Chapter 265: Karen

A spy with a special identity?

Upon hearing Itachi's words, Kakashi was taken aback. After all, capturing spies was one of the Anbu's responsibilities, and this indicated a lapse in his duties.

Under Kakashi's puzzled gaze, Itachi produced a paper crane, holding it out to Dan:

"This is a Paper Ninjutsu from the Angel of Dawn, intercepted by me. It contains a message she sent to the spy, alerting them that their cover is blown and instructing an immediate evacuation."

Dan received the paper crane, fiddling with it in his hand but not unfolding it. Instead, he said directly:

"The spy you speak of is Tsunade's close associate, Karen, isn't it?"

"…So the Hokage already knew," Itachi responded with surprise.

He had learned of Karen's situation from his brother Sasuke, who, after some hesitation, had confided in him.

Itachi then successfully intercepted Konan's messenger paper crane, and through its contents, he confirmed Karen's identity as a spy. Considering her sensitive status as Tsunade's disciple, and not just any disciple at that, Itachi had promptly headed to the keep to report to the Sixth Hokage and await Dan's decision.

Who would have thought…

That the Sixth had long seen through Karen as a spy.

Dan tossed the paper crane to Kakashi, revealing Karen's true identity to both men:

"This Karen belongs to the Uzumaki clan."

No wonder…

Itachi's mind cleared of all confusion in an instant.

When Karen had come to the Leaf, she bore no family name, thought to be a genius of common birth.

If she was of the Uzumaki clan, that meant she was related to Uzumaki Naruto.

This suggested that Karen might also be a member of the Akatsuki, deeply connected to Naruto, which is why Naruto had taken action to chastise Sasuke, warning him to stay away from Karen.

Hearing this news, Kakashi was even more astounded.

Thump.

Coming back to his senses, he immediately knelt on one knee, bowing his head to Dan in apology:

"I have been negligent with the matter of Karen. Please, Lord Hokage, punish me as you see fit."

If it had been an ordinary spy, it would have been one thing, but this was Karen.

She was Tsunade's disciple, dearly beloved and even regarded as her own daughter, groomed for the future.

One could only imagine the amount of classified information Karen had gleaned from Tsunade over the years, giving the Akatsuki insight into every move the Leaf made.

This oversight was a grave error on the part of the Anbu, and Kakashi, as the leader, bore the brunt of the blame.

He felt a profound sense of responsibility.

"Stand up, Kakashi."

Dan did not punish Kakashi but instead spoke indifferently, "Like Kabuto, Karen is someone I have deliberately overlooked. You are not to blame."

Then, he asked Itachi, "Where is Karen now?"

"At the Leaf Hospital, with Lady Tsunade."

Itachi replied promptly, "Sasuke's injuries were severe, so I took him to Lady Tsunade for treatment and asked her to find a way to detain Karen. Please, Lord Hokage, your instructions."

Since Dan had known about Karen all along yet had taken no action, it implied he had his reasons.

After a moment's thought, Dan said, "I'll go there myself."

With those words, he stood up, grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his body, donned the pristine Hokage robe, and strode out of the keep.

Kakashi and Itachi exchanged glances and followed closely behind.

Leaf Hospital.

Along the corridor near the director's office, hurried footsteps echoed.

It was Tsunade and Shizune, along with their three disciples, including Karen.

"What exactly happened, Shizune?"

As they walked toward the operating room, Tsunade asked.

In recent years, thanks to an excellent talent cultivation system, with more and more medical ninjas emerging, Tsunade had finally been able to relax. She seldom took to the operating table herself anymore.

Usually, she stayed in her office, or she would teach at the Ninja Academy, living a semi-retired life of ease.

But this patient was different, and Tsunade was concerned about leaving the surgery to others.

It was Uchiha Sasuke.

The man was Konoha's top genius, the son of the Uchiha clan leader, and more importantly, the nephew of the Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Dan.

If Sasuke did not receive proper treatment at the Leaf Hospital and ended up with complications, even Tsunade would have difficulty explaining to Dan and the Uchiha clan.

Moreover, it was Uchiha Itachi who had personally delivered Sasuke, specifically requesting Tsunade's direct intervention.

