radiothebook Chapter 170 Tsunade: If you can't cure me, just wait to die!
Chapter 170 Tsunade: If you can't cure me, just wait to die!
Chapter 170 Tsunade: If you can't cure me, just wait to die!
Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine.
"Isn't Pain the leader of Akatsuki? How come he's a masked man?!"
Uchiha Itachi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashing in his dark eyes: "You actually know Pain?"
He originally thought that only members of the Akatsuki organization knew the name "Pain," but he didn't expect that Konoha also had this information.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slowly, his deep gaze appearing and disappearing behind the bluish-white smoke from his pipe: "We actually have quite a bit of information about the Akatsuki."
Under the dim light, the Third Hokage's face showed the composure of someone who had been through it all.
Itachi pondered for a moment before explaining, "Pain is only the leader in name. In reality, many decisions within the Akatsuki are made behind the scenes by that masked man."
Upon hearing this, Kakashi felt as if a storm was brewing in his heart.
He gasped, his mind flashing back to the events of his dream.
"So, the attacks on Konoha in the dream were actually all Obito's doing?!"
"Obito?" Itachi keenly caught the name in Kakashi's words and raised his eyebrows in confusion.
He didn't recognize the name, but judging from their reactions, it was clearly related to the masked man.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a smoke ring and explained in a deep voice, "Obito Uchiha, that masked man!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his sharp gaze swept over Itachi, observing the other's reaction.
"I see!" Itachi nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder the masked man could use the Sharingan; it turns out he was also from the Uchiha clan and was even an old friend of Kakashi's.
At that moment, all sorts of clues quickly connected in Itachi's mind, and a look of sudden realization flashed in his eyes.
Kakashi was deeply troubled.
He couldn't help but recall the Obito in his dream who had gone mad—his single red eye filled with madness.
A chill ran down Kakashi's spine, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
It turns out that the mastermind behind the attack on Konoha and the endless slaughter in the dream was actually Obito!
Fortunately, Obito in reality hadn't turned into the crazy version of himself in his dream. Thinking of this, Kakashi felt a little relieved and became even more certain of one thing: Konoha in reality shouldn't be subjected to a direct attack by Akatsuki in the short term.
After calming down a bit, Kakashi and Itachi exchanged a glance, both reading more questions in each other's eyes.
However, the most urgent task is to take advantage of Itachi's rare return to the village and exchange as much information as possible between the two sides.
Over the next period of time, Itachi and Kakashi each revealed all the information they knew about the Akatsuki organization, engaging in a question-and-answer session.
No detail is overlooked.
Kakashi pulled out paper and pen from his pocket and quickly jotted down the key points of the conversation.
In reality, Itachi didn't bring back much information this time, much of which Konoha already knew about through his dreams.
However, reality does not always perfectly match dreams: some things that happen in dreams are not the same in reality.
For example, Itachi mentioned that Orochimaru in reality had defected from Akatsuki several years prior, while in his dreams, Orochimaru seemed to have been working under Pain for even longer; another example is that in reality, the rogue ninja Juzo Biwa from Kirigakure had already died in battle, but he appeared in his dreams.
These differences, both large and small, combined make the value of Itachi's intelligence exchange still considerable.
Based on Itachi's description, Kakashi meticulously noted down the key differences between the dream and the actual dream, his expression focused and earnest.
After a thorough discussion, Kakashi and Hiruzen Sarutobi compared the information from the dream and reality, and both breathed a sigh of relief. Overall, the Akatsuki organization's strength in reality was much weaker than what was shown in the dream.
After confirming this, the tension in their hearts eased a little.
"Hoo-hoo," Kakashi exhaled softly from his chest, and Hiruzen Sarutobi also showed a rare look of relief.
In contrast, Itachi, who had been listening silently to the side, was experiencing a new wave of emotions.
He originally thought that as a member of the Akatsuki, he would have a better understanding of the organization's intelligence.
