When Yecheng spoke, a thought struck the Third. Rather than reprimanding him, he tacitly acknowledged his right to speak at this moment.
This is a good chance to see just how much this kid can do.
That was what Hiruzen Sarutobi thought.
When Tsunade saw Yecheng speak, she thought he was merely feeling playful, but his confident smile put her at ease.
Fine, let's see how you perform.
A smile touched Tsunade's lips. As her student, strength alone was not enough.
Naturally, Yecheng spoke up now to help the Third Hokage out of his predicament. After all, the man had helped him quite a bit.
Besides, a dignified Hokage who could not even find someone to take the blame for him was truly pitiful.
Oh, Danzo isn't here.
Never mind, then.
"What?! A hundred million ryo! And Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
Hearing this demand, the Raikage's hair immediately stood on end. He rose and shouted furiously, "Brat, why don't you just rob us!"
I'm not from Kumogakure. Robbery isn't my specialty, Yecheng thought.
Of course, he could not say that to his face.
He smiled faintly and said, "If you agree, Lord Raikage, we can arrange the surgery right now. If not, forget it."
The Raikage was about to erupt again when Kiru, who had accompanied him, immediately stopped him.
"Leave this to Mabui, Lord Raikage."
This man was also a capable ninja from Kumogakure, known as the Raikage's "left hand." He knew ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and sensory techniques, and even possessed decent Medical Ninjutsu.
Of course, "decent" merely meant he stood out among Kumogakure's mediocre medical practitioners. Never mind Tsunade; he fell well short of even Shizune.
Naturally, he could not perform this surgery.
Mabui had assumed Yecheng was deliberately causing trouble, but when she looked at the Hokage, then Tsunade, she found that both had tacitly allowed him to speak.
That was quite telling.
Perhaps the Third Hokage, constrained by his high position, found it inconvenient to speak and had a junior test the waters first.
But Tsunade had actually allowed this student to negotiate entirely on her behalf. Clearly, she valued him greatly!
Damn Konoha. Had another genius like the Yellow Flash emerged?
One generation died, and the next immediately filled their places. Their reserves of talent were enough to drive anyone mad with envy!
Mabui collected herself and looked at Yecheng.
"A hundred million ryo is too much. Moreover, Lightning Release Chakra Mode is a secret technique passed down directly by the Raikage. It cannot be divulged."
"So there's nothing to discuss?"
Yecheng smiled indifferently. "Teacher, the next surgery is about to start. Let's go."
"Mm."
Tsunade played along, making to rise and leave.
At the sight, the Raikage was about to fly into another rage, but Kiru hurriedly pulled him back into his seat.
"Fifty million ryo, plus ten other ninjutsu or secret techniques!"
Mabui spoke calmly. "That is our bottom line."
Those resources were indeed worth more than a single jonin.
"I assume you encountered the Xuanyuan Group, Lord Raikage. Am I right?"
"How did you know? Was this a Konoha plot?!"
The Raikage was ready to explode on the spot.
"If you want your body to explode and die right now, Raikage, feel free to keep using chakra."
"What?"
Everyone was startled by those words.
Yecheng smiled calmly. "What you were infected with were Explosive Insects specially bred by the Xuanyuan Group. They feed on chakra. Whenever you mold chakra to use a technique, they absorb it, triggering an explosion."
The Raikage was horrified, recalling the terrible fate of his companion.
"Nigai did explode and die after using Lightning Release Ninjutsu!"
Tsunade seized the moment to back him up. "Explosive Insects are insects filled with explosive chakra, and they're extremely sensitive. Any strong stimulus will make them explode immediately."
As she spoke, she glanced at the Raikage. "Even medical personnel face considerable danger performing this surgery!"
The Third took a puff of his pipe and spoke at just the right moment. "If the risk is that great, Tsunade, you should not take this case.
"What if you get hurt because of it? Konoha cannot afford such a loss."
Seeing that everyone seemed to agree, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura immediately spoke up as well.
"Tsunade is a precious ninja of Konoha. She absolutely cannot take such a risk!"
"Exactly. Besides, Princess Tsunade holds a special position. We cannot allow her to be injured!"
Hearing them speak this way, even Mabui could not determine Konoha's stance for a moment.
Fortunately, Yecheng spoke up then, giving her some reassurance.
"Besides, every ninja in your party was infected. What makes you think you weren't, Raikage?"
"What?!"
The Raikage was shocked again. He roared, "Impossible! I haven't felt any discomfort!"
