A hush fell over the cafeteria as Ryu confidently declared his diagnosis. Isao, his eyes widening in surprise, stared at the young man with newfound respect.
As they finished their meal, a comfortable silence settled between them. Ryu, with a determined glint in his eye, excused himself and headed for the library, eager to delve deeper into the books. Isao, meanwhile, made his way to Dr. Yuki's office, his steps lighter than usual.
As Ryu disappeared down the corridor, Isao couldn't help but marvel at the boy's insatiable curiosity. "To think," he mused to himself, "that such a brilliant mind is housed in such a young body. It's both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking."
As they finished eating, Ryu left for the library to read more about the medicine, and Isao left to report Dr. Yuki on what had happened earlier. Dr. Yuki would also be surprised if she wasn't already surprised by his intellect and observation skills.
He was speaking with Dr. Yuki. "I am telling you. The boy is a genius; just one look at the man's shoes, and he comes up with a diagnosis. Well, it's still too early to say the diagnosis is correct, but nevertheless, no other person in the hospital came to the same conclusion."
Dr. Yuki leaned back in her chair, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It's not just about coming up with a diagnosis, Isao," she said thoughtfully. "It's about the process. The way he connected seemingly unrelated facts, the questions he asked... That's not just intelligence, that's a truly analytical mind at work."
Dr. Yuki listened to his attendant silently and then finally spoke, " you reach out to that man and confirm his diagnosis. "
Isao replied in affirmation, "Yes, mam."
As Isao was about to leave, Dr. Yuki asked another question: "What about the equipment the boy asked to arrange?"
She paused and continued, "Do you know what he is going to do with them?"
Isao, with a sorry look, replied, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you about it."
Dr. Yuki looked at him with a deadpan face. She thought, "This kid. I gave him one task."
Isao then continued, "He is conducting experiments."
Dr. Yuki replied, "I already know that. I want to know what kind of experiments to do. What's mouldy bread for?"
Isao smiled at his foolishness and replied, "He understands that his body is unable to fight the infection on its own, so he is trying to find some pathogens that can fight his infection in his stead. Like fighting fire with fire."
Dr. Yuki, who was not surprised earlier, was surprised as of now and started thinking. She then said, after thinking for a brief moment, "genius."
She thought, "Fighting infection with infection. No one has ever thought of it before. If the boy succeeds, he is going to change the medical world."
Dr. Yuki's mind raced with possibilities. "This approach... it's unconventional, borderline revolutionary. If it works, it could open up entirely new avenues of treatment, not just for Ryu's condition, but for a whole host of infections we struggle with."
She turned to Isao, her eyes alight with a mix of excitement and concern. "We need to monitor this closely, Isao. Not just for Ryu's safety, but for the potential impact on medical science as a whole."
Dr. Yuki was thinking about the changes that these experiments may bring if they are successful. She turned to Isao and said, "I want daily reports of everything Ryu does. Do you understand?" She said it with a serious face.
Isao nodded in affirmation and, after bowing, left Dr. Yuki's office.
At the same time, somewhere else. One old man was smoking a pipe while looking at a document at his desk. He said to himself in a tone filled with exhaustion, "This paperwork is going to kill me someday."
"Perhaps," he mused aloud, "it's time to start thinking about a successor. Someone younger, with fresh ideas and the energy to match."
He suddenly heard a knock on his door. He said, "Come in.".
Suddenly, a man came inside. The old man was surprised by his sudden visit.
He asked him, "What brings you here, Tatsuya?"
"Lord Hokage, I have something to report," the man said.
The third hostage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, asked him, "Okay, tell me what it is about."
Tatsuya bowed respectfully. "Forgive the intrusion, Lord Hokage. I have something to report regarding Dan Hamura."Hiruzen's posture stiffened. The name sent a jolt through him, a flicker of something akin to dread flickering in his aged eyes. He closed them briefly, the weight of past conflicts and unspoken tensions settling upon him. "Dan," he finally murmured, his voice low. "Is it bad news?"Memories flooded Hiruzen's mind - of a younger Dan, full of promise and idealism, and of the tragedy that had befallen his clan. The guilt, never far from the surface, threatened to overwhelm him once more.