"Lord Itachi said Sasuke encountered an attack from an enemy outside the village, inflicted by a black rod that caused a penetrating wound. The chakra in his body seems to be sealed by that rod, unable to circulate, and the wound continues to bleed profusely. The situation is quite dire.

Shizune has already treated the wound temporarily and is looking after Sasuke, awaiting your arrival."

Hmm?

A black rod that can seal chakra?

Hearing Shizune's description, Tsunade frowned, her mind racing to recall where she had seen such a weapon before.

She remembered.

It was from many years ago, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, when the four great ninja villages invaded the Leaf, and the weapon used by Pain.

Could the Akatsuki organization be making a comeback?

Startled, Tsunade hastened her steps toward the operating room.

Beside her, Karen was even more shocked, as she immediately thought of the likely perpetrator.

Naruto.

Apart from Naruto, Karen had never seen anyone else wield the black rods.

A surge of anxiety washed over her, prompting an instinctive question to Shizune: "Sister, who's the attacker?"

"We don't know. Lord Itachi and Sasuke haven't said," Shizune shook her head.

Tsunade turned around, giving Karen a curious glance.

She knew of Karen's interest in Sasuke and would often summon him under various pretexts, hoping to afford Karen opportunities to be alone with him, encouraging her to seize them.

But at this moment, Karen, who was usually most concerned about Sasuke, first inquired about the identity of the attacker, not the condition of the patient.

This seemed abnormal.

Tsunade subtly probed, "Karen, do you have any leads? Could it be that you've guessed the identity of the enemy?"

"Uh, no."

Karen quickly waved her hands, flashing an awkward smile to cover her guilty and unusual reaction.

Tsunade didn't press further and redirected her attention as they reached the operating room. The mentors and their three disciples pushed the door open and entered.

Inside, they saw Sasuke lying on the operating table, his complexion pale, drenched in sweat, with a black rod piercing his ribcage—the wound looked horrendous.

Fortunately, Shizune was by his side attending to him, and a small slug rested on Sasuke, channeling chakra into him, thereby stabilizing his condition.

As Tsunade's top disciple, Shizune had the capability to perform the surgery on Sasuke.

But Itachi had specifically requested Tsunade herself to take over, aiming for a perfect surgical outcome to avoid any complications that could affect Sasuke's future as a ninja.

Thus, the surgery for Konoha's number one genius could only be conducted by Lady Tsunade herself.

Sasuke also noticed Tsunade and others' arrival. His gaze immediately found Karen, with an indefinable expression.

He had said he and Karen were just friends, and indeed, he hadn't lied to Naruto on this matter.

Sasuke's mind was consumed with training, desperate to grow stronger; he had no interest in romance. It wasn't that he felt nothing for Karen; he felt nothing for any woman.

But to be honest.

In Sasuke's eyes, Karen had always made a good impression—

A talented medical ninja with an optimistic and straightforward nature, though her tendency to daydream about his face made his skin crawl.

He never would have guessed that beneath her deceitfully charming exterior, she was actually a spy for the Akatsuki.

And considering Naruto's tone, he placed great importance on Karen, indicating that her status within the Akatsuki was far from low.

Casting aside distractions, Sasuke focused on a single task: to find a way to detain Karen, to ensure she did not leave the operating room until his brother had sought instructions from his uncle and arrived to arrest her.

Sasuke was even determined to risk his life to keep her there if she sensed danger and attempted to flee.

He refused to be helpless again.

"Lady Tsunade, you're here."

Shizune promptly greeted her and explained Sasuke's condition in detail.

"Hmm."

Tsunade nodded while examining Sasuke's injury. During the process, her eyes sharpened as she confirmed that the black rod embedded in Sasuke was indeed the weapon used by Pain.

Just when everyone thought Tsunade was about to start the surgery.

She suddenly turned around, addressing a bewildered Karen: "Karen, you do it. Sasuke is in your hands now."

"Ah?"

Karen's mouth fell open, caught off guard, she instinctively asked, "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?"

Tsunade's face fell, her eyebrows knitted in displeasure, "I've taught you for so long. Today is a good opportunity to check your recent progress. Hurry up, don't just stand there unless you want to watch this guy die."

