Ever since Natsuhiko joined the ANBU, he had always followed one principle: think things through carefully before taking action.
Although he knew very well that no matter how much he planned, unexpected events would always arise and disrupt his original intentions—
Only by planning thoroughly, and leaving enough room for flexibility within those plans, could he avoid being placed in a passive position.
For example, he would never naively assume that Konoha's higher-ups were unaware of his true identity. He had already verified this through Minato Namikaze.
Likewise, he did not believe that his meetings with Minato had gone unnoticed by Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others.
Konoha, at this time, still belonged to the Third Hokage's political faction. Any small movement would likely not escape their eyes, and relying on luck would simply be irresponsible.
Natsuhiko could almost say with certainty that the Third Hokage's group was aware of his private meetings with Minato.
However, what exactly he and Minato discussed or did—that, they probably could not be entirely sure of.
After all, Minato himself was a Kage-level powerhouse. The Third Hokage and the others could not guarantee they wouldn't be detected if they probed too deeply.
Moreover, Minato was the current Hokage of Konoha. No matter what, they still had to maintain appearances to some degree.
If Natsuhiko were promoted directly by Minato, the Third Hokage's faction likely would not tolerate it. The ANBU was still one of their most important tools.
But I'm actually waiting for the Third Hokage to come to me, Natsuhiko thought silently.
If the Third Hokage didn't approach him, how could he invest on both sides?
Natsuhiko might be a minor figure, but judging from history, the clan behind him was no simple matter. In the eyes of the Third Hokage and the others, it was likely the same.
Thus, he possessed bargaining chips.
His goal was to maximize the value of those chips and obtain what he wanted.
Which means… you have to die. The smile remained on Natsuhiko's lips, but his eyes had turned incomparably dangerous.
However, he quickly forced himself to calm down and concealed any trace of malicious intent.
Having killing intent was not a problem. After all, he wasn't the later Naruto, who could sense the good and evil in someone's heart through the Nine-Tails' power.
But if he displayed it too openly, even a fool would notice—and that would not benefit his plans.
Cough, cough, cough—
At that moment, Kusunoki suddenly began coughing violently again. Dark, blackened blood sprayed from his mouth, and his face grew even paler.
The bandage wrapped around his arm began to seep blood as well. The blackened blood stained the white cloth dark.
"Are you alright, Commander?" Natsuhiko asked with apparent concern as he looked at him. "Can you still hold on?"
"Cough… I'm still okay," Kusunoki replied weakly. "I really underestimated you. With your summoned beast helping, we should be able to retreat far enough. And since we're not fighting right now, I can devote all my chakra to resisting the poison."
Kusunoki's condition was indeed poor, but he was still an elite ninja. His chakra reserves themselves were not the problem.
Without engaging in combat, and with Natsuhiko carrying him, he could dedicate all his chakra to suppressing the invading toxins.
He roughly estimated that at their speed, they could return to Konoha within two days.
Although his chakra consumption was severe, holding out for two days—even if difficult—was not impossible.
When hope of survival was in sight, no one would fail to grasp it.
Even someone like Kusunoki was no exception.
For the first time, he felt a longing for the future.
Especially after seeing Natsuhiko's massive summoned beast, the flame of hope had already ignited within him.
He could return alive.
He could go to the Medical Department and receive treatment.
Although Lady Tsunade was no longer in the Medical Department, back when she had developed antidotes to counter Chiyo, the formulas had remained there.
In Kusunoki's view, if even the poisons concocted by Chiyo—the most powerful puppeteer of Sunagakure—could be neutralized, then the poisons of other puppeteers shouldn't be a problem either.
Watching his current state, Natsuhiko's smile grew even brighter. How could he not see what Kusunoki was thinking?
Unfortunately, Natsuhiko was a petty person.
And the poisons Sasori created were not necessarily something the Medical Department could handle. As long as there was even a chance Kusunoki might survive, Natsuhiko would not allow it to happen.
"Let me help you, Commander," Natsuhiko said gently, as though speaking to an old friend. "My chakra reserves aren't large, but at least I can lighten your burden a little, right?"
"Is that so?" Perhaps having escaped danger made Kusunoki relax, or perhaps it was simple trust in a fellow ANBU member. He nodded. "Then I'll trouble you, Nightingale. But if it consumes too much of your chakra—"
"It's fine, Commander," Natsuhiko replied warmly. "This level of consumption is nothing to me."
As he spoke, the hand supporting Kusunoki began to gather chakra. Soon, chakra infused with natural energy flowed into Kusunoki's body.
Warm. Radiant. Brimming with the aura of nature.
That was Kusunoki's first impression of Natsuhiko's chakra. It felt incredibly comfortable, and the quality of it was frighteningly high.
He suddenly realized that he had underestimated Natsuhiko again and again.
The strength of this boy's chakra was truly astonishing. He was, without a doubt, a genuine genius.
"How does it feel, Commander?" Natsuhiko asked curiously, noticing Kusunoki's thoughtful expression. "Should I increase the chakra output?"
"No need. This is good," Kusunoki replied with a smile. "I never expected you to be this capable. It seems the entire ANBU has underestimated you—"
Before he could finish, his expression suddenly changed.
As Natsuhiko's nature-infused chakra continued entering his body, Kusunoki was shocked to discover that his body was beginning to stiffen—hardening, even!
This change was completely beyond his expectations. And because he had lowered his guard against Natsuhiko, the rate of hardening was alarmingly fast.
At this very moment, he realized he could no longer speak!
"You truly did underestimate me—not just my strength, but also my mindset."
Natsuhiko smiled as he observed Kusunoki's condition.
"There's no need to look at me like that, Commander. From the moment you decided to push me into a desperate situation, I had no intention of letting you go.
And your death is far more valuable to me than your survival."
With that, Natsuhiko stopped walking and gently laid Kusunoki—now completely rigid—down on the ground.
He looked at him calmly, then placed his hand over Kusunoki's wound. Chakra surged once more from within him.
"There are two kinds of pain," Natsuhiko said gently. "One makes you stronger. The other is meaningless—it only adds suffering. Commander, I can help you end this pain. In fact, you should be thanking me."
Kusunoki stared at him in shock. As Natsuhiko's chakra burst forth again, the poison within Kusunoki's body began spreading wildly.
And with his body completely stiffened, he had no way to mobilize chakra to resist it.
"Don't worry, Commander. You'll be a hero of Konoha," Natsuhiko said softly, even with a trace of regret in his voice. "Dying for Konoha was your dream, wasn't it?"
"So… please rest in peace."