Bloodline Disease

Rokuro Kaguya lay in his hospital bed, feeling very down.

He held on for so long, but he still couldn't make it. The nightmare that had plagued his clan finally descended upon him, and its first attack was so ferocious.

A tearing pain shot through the corner of his eye, mixed with the coolness of the ointment. This extremely strange and uncomfortable sensation assaulted his brain, making it impossible for him to maintain his thoughts and consider what would happen next.

Bloodline Disease.

The Kaguya Clan's inescapable nightmare: every clan member who awakens the Shikotsumyaku will eventually suffer from the Bloodline Disease. However, some suffer from it later, some earlier, some can be kept in the womb for more than ten years with the help of medicine, while others only have three to five years, and medicine is useless for them.

No one can escape this nightmare.

According to the records of the Kaguya family throughout the ages, every member of the clan who awakened the Shikotsumyaku) either died in battle or was tormented to death by Bloodline Disease; not a single member of the clan lived to old age.

The old patriarch of the Kaguya family was one of the longest-lived members of the clan. However, beneath that aged face, his true age was only forty. He had been tormented by Bloodline Disease for a full twenty years, which aged him to that extent. In the end, he could not survive it. He passed away from the torment of the Bloodline Disease only a year after moving to Konoha.

I wonder how long they can hold out?

He clenched his fists under the covers; he didn't expect to be able to drag things out for more than a decade like the old clan chief.

His Bloodline Disease developed relatively late, but the first attack was so severe. According to his understanding, the longest he could live was six or seven years, and the shortest might only be two or three years.

"Three years, no... two years. Everything for the family must be arranged within two years..."

"What do you mean two years? Rokuro, be optimistic, don't be so pessimistic. Just because we haven't discovered a cure for Bloodline Disease yet doesn't mean we won't in the future." Katsuki lifted the curtain and strode in.

"Lord Katsuki."

Rokuro Kaguya tried to sit up in bed, but Katsuki pushed him back down.

"A patient should act like a patient. What kind of posture do you have? Instead of these empty formalities, tell me the specifics."

Katsuki pulled over a stool, sat down on the edge of the bed, and took out a notebook and pen from her bosom, ready to take notes at any time.

Katsuki knew a great deal about the Kaguya clan's Bloodline Disease. The previous clan leader's attending physicians were Tsunade and Katsuki. Unfortunately, they had limited information and had never seen a similar disease before. According to the Kaguya Clan's records, they did develop many new drugs, but their effects were limited and they were not very useful.

In the end, despite all the methods he and Tsunade used, they still couldn't save Kaguya Clan Head who was only in her forties.

Now, another Kaguya Clan Head lies before him.

"... My body aches terribly, like being pricked with needles... After using the Early Fern Dance, my head felt like it was going to explode... My bones, I feel like my bones are different from before, they're cold, chilly..."

Rokuro Kaguya slowly described the sensations in her body.

He was very familiar with the process of treating the old clan leader when Katsuki and Tsunade were treating him.

He recounted everything in detail, not believing that there would be any major breakthroughs within two or three years. After all, this Bloodline Disease had plagued the Kaguya Clan for countless years. However, he hoped that one day, he could solve this damned Bloodline Disease and dispel the nightmare that had shrouded the Kaguya Clan for so many years.

"... the corners of the eyes are cracked, and large areas of capillaries in the nasal cavity have ruptured... multiple abnormal signs of aging and deterioration have appeared in various parts of the body..."

This is a report I recorded when I helped Rokuro Kaguya diagnose his injuries; Nawaki brought it over for me.

Looking at the report in her hand, Katsuki's mood instantly became heavy. No wonder Rokuro Kaguya was so frustrated. The first attack of the Bloodline Disease was so dangerous. Having only two or three years left was not just a pessimistic thought, but a cold and hard reality.

"... Bloodline Disease, what exactly is its mechanism? There are more than a dozen known Kekkei Genkai the Shinobi World, but none of them have this damned Bloodline Disease..."

Katsuki rubbed her temples, feeling a splitting headache.

He discussed it with Tsunade many times, but they still couldn't determine what this Bloodline Disease was. According to Kaguya's family records, the lesion of Bloodline Disease is their bones. The Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai itself is a kind of "disease". The more powerful the Kekkei Genkai is developed, the faster and more ferocious the onset of the disease.

"Lord Katsuki, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it in time for the upcoming battle..."

"Don't talk such nonsense. Stone Ninja getting better. I can handle those chickens and dogs from Iwagakure all by myself."

Katsuki scratched her head vigorously, feeling extremely depressed. How was she ever going to get rid of this damned Bloodline Disease...?

Stone Ninja Army Camp.

"How are Roshi and Han doing?"

Ōnoki sat on the bed and looked at Kitsuchi standing beside him.

"The situation is alright. All the injuries on his body have been healed by the Tailed Beast Chakra. He's just mentally exhausted. There's nothing we can do about it; he can only rest and recuperate," Kitsuchi replied in a deep voice.

"... Damn it, the Wood Human Technique... Has the Senju Clan reappeared? Konoha... Konoha... Damn Konoha..."

The old man's expression shifted constantly as he muttered curses.

Kitsuchi stood to one side, his solemn expression like that of a Buddha statue in a temple, seemingly oblivious to Ōnoki's whisper.

After cursing for a while, Ōnoki must have gotten tired, so he shut his mouth, picked up the teacup on the low table by the bed, drank the warm tea in one gulp, and comfortably stroked his beard.

"Pass on my orders: everyone must be on double guard tonight. Be wary of Konoha's sneak attacks. If anything goes wrong, report directly to the special forces, as long as he's still alive."

"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage."

Another trusted ninja left the tent to quickly relay the orders.

"Father, aren't we taking action tonight?" Kitsuchi Tu asked.

"Operation?... How do we move? Roshi and Han are useless tonight. My old bones are aching terribly right now. Counting the people in the camp, there are only a few who are truly capable, and they've all been sent out. Are we just going to wait for someone to come and collect our corpses?"

Kitsuchi, having been the first to be criticized, didn't argue and stood quietly to the side.

"Alright, stop standing there in the way. Go do what you're supposed to do. I'm not going to hang up anytime soon!"

Ōnoki waved impatiently to shoo them away.

"Then Father, please get some rest."

Kitsuchi slowly left the tent, and without that big guy, the space suddenly felt much wider.

Ōnoki sat on the bed, turning his head to look at the fluttering curtains, muttering indistinctly. The old man quickly turned back, closed his eyes, and began to conserve his energy. (To be continued)