Chapter 3: The Hope Of Extending Life
______
"Huh! Is it useful?"
"Good! I'm glad it's useful!"
Katsumi let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his mother's affirmation. A bright smile spread across his face as he said, "This means that both you and I can continue to live on!"
He added, "Also, Mom, haven't I gained considerable knowledge and experience in medicine and herbal remedies as part of this inheritance? Let me examine your condition and prescribe some tailored treatments to help regulate your body and speed up your recovery!"
"Of course, I'll need some too!"
If Kaori's health could be restored and her lifespan extended, their path forward would become much smoother.
"Oh?"
Kaori raised an eyebrow slightly. "So the inheritance includes medical expertise and herbal knowledge as well? This immortal legacy is truly comprehensive!"
She smiled faintly and continued, "In that case, Katsumi, take a good look at my condition first! As for gathering medicinal materials, leave that to me. Money is the least of our worries."
"Understood!"
Katsumi nodded earnestly before beginning a thorough examination of his mother's body.
Before long, his expression darkened. He withdrew his hand from her wrist and said solemnly, "Your condition is far worse than I imagined."
He elaborated, "In addition to numerous hidden injuries, your cells have been excessively extracting Chakra over the past few years. This has led to severe depletion of cellular vitality and division, significantly shortening your lifespan.
"But that isn't even the most critical issue..."**
Katsumi's gaze shifted to his mother's right eye—the one with the dull, white pupil. His expression turned grim as he added, "The true danger lies in the fact that you once used Izanami. It didn't just render your right eye permanently blind; it also consumed a significant portion of your life force and soul essence. That's the most fatal aspect."
He frowned deeply. "I always thought the price of this Forbidden Technique was merely blindness. I never expected it to be this devastating."
Kaori, noticing the distress in her son's expression, offered a faint smile. "I didn't expect your medical knowledge from the inheritance to be so advanced. You've managed to see through all of this so clearly!"
She chuckled lightly and added, "And you even know about the Forbidden Technique, Izanami. It seems the information and secrets you've gained from this inheritance go far deeper than you've let on."
Her tone grew more serious as she explained, "However, what you've said isn't entirely correct."
"The damage to my life force and soul essence wasn't solely caused by Izanami."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "When the technique is perfected, and its user is skilled enough to wield it correctly, the side effects you've described don't occur. The only real cost is the loss of a Sharingan."
Her expression softened as she added, "But in my case, the Izanami you're referring to was a technique I developed myself to prevent internal strife within the Uchiha clan."
"It's normal to encounter some failures during the development process!"
Kaori sighed softly, continuing, "That's why the abnormal loss of my soul source and life force occurred. There was no way around it."
She paused, her tone carrying a trace of self-deprecation. "It's a miracle I even succeeded in creating such a heaven-defying Forbidden Technique on my own."
Her eyes dimmed briefly before regaining their determination. She added, "I'm lucky I didn't die outright during the process."
"Is that so?"
Katsumi listened intently, nodding as understanding dawned. With a proud smile, he gave his mother a thumbs up. "Mom, you're incredible! You accomplished something so extraordinary!"
However, his smile soon faded as his brows furrowed in concern. "But," he began, "if you want to recover your lost life force and soul source, simply conditioning your body and eliminating hidden injuries won't be enough. Those losses must be restored."
He continued thoughtfully, "After all, isn't congenital deficiency essentially a lack of life force from birth? And right now, with the medical knowledge I've gained, there's no way to fully replenish it."
Katsumi's gaze turned distant as he pondered. "Maybe... we'll have to go to the pirate world through the space-time gate to find a solution."
Of course, he considered another option—leveraging his "heaven-rewards-hard-work" talent to refine his medical skills to small or even great success. That might eventually yield a solution.
But that would require a significant amount of time.
He could afford to wait, relying on his health-preserving exercises and steady improvement. But his mother? She might not have that luxury.
Moreover, the ninja world was fraught with danger. The priority was to heal himself and his mother as quickly as possible and to strengthen their abilities without delay.
Time was running out.
"Oh?"
Kaori looked slightly surprised. "There are doctors in that world capable of solving such complex problems?"
Her tone carried a hint of hope. "If that's the case, it would be wonderful."
"I believe so!"
Katsumi nodded, though his certainty was tinged with hesitation. "That world is quite magical in its own way..."
He then gave his mother a brief overview of the pirate world's unique elements, including Devil Fruits and their diverse abilities.
"Among the Devil Fruits," he explained, "there are some like the Healing Fruit and Hormone Fruit that should be capable of addressing our problems."
He paused before adding, "Of course, these fruits aren't easy to find. But we can go to Drum Island to seek out the witch, Dr. Kureha."
His tone carried a mix of confidence and hope as he continued, "She's renowned for her extraordinary medical skills, and it's even rumored that she possesses the secret of a longevity medicine."
"Even if she can't fully cure us, she should be able to help significantly with our recovery and extend our lifespans. That would give us the time we need to find a more permanent solution."
Finally, he smiled faintly. "And most importantly, she's relatively easier to locate."
At this point, Katsumi turned to his mother and said, "So, Mom, let's make time to visit the pirate world as soon as possible. We can find Dr. Kureha to treat us and help regulate our bodies!"
"Okay!"
After a moment of contemplation, Kaori nodded in agreement.
She then asked, "But how long do you think it will take to get there? I'll need to make arrangements for the clan beforehand."
"Uh…"
Katsumi hesitated before admitting, "I'm not sure either! I don't know where exactly we'll appear once we get there. How about this: you come with me first so we can determine the approximate location, and then we can return to make proper plans?"
He also needed to confirm the timeline in that world.
'I just hope the main story hasn't started yet,' Katsumi thought to himself.
"Alright"
Kaori agreed without hesitation. "It just so happens that I'm free today. Let's go now! Do you need me to prepare anything?"
"No," Katsumi replied, shaking his head. "Since we can return at any time, there's no need to prepare anything extra. But I'm not entirely sure if the location we arrive at will be safe. Mom, please stay vigilant."
As someone still relatively weak, Katsumi knew he couldn't afford to be careless. The last thing he wanted was to die immediately upon arrival. That would be a disaster.
"Leave it to me!" Kaori said with a confident smile, clenching her fist. "Mom is very strong!"
"Yeah!"
Katsumi smiled, nodding in agreement. Then, reaching out, he took Kaori's hand. With a focused thought, he activated the space-time gate rune within his consciousness.
The next moment, both he and Kaori vanished from their home.
---
Meanwhile, in the pirate world, on the first half of the Grand Line, a sea area between Water 7 and the Sabaody Archipelago…
Two pirate groups were engaged in a fierce battle.
On one side was the fleet of Amazon Lily's Kuja Pirates. On the other was the Crazy Shark Slave Group, infamous for their involvement in the slave trade.
"Bring the ship closer and capture them! The female warriors from Amazon Lily are top-tier merchandise. They'll fetch an astronomical price!"
"Haha! Leave it to us, boss!"
"Kill them all!"
The battle lasted a mere ten minutes, during which the Kuja Pirates found themselves at a significant disadvantage. Overwhelmed by the relentless attacks, they were forced back, and the enemy successfully boarded their ship.
"Sister, what do we do? Everyone's in danger!"
Sandersonia asked in a trembling voice, hiding behind her elder sister.
"Yes, Sister! Should we go help?"
Marigold chimed in anxiously, her expression filled with fear.