"No, Lord Hokage," Tatsuya replied quickly, sensing the shift in the air. "Nothing of the sort. He is… well, more than fine, I would say."Hiruzen was surprised. He had thought Tatsuya, the mission approver, had brought him bad news about Dan's demise, but that was not the case. It was in his knowledge that, since the death of Dan's family, he has been undertaking dangerous missions. Old Hokage, who has seen many people lose their families in his long life, clearly understood his intentions and thus instructed his mission approver to give him a mission that may seem dangerous at first glance but isn't.
Dan was someone from his generation; not many of them are now left in the village. It was his way of taking care of him and a way of repentance for not standing up for his clan at the time of their need.
Old Hokage then asked him, "If it's not bad news, then what? Has he finally given up on planning to die on a mission?"
Tatsuya chuckled softly. "No, Lord Hokage. Quite the opposite, in fact. It seems Mr. Dan has adopted a child."
Old Hokage was surprised by the sudden news. He thought, "Has that old fool finally come to his senses and started looking at life with new hope?".
A spark of hope ignited in Hiruzen's chest. Could this be the turning point Dan needed? A chance for redemption, not just for Dan, but for Hiruzen himself?
"When Mr. Dan didn't show up at the mission desk for a few days," Tatsuya continued, his voice taking on a narrative tone, "I grew concerned. It's unlike him to miss his assigned duties. So, I took it upon myself to investigate."
He paused, allowing the weight of his next words to hang in the air. "That's when I discovered the truth—Mr. Dan had adopted a young boy."
He stopped for a moment, then continued, "I was happy for a moment, then I found out that the child he adopted is terminally ill.".
The old Hokage was again surprised by this. He thought, "Why would someone who has lost his entire family willingly choose to adopt a child who is destined to leave him soon?"
Hiruzen's heart sank. The cruelty of fate seemed relentless. "To open one's heart again, only to face inevitable loss... Dan, my old friend, what are you thinking?"
As the old Hokage was thinking, Tatsuya said, "I was thinking the same."
The old Hokage looked at Tatsuya without saying anything.
Tatsuya continued, "I was curious about the boy, so I followed them."
He then continued, "They went to Leaf Central Hospital and entered the library, which is off-limits to all but the staff."
Tatsuya then said, "Wanting to see the boy myself, I waited at the cafeteria, and I am glad I did."
This got the attention of the old hokage; he was listening to him with interest. Tatsuya then continued , "there was a man with a strange medical condition that all the doctors failed to diagnose even after so many months of testing. He was annoyed at the hospital staff for not being able to help him. "
He paused and continued, "While I was watching the boy, he looked at the man, reached him, and told him his theory about what his condition was. I thought the doctors needed to confirm his theory, but still. He came up with a diagnosis that no doctor even thought of."
He explained the third hokage about Ryu's diagnosis of the old man about double exposure. After listening to him, the Hokage thought, "What a brilliant boy. He could be the next Tsunade. its a shame."
"i thought the same. He could be the next Lady Tsunade. It's a shame." He paused for a second and said, "He is such a brilliant boy."
Third gave him a mocking glance and remarked, "Stop attempting to express my thoughts aloud. Although your attempt is commendable, you are not a mind reader like a Yamanaka, so don't push it."
He then bowed and said, "Yes, Lord Hokage. I wanted to share something about this peculiar boy I met today. so I was a little excited. Please forgive me."
The third then asked him, "What is the name of this boy that Dan has adopted?"
"I think someone called him Ryu Hamura," Tatsuya remarked.
The name suddenly shook him. The third hokage thought, "Ryu, that name. Is this a coincidence?"
Hiruzen's mind raced, memories of ancient legends and long-buried secrets surfacing. The name 'Ryu' carried weight in certain circles, whispers of a power that predated even the founding of the hidden villages.
[A/N:
Thank you, Ben Hurley, for supporting me on Patreon.
Please follow me on Patreon to get earlier access. Even the public chapters are made available on Patreon a little bit earlier. Lates Chapter on Patreon :- Chapter 49: Race Against Time
You can read additional chapters on Patreon : patreon. com/PageTurnerPJ (no spacing)
You can also tip me at ko-fi. com/pageturnerpj (no spacing)
You can also support me on UPI: pageturner@ybl
Your support is what gets this story going, so please donate power STONES to the story.
Please like and share your review to the story.
You can also follow me on X : @PageTurnerPJ
]