But now, through this exchange, he discovered that Konoha possessed far more knowledge than he had imagined!
Not only did Konoha know the identities of most of the Akatsuki members, but they also knew the details of Pain's abilities!
It should be noted that even Itachi himself, who had been in Akatsuki for many years, did not know much about Pain's true power. Hearing that Konoha was aware of such a secret, even he was slightly shocked.
For a moment, his gaze toward Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi held a more complex expression.
The conversation came to an end, and the study fell silent again.
The lamplight flickered, illuminating the thoughtful expressions on everyone's faces.
After hesitating for a long time, Itachi finally broke the silence and said in a low voice, "...There's one more thing."
His voice was very soft, and there was an unusual hesitation in his eyes, "Do you know about a strange dream?"
Upon hearing this, Kakashi and Hiruzen Sarutobi were both startled, and their expressions immediately became somewhat strange.
The word "dream" was so special to them that when Itachi mentioned it, a thought simultaneously popped into their minds: Could Itachi also be—?
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe-smoking motion froze in mid-air, and Kakashi's pen also suddenly stopped.
The two looked at each other, neither speaking for a moment, their expressions a mixture of surprise and doubt.
Itachi took it all in, his pupils contracting slightly. He instantly made a judgment and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of relief: "It seems—you knew."
Hiruzen Sarutobi recovered his senses, took a deep drag on his pipe, and his hoarse voice slowly emerged through the smoke: "Not bad. Much of our information about the Akatsuki and the masked man came from that dream."
Kakashi then realized what had happened. Recalling Itachi's previous actions, a thought flashed through his mind, and he exclaimed, "Itachi, when you secretly returned to Konoha, you must have seen Sasuke's dream, right?"
Upon hearing this, Itachi's pupils contracted sharply: "You seem to be very familiar with that dream?"
Kakashi not only knew about the dream, but even immediately identified "Sasuke's dream," which was no coincidence.
Could it be that Konoha had already figured out the source of the dream?
"That's true." Kakashi nodded, a wry smile on his face. "Actually, the source of this bizarre dream is Naruto and your brother Sasuke! We've observed—or rather, 'seen'—many of these dreams."
After a moment, Itachi seemed to remember something, and his expression became serious again.
He took a deep breath and slowly said, "There's something else—the masked man, who is also Uchiha Obito, told me that he can control that dream."
"Controlling dreams?!" Kakashi frowned upon hearing this, then gave a wry smile.
He shook his head helplessly: "You've been fooled. No one can control that strange dream!"
He paused, a bitter smile playing on his lips, "Actually, Obito recently kidnapped me specifically to find out how to enter a dream world, hoping to extract some 'secret' from me."
This shows that Obito's understanding of dreams was no deeper than theirs.
"He himself is racking his brains trying to find a way, so how could he possibly have already taken control of the dream?"
After hearing Kakashi's explanation, Itachi nodded slightly, without much surprise on his face.
In fact, he had some doubts when the masked man claimed to be able to control dreams, and now that it has been confirmed, it was exactly what he expected.
"As expected—" Itachi muttered, a cold smile playing on his lips, "He's a liar."
At that moment, a weight was lifted from his heart.
However, Itachi did not dwell on this topic too much; instead, a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.
However, on the other hand, this might not be a bad thing for me.
Without this incident, I wouldn't have been able to gain Obito's trust so easily.
"After all, I don't trust Obito, and likewise, has Obito ever truly trusted me?"
But after this incident...
Recalling Obito's smug expression after he thought he had found his weakness, a hint of mockery flashed in Itachi's eyes.
This might be an opportunity!
The wooden study was quiet, with only the occasional soft "pop" of the oil lamp.
After a long pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly put down his pipe and broke the silence, saying, "Itachi."
He looked at the young man before him, his eyes filled with admiration and emotion, "Your infiltration back to the village this time not only brought important intelligence,
This also answered many of our questions. If you have any further requests or need Konoha's help, just say so.