"I told you, there's an Explosive Insect inside your body. If you want to kill yourself, Raikage, feel free to mold chakra and use ninjutsu."
Yecheng paused before continuing, "But you'd better find somewhere open. Don't try anything here in the Hokage Office."
The instant he said this, six ANBU appeared in the room, surrounding the Raikage and his party.
"Lord Hokage, Lady Tsunade, please leave immediately!"
Their leader, Kakashi, spoke gravely.
He had not expected this either. What he had thought would merely be a meeting between village leaders had actually developed into this!
Kakashi glanced at Yecheng with his Sharingan. Seeing that he remained perfectly composed, he could not help admiring him inwardly. What a frightening young man.
"Hokage, what's the meaning of this?"
With his explosive temper, being treated this way immediately made the Raikage want to activate Lightning Release Chakra Mode and wreak havoc.
Fortunately, his external brain was still present.
"Please stop, Lord Raikage!"
Mabui acted decisively. "Kiru, examine Lord Raikage!"
Yecheng kindly offered a reminder. "It's in his chest."
Mabui's and Kiru's expressions grew tense again.
Yecheng was actually this confident, even naming the precise location. Had he already identified Lord Raikage's problem without needing to touch him?
What extraordinary diagnostic insight!
Yang Release Chakra appeared around Kiru's hands. After examining the Raikage, his expression immediately turned extremely grim.
"There is indeed a mass of explosive chakra in Lord Raikage's chest, exactly like the one in Karai!"
"Are you certain?"
Hearing this, even Mabui could no longer remain calm.
"With Lord Raikage's constitution, as long as he doesn't use chakra for a few months, we can dig the insect out and kill it."
Kiru leaned closer to her and spoke quietly.
The Raikage himself, unable to use chakra for months?
What if the other shinobi villages attacked?
Mabui's heart tightened. She closed her eyes and thought for a long while before deciding to make one final attempt.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode is a cornerstone of Kumogakure's legacy. It absolutely cannot be passed to outsiders. Please name another condition."
She sighed, filled with helplessness.
She had never imagined that merely going to seize a Secret Technique Scroll from the Land of Cedar would instead nearly cost them the Raikage himself.
Hearing this, Yecheng knew it was time to name his real price.
A victor's smile curved his lips.
"First, fifty million ryo, plus ten Lightning Release Ninjutsu or secret techniques. Don't try to fob us off with commonplace rubbish."
Yecheng glanced at Mabui and raised a second finger.
"Second, I want you..."
Before he could finish, Mabui immediately widened her eyes and glared fiercely at him.
"What are you thinking?"
Speechless, Yecheng continued, "I want your Heavenly Transfer Technique."
This was an S-rank Space-Time Ninjutsu with many witnesses, so sources of information were not a concern. It could transport a target to a designated location, but because it worked through high-speed movement, living people could hardly withstand it, so it could normally only transport inanimate objects.
It had also played a considerable role in the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Yeah, it was pretty much a budget Flying Thunder God Technique. It was hard not to think Kumogakure had painstakingly developed it after the Yellow Flash traumatized them.
"...Agreed."
Mabui nodded.
The Heavenly Transfer Technique was certainly valuable, but compared with the Raikage, it was nothing.
"I'm not finished yet."
Yecheng grinned, finally revealing his true aim.
"Third, return the body of Hizashi Hyuga of Konohagakure's Hyuga Clan!"
At those words, everyone fell silent!
Hizashi Hyuga's death by suicide had such far-reaching implications that discussing it was practically forbidden within the village!
The ANBU ninjas slowed their breathing to the barest minimum, not daring to breathe loudly!
How on earth had things come to this?
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Yecheng with a distant gaze.
Who told him about this?
Hyuga Hiashi?
It wouldn't be him.
Hinata?
Or was this Tsunade's idea?
He could not help looking at his student.
If Tsunade had instructed Yecheng to make this demand, there would be many implications.
Tsunade was also bewildered. How could she have known Yecheng's plan?
But she knew that she had to back up her dear student now!
Otherwise, not only Kumogakure's people, but even Konoha's would take action against him.
So Tsunade sat there serenely, as though none of this concerned her, yet also as though everything was under her control.
This instead left everyone uncertain.
Just as the Raikage was about to speak, Mabui immediately stepped in front of him and agreed.
"We accept your conditions. When can you perform the surgery?"
Yecheng smiled faintly. "Right now."
"Please."
