Escaping Danger

Senju Tobirama found himself in agreement with Li Ke's perspective, though he could not fathom how a commoner ninja like him could possibly possess such insights.

He had personally established the Ninja Academy and knew full well that such concepts were never taught there.

Furthermore, commoner ninjas had no access to these ideas, leaving only one possibility.

"Kid, is your dream to become Hokage? You already possess the mindset of one."

With that, he released the technique binding Li Ke's body, allowing him to move once more.

But Senju Tobirama's words made Li Ke shudder; after all, that was hardly a compliment. A "Hokage's mindset" was the very term used to describe Itachi Uchiha, and Li Ke felt he had no standing to be mentioned in the same breath as such a fool.

"Not at all. I simply enjoy contemplating the changes in this world."

His chakra consumption had been immense. Although Senju Tobirama had dispelled the Shadow Clone, Li Ke still lacked the strength to move a muscle.

Fortunately, the surrounding enemies had been mostly cleared, and the ninjas of Konoha Village should have reacted by now, meaning there was little chance of encountering more Rock ninjas.

If he were truly unlucky enough to run into them...

Then he would have no choice but to make one final stand.

It was unavoidable; his chakra was almost entirely depleted. Had he not shared power earlier to boost his strength, he wouldn't have even had the capacity to support Senju Tobirama in battle.

"Those who enjoy thinking usually harbor grand ambitions."

Seeing that Li Ke did not wish to elaborate, Senju Tobirama chose not to press further. As long as the topic did not involve the village, he could speak calmly.

"However, kid, I cannot possess your body forever. You understand that, don't you? Though I know not why you possess such a secret technique or bloodline, this is undoubtedly a desecration of the dead's peace."

Senju Tobirama's voice turned cold once more.

"After we return to Konoha Village, I can help treat your heart. If a suitable arm is found, I can assist in reattaching it. But even if your heart is repaired, you will never be a ninja again. I hope you are prepared for that."

"I understand."

Li Ke nodded. He had never really wanted to continue being a ninja anyway; summoning Senju Tobirama had been purely for survival. That the Second Hokage was willing to help repair his heart was an unexpected blessing.

He had originally assumed he would have to wait for French Li Ke's potions or spells to mend his body.

After all, the wizards of the Harry Potter world were truly formidable when it came to treating surgical wounds.

At the very least, he could wait until a version of Li Ke capable of solving this problem appeared. Still, Li Ke knew he had to offer Senju Tobirama some benefit in return.

"Then, what must I do for you, Second Hokage?"

Senju Tobirama merely let out a cold snort.

"The dead require nothing from you, nor should they interfere with the choices of the living... I only wish to take a good look at Konoha Village. As for the rest, you need do nothing. For now, rest well. Your body can no longer sustain combat."

He knew his students' temperaments all too well; if he appeared in a state resembling the Reanimation Jutsu, they would never listen to him. Besides, he was already dead, and the dead should not meddle in the choices of the living.

That was for the best for everyone.

"I see... then I can rest easy."

Li Ke closed his eyes. With his chakra nearly exhausted, he had no strength left to continue, and as the adrenaline faded, he finally felt the full weight of his exhaustion and helplessness.

Just as he was about to drift into unconsciousness, Senju Tobirama spoke suddenly.

"Someone is coming. Judging by the direction, they are from Konoha. You had better retract my arm and eye for now to avoid trouble."

His words made Li Ke snap his eyes open. With a regretful nod, Li Ke activated his ability, coordinating with Senju Tobirama to dispel the Heroic Spirit Possession on his right arm and eye.

The arm and eye, which had resembled the Reanimation Jutsu, turned to dust in an instant, leaving Li Ke to experience the sensation of being incomplete once again.

He knew this was necessary to deceive the enemy and avoid complications, so he did not object.

Yet, the severe loss of his field of vision still made him feel uneasy, and at that moment, Senju Tobirama spoke again.

"Hold your breath. I will help you mask the sound of your heartbeat."

Li Ke's heart immediately began to beat at a faint rhythm, and a surge of chakra enveloped it, rendering the sound of his heartbeat almost imperceptible.

