"Okay..."
Shio nodded subconsciously, but Tobirama's previous words kept echoing in her mind.
'I'm going to start saving people now...'
Of course she was willing to help Konoha's shinobi...
But who was this girl?
What did he mean by saying she was Seisui's friend?
And those eyes that seemed capable of speaking for themselves—the affection in them was obvious to anyone who wasn't blind...
Shio glanced around.
Every shinobi gathered here was a heavyweight.
Being a Konoha Council member was only one of their identities. Every one of them was a major figure whose actions could send ripples through the entire village.
Tsunade, Hiruko, Orochimaru...
Shio couldn't help wondering just how many resources Seisui had mobilized to save this girl.
'Seisui may be talented, but he's still just an ordinary young Uchiha. How could he possibly have access to so many influential people at the top levels of the village?'
'That's right, Mito-sama mentioned that he became Danzō's disciple...'
Shio found the clue she was looking for!
The story of Danzō drinking with Isshin and Fugaku had become one of the village's widely known amusing anecdotes.
That had been deliberately arranged by Danzō himself.
The goal was to clean up the bad blood between himself and the Uchiha, minimize the impact of Seisui's impeachment incident, and pull off a grand "century-long reconciliation."
When Shio first heard about it, she had even worriedly asked Mito whether Seisui would end up being targeted by Danzō...
Mito hadn't been concerned at all. Danzō certainly had his flaws, but he would never target Tobirama's descendant.
Mito had reassured Shio like this:
'Seisui became Danzō's disciple for the sake of harmony within the village. He may have suffered some grievances, but the Uchiha Clan will support him...'
Only then had Shio finally relaxed.
But she had also formed a certain impression:
'Danzō and Seisui are merely sensei and disciple in name. There's no real affection between them.'
That was also what most Konoha shinobi believed...
After all, only Mito, Isshin, and Danzō knew that "Seisui" was a direct descendant of Tobirama and Izuna.
Given Danzō's reputation over the years, who would believe that he would genuinely treat Seisui well?
The man was notoriously petty!
The only one who wasn't worried was Hiruzen.
He was too busy worrying about his beloved disciple Orochimaru and trying to keep things balanced.
After all, he needed to prevent a Tobirama-enhanced Danzō from putting too much pressure on his student and affecting his research mindset...
'To mobilize connections like these, Seisui must have gone to Danzō for help, right?'
The more Shio thought about it, the more shocked she became.
'He had impeached Danzō, yet for the sake of this woman, he was forced to bow his head before the Darkness of the Shinobi, the very man who had always targeted the Uchiha.'
'What exactly is their relationship?'
A complicated feeling welled up in Shio's heart.
The life-and-death experiences they had shared back in Kusagakure were like a seed planted among beautiful memories.
And now, nourished by her emotions, that seed had ripened into fruit.
At that moment, her sinking heart crushed that underdeveloped fruit.
There was none of the sweetness she had imagined.
Instead, a sour bitterness spread through every part of her body, so intense that even her fingertips felt numb.
There was even a hint of burning spice mixed into it...
'Wasn't it agreed that the village and his clan were the loves of his life?'
'Wasn't it agreed that we'd call each other brother and sister and work together for the village?'
Shio desperately wanted to demand answers from Seisui.
But when her eyes accidentally met Tomie's, the anger that had just surged up was immediately drowned by the kindness in her heart and faded away.
Tomie looked visibly ill now.
Before her bloodline disease erupted, there hadn't been many outward signs of her condition.
At most, she coughed frequently...
But over the past few days, her condition had worsened at an increasingly alarming rate.
Her once fairly attractive face had become so gaunt that her features stood out sharply. A faint dark tint covered her complexion, and only her eyes still retained any vitality.
'What is Seisui even doing...'
'If he wants to show his feelings, there's no need to go this far...'
'Sigh...'
Tomie's mood wasn't much lighter than Shio's.
Of course, she knew about the history between Shio and "Seisui."
But she didn't care.
Otherwise, she never would have agreed to the matchmaking arranged by Isshin.
In Tomie's view, bringing Shio here to treat her illness was partly due to the objective requirements of Shio's abilities.
But the bigger reason was that Seisui was expressing his feelings toward her...
By drawing a clear line between himself and Shio—the rumored girlfriend—in front of all these important figures, almost as if making a public announcement.
'Seisui really is a traditional Uchiha...'
'This approach is a little too extreme...'
'Sigh, I'll have to find a chance to talk to him later. I appreciate what he's doing for me, but Uzumaki Shio is innocent in all this, isn't she?'
'What should I do?'
'Should I visit Shio after I recover? But that doesn't seem right either. It might come across as provocation...'
'Still, this big sister is going to save my life...'
Tomie's treatment hadn't even begun yet.