Mabui finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Please."
The urgency called for expediency. The group filed out of the Hokage Office and headed straight for Konoha Hospital.
Only the Third Hokage remained, puffing away at his pipe.
Smoke filled the air, obscuring his figure.
Konoha Hospital.
"Karai, hang on a little longer. With Lady Tsunade operating personally, you'll be saved soon!"
Kiru held his companion's hand, encouraging him.
"Tsunade, what are you waiting for? Get started! The insect inside me is still small. Save Karai first!"
The Raikage urged her anxiously.
But he did not know that Tsunade was still tormented by hemophobia. She could not bear the sight of blood, let alone perform surgery.
Yecheng stepped forward and chuckled. "Why would a minor operation like this require my teacher?
"Shizune, you operate. I'll assist."
"What?"
The Raikage grew agitated again. "I came to Konoha because I heard Tsunade's medical skills were unrivaled in the Shinobi World. Now you're telling me she isn't operating?"
Tsunade folded her arms and said proudly, "Relax. My students are excellent. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility."
"Damn it..."
The dark-skinned jock gritted his teeth, but with circumstances against him, there was nothing he could do.
Kiru approached. "I also know some Medical Ninjutsu. Please allow me to observe."
Shizune paused, then said, "Of course. No problem."
Look how nicely he speaks. Take notes, Raikage.
The surgery began.
Shizune's Medical Ninjutsu was already second only to Tsunade's in Konoha. Surgically removing a foreign object from the chest was well within her abilities.
Moreover, Yecheng assisted her, always performing the correct procedure when she needed it most, stopping bleeding promptly and working with her seamlessly.
In just half an hour, the surgery was successfully completed. A spider-shaped insect wrapped in flesh had been removed from Karai's chest.
Even after being removed, it continued to twitch like a living heart.
"So this is..."
At the sight of the Explosive Insect, the group from Kumogakure wanted to step closer for a look, but recalling the traits Yecheng and Tsunade had described earlier, they shrank back in fear, terrified it would explode on the spot.
"Don't worry. This insect's nerves have already been severed. It won't explode."
Yecheng explained with a smile.
Only then did everyone relax.
Once the wound had been stitched up and mostly healed with the Mystical Palm Technique, the surgery was complete.
Yecheng couldn't help marveling at the power of Medical Ninjutsu in the Shinobi World: a whole crowd stood watching, no one even needed protective clothing or masks, and a sterile environment was out of the question, yet they could still perform open surgery with such ease.
Ninjutsu was amazing, wasn't it!
"Lady Shizune, please perform surgery on Lord Raikage as well!"
Mabui stepped forward and bowed.
Rumors were only rumors, after all. Only after witnessing it firsthand did they understand just how vast the gap was.
Their Kumogakure had excellent medical ninja like Kiru, too, but compared with Konoha, the gap was simply far, far too great.
Not only did Konoha have Tsunade, renowned throughout the Shinobi World as the strongest medical ninja, but it also had experts like Shizune to perform surgery, backed by Konoha Hospital's entire medical system!
No wonder that during the Third Shinobi World War, even what had amounted to the four great shinobi villages besieging Konoha had failed to bring it down!
Such logistical and medical support truly inspired awe and dread!
"Please lie down, Lord Raikage."
Shizune had been intensely focused during the surgery, her expression serious.
"There's no need for that."
Yecheng chuckled. "The Explosive Insect inside the Raikage is still only a larva. It hasn't absorbed much chakra, so it's easy to deal with."
As he spoke, he gathered chakra in his hand, transforming its shape into a Chakra Scalpel whose edge almost seemed to reflect light!
The brat's Chakra Shape Transformation has improved again!
Tsunade's interest stirred at the sight.
"Raikage, please don't resist."
As Yecheng spoke, he brought his fingers together in the shape of a bird's beak. Pinpointing the location with his Six Eyes, he gave the Raikage's chest a swift peck and plucked out a small insect between his fingertips.
It was none other than an Explosive Insect!
Only then did blood slowly begin to seep from the Raikage's chest, as though it had only just realized it had been attacked.
The Raikage himself hadn't even felt any pain!
Everyone was utterly stunned by this extraordinary display of skill!
While Shizune had been operating earlier, everyone had been so nervous they barely dared to breathe, terrified they might interfere with the surgery.
It had been utterly solemn, utterly tense.
But what about Yecheng?
He had taken that thing out with just one peck of his hand!?
Before you continue