Holding his breath and squinting, Li Ke observed the approaching ninjas. Upon seeing the familiar forehead protectors and tactical vests, his spirit finally relaxed.

Already exhausted, he didn't even have the chance to speak before he lost consciousness.

The last thing he heard before passing out was—

"Medical team! Hurry!"

When Li Ke awoke again, he was greeted by the ceiling of a hospital and a pungent, peculiar odor—a mixture of disinfectant, blood, flesh, and various bodily secretions.

It was the smell of a hospital.

"I survived..."

Li Ke couldn't help but sigh. He instinctively tried to reach out to prop himself up, only to find he couldn't do it.

It wasn't because he was bound tightly, but because his right arm was gone.

After a moment of silence, Li Ke's mood turned subtle, especially with his unfamiliar, incomplete field of vision, which only made his spirits sink further.

Moreover, there was no one in the ward except for a ninja in the bed next to him. Only the flower basket and fruit on the bedside table proved that someone still cared for him.

It was just...

His younger brother still ended up going to the battlefield, didn't he?

Li Ke couldn't help but let out a sigh, and immediately following that sigh, the voice of Senju Tobirama emerged.

"Do not worry. Your arm was recovered by the Konoha jonin who rescued you; it is well-preserved. It was only reattached recently because your body was too weak, and there were other ninja with more critical injuries than yours. Furthermore, the issue with your heart has been resolved by Konoha's medical ninja; you no longer require my assistance. Additionally, while your brother has gone to the front lines, he is only responsible for logistics and supply transport for the Sand Village front."

Senju Tobirama paused for a moment before continuing.

"After all, the Monkey would never grant your family special treatment or exempt them from the battlefield just because you held the line for his son. However, preferential treatment is a given. Now that the Kannabi Bridge has been destroyed and the Stone Village's offensive has been repelled, your brother will be quite safe."

Li Ke nodded. He truly hadn't expected that Konoha's medical ninja could treat a wound as severe as a pierced heart.

This surely had something to do with Senju Tobirama; the Second Hokage must have exerted his influence. Otherwise, given the situation described, he would have been abandoned just like anyone else.

"I understand. Thank you, Second Hokage."

If he had died, his brother indeed wouldn't have needed to go to the battlefield. But since he survived, his brother had to go just to maintain a sense of fairness.

Being assigned to a safe area was already a form of special care.

Still, he was curious about how long he had been unconscious. How could the Stone Village's offensive have been repelled the moment he woke up?

Moreover, this meant that Obito Uchiha had likely been snatched away by Madara Uchiha.

"No need for thanks. You are a ninja of Konoha, so naturally, I must protect you. However, once your body has fully recovered, take me for a walk through the current Konoha Village. Our transaction can conclude then."

"I must thank you regardless. Without you, I would not have survived."

"You only need to fulfill our agreement. By the way, Qingtan? Is your father named Lujian?"

Senju Tobirama's tone remained as calm as it had been from the start, reminding Li Ke not to disturb him, a soul of the departed. Yet, the question left Li Ke slightly puzzled.

Although this naming style was similar to that of Hashirama Senju and his kin, it was only because their family had been charcoal sellers before transitioning into ninja. In this life, his grandfather was named Murata Ho-naka, which was why his father had that name—it had nothing to do with the Senju Clan.

However, since the Second Hokage asked, there must be a deeper meaning, so he didn't need to dwell on it.

He would just treat it as the man checking his background.

Thus, Li Ke answered Senju Tobirama while glancing at the calendar on the wall.

"Yes, Second Hokage."

Looking at the calendar, Li Ke realized that three days had passed since he and Asuma returned. He had been unconscious for three whole days.

But why did he feel so good?

Li Ke carefully sensed his chakra and discovered that his vitality was even more vigorous than before he had been maimed. Consequently, his chakra reserves were estimated to be more than ten times what they had been, and this figure would likely increase further once his spirit recovered and his mental energy stabilized.

If he had shared this with his other selves earlier instead of waiting until he was on the brink of death, he might have actually been able to coordinate with Asuma and kill all those pursuing ninja!

"The amplification is actually this significant?"