With that, she stepped aside, arms crossed, leaning against the wall with an observer's detachment.

Faced with Tsunade's urging, Karen shrank back, answering hesitantly:

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade was like a strict mother, and Karen dared not defy her command.

Taking a deep breath, she approached the operating table.

Originally, they were to administer general anesthesia, but Sasuke, not wishing to be unconscious, requested local anesthesia, which meant he was prepared to endure a certain degree of pain.

"Come on, Karen."

His voice low, he fixed his gaze on the young woman before him.

Karen felt guilty, avoiding Sasuke's eyes, and whispered:

"…Okay, just bear with it."

Then, she swiftly regained her composure, embodying the calm and quality expected of an excellent medical ninja.

The surgery began.

The entire process was exceptionally smooth.

Clang.

The bloodied black rod was extracted from Sasuke's body and tossed into a tray.

While suturing, Karen suddenly spoke up, concern etched on her face, "Did you see who the enemy was, to have pushed you to this point?"

Sasuke hesitated.

Was she probing me?

He fell silent for a few seconds, then lied, "The opponent moved too fast, I didn't see clearly, only know it was a woman."

Oh, in that case, it's not Naruto.

Karen let out a sigh of relief.

Who could it be, Teacher Konan?

No matter who the attacker was, the strike was indeed harsh. Although not fatal, improper treatment would mean Sasuke lying in bed for at least three months.

With these thoughts, Karen's mind wandered. And at that moment—

Crack.

Due to her lapse, the sutures at Sasuke's wound tore open, and fresh blood began to ooze out again.

"I'm, I'm sorry."

Karen instantly broke out in a cold sweat, stuttering an apology, her hands flustered.

Tsunade, observing from the sidelines, furrowed her brow tightly.

An observer's clarity.

Having witnessed the entire surgery, she could tell it wasn't a lack of skill with Karen, but rather her distraction.

Such a crucial surgery, and the girl was distracted halfway through.

What could be so urgent that she couldn't even focus her mind?

Instinctively, Tsunade sensed that Karen knew something about Sasuke's attack, which was why she acted so abnormally.

But that would have to wait.

Saving a life was more urgent; other matters could be questioned later.

With this in mind, Tsunade dropped her arms, preparing to take over, not willing to let Sasuke truly be in jeopardy.

Unexpectedly—

Swoosh.

Karen rolled up her sleeves, revealing a stretch of her pale arm, and said to Sasuke with a determined face:

"Bite my hand."

"What?" Sasuke was confounded by the girl's actions, the pain from his wound momentarily forgotten.

Not just him, everyone else in the operating room was equally puzzled by Karen's behavior, their faces marked with confusion.

"There's no time, bite me, don't ask!"

Seeing Sasuke's unceasing bleeding, Karen urged impatiently, even bringing her arm close to his mouth.

Perhaps due to the excessive blood loss.

Sasuke felt somewhat dizzy, as if under an illusion, seeing Karen's pale arm as delicious food, emitting a tantalizing fragrance.

In his dazed state, he bit down.

The next second, a miracle occurred.

Under the shocked gazes of the onlookers, Sasuke's wounds began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Color returned to his pale face, and his whole being seemed revitalized.

As if he had never been injured at all.

Throughout this, Karen endured the pain in her arm silently, allowing Sasuke to draw chakra from her body.

"That's amazing."

Shizune and others marveled at the scene.

Was this a medical jutsu developed by Karen? Undeniably, this method of treatment was unique and unheard of.

And the effect was outstanding. In almost an instant, Sasuke's injuries were perfectly healed.

To think.

Even Lady Tsunade might not achieve such a feat; it was truly unbelievable.

As Sasuke's consciousness cleared, he slowly released his bite.

He then noticed that he had bitten too hard, leaving a conspicuous set of teeth marks on Karen's arm, blood seeping from her skin.

"I'm sorry, are you alright?" Sasuke felt a twinge of guilt.

"I'm fine, it'll heal soon."

Karen smiled, retracting her arm and covering the bite marks with her sleeve, as if nothing had happened.

But Tsunade stepped forward, seizing Karen's arm, her gaze intense as she stared at her disciple, demanding:

"Karen, what on earth is going on, explain yourself immediately!"