Her surgery hadn't started.
And she was already imagining what would happen after she recovered.
That was the change hope brought to a person...
Once life returned, everything became different.
The Tomie who had once given up on herself, trapped in hardship and doubt, wanting only to destroy herself and leave this world behind—
After seeing "Seisui" running around tirelessly to treat her illness, even setting aside his pride to ask Danzō for resources—
Simply couldn't maintain her composure anymore.
In this regard, Tomie's thoughts were remarkably similar to Shio's.
Or rather, aside from Tobirama, Danzō, and Orochimaru—the only three people who knew the true nature of their sensei-disciple relationship—almost everyone thought the same way.
Danzō's reputation spoke for itself.
Combined with this uniquely Uchiha-style confession that seemed to proclaim his wholehearted devotion to Tomie...
Even the hardest iceberg should have been melted by such blazing Uchiha love.
"Your task in a moment is to transfer your life force to Tomie."
Tobirama spoke expressionlessly.
"Her blood is saturated with toxins. If those toxins aren't completely filtered out, they'll multiply like a virus."
"So I need to drain as much of her blood as possible in a single session."
"But her vital signs are already in terrible condition, so I need your life force to support her and help Tomie survive the weakened period during the blood replacement process."
"Can you do that?"
Tobirama wasn't deliberately wearing a cold expression. It was simply a habit he had developed over many years.
Once he entered a research or surgical mindset, he became almost like a machine—cold, rational, and focused solely on ensuring that every attempt produced results.
To begin with, Tobirama had indeed felt that something was slightly off...
But the unconscious teamwork between Orochimaru and Izuna, along with their encouragement and assurances, had erased the last trace of doubt in his heart.
He himself was an old-fashioned shinobi who had never even been in a relationship. When it came to matters between men and women, he was genuinely not very perceptive.
In a sense, he had been set up from afar by Orochimaru and Izuna working together...
"I can..."
Shio lowered her head. The words seemed to be squeezed out from her throat.
The emotions inside her churned violently.
In her eyes, Tobirama's cold expression was an extreme display of disrespect...
Just because Tomie was by his side, he couldn't even spare her a decent attitude or tone?
'You're far too arrogant...'
At that moment, Shio suddenly recalled Mito's words.
'Every person is an individual. Becoming someone else's dependent is a gamble—it's entrusting your fate to luck.'
'As a shinobi, you must remember to possess strength and conviction, and have a ninja way that belongs solely to you...'
Back then, Shio had found those words difficult to understand.
After all, Mito's husband had been the God of Shinobi—the invincible First Hokage...
Why did she still think that way?
What Shio didn't know was that Mito herself had rendered tremendous service during the wars between the Senju and Uchiha.
She had contributed greatly to Hashirama's integration of Wood Release and sealing techniques, and had achieved many accomplishments on the battlefield as well.
That was why, after the village was founded, when Mito forbade Tobirama from researching forbidden techniques, even Tobirama as the Second Hokage could only retreat in defeat...
The title of Hashirama's widow alone wasn't enough.
But Mito was different.
She could have pointed at Tobirama's nose and shouted:
"When I was helping the Senju detect traps everywhere, fighting your brother's enemies with my life on the line, you weren't Hokage yet!"
"Search your conscience! When I carried you out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, was it so that you'd become Hokage one day, betray your brother's ideals, and research these abominable techniques?"
Mito had never actually said such things.
But Tobirama was terrified that she might...
Because if she did, he truly wouldn't have a comeback.
'As expected, everything Mito-sama said was right...'
'If I were as strong as Mito-sama and had made countless contributions to the village, would he still dare treat me like this?'
'At the very least, he would show me basic respect!'
For the first time, Shio felt like crying.
Tears silently welled up in her eyes.
'Damn the Uchiha Clan! The Second Hokage and Mito-sama were absolutely right...'
'This clan really is evil by nature...'
Shio remembered another story Mito had told her.
Back in the Warring States Era, even the Uchiha's two strongest brothers, Izuna and Madara...
Had treated Mito with great respect.
Whenever Madara met members of the Uzumaki Clan, he would instinctively refer to them as "Mito's clansmen," rarely treating Mito as merely Hashirama's dependent...
That was the most basic respect owed to a strong individual.
As for Izuna, there was even less to say.
On the battlefield, Mito repeatedly broke through his plans with her perception and intuition, while in private she had chased him away at top speed after beating him with Adamantine Sealing Chains...
'I was such a fool. I should have realized it sooner...'
'When dealing with the Uchiha Clan, I should first focus on gaining strength before trying to get close to them!'
'Mito-sama clearly showed me the right path, yet I foolishly wasted my time. I never truly pushed myself to train with everything I had...'
