Chapter 177: Orochimaru's Farewell Gift

Chapter 177: Orochimaru's Farewell Gift

After the Jōnin meeting ended, Haneda and Kakashi coincidentally met beneath a tree outside the Hokage building.

"Going to the hospital?" Kakashi asked out of habit.

"Yes, to check on Guy," Haneda replied, nodding. He had already planned to visit.

After a few steps, Kakashi said, feeling a little guilty, "I hadn't seen Guy for a few days; I thought he was just out on a mission. I didn't expect that his teacher…" Kakashi's words trailed off, memories resurfacing of how he felt when his father was betrayed by his own comrades.

"I just hope Guy can stay strong," he sighed.

"He will," Haneda replied, glancing at the sky. With Guy's resilience, he'd probably recover quickly.

The two soon reached Konoha Hospital. The place was rather quiet, with only a few people scattered in the courtyard. After getting Guy's room location from a nurse, they headed straight there.

From inside the room, they could hear someone counting.

"103, 104, 105…"

Kakashi, worried Guy might be struggling mentally, quickly pushed the door open—only to find Guy, in his hospital gown, doing finger push-ups.

Seeing the door open, Guy looked up and saw Kakashi. He stopped his workout and eagerly approached him.

"Yosh! I didn't expect you to visit me, Kakashi! Let's accept the challenge of youth!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes and declined, "I refuse." He turned, looking to see if Haneda had come in yet. "Guy, your injuries haven't healed yet. Save it for later."

Kakashi placed a bouquet of carnations from a nearby flower shop on the bedside table. Guy seemed as lively as ever—brimming with his usual youthful spirit.

At that moment, Haneda entered, smiling at Guy. "You're working hard as usual, I see. Sneaking in some training behind the nurse's back?"

Caught, Guy scratched his head, laughing, "Haha! The nurse told me to rest, but youth never stops!"

Haneda walked over, forming some healing chakra in his hand. "I'm a half-decent medic-nin myself. Let me check you over."

"Sure," Guy nodded. Haneda was always the one to heal him after training injuries; it felt natural to rely on him.

As Haneda's chakra scanned Guy's body, he sensed something familiar—a faint presence of First Hokage cells within Guy! Haneda frowned slightly. Given Orochimaru's methods, it seemed unlikely he'd experiment on his student.

After a careful check, Haneda sensed that the cells were dormant. Orochimaru must have handled them in a way that prevented immediate fusion. Haneda patted Guy's shoulder, smiling, "You're fine. Just try to avoid intense workouts for now."

Without mentioning Orochimaru, Haneda exchanged a look with Kakashi—both having a silent understanding to avoid discussing sensitive topics.

Hearing this, Guy nodded, though he was visibly frustrated about not being able to train. He hesitated, "Are you sure, Haneda? The doctor said it's just some internal injuries…"

"Yes, I'm sure," Haneda replied firmly. Although Orochimaru's "gift" was stable, Guy's full recovery was essential first.

As they reminisced about old times, noon approached, and Minato arrived at the hospital. He had been discussing Hokage-related matters with the Third Hokage until now.

"How's Guy?" Minato asked with concern.

"His spirits are high. We didn't bring up Orochimaru, though," Haneda replied, glancing around the hall. He then asked, "Where's Kushina?"

"She's feeling a bit off today. She said she's been nauseous lately," Minato answered.

Haneda, recalling similar symptoms from when Mikoto was pregnant, smiled. "It could be happy news."

"Happy news?!" Minato repeated, a look of realization dawning on his face. Could Kushina be… expecting?

Seeing Minato's excitement, Haneda's thoughts turned to Obito. Remembering how things could go according to the original timeline, he cast a glance at his shoulder, where he had integrated the First Hokage cells. With their strength slowly merging, his chakra had grown stronger over time.

"Minato, where are we eating? Do you have a reservation?" Haneda asked, steering the conversation back.

"Yakiniku Q. It's a place Kushina and I went to recently—they have excellent grilled meat," Minato said. "And Jiraiya-sensei will be joining us."

Haneda and Kakashi exchanged a look. They hadn't visited that restaurant since the accident with Obito. But today felt like a special occasion, so they went along with it.

Yakiniku Q had clearly been remodeled in the past two years, blending modern touches with the traditional wood-based decor, with fresh plants and brightly colored chairs. Inside the reserved room, Jiraiya was already there, casually chatting with a waitress while sipping on some sake.

Seeing the usual scene, Haneda and Kakashi found seats, as the waitress came over with the menu. She smiled politely, "Welcome. May I take your order?"

Minato and Jiraiya quickly ordered their favorite dishes. As Haneda and Kakashi browsed the menu, they both ordered in unison, "Pork belly with lettuce (BBQ C set)… and an orange juice with ice, please."

They shared a look, recalling their shared past.

"You're still the same," Haneda remarked quietly.

"So are you," Kakashi replied with a small smile.