Upon hearing this, Itachi chuckled to himself, then realized that Hiruzen Sarutobi had completely forgiven him.
He paused, a hint of hesitation on his face, as if he was organizing his thoughts.
After two seconds, he slowly spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "Actually, I did come back this time with a request."
He took a deep breath after speaking, his expression suddenly becoming extremely serious. "My body—I'm afraid it's about to give out."
These words shocked everyone in the room.
Kakashi's pupils contracted slightly, and he asked incredulously, "You're sick too?"
Could it be that the real-life itachi, like the one in the dream, has contracted an incurable disease?!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand, which was holding a pipe, suddenly froze.
Itachi nodded, a wry smile tinged with helplessness: "That's right. And my situation is much more serious than 'him' in the dream."
He subconsciously raised his hand to cover his lips, his chest heaving as if he was having difficulty breathing.
Upon closer inspection, his face was unusually pale, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and his cheeks, framed by black hair, were so thin they appeared almost sickly.
Clearly, the burden on this body had long exceeded its limits.
"I saw in my dream that Lady Tsunade seemed to have a way to cure this disease, so—so I dared to come back to seek help."
"I'll take you to see Tsunade!" Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed almost without thinking.
Before he finished speaking, he had already put down his pipe and was leaning on the edge of the table as if he was about to get up.
"No," however, Itachi raised his hand and gently shook his head, stopping Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions.
"I cannot appear in the village openly," he said solemnly. "Obito has a very powerful force under his command that has already secretly infiltrated various ninja villages. If I show my face in Konoha, my identity may be exposed immediately."
Itachi recalled the clues he had discovered over the years since joining Akatsuki—whenever there was any movement in any country, the masked man was always the first to know, which meant he must have planted special spies in various places.
Although he had never seen those mysterious troops in person before, he could not afford to be careless.
Kakashi frowned upon hearing this: "You mean, those monsters that can disguise themselves as other people?"
The strange creature he had encountered in his dream quickly flashed through his mind.
Those guys can perfectly transform into any ninja, making them virtually impossible to defend against.
"I don't know the specifics either," Itachi said, shaking his head with a serious expression. "Anyway, they are very mysterious and come and go without a trace. They have gathered a lot of information about various villages for Obito. We can't take this risk."
"I see—" Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slowly, his gray eyebrows furrowing together.
After a moment's thought, he made a decision, "In that case, Kakashi, you should go and invite Tsunade over!"
Having Tsunade personally treat Itachi in this secluded place is a perfect solution, ensuring that Itachi's whereabouts remain unknown to outsiders and allowing for prompt treatment.
"Understood." Kakashi immediately accepted the order.
He closed the notebook in his arms, rolled up the several pages of information he had just recorded, and handed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi for safekeeping. Then he replied briskly, "I'll go right away. Please wait a moment, I'll be right back!"
After saying that, Kakashi pushed open the door and quickly left.
The room fell silent once more.
Only Hiruzen Sarutobi remained, sitting alone behind the table, puffing on his pipe.
The bluish-gray smoke curled up and filled the air, bringing with it a pungent tobacco smell.
Itachi sat quietly cross-legged in a corner, half of his body hidden in the shadows, without saying a word.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced sideways at the taciturn young man, his eyes filled with increasing pity.
Deep down, he truly felt sorry for Itachi—Uchiha Itachi was undoubtedly a rare genius and a Konoha ninja who truly inherited the "Will of Fire".
It is truly heartbreaking that such a loyal and outstanding junior has now fallen ill and is on the verge of death!
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but sigh inwardly: What a pity.
Time passed slowly in the stillness.
No one spoke inside; only the second hand of the clock in the corner ticked faintly.
Not long after, several hurried footsteps suddenly came from the corridor outside the door.
Immediately afterward, a cheerful female voice drifted in from afar: "Old man! You can't blame me! You know how troublesome Danzo is!"
