"I need to ask Lord Third and the two Advisors for their opinions."
Link's tone was icy. Since he and Danzō had already fallen out, there was no need for pleasantries.
"Go ahead and do it," Danzō said, ignoring him. "I guarantee nothing will go wrong."
Ordinary sealing techniques might fail, but his Reverse Four Symbols Seal would be more than enough to take the test subject along with him out of this world if necessary.
He stood calmly next to Kimimaro, body already poised and ready.
All his anger and resentment had dissipated the night before, leaving only a stark clarity. He wouldn't be Hokage—no matter if the Daimyō endorsed him, the confidence vote would never pass.
From here on out, he had to ensure the village wouldn't suffer.
Link looked over at the Third Hokage. Seeing his nod and the trust in his eyes, Link loosened up a bit, then activated Mystical Palm Jutsu, swallowed a high-potency soldier pill with heavy side effects, and used Delicate Illness Extraction on himself.
He had to make sure his next actions were as fast as possible—he couldn't risk a silly mistake due to lack of speed.
With Mystical Palm Jutsu active, swallowing the pill and casting Fine Illness Extraction took only an instant.
…
"Five-Element Unseal!"
Bright symbols representing the five elements in a counteracting arrangement (rather than the standard Five-Element Seal) lit up on Link's fingertips.
Before everyone's watchful eyes, he pressed his fingers against Kimimaro's body.
"The test subject's being suppressed!" shouted the ninja maintaining the seal.
Did it work?!
Link's tightly knitted brow didn't relax in the slightest. He realized he hadn't undone anything at all; the Five-Element Unseal still glowed on his fingertips.
Others couldn't see his chakra, but he could sense it clearly: his own blue-white chakra remained active in his palm, entirely unused.
[Could it be…?]
He had another guess in mind. Switching hands, he canceled the Five-Element Seal as well.
Meanwhile, the runic markings covering Kimimaro's body actually increased, showing no hint of the precarious state from just moments ago.
So that's how it is.
Link understood immediately: it wasn't really about a seal. The energy in Kimimaro's body was natural energy—he should have known that from the start.
If Kimimaro bore the "Earth's Curse Mark", having such a powerful energy would almost certainly mean natural energy was involved.
Without hesitation, Link raised his hand and smacked down hard.
Slap!
A crisp sound echoed. To everyone's astonishment, the seal that had been holding on shattered—yet Kimimaro's situation didn't worsen. The spot where Link's palm struck turned white, and a large section of skin nearby also returned to its normal color.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
He struck several more times in quick succession. With Mystical Palm Jutsu enhancing his speed, his hand moved faster than the eye could follow, and the sound of multiple slaps overlapped into one.
As soon as the erupting seal was slapped away, a new one replaced it—until the dark runes spread across Kimimaro's entire body and then sank in, completing the sealing process.
Inside the stripped-down building, there was a moment of absolute silence.
Everyone could see that the test subject, previously in serious trouble, was now stable—or at least under control.
Just…from a few slaps…
Another new secret technique? Those in the know couldn't help thinking that.
Link didn't bother striking a smug pose or delivering some grand statement. He quietly walked behind the Third Hokage, silently drawing all eyes toward him.
No one stood stunned for long; once the sealing team confirmed the seal was stable, the medical nin rushed in to perform a thorough examination. People began organizing themselves—some left, others stayed. Under normal circumstances, Kimimaro would be taken to the hospital, but they still couldn't rule out the danger of another explosion.
"Well done." The Third Hokage patted Link's shoulder. Exchanging glances with the two Advisors, he led Danzō away.
Link, on the other hand, couldn't leave. At the moment, he was apparently the only one who could suppress the test subject if something went wrong again.
With the top "F4" of the village leadership gone, a lengthy follow-up began: further checks, ongoing research, everyone bustling about. One by one, high-level medics possessing far more knowledge than Link came over, politely asking his thoughts and opinions, hoping for his cooperation.
Frankly, it felt pretty good. Even someone like him, who didn't care much for showing off, couldn't help feeling a little thrill of satisfaction.
Of course, there wasn't much he could say. His true medical skill was limited. He could handle small wounds, headaches, colds—anything more, and he was fully reliant on medical ninjutsu.
He'd never really used the initial medical knowledge he'd studied to learn medical ninjutsu. His habit was always "When in doubt, Delicate Illness Extraction", so there wasn't much chance for him to hone actual medical expertise.
So he was honest and said he didn't understand much. People thought he was just being modest, and he ended up receiving even more praise.
In the Pure Land, I have to coax and… erm, I mean, manage asset circulation. But in reality, telling the truth can be mistaken for false humility.
…
Late that night, at the cleared-out site…
Medical-nin were still monitoring Kimimaro, refusing to let their guard down until they'd observed him thoroughly and controlled his condition for a while. The test subject was essentially a high-yield destructive weapon.
As for the question of "Should we destroy him?"—well, that was simple: now that he could be controlled, a test subject whose destructive power rivaled a Tailed Beast had to be studied carefully. It held massive strategic value.
Is that energy in Kimimaro's body natural energy, part of the curse mark? But doesn't a curse mark produce senjutsu chakra?
Link lay on a bed someone had prepared for him, pondering quietly.
The "feel" of senjutsu chakra differs from that of pure natural energy. Natural energy is basically intangible under his hand; with a single palm strike, he could disperse it. Senjutsu chakra, in contrast, feels more viscous—like a liquid.
He was certain that what he slapped away—what he couldn't directly sense—was natural energy. However…
Tap. Footsteps echoed. Link rolled off the bed, shadows spreading out to maintain vigilance. Spotting the newcomer, he asked in a low voice, "Lord Danzō, what can I do for you?"
It was none other than Shimura Danzō, the "Darkness of the Shinobi World," his face severe. Maybe because of the shady deeds he'd done—or people's preconceived notions—he just looked malicious by default.
Don't tell me he came here to cast Kotoamatsukami.
I recall that technique is a visual genjutsu. The moment he tries to pull off those bandages, I'll just close my eyes and have my clones and shadows hold him off so I can flee. I don't believe he'd dare to kill me here in the middle of the village.
Link silently activated his no-seal Mystical Palm Jutsu, ready to escape at any moment.
After all, if Danzō really wanted to kill someone, nobody in Konoha could fully stop him.
~~~
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