C 24

"Master Tsunade, hurry up, go to the emergency room, your brother…"

Boom!

Before the medical ninja could finish his sentence, Tsunade dashed past him, her footsteps creating a small crater in the floor as she sped towards the emergency room. Her heart pounded in her chest, fear and panic gripping her tightly.

When Tsunade arrived, she found her brother, Nawaki, on the brink of death. His injuries from the battlefield were severe; the detonation talisman had wreaked havoc on his body. Although the medical ninja on the scene had provided immediate care, they weren't skilled enough to stabilize him fully.

"Master Tsunade," one of the medical ninjas said, relief evident in his voice as Tsunade entered the room. The others, clearly overwhelmed by the severity of Nawaki's condition, quickly stepped aside to let her take over.

Tsunade barely had to look to assess the gravity of the situation. Nawaki's body was littered with injuries, but the internal damage was far worse. The golden time, the critical window for life-saving interventions, was rapidly slipping away. Without wasting any more precious moments, she summoned two Shadow Clones to assist her and began administering three medical ninjutsu techniques simultaneously, pouring all her energy and expertise into the operation.

If only she had perfected the regeneration technique earlier, she would feel more confident in her brother's survival. But there was no time for regret now. Luckily, the battlefield medics had done enough to keep him alive until she arrived. Without them, she knew she wouldn't even have had a chance to save him.

Minutes passed. Then hours. As the procedure dragged on, Tsunade's chakra reserves began to deplete, and she had to ask her assistant to feed her special military ration pills to maintain her energy. The operation was grueling, stretching on for seven or eight hours. Finally, she completed the surgery, but by then, her chakra was nearly exhausted, and she slumped into a nearby chair, her willpower being the only thing keeping her conscious.

"The rest… you handle it. Clean, suture, and bandage," Tsunade muttered, her voice weak but authoritative. She could barely lift her head as the medical team quickly moved to finish the operation under her guidance.

"Leave it to us, Master Tsunade," one of the medics said, taking over.

Nawaki, his body now wrapped in bandages from head to toe, still hadn't woken up. Tsunade knew the truth, though. Even if he regained consciousness, he would likely never be the same again. His injuries were so extensive that he might never become a ninja again, a devastating blow to a boy who had always dreamed of becoming Hokage.

"I know, thank you," Tsunade murmured as she stood up, her face pale and her legs trembling from the exertion. Despite her best efforts, she knew Nawaki's chances of returning to a normal life were slim. His body was alive, but the future that he had once envisioned for himself was likely gone forever.

The war had taken so much from them all. Yet, as Tsunade thought about the young medical ninjas who had treated Nawaki on the battlefield, her mind was already racing. If there had been more trained medics, if they had been better prepared, then maybe Nawaki wouldn't have been so close to death by the time he reached her. The need for medical reform within Konoha had never felt so urgent.

As she stepped out of the emergency room, she crossed paths with Orochimaru, his eyes sharp and inquisitive.

"How is he?" Orochimaru asked, his usual calm tone hiding the faintest hint of concern.

"He's stable for now, but we'll have to wait and see. Let's talk more about it later, Orochimaru." Tsunade was too exhausted to discuss it further and had to inform Grandma Mito as well. She barely had the energy to keep moving.

Kain, meanwhile, remained unaware of the situation. In his timeline, Nawaki was supposed to die. The fact that Nawaki survived this time was a deviation, perhaps influenced by the presence of Kain's medical supplies, which had alleviated the pressure on Konoha's medical system. The abundance of medicine had allowed the hospital to treat more patients quickly and efficiently, helping them save countless lives—Nawaki's among them.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, had even sent additional medical support to the front lines, and it was that timely intervention that had kept Nawaki alive long enough for Tsunade to treat him.

But Kain didn't know this. He was busy with his own plans. After a day of rest, he was in the process of discussing the purchase of two more properties nearby to expand his business. One would be a barbecue restaurant, the other an izakaya. Kain had noticed that Konoha's commercial district was still in its early stages, with shops and homes intermixed haphazardly. He envisioned building a proper commercial street, anticipating that the surviving ninjas, flush with war-earned ryo, would have money to spend once the economy rebounded.

Once the war ended, these ninja would need food, clothing, housing, and entertainment. Kain was determined to meet those needs, starting with his new restaurants. In the back of his mind, he even considered the possibility of opening a casino in Konoha or, at the very least, in the Land of Fire. After all, what better way to help battle-weary ninjas unwind than a bit of high-stakes gambling?

However, this would take time. First, Kain needed to secure the necessary properties, and he had left Miwa to handle the house purchases after learning that Konoha's higher-ups had overcharged him on previous transactions. Miwa, with her sharper business acumen, managed to complete the purchases at a far lower price than Kain would have paid.

As Kain busied himself with these preparations, he was interrupted by a familiar face—Kushina.

"Boss, are you here?" Kushina called out, stepping into the food store.

"Yeah, but I won't be around for long. If you need something, talk to the new store manager. She's handling things while I'm away," Kain replied, not looking up from his work.

Kushina hesitated for a moment before approaching him. "Boss, I need to get a gift for someone who's bedridden… what should I buy?"

"Fruit. There's a fruit shop in Konoha, you know where it is," Kain said absentmindedly.

Kushina frowned, shaking her head. "He's older than me, probably not a fan of fruit."

Kain sighed inwardly, wondering why she was asking him for advice when he clearly wasn't the best at these things. After a moment's thought, he turned to her and said, "If you're not sure, just give me one hundred thousand ryo, and I'll prepare a suitable gift for you."

"One hundred thousand ryo?!" Kushina's eyes widened in shock. She immediately thought, Is this boss trying to scam me again?