up. Although her figure wasn't remarkable, she still fit his aesthetic.
"Hey, big sister, want to go out?"
This flippant remark sent the woman into a rage.
"Kiba, bite him!!"
A large black dog suddenly lunged at him.
"Woof!"
"The Inuzuka clan, huh."
Jin slapped his hands against the ground, using the force to spring to his feet.
Seeing the dog coming at him, he quickly tried to explain.
"This is a misunderstanding."
But this only made the woman even angrier.
"Bite him to death!!"
Jin had no choice but to use Shunpo to disappear in an instant.
Shunpo was excellent for quick movement, though it wasn't the easiest to use effectively in battle.
But in this situation, it was the perfect choice.
Once Jin had left, the woman reluctantly called off Kiba.
"What a needless disaster."
Jin returned to his previous spot, where Sakumo stood, merely glancing at him without saying anything.
Shikaku and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Jin watched as Tsunade quickly tended to the wounded.
"That fast?"
Jin was surprised at how quickly she had mastered the technique. Even with his special abilities, it had taken him an hour to learn it.
"Something's not right." Jin suddenly narrowed his eyes.
This caught Sakumo's attention, and he looked over with concern.
"What's wrong?"
Jin didn't answer immediately, focusing instead on Tsunade's hands, which were beginning to turn a bit black.
"Tsunade is pushing herself too hard."
"What do you mean?"
Sakumo frowned. He wasn't fond of cryptic statements.
Jin finally explained.
"Thousand Spiders and Myriad Venoms Hand is highly effective against most poisons, but it's very difficult to master. Tsunade-sama hasn't fully mastered it yet."
"What will happen if she continues?" Sakumo asked urgently.
Jin thought for a moment. "Tsunade-sama is currently enduring all the pain caused by the toxins these patients are suffering from. In other words, she's experiencing the pain of all the poisoned individuals at once."
This self-sacrificial approach was beyond what Jin could do himself, but it made him want to associate with people like her.
After all, who wouldn't want friends who are willing to sacrifice themselves for others?
"Tsunade-sama is too impatient."
Given Tsunade's current proficiency, she could fully master the technique if she took just half a day.
Sakumo's eyes darkened. He hadn't expected Tsunade's sacrifice to be so great.
He glanced at Jin again.
He understood Tsunade's desire to save her comrades.
But he also sensed a cold detachment in Jin.
This wasn't about the Uchiha; it was just who Jin was.
He closed his eyes in thought for a moment before reopening them and asking Jin.
"If she continues, what will happen?"
Jin calculated briefly.
"The poisoning will become severe, possibly affecting her body. By the time Tsunade-sama finishes treating everyone, she will lose her ability to fight."
"Will her life be in danger?" Jin gave Sakumo a puzzled look.
Sakumo didn't understand.
"You don't know that the Basic Inner Technique can expel toxins? Plus, Thousand Spiders and Myriad Venoms Hand can also detoxify. Tsunade-sama will just feel awful for a while."
For a shinobi, that kind of discomfort wasn't a major issue.
Sakumo finally relaxed.
He was aware that the Basic Inner Technique could expel toxins.
They both watched as Tsunade treated one patient after another.
As the toxins were purged from their bodies, the patients closed their eyes, their breathing becoming steady as they fell into a deep sleep.
They had been tortured by the poison for days, enduring to their limits. Once their bodies relaxed, they immediately fell asleep.
Shinobi didn't snore; Jin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
It was all training. Snoring during sleep could be dangerous on missions.
On the other side, Tsunade endured the pain the toxins brought. She could feel every bit of the agony the poisoned patients had experienced.
But the pain didn't affect her ability to treat them.
Placing her hand on a patient, the water-nature chakra within the seal on her hand created a vortex, continuously drawing out the toxins.
This effect only worked on a single type of toxin.
Moreover, because the seal of Thousand Spiders and Myriad Venoms Hand was not fully developed, scattered toxins began to seep into Tsunade's body. But the modified Basic Inner Technique suppressed the toxins, allowing Tsunade to maintain her ability to move.
She then used Mystical Palm Technique for further treatment.
After one treatment was completed.
The sky turned from clear blue to dusk, and from dusk to night. As torches were lit around them, Tsunade continued working into the late hours.
It wasn't until deep into the night that she finished treating the last patient.
She let out a deep breath, but as soon as she stood up, she felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground.
"Tsunade!"
"Tsunade-sama!"
"Tsunade!"
People quickly gathered around her.
Tsunade, barely conscious, forced herself to speak to Sakumo. "The antidote... I'll make it tomorrow."
With that, she fainted.
Jin had already disappeared.
Sakumo looked at the patients, all now peacefully asleep on their stretchers.
Then he looked down at Tsunade, who was being lifted onto a stretcher, and murmured softly.
"Well done, Tsunade."
A kunoichi with glasses appeared at Sakumo's side like a ghost.
"Sakumo-sama, now that the toxin issue is resolved, as soon as Tsunade produces the antidote, we can begin our counterattack."
Sakumo's eyes grew sharp, and an imposing aura radiated from him.
The kunoichi felt as if her eyes were being slashed by a blade, forcing her to close them.
Sakumo was getting stronger.
"There's no need to wait for Tsunade to wake up. I'll lead a team to counterattack immediately."
This made the kunoichi force herself to open her eyes, looking at Sakumo in disbelief.
"Sakumo-sama, that's suicide."
A single team against the entire Sand Shinobi forces—even the Third Hokage couldn't pull that off.
"I'm the commander here. You just need to follow my orders."
Sakumo's calm gaze made the kunoichi feel as though a blade was pressed against her throat.
"What kind of team do you need?"
The kunoichi didn't dare argue, even though she believed Sakumo was on a suicide mission.
Sakumo ignored her concerns and stated his requirements.
"A highly resilient sensory-type shinobi and…"
"Uchiha Jin."
(End of Chapter)