Successful Treatment

Ueno was one of those who knew the truth. She quickly swept her gaze over the medical staff, whose expressions varied, and immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

If Tsunade's fear of blood got out, it would deal a massive blow to Konohagakure's morale.

"What are you all standing around for?!"

Doctor Ueno strode up to Tsunade, using her back to block the gruesome scene in the operating room from Tsunade's view.

"Lady Biwako's injuries have been stabilized. What we need now is to formulate a feasible treatment plan as quickly as possible!"

Ueno lowered her voice. "Your hands may not be able to hold a scalpel, but the knowledge in your mind is still there. You have the most experience with penetrating wounds. We need your treatment recommendations!"

Tsunade's trembling body paused slightly, and focus seemed to return to her unfocused eyes.

That's right. She couldn't enter the operating room, but her mind held vast medical knowledge and clinical experience. She was still among the very best in the Shinobi World.

"Bring me the detailed injury charts and examination data!"

Tsunade's voice was hoarse, yet somehow reassuring.

Soon, a diagram of the human body's internal organs was spread out. Several chief physicians immediately gathered around it, each adding details in turn.

"Penetrating abdominal injury. The wound diameter exceeds ten centimeters. The right lobe of the liver has ruptured. The spleen... the spleen is almost completely shattered. The mesenteric artery has been severed, causing extensive internal bleeding..."

"Her vital signs are continuing to decline. Her blood pressure has already fallen below the critical threshold!"

The air in the preparation room seemed to freeze. Every word weighed on everyone's hearts like a boulder.

Aoba stood quietly behind Teacher Ueno. Blue light flickered faintly behind his sunglasses as he recorded everyone's words, the markings on the diagrams, and the data from the life-monitoring instruments into the Chip for analysis.

He knew this was no longer merely an operation. It was a race against the Death God.

"Abandon the spleen and first remove the damaged areas! Use nutrient solution to maintain her basic life force. Concentrate chakra on treating the liver wound first, then use Yin Healing Wound Destruction for cellular repair. But the range must be strictly controlled to prevent excessive cell division!"

"Ueno, you're responsible for reconnecting the blood vessels! Shizuko, assist Lady Biwako with organ regeneration and repositioning! Everyone else, maintain the chakra supply and monitor her vital signs!"

Orders flowed clearly from her mouth. Though she herself could not step into that blood-soaked hell, her mind worked faster than ever, as though she had become the operation's supreme commander, directing the forces from afar.

A reasonable and efficient treatment plan was swiftly finalized.

Every medical ninja in the room was an elite of Konohagakure's Medical System. Under Tsunade's command, they quickly became a precision machine operating at peak efficiency.

Then, a long rescue operation began.

Time slipped away second by second.

One hour, five hours, ten hours...

Outside the operating room, the sky turned from white to black, then from black to white again.

Batch after batch of medical ninja rotated out. None of them looked well, their chakra rapidly depleted.

Aoba, too, was replaced when his chakra was nearly exhausted.

Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his face was pale as paper—the signs of excessive chakra consumption.

The Chip's warnings kept ringing in his mind without pause.

Finally, in the twenty-third hour, after the last piece of necrotic tissue had been removed and the final blood vessel successfully sutured, the lead physician let out a weak cheer.

"The blood is starting to circulate... Her vital signs have stabilized!"

Everyone in the operating room heaved a sigh of relief. Several people collapsed directly onto the floor.

They leaned against the hallway wall outside the ward, unwilling to move even a finger.

Aoba dragged his utterly exhausted body out of the operating room.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a red-haired figure curled up in the corner of a bench not far away.

It was Uzumaki Kushina.

Two masked Anbu also stood beside her. Calling it protection would be less accurate than calling it... surveillance.

Aoba had seen the excised organ tissue. The violent, highly corrosive chakra clinging to it was not something a human could possess.

He understood.

It was probably because Kushina had failed to control the Nine-Tails that this disaster had occurred.

Once the operation was confirmed successful, Tsunade silently left the hospital.

Three days later, in the intensive care ward.

Sunlight streamed onto the hospital bed through a gap in the curtains.

On the bed, Namikaze Minato was still pale, but some vitality had returned to his eyes.

Aoba pushed the door open, carrying a bag of nutritional supplements.

Hearing the door open, Kushina looked up. She was stunned for a moment when she saw it was just a kid.

However, upon noticing the medical staff uniform Aoba wore, Kushina politely nodded at him.

Aoba had come in Ueno's place to perform a checkup and visit Minato while he was there.

Aoba had seen Kushina in the hallway a few days ago, though she had not noticed him.

This counted as their first formal meeting, albeit as doctor and family member.

Kushina was not in good condition. Her eyes were red and swollen, and bloodshot veins filled them.

Aoba smiled and nodded at Kushina without speaking. He merely walked over to the bed and set down what he was carrying.

"Aoba..."

Only then did Minato clearly see who had come. His upper body was wrapped in medical bandages like a mummy, propped half-upright against the headboard, unable even to turn his head.

"Senior Minato, it looks like you're recovering well."

Aoba greeted him with a smile, then pulled a stethoscope from his collar. As he examined him, he asked, "Do you feel any discomfort?"

"I feel alright. When can these come off? It's a little uncomfortable not being able to move."

"That won't do. Your external wounds have healed, but the newly grown organ tissue inside still needs to adapt to your body. You mustn't move around carelessly."

"Oh, it seems Aoba helped out quite a bit this time as well."

Minato caught the implication in Aoba's words and thanked him.

"I was just an assistant. The credit mainly goes to Lady Tsunade and the chief physicians."

Aoba waved his hand. He did not dare claim the credit.

Mentioning it casually was only to earn a bit more goodwill from the future Fourth Hokage.

After giving a few final instructions and dietary requirements, he left the ward.

Aside from the medical advice, he had barely exchanged any unnecessary words with Kushina throughout the visit.

Inside the room, Aoba could clearly sense at least four Anbu ninja lurking in the blind spots of his vision.

Besides protecting Minato, they were more intent on monitoring the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, making Aoba afraid to say too much.

Yet even so, Aoba's information was still delivered to Root.

For Root, anyone who had come into contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had to be reported to Lord Danzo.