Shio let out a long sigh.
It felt as though electricity had coursed through her entire body.
She was exhausted, yet at the same time felt relieved, as if she had finally found her own path.
"Thank you, big sister from the Uzumaki Clan..."
Tomie forced herself to speak.
Looking at Shio, she said apologetically: "I'm troubling you so much!"
Shio silently nodded.
She wouldn't take her frustrations out on Tomie.
Because even if Seisui had never been involved, if a fellow Konoha shinobi needed her help, Shio would still step forward without hesitation.
Shio's problem was merely that she had become content with a comfortable life and lacked the motivation to train.
Her love for Konoha, however, was genuine.
After all, she truly came from Kusagakure and had lived through a period of darkness and suffering...
Yet Tobirama still didn't turn around.
He didn't care about any of that.
The operation was about to begin.
How Shio and Tomie interacted or expressed gratitude was their business.
As far as Tobirama was concerned, once Tomie's illness was cured, the debt he and Izuna owed her because of historical circumstances would finally be repaid.
Unless something important came up in the future, there would be no need for further contact.
Having joined Orochimaru's Hashirama Cell Research Team, Tobirama greatly enjoyed the freedom that research environment provided.
If possible, he'd happily spend twenty-four hours a day focused entirely on his elder brother's cells...
Who had time to worry about romance and relationships?
He had even canceled his plans to annoy Izuna...
Meanwhile, Izuna quietly observed the reactions of both Shio and Tomie.
He smacked his lips with obvious enjoyment.
'Good, good...'
'This is getting interesting!'
'The situation is becoming more and more complicated...'
'Between Tomie and Uzumaki Shio, I wouldn't be surprised if they end up forming a special bond because of Seisui. They might even start competing with each other in training and eventually become important pillars of the village...'
Izuna recalled his own days during the Warring States Era.
When he was young and foolish, he had accidentally become involved with two talented young women.
As a result, he had nearly found himself in serious trouble when the two joined forces against him...
In Izuna's eyes, what "Seisui" was doing now was practically identical to what he himself had done back then.
'You can teach someone a thousand times and they still won't learn. Let life teach them once, and they'll understand immediately.'
'It can't be helped. You inherited both my charm and that bastard's coldness. I've already done everything I can to help you escape this situation, Seisui...' Izuna muttered inwardly.
'But you're just hopelessly clueless!'
At first, Izuna hadn't understood Seisui's actions.
But later, it all made sense.
As the shared descendant of two legendary romantics from the Warring States Era, it was only natural that Seisui would become one himself.
One was a notorious flirt who left a trail of romantic entanglements everywhere he went.
The other couldn't be persuaded into marriage even by the God of Shinobi and Mito herself, and never managed to settle down...
All that could be said was that Seisui had perfectly inherited the worst romantic traits of both of them!
He could attract people just like Izuna, yet possessed Tobirama's bizarre way of thinking. Who could possibly reason with that?
'One step at a time...'
'After the surgery, let's see what Seisui himself thinks...'
'If all else fails, I'll just push him to live happily ever after with Tomie...' Izuna sighed.
What Izuna didn't realize was that once Shio exploded, someone who could stand alongside him as a legendary disaster in matters of romance would produce reactions and thought processes far more terrifying than he imagined...
Tobirama connected a thick tube to Tomie's body.
Tomie nodded.
"You've worked hard for me, Seisui... Once I'm better, I promise I'll—"
"Enough. Save your strength."
Tobirama interrupted coldly.
"This surgery is dangerous."
Tomie froze.
Why had Seisui suddenly changed his attitude?
Could it be that he was the strict-love type...
Before she could think further, her toxin-saturated blood was drawn out and sent into a specialized machine.
Inside the machine were kikaichū that had been selectively cultivated using samples of Tomie's blood. They could remove toxins while causing as little damage as possible to the other components of whole blood.
The overall concept was somewhat similar to dialysis, but closer to modern medicine's full blood exchange procedure.
Using Izuna's ocular power, Tobirama activated the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He stared intently at the machine's readings, constantly making minute adjustments to where the insect swarm consumed the toxins while stimulating their activity.
Tomie smiled silently.
She wasn't an ignorant woman.
After meeting Tobirama, she had read many books and knew that the power of the Mangekyō was limited...
Back in the Uchiha Clan's history, countless clan members had fought each other over Mangekyō eyes. Eye theft and murder had been commonplace during that bloody era.
And yet now, Seisui was willing to expend Mangekyō power for her sake?
What Tomie didn't know was...
Tobirama, who possessed certain Senju traits, wouldn't consume much of Izuna's ocular power as long as he refrained from using eye techniques and only observed.
Of course, he wasn't about to explain any of that to Tomie.
Nor could Tobirama possibly guess what was going through a woman's mind.
