"Let me explain later," Kagetsu said calmly, his voice steady as the sound of Kakuzu and Konan's footsteps echoed closer.
"It's all taken care of," Konan said as she returned, her tone composed. She didn't notice the troubled expressions on Nagato and Yahiko's faces.
"Then let's go," Kagetsu replied. He reached out and tapped the air in front of him. A small black dot appeared where his fingertip touched, seemingly suspended in the void. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Under the watchful eyes of Nagato and the others, the black dot suddenly expanded, morphing into a cube of darkness. The cube rapidly unfolded, stretching outward like ink spreading in water.
Finally, it stabilized, forming a portal large enough for a person to step through.
"Hurry up," Kagetsu gestured for them to enter first.
Konan and Nagato moved forward together, carefully lifting Yahiko from the stone bed where he lay. Supporting him between them, they stepped into the black portal.
Kakuzu followed silently, his presence as imposing as ever. Once all four had entered, Kagetsu stepped in last.
A faint light greeted Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko as they entered the dark void. Before them, the darkness split, revealing an opening—a gateway to the outside world.
For a moment, it felt as though the vast mountain cave they had just left was separated from this new place by nothing more than a thin wall.
Stepping through the opening, they emerged into a spacious hall.
"Sir!" Four figures stood at attention just outside the portal, bowing respectfully as Kagetsu stepped out after them.
"Where is this?" Nagato asked, turning to look at Kagetsu. As he did, he saw the black portal behind Kagetsu collapse inward, vanishing as though it had never existed.
"Ancor Vantian," Kagetsu explained, his voice steady. "This was once the ruins of the Land of Sky. It also served as Shinnō's former base."
"Shinnō-sensei? Is he here too?" Konan's face lit up with surprise. The wandering medic Shinnō, known for his patient guidance and unwavering kindness, still held a place of respect in her heart.
Upon hearing the news about him and thinking about Yahiko's injuries, her first thought was: Great!
"No, he might already be dead, or perhaps he's waiting for rebirth in some form." Kagetsu didn't hide anything and directly spoke about Shinnō's death.
"Dead?" Konan stared at Kagetsu in shock. The series of events had left her mind feeling a bit disoriented and slow.
"Did you kill him?" Yahiko, who was being supported by Nagato and Konan, suddenly asked. As soon as his words were spoken, the expressions of both Nagato and Konan changed.
"It wasn't me." Kagetsu shook his head. When Nagato and Konan sighed in relief, he continued with a statement that made their expressions freeze. "But his death is indeed connected to me."
"I won't explain why I killed him, but you can investigate it yourselves. Hiroto and the others have dealt with Shinnō before. There are still many of Shinnō's former subordinates locked up in the Ancor Vantian prison. You can get the information you need from them."
"Mr. Kakuzu could also help, since he was involved in the whole battle. If you still trust him."
Kagetsu clapped his hands, and Hiroto understood immediately. "We've already prepared everything you need."
"Good." Kagetsu patted Hiroto's shoulder, then turned to Nagato and the others, whose expressions were still complicated. "Do you want to leave now? Or do you want to trust me once more? I don't have much time to waste. Every second here is precious."
"If you want to leave, I won't stop you. You're safe now. But if you still trust me and want me to treat Yahiko and Nagato, then don't waste time. There's plenty of time for you to dig up the answers you want."
"Where are we going?" Konan and Nagato exchanged glances, then looked at Yahiko, who was wrapped in bandages. They decided to follow Kagetsu.
"To the lab. I can't take you back to Konoha, because that would lead to trouble no one wants. I can borrow Orochimaru-sensei's lab outside the village, but it will take time to prepare and activate."
"The only place we can go is Shinnō's base, Ancor Vantian. It's been built for years and still has Shinnō's lab and precision instruments. It will be useful."
As Kagetsu led the way, he continued explaining to the others behind him.
Kakuzu, who had been following behind, couldn't hold back his frustration and asked. With only one heart left and no way to replace it, and his strength reduced because of the missing heart, he felt very insecure!
Kagetsu led them through several brightly lit corