Land of Rivers.
Deep within a shadowy underground fortress—
A row of flickering candles cast an eerie glow along the corridor.
A pale hand reached out, brushing against one of the flames. The long-haired man to whom it belonged wore a black cloak adorned with red clouds, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
Rumble…
A deep tremor echoed from below.
A hidden chamber slowly revealed itself before the long-haired man.
Inside the chamber, the atmosphere was unsettling, even chilling.
At its center lay an ornate and exquisitely crafted crystal coffin.
Sealed within it was half a corpse.
The coffin's transparent surface allowed a clear view of the remains, displaying human organs with precision—almost like an anatomical specimen prepared for medical study.
Standing before the coffin was a young man in a hooded cloak.
He adjusted his glasses as he gazed at the coffin, his eyes gleaming with an almost intoxicating obsession, as if the crystal coffin was the most exquisite masterpiece he had ever seen.
So much so, that even when the chamber doors opened behind him, he showed only reluctant acknowledgment.
"Kabuto."
The long-haired man entered, his expression turning amused as he spoke with deliberate slowness.
"It seems you're quite taken with my collection."
"Lord Orochimaru."
The young man—Yakushi Kabuto—turned to face him, bowing his head respectfully.
"Apologies, Lord Orochimaru… I became too engrossed."
Kabuto understood his master well.
Orochimaru was lenient with those who were useful.
He tolerated mistakes, even disrespect, as long as his subordinates could accomplish the tasks he assigned.
This did not mean Orochimaru was kind.
As an S-rank rogue ninja feared across the shinobi world, Orochimaru viewed his followers the same way he viewed his experiments—as tools.
If a subordinate was useless, they would become test subjects. And if they remained useless… well, there was always next time.
But if a subordinate proved invaluable—
Orochimaru treated them almost like his own children.
Such was his nature.
"It's fine, Kabuto."
Orochimaru was particularly indulgent toward Kabuto, smiling as he waved off the apology.
"I understand your fascination…"
"After all…"
"This is the first preserved human specimen in the history of the shinobi world."
"The very first medical ninja… whose own body became the foundation for medical research."
Orochimaru stepped closer to the crystal coffin, his golden eyes filled with an unsettling reverence.
"Even for me, each time I lay eyes upon this masterpiece, I cannot help but marvel at its brilliance. Let alone someone like you, Kabuto."
"To medical ninjas like yourself…"
"This man's existence might as well be on par with the Sage of Six Paths."
"Indeed."
Kabuto's gaze remained fixed on the half-corpse inside, his voice tinged with admiration.
"Emiya Shigen…"
"The first to establish the concept of medical ninjutsu."
"The one who developed a medical system that has lasted over a thousand years."
Kabuto took a step forward, his fingers tracing the intricate carvings on the coffin's surface.
"They say his skills were divine…
"That no illness or injury could defy him."
"They say his heart was pure…
"That he saved more people than an entire nation."
"And in the final moments of his life—
"To shatter the world's prejudice against medical dissection and surgery, and to allow future generations to better study medicine…
"He personally requested that his body be divided in two, and sealed within crystal coffins…
"Thus creating the first anatomical research specimen."
Kabuto exhaled softly.
"A truly noble figure."
He stared at the engravings on the coffin, recalling the words spoken by the matron of the orphanage that had raised him:
"A medical ninja bears the pain that others cannot,
to heal those born into suffering."
"It was because of Emiya Shigen's selfless ideals that medical ninjas are still protected today…"
"Even during the bloodiest shinobi wars, combatants hesitate to kill enemy medics."
But after saying this, Kabuto hesitated, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
He possessed exceptional medical skills.
Yet his morals were hardly noble.
But in this ruthless world, morality held little value.
Even Tsunade, the greatest medical ninja alive, wouldn't dare claim to be virtuous.
Why should he?
"That reminds me…"
Kabuto's gaze lingered on the crystal coffin.
"I never expected Lord Orochimaru to possess one of the legendary coffins."
According to legend, both coffins had been lost long ago.
One had fallen into the hands of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and had ignited the First Shinobi War—a war only Emiya Shigen himself had been able to quell.
"Ah, yes…"
Orochimaru's smirk deepened.
"I was always curious about that first coffin."
"But alas, I was born too late."
"This was the only one I could obtain."
He shook his head, an almost nostalgic glint in his eyes.
"This coffin had been sealed away in the Slug Forest for centuries… until the Slug Queen entrusted it to Tsunade."
"I see."
Kabuto understood immediately.
The Slug Queen, the most skilled medical summoning beast, had undoubtedly been bonded to Shigen. It made perfect sense for her to safeguard one of the coffins.
And, of course, she would have later passed it on to Tsunade, the most gifted medic-nin of her time.
"Lady Tsunade…"
Kabuto mused, nodding in agreement.
"Yes, she would indeed be worthy of such a legacy."
"Heh…"
Orochimaru's smirk grew mocking.
"Worthy? Perhaps."
"But this coffin did her no favors."
"If anything, it broke her."
Orochimaru let out a soft sigh.
"Because… she had seen him with her own eyes."
"Tsunade was one of the few to receive personal guidance from Emiya Shigen."
"Seeing a man of such brilliance at a young age… it left her lost."
"And now, she is nothing but a shadow of what she once was."
Kabuto's eyes widened.
"Wait…"
"You're saying that Tsunade actually met him?"
Orochimaru's gaze darkened as he pressed a hand against the coffin.
"Not just Tsunade."
"I, too, may have seen him."
He narrowed his golden eyes, recalling a distant memory.
"A silhouette against the setting sun…
"That person…
"It must have been him."
Kabuto clenched his fists.
He envied them.
To have seen the first medical ninja with their own eyes…
What an experience.
"Well, there's no need to dwell on the past."
Orochimaru grinned.
"Because today, we will see him once more."
Kabuto's breath hitched.
Orochimaru continued, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
"Tsunade left this coffin behind when she abandoned Konoha."
"Before I defected…
"I took it for myself."
He traced his fingers along the delicate carvings on the coffin's surface.
"Shigen…
"Even after a thousand years, your genius remains unmatched."
Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose.
His curiosity burned.
"Lord Orochimaru…
"Are you saying… the engravings hold a secret?"
"Oh, yes."
Orochimaru's voice dripped with fascination.
"Tsunade never noticed it…
"But I did."
His smirk widened.
"These engravings…
"They are Emiya Shigen's final message to the world."
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Powerstones?
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