A Life Hanging by a Thread

"Give him to me."

In the dark of night, Minato's voice rang out beside Gennosuke. Gennosuke sized Minato up... the jonin squad leader, Minato Namikaze...

"Thank you for your hard work," Gennosuke said solemnly. "Please, you have to save Crow."

Minato removed Jin's mask. Looking at Jin's bloodless face, he felt a stab of heartache...

"Of course."

After taking Jin from Gennosuke, Minato vanished from the spot in the next second and began rushing back to Konoha Village through the night.

In the early morning, the sun rose faintly.

The guard on duty at Konoha Gate had only just opened the gate and was about to sigh that another day of drudgery had begun when a yellow shadow suddenly appeared beside him.

Thinking he was hallucinating after staying up all night playing cards, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, only to find there was nothing there...

"Huh? Maybe I really shouldn't stay up late anymore..." the guard muttered.

Konoha Hospital.

Minato, his face full of exhaustion, handed Jin over to Kato Dan. "I'm counting on you, Brother Kato!"

"You've worked hard, Minato. Go back and get some proper rest," Kato Dan said with concern.

Almost at the same time, Hiruzen and Sakumo, still at home, had already received news that Minato had brought Jin back, and both of them rushed to the hospital at once.

As Hiruzen headed for the hospital, he instructed his Anbu guard, "Go notify Uchiha Mikoto. After all, she's all..."

Kakashi, who was training in the courtyard that morning, saw his father hurrying out and quickly called after him, "Dad, is Jin back?"

"Mm! I'm going to Konoha Hospital to take a look," Sakumo said as he ran.

After learning the news, Kakashi stopped training too and hurried off to inform the others.

Uchiha Clan Compound.

Faced with the sudden appearance of an Anbu early in the morning, Uchiha Mikoto was completely baffled. "Hello, may I ask what you need?"

"You're Uchiha Mikoto, right? Something happened to Uchiha Jin. He's being treated at Konoha Hospital. Lord Hokage sent me to notify you," the Anbu replied, then left with a Body Flicker without waiting for Mikoto to respond.

"Jin... something happened..." Mikoto murmured, her whole body swaying unsteadily. Just as she was about to collapse, Fugaku, who had come visiting early, caught her. "Mikoto, what's wrong?"

Mikoto's whole body went weak, her ten fingers clutching Fugaku's clothes tightly, tears pouring down no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

"What's wrong, Mikoto? Did something happen?" Fugaku soothed her while asking carefully.

"Jin... something happened to Jin..." Mikoto leaned in Fugaku's arms, sobbing without pause. "Anbu just came to tell me... Jin is at the hospital... being treated at the hospital."

"What!" Fugaku was shocked as well, but he forced down the anxiety in his heart and comforted Mikoto. "Believe in Jin. He'll be fine. He's a genius."

"No, I have to go to the hospital to see him!" Mikoto broke free from Fugaku's arms and rushed out the door, ignoring the tears on her cheeks.

"Wait, Mikoto, wait for me..." Afraid something else might happen to her, Fugaku hurried after her.

To Mikoto, Jin was family. He was her own little brother, the little brother she had watched over since childhood until now...

Konoha Hospital.

Minato had not left. Looking at the lit red light, his heart had never once settled.

"Minato, how is Jin?" Hiruzen hurried over under the escort of his Anbu guard.

"Lord Hokage, he's been inside for half an hour already," Minato said wearily.

At that moment, Sakumo also rushed over and asked urgently, "How is it? What's the situation now?"

"I don't know." Minato shook his head.

The three of them sat together on the bench and waited. Before long, Mikoto and Fugaku arrived as well.

"Fugaku, Mikoto, you're here," Hiruzen said as he stood. Minato and Sakumo also stood together and greeted the two of them.

At this moment, Mikoto could not care about status or etiquette. She pleaded, "Lord Hokage, how is Jin? Is he in danger?"

Hiruzen shook his head and comforted her. "It still isn't clear yet, but Tsunade is inside. Believe in Jin, and believe in Tsunade."

Time passed second by second. Under Shinku Yuhi's lead, Kakashi and the others also came to the operating room entrance to wait.

At last, the operating room door slowly opened, and everyone rushed forward. Seeing so many people outside, Tsunade could not help being somewhat stunned.

"Tsunade, how is Jin?" Hiruzen was the first to speak.

Tsunade sighed. "The toxins have invaded his heart vessels. He was brought in too late, and we still don't know what kind of poison it is. What's left depends on whether he can pull through on his own."

Tsunade's words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer. Mikoto stepped forward crying and begged, "Lady Tsunade, please, can you think of another way?"

"I'm sorry, I've already done everything I can." Tsunade showed the professionalism of a doctor. "Leave one person to look after him. The rest of you can go back." After saying that, she closed the operating room door.

Outside the entire operating room, there was no sound except Mikoto's and Kurenai's sobs... After a long while, Hiruzen finally spoke slowly. "Mikoto, I'll have to trouble you to take care of Jin."

Hokage Building.

The people from before were all gathered here, including Tsunade, who had operated on Jin, as well as several Anbu members.

Tsunade said in a low voice, "There is only one way to save him: retrieve a sample of the poison."

"Lord Hokage, Anbu Squad One requests this mission," Gennosuke immediately said. The person lying on the hospital bed, his life or death uncertain, had suffered those grave injuries to cover their retreat.

"Lord Hokage, I request it as well!" Fugaku and Minato exchanged a glance, then spoke at the same time.

Only after taking several hard drags from his pipe did Hiruzen say, "Minato, Fugaku, you two go. As for Anbu Squad One, due to incomplete personnel, all external missions are suspended for now."

"Yes, sir!"

Konoha Hospital.

Kakashi and the others had not left. Looking at Jin lying on the hospital bed with a bloodless face, instruments inserted all over his body, their hearts felt extremely heavy.

"Rin, Brother Jin will be all right, won't he?" Kurenai asked softly, but the tears that had originally stopped burst out again.

"Believe in Brother Jin." Rin held Kurenai's hand and comforted her. At that moment, Mikoto walked in with food and said softly, "Thank you for coming to help. Eat something first."

"Sister Mikoto, don't worry either. Brother Jin will definitely be fine," Rin also comforted Mikoto.

No one had any appetite for this meal. Each of them only pushed a few symbolic mouthfuls into their mouths before stopping. After the little ones helped Mikoto clean up the bowls and chopsticks, they prepared to leave.

"Hello, may I ask if Uchiha Jin is here?"

Just as the little ones were about to leave, they saw the ward door open, and a red-haired girl walked in and asked.

"Sister Kushina?" Kurenai recognized at a glance the pretty older sister she had met before.

Seeing Kurenai, Kushina confirmed that this was Jin's ward. Mikoto also walked over and said, "Hello, may I ask what you need?"

"I heard from Minato that Jin was injured, so I came to see him," Kushina said. Minato had only told her that Jin had been injured on a mission. As for how badly he was injured... he had not said.

After she saw Jin on the hospital bed, Kushina's eyes filled with shock. "How... how is he hurt this badly?"