Tomie's complexion grew increasingly pale.
Yet once her blood entered the machine, it visibly became cleaner.
The kikaichū were precisely devouring toxins at the cellular level...
This was the result of joint research by Orochimaru and Tobirama.
They had even borrowed some of Aburame Shikuro's nanoscopic poisonous insects to create a multilayered toxin-filtration system.
Naturally, this process inevitably damaged some of the blood's vitality.
But wasn't Shio there as a safety net?
The Uzumaki Clan's unique bloodline abilities and constitution really were that miraculous...
Since Tobirama had already designed the experiment this way, Orochimaru had no objections.
He was merely providing ideas.
Even if a medical dispute occurred later, it wouldn't be his problem...
It had also been a long time since Orochimaru had enjoyed the feeling of conducting experiments freely without worrying about taking the blame.
Lately, Danzō had been keeping a close eye on him...
And since Seisui was Danzō's disciple, Danzō wouldn't smash his own foot with a rock, would he?
"Tomie's condition is weaker than I expected..."
Tobirama stared at the readings.
This wasn't entirely unexpected.
After all, Shio's secluded training under Mito had objectively delayed Tomie's treatment.
Of course, Tobirama wasn't about to say that aloud.
His reluctance to face Mito was his own problem.
At most, it meant Shio would have to provide a little more life force.
Tobirama was already considering how to compensate Shio afterward, though that discussion could wait until after the operation.
The Second Hokage had clearly failed to realize one thing.
In politics, many issues shouldn't be resolved too quickly.
People need time and space to adjust.
Take things slowly, establish the framework first, and discuss the details afterward.
That was how Hiruzen handled the Caged Bird issue.
There was no need to settle everything at once. Taking a step back and allowing the less forceful Orochimaru to negotiate often produced better results...
But emotions were different.
Small problems could easily grow into large ones.
There was a reason people said arguments shouldn't be left unresolved overnight.
"Shio, let Tomie absorb your life force."
Tobirama gave the order.
Shio slowly stepped forward and held her arm near Tomie's mouth.
The two women looked at each other.
For the first time, they were examining one another face-to-face at close range.
Two people who had originally been completely unrelated had been connected through Tobirama's bizarre methods...
The beginning of a bond had been formed.
"Go ahead and bite..." Shio said softly, suppressing the storm of emotions inside her.
Tomie nodded slightly.
Her attention was no longer on Tobirama.
Instead, she gazed directly at Shio, whose emotions seemed ready to explode at any moment, and gently bit down.
Abundant chakra and life force flowed from Shio's body into Tomie's.
The machine's readings immediately began improving.
Yet Tobirama's frown only deepened.
After extensive research, he understood better than anyone how troublesome Tomie's bloodline disease was...
If the toxins weren't completely removed in one operation, the chances of recurrence would be extremely high.
After all, Tobirama still had no way to remove the chakra formed from the negative emotions accumulated in her brain.
If the Box of Bliss could be fully understood in the future, that would be another matter.
But nobody knew when that would happen.
Treating the symptoms without curing the root cause was already less than ideal.
If even the symptoms weren't dealt with properly, then the operation would be a failure.
At the very least, the treatment needed to hold for ten or twenty years.
'I don't have time to perform a second surgery on Tomie. It's too troublesome...'
'I still have plenty of other things to do.'
Tobirama looked at Orochimaru and spoke.
"Councilor Orochimaru, I'd like to increase the aggressiveness of the insect swarm. Since we're detoxifying her, we might as well do it thoroughly in one go."
"Well... that's not an easy question to answer."
A hesitant expression appeared on Orochimaru's face.
"There are certainly benefits. It would remove even more of Tomie's toxins."
"But it would also increase the risk."
"Even with Shio supplying life force, the readings show we've already reached the limit of what this transfer rate can sustain. We can't push it any higher..."
Orochimaru sighed.
"Sigh... Let me think about it a little more."
There is a way, of course—for example, having Shio provide even more life force.
But how could he possibly be the one to suggest that?
Orochimaru was beginning to understand his teacher more and more, even the teacher of the past...
Why did Hiruzen sometimes clearly understand everything, yet still pretend to be clueless?
Because it really worked!
With some matters, the moment you opened your mouth, part of the blame would inevitably end up on your shoulders...
'Take Danzō, for example. Why is he so disliked? Why does he get blamed for things he didn't even do?'
'Isn't it because during meetings he's always talking about this and that? He says too much...'
Orochimaru thought to himself quietly.
After all, he had seen Tsunade's expression...
Shio was practically Tsunade's relative.
If he piled even more burdens on her under these circumstances, Orochimaru genuinely feared Tsunade would come looking for trouble later.
That woman didn't care about reason!