Li Ke felt a tinge of regret, but he didn't dwell on it. He didn't intend to be a ninja anymore. Once his arm was reattached, he would find a way to transplant an eye, then continuously refine his combat abilities to help his brother and his other selves.

After all, he didn't lack ninjutsu; what he needed was to settle down, not go out on missions every day.

As for what came after...

He would deal with that later. Right now, he just wanted to escape the war and the garbage profession of being a ninja as quickly as possible, to properly rest and reflect.

Besides, he could try to "shear the wool" from the ninja he summoned, couldn't he? Why bother with dangerous missions?

Li Ke recalled the sensation of Senju Tobirama using his body to unleash the Water Severing Wave. Although he still didn't fully grasp it, he remembered the feeling clearly. With diligent practice, he would eventually be able to master the Water Severing Wave, which he had never been able to learn before.

It was just a nuisance that he didn't know when the shared space would open again.

Taking a deep breath, Li Ke struggled to sit up. The moment he did, the door to his hospital room opened.

Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai appeared at the entrance. Upon seeing Li Ke awake, Yuhi Kurenai, who was holding a bouquet of flowers, immediately dropped them and rushed toward him.

"Qingtan!"

Yuhi Kurenai's ruby-like eyes were filled with tears. She gripped Li Ke's hand tightly, pressing it against her cheek, and began to sob as she felt his warmth.

"Finally! You're finally awake! Qingtan! You are not allowed to do something so stupid ever again!"

At this moment, Yuhi Kurenai couldn't care about anything else; she only wanted to show how worried she had been for him!

Behind her, Asuma watched the scene with some awkwardness. His foot, which had been about to step inside, faltered. In the end, he pretended nothing was amiss, walked in, and greeted Li Ke with a smile.

"That's great, Qingtan! You're finally awake!"

Li Ke looked at Asuma—who wouldn't have blinked an eye at dying for him—and felt a sense of helplessness at the distortion of the situation. As for feeling guilty toward him, he truly didn't.

His relationship with Yuhi Kurenai had always been strange. In this life, he possessed a very upright appearance, characterized by sharp brows and bright eyes, exuding a sense of reliability and maturity.

Having lived two lives and knowing the horrors of this world, Li Ke had trained himself diligently since childhood, so his strength naturally far exceeded that of these children who didn't yet understand the cruelty of war.

Thus, the label of "mature and reliable" had always been attached to him, which was why he had been placed in the same squad as Asuma during the team assignments.

And Yuhi Kurenai was, to some extent, a bit of a "father-complex" type.

Or rather, she preferred men with a mature style. Every move Li Ke made caught her eye, but Li Ke had been focused on improving his strength and had no intention of preying on a girl in her early teens, so Yuhi Kurenai had never broken through that barrier.

Now that Li Ke had taken the initiative to hold the line for them and nearly died because of it, it was obvious what Yuhi Kurenai would do. As for his own mindset, it had shifted slightly after his brush with death.

"She is a clan ninja, isn't she?"

Senju Tobirama's voice appeared suddenly. Li Ke paused, wiping the tears from Yuhi Kurenai's face with his finger while responding in his mind.

"Yes, the daughter of a small ninja clan leader."

However, what he didn't expect was that Senju Tobirama suddenly said something that left him somewhat stunned.

"Is that so... Then Qingtan, have you ever thought about what your future will be like? She probably won't give up being a ninja, and for a long time, you won't be able to do business very well, will you?"

Li Ke was a little confused.

"You mean..."

Senju Tobirama's voice carried a hint of a smile.

"Are you interested in developing some Bloodline Limits yourself? If you can develop a Bloodline Limit, then you can make your marriage smoother and happier. Also, I remember the village has relevant regulations; if you become a Bloodline Ninja, your business can be taxed much less."

Li Ke was somewhat bewildered. He hadn't expected the esteemed Second Hokage to consider these things for him. And developing Bloodline Limits seemed a bit far-fetched.

But Li Ke didn't know this—

The wooden cabinet beside him had been modified by the Second Hokage, who hadn't had his five senses shut off in time, nor his control over Li Ke's body.