6, Surgery Begins

"How dare you attempt to bargain? You insolent brat!"

"Director, this is going too far..."

"These youngsters today, they develop one new technique by pure luck and suddenly they're getting ahead of themselves!"

"Director, throw him out!"

The controversy sparked by Yamada Soji plunged the entire preparation room into a chaotic war of words.

The white-haired, venerable authorities stood under the lights like angry temple statues flanking a royal path, casting malicious shadows upon the youth in the center of the room. From behind, those shadows merged into a jagged, undulating silhouette, resembling the fangs of a wild beast...

Yet, as the person in charge, Chosokabe Masayuki spat out only four simple syllables.

"Quiet!"

The old Director's pronouncement restored calm to the preparation room.

He looked at Yamada Soji, who was kneeling before him, and continued in a tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation: "Saving a life is like fighting a fire; speak your mind."

"Yes."

Soji kept his head bowed, his voice not particularly loud.

But due to his steady, measured cadence and calm, rhythmic breathing, his attitude appeared exceptionally firm.

"Given the unique nature of this surgery, I require two highly skilled and experienced seniors to assist in the treatment. If possible, I hope Director Kobayakawa and Director Inoue will lend me their strength."

Inoue Hisahide showed no particular reaction, but the other named individual, Director Kobayakawa, clearly turned grim-faced.

"You want two directors to serve as assistants to an intern?"

"If any senior with deeper qualifications is willing to take on this heavy responsibility, that would, of course, be even better."

"..."

Soji's subtle, unyielding retort made the atmosphere in the room even heavier.

Fire clearly ignited in the eyes of several old gentlemen, but cowed by the tense situation and the authority of Director Chosokabe, they had no opportunity to vent their frustrations on the youth.

Helpless, everyone could only cast their gazes toward the Director standing at the head of the room.

The old man, wearing a hearing aid, nodded slightly, his sunken eye sockets hidden within deep shadows.

"I cannot grant your request."

"In that case, please forgive this student for—"

"Wait."

The old Director suddenly waved his hand, cutting off Soji's reply.

He adjusted his mask and signaled the nurse beside him to fetch his glasses.

Once that frame, secured with a rubber band at the ends, sat upon Chosokabe's nose, this stern, unsmiling old man seemed to transform, suddenly becoming a battle-hardened warrior who grew stronger with age.

"If you truly need assistants, this old man alone is more than enough!"

"..."

"Director!"

"You mustn't, this is absolutely out of the question!"

"It would be better to select another lead surgeon..."

Chosokabe Masayuki's self-nomination triggered a new round of debate in the preparation room.

People gathered around the old Director, offering advice in a cacophony of voices.

Only Yamada Soji, kneeling on one knee, had begun to revise the image of the old Director in his own mind after the initial shock.

He admitted that he, accustomed to pragmatism, had misunderstood the old man; otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately set the condition of requiring department directors to assist in the surgery...

The discrepancy in perception had caused a subtle misunderstanding.

The business tactic of "asking for a high price to allow for negotiation" had suddenly turned into a provocation, and Soji, the one who set the conditions, found himself in a position where he could neither advance nor retreat.

Looking at the old Director's intent, he was one hundred percent serious about curing the Uchiha clansman! His fearless attitude clearly hadn't considered how to shift the blame if the surgery failed!

But as the lead surgeon, Soji knew he couldn't guarantee the outcome...

If the big brother from the Uchiha clan stopped breathing and failed to make it through the gates of hell, his previous "playing hard to get" would turn into digging his own grave!

At this thought, the youth subconsciously turned his gaze toward the more slick and worldly Inoue Hisahide.

To his surprise, this General Surgery Department director, who had remained silent until now, was already directing the surgical team to prepare. In the blink of an eye, even the anesthesiologist had been pushed in front of Soji...

Old fox!

The youth cursed inwardly, but his facial control remained impeccable.

With things having reached this point, he could no longer back down.

The youth took the surgical gloves and mask from the male nurse without a change in expression, bit the bullet, and followed behind Director Chosokabe, beginning to inquire about the patient's condition in a professional manner.

"Are the surgical instruments ready? Does the patient have any allergic reactions?"

"Based on past medical records and skin tests, no common allergens have been found," the anesthesiologist replied immediately.

"How is the connection to the vital signs monitoring device?"

"Blood pressure, pulse, and heart rate are all normal."

"Are you certain the repair work on the other organs is complete?" Soji turned his head to look at Chosokabe.

"I personally supervised the entire surgery, so you need not worry; proceed with confidence." The old director nodded calmly while gesturing for the two nurses to stand beside the boy—once the abdomen was opened, they would be responsible for handing Soji medical tools and wiping away his sweat at any moment.

"Since everything is ready... the surgery officially begins."

"Yes!"

Human life is of the utmost importance.

At the lead surgeon's command, all medical staff, including Director Chosokabe, responded immediately.

The experienced old director raised his right hand, and a sharp chakra scalpel emitted a faint, barely audible hum at his fingertips.

Although Chosokabe Masayuki was over fifty, his technique was both steady and precise; once on the operating table, there was no trace of his advanced age.

Based on the patient's previous examination, the incision he made provided full exposure of the surgical field without causing additional damage, marking a good start for the procedure Yamada Soji was about to perform.

But as Soji reached his slender hand into the patient's abdominal cavity, increasing the sensitivity of his chakra perception through direct contact, a new problem immediately confronted the boy!

The Sand Ninja's Magnet Release ninjutsu was truly well-deserved of its reputation.

Such dense and unique wounds were simply unheard of...

The surface of the patient's liver was covered in many pin-sized puncture wounds; if the doctors at Konoha Hospital hadn't been so skilled and performed timely hemostasis, the massive hemorrhage caused by the ruptures would likely have already claimed this Uchiha's life.

Soji attempted to use the Disease-Seeking Technique to expand his perception, and the metal fragments, smaller than grains of sand inside the liver, finally began to enter his "field of vision."

The lesion has been revealed; the next step is to save the liver and extract the "stones"!

Yamada-kun immediately tried to exert influence on those fragments using Accio, but whether it was because the foreign objects were too small or because some time had passed, the fragments had adhered to the liver, and the usually infallible Filth-Licking Technique failed to accurately extract the targets!

Not only that...

The displacement of the foreign objects inside the liver actually worsened the bleeding, causing the patient's previously stable physiological signs to fluctuate!

"Heart rate 160! Blood pressure dropping rapidly!"

"The patient is breathing rapidly!"

"Doctor! We should stop the surgery immediately!"

"Director Chosokabe!"

The unexpected turn of events pushed the atmosphere in the operating room to the breaking point!

The immense psychological pressure caused everyone performing the surgery to waver, but only the old director remained steady, keeping a firm grip on the primary issue.

"Don't panic! Everyone stick to your duties and do not interfere with the lead surgeon!"

The old man looked at the boy's youthful profile, as if he could see through the countless complex thoughts in the latter's mind...

Facing a life on the operating table that could slip away at any moment, Soji narrowed his eyes after a brief silence.

He didn't waste any words, but to the astonishment of the other medical staff, he thrust his other hand into the patient's abdominal cavity as well!