Upon hearing this voice, Hiruzen Sarutobi's tense expression relaxed slightly. He gave a soft snort: "Hmph, don't give me that! I didn't call you here about Danzo. Come in and we'll talk!"
With a creak, the wooden door to the study was pushed open forcefully, and a tall, blond figure strode in.
It was none other than the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.
She stepped into the room, the crimson hem of the Hokage's robe fluttering slightly beneath her cloak, exuding an aura of decisiveness and efficiency.
Tsunade was initially full of complaints, but after actually entering the room, her gaze swept around and suddenly fixed on someone in the corner.
The young man sat quietly in the shadows, thin and pale, his obsidian-like eyes calmly gazing at him.
"Old man, what's going on?" Tsunade was startled, her almond-shaped eyes widening as she looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
She clearly recognized that young, handsome, yet sickly pale face—Uchiha Itachi, an S-rank rogue ninja, who was actually in the Third Hokage's private residence.
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained calm: "I'll explain the details later. Right now, the most important thing is for you to check Itachi's body first."
As he spoke, he pointed in the direction where Itachi was, his expression extremely solemn.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze back to Itachi.
"A physical examination?" she murmured, then quickly realized what she meant and nodded, "Okay."
Despite her lingering doubts, she suppressed them for the time being and strode toward Itachi.
Taking a few steps closer, Tsunade examined Itachi's complexion by the light of the oil lamp.
Even she, who was used to seeing life and death, couldn't help but change color slightly—Itachi's face looked really bad!
His skin was pale, almost transparent, with faint bluish-black under his eyes and bloodless lips. He exuded a sense of frailty, as if he were terminally ill.
This state is like a flickering candle in a storm, ready to go out at any moment.
"Pfft—" Tsunade clicked her tongue lightly, then shook her head. "I don't even need to examine you to know you're seriously ill."
Her golden pupils narrowed slightly.
I never imagined that a young ninja's body would be so weak, as if he would collapse at any moment.
Upon hearing this, Itachi did not refute it, and tried his best to make himself look less bad.
"Let me take a closer look." Tsunade abandoned her nonchalant attitude, her sword-like eyebrows slightly raised, and she slowly placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. She gathered chakra in her palm, and a layer of warm, pale green light immediately appeared between her palms—she focused intently on sensing the life signs and chakra flow within Itachi's body.
As the examination deepened, Tsunade's brows furrowed more and more tightly.
With each passing second, the solemn expression on Tsunade's still-charming face deepened.
And so, Tsunade examined it carefully for a long time, so long that even Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but pace back and forth, his eyes showing anxiety.
Finally, Tsunade let out a long breath and slowly withdrew her hands.
The emerald light in her palm then went out, and the room returned to darkness.
Tsunade's expression was uncertain, as if she had not yet recovered from the shock of the examination she had just undergone.
After a long silence, she gave Itachi a complicated look and blurted out, "You're still not dead?"
After she said those words, Tsunade realized that they sounded rather impolite.
However, Itachi, upon hearing this, did not become angry; instead, he remained extremely calm and serious.
"I can't die yet—" He raised his head and looked directly at Tsunade, speaking slowly.
Itachi's voice wasn't loud, but it was strong and clear, each word conveying an unwavering determination.
Looking at Itachi's serious expression, Tsunade felt a slight pang in her heart.
She paused for two seconds, then finally sighed softly, shook her head slowly, and said helplessly, "If there's anything else you want to do, hurry up and do it."
Tsunade was very confident that, with her medical skills and experience, if she was helpless against a disease, then no one else in the world could cure it.
Rather than giving unrealistic hope, it's better to prepare people mentally.
In an instant, the air seemed to freeze.
Upon hearing this, Itachi swayed slightly, his bloodless lips pressed into a straight line.
He was mentally prepared.
However, when Itachi heard the verdict from Tsunade's mouth, he felt as if a huge boulder was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.