Kumogakure Hospital.
Kyōichi had just treated over a dozen jōnin who had been on the brink of death, leaving him with the distinct feeling of having gotten the short end of the stick. Stepping out of the operating room, he glanced at A, who stood nearby, and sighed helplessly.
The man was truly dedicated to his subordinates. Even though they were enemies, Kyōichi couldn't help but admire that.
Especially since A's face looked even more intimidating than Danzō's.
Seeing Kyōichi emerge, A immediately asked, "How are they?"
"They'll live. Your own medics can handle the rest. Any others? If not, I'll take my leave."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
A hastily grabbed the shadow clone's arm.
Leave?
Now? Absolutely not!
Earlier, he'd been mulling over the gap between Kumo and Konoha—
Before meeting Kyōichi, he hadn't realized just how advanced Konoha's medical ninjutsu was. He'd thought Kumo's medics were strong, not too far behind.
But now?
After witnessing Kyōichi's skills, he realized how narrow his perspective had been.
Not too far behind?
They were worlds apart!
If Kyōichi was already this terrifying, how much more formidable must Tsunade-hime's medical ninjutsu be?
Just the thought made him understand why his father, despite his strength, had waited so many years—only striking after Konoha and Suna had clashed, and only after securing alliances with Iwa and Kiri.
His father's strategy hadn't been flawed.
The problem was his allies.
One had collapsed embarrassingly early. To this day, A still didn't know what exactly had happened with Kiri—only that they'd seemingly been in contact with Konoha long before the war.
And so, they'd been the first to withdraw. By the time Kumo and Iwa truly engaged, Kiri was already gone.
A was curious.
But he knew asking would be pointless—Kyōichi would either stay silent or demand another trade.
And for mere curiosity?
He wasn't willing to pay the price.
So instead, A changed the subject.
"Kyōichi-jōnin, I was wondering… could you offer some guidance to our medical ninja?"
"Heh."
Kyōichi smiled without answering.
A waited a few seconds, but no elaboration came. Clearing his throat, he added, "Of course, we won't let you do it for free. Name your price."
"Raikage-sama, Kumogakure's scenery is truly breathtaking."
"Huh?"
A was baffled.
What kind of non-answer was that?
"Your people have such vivid imaginations—no wonder the village is so grand and awe-inspiring. Honestly, I was stunned when I first saw it."
"Well, that's—"
A was about to proudly boast about Kumo's history when his expression froze mid-sentence.
He finally got it.
This bastard—
Was telling him to stop dreaming.
A's face darkened, but he understood. Medical ninjutsu was a village secret—no way Kyōichi would just hand it over.
Taking a deep breath, he pointed down the hall.
"Kyōichi-jōnin, one last patient. After this, our deal is complete."
"Fine."
The shadow clone exhaled slightly in relief.
He'd been worried A would shamelessly demand he cure every incurable case in the hospital.
Wasn't that asking too much?
Even Tsunade wasn't omnipotent, let alone himself.
Fortunately, the Raikage had some self-awareness—after an initial inquiry about the hopeless cases, he'd dropped the subject.
Still, Kyōichi wasn't leaving empty-handed.
Beyond the agreed terms, treating Kumo's jōnin had given him valuable data on their physiques.
Most of it was useless, but with enough samples, he could roughly deduce the relationship between body strength and the Lightning Release Armor.
Too bad A wasn't seriously injured—his data would've been more revealing.
Lost in thought, he followed A deeper into the hospital—until an overwhelming bijū presence filled the air.
The Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki?
Kyōichi frowned, unsure why A had brought him here.
Killer B had seemed perfectly fine earlier—if anything, he'd appeared to have achieved perfect sync with Gyūki.
He shot A a questioning look.
"This involves our Jinchūriki, so I was reluctant to involve outsiders. But B's condition seems to have worsened—the bijū's chakra keeps leaking. Our medics can't even get close."
A sighed.
If not for sheer desperation, he'd never expose his Jinchūriki's secrets to another village. But with Kumo's sealing and medical skills…
They had no idea what was happening to B.
Killer B hadn't explained either—he'd returned in a berserk state and collapsed upon arrival. A wasn't worried about injuries so much as another potential rampage.
Kyōichi "hesitated," then said, "Physically, he's in perfect health. This must be related to the bijū's state…"
"We thought the same, but we don't know the specifics. Just tell us—is he in danger?"
Under normal circumstances, A wouldn't have asked Kyōichi.
But Killer B was different.
B was his brother. On the battlefield, B had saved countless Kumo-nin, including A himself. He couldn't just abandon him.
Kyōichi had a rough guess.
But since Kumo was grasping at straws, he might as well observe.
Before approaching, he said, "If I get vaporized by bijū chakra, our deal still counts as complete, right?"
"Of course."
A nodded.
Kyōichi stepped inside, activating chakra sensing.
Instantly—
A tentacle-like tail emerged from Killer B's body, locking onto Kyōichi with clear hostility.
So…
B was in a critical state.
Was Gyūki merging with him?
Kyōichi narrowed his eyes, advancing slowly. Gyūki prepared to strike—only for the figure before it to blur into an afterimage.
Genjutsu?
No.
Sheer speed!
Two more tails sprouted, attempting to block, but Kyōichi's hand pressed against one, fingers flashing through seals. The tails recoiled instantly.
Evil Sealing Method!
Of course, he'd only disrupted the chakra in the tails—not the core where B's consciousness resided.
Gyūki panicked.
But without harming B, it couldn't repel Kyōichi. The tails had been its last resort—now, it couldn't even speak…
Without the Byakugan or Sharingan, Kyōichi relied on sensing and ninjutsu to analyze the chakra flow. Moments later—
Killer B's eyes snapped open.
"Brother, you fool, you dummy… This master is still—"
B sprang up, spouting his usual rhymes—only to be cut off by a fist to the head.
A loomed over him, furious. "You're fine?! Then why the hell were you unconscious for nearly a day?! And you dare call me a fool?!"
Kyōichi chuckled, withdrawing his hand. "Killer B's perfectly healthy. If anything, this might be a good thing—the seal inside him has completely dissolved, yet Gyūki hasn't harmed him."
"Really?"
A visibly relaxed.
B turned to Kyōichi, rapid-fire rhyming, "Of course I'm fine, you dolt—"
THWACK!
Another punch from A sent B clutching his head in pain.
Kyōichi smiled warmly. "For what it's worth, I used to be an academy instructor. I've dealt with plenty of unruly children—sometimes, they just need a good smack."
"!!!"
B glared at Kyōichi.
But—
"For cases like this, confinement or a few hundred laps usually cures all ailments."
Kyōichi remained unfazed. He was just a shadow clone, and his "treatment" was done. If B wanted to glare harder, so be it.
Looks couldn't kill.
"You handle kids like this in Konoha too?"
A raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Yep, exactly!"
"Too"?
Oh boy.
Kyōichi had nothing to add.
Glancing between B and A, he said, "If that's all, I'll take my leave. Just so you know… overworking a shadow clone can cause the original to drop dead."
"Fine. Thank you, Kyōichi-jōnin. If there's a chance, feel free to visit Kumo again."
A sounded almost reluctant.
Not out of affection—but because the hospital was still packed with wounded. If Kyōichi stayed, more lives could be saved.
Still, the man had already treated several jōnin cases Kumo couldn't handle, and the price had been minimal. A couldn't bring himself to ask for more.
Killer B's expression was odd.
Only after Kyōichi's clone dispersed did he speak up. "Bro, wasn't he one of the guys who went after the old man? Why so friendly? Weird! Stupid!"
"The stupid one is you, idiot!"
A grabbed B's head, lifting him off the bed. "His medical ninjutsu saved a lot of our jōnin. And the main force behind the attack was Ōnoki—Konoha just went along with it."
"Got it! Ow ow ow!"
B yelped in pain.
Deep down, A knew Konoha had wanted Kumo weakened too. But whether it was the Sandaime Raikage or the main forces that suffered, the difference to Konoha was negligible.
The one who'd most wanted the Sandaime dead?
Iwa. Without question.
Because no one feared the Sandaime Raikage more than Iwa.
Dropping B, A said sternly, "We fought Konoha fair and square—win some, lose some. But Ōnoki… I'll settle that score someday."
Yet something about Kyōichi's conditions nagged at him.
That guy didn't seem like the type to offer such a simple deal.
What's his game?
He'd have to consult the Land of Lightning's daimyō and nobles.
Economics wasn't his forte—the nobles were the experts.
Then, he finally asked B what had happened.
After hearing the explanation, A instantly regretted his decision—
B had been training with the bijū?!
Damn it!
He never should've called Kyōichi in.
Wait—
"You moron! If you were fine, why didn't you wake up and tell me?! Did you think I'd risk bringing an outsider here if I knew?!"
"Huh?"
B looked utterly lost—right before another punch landed.
But oddly, the scuffle reassured him.
He'd worried A might imprison him over the bijū's influence…
Clearly, that fear had been unfounded.
His brother was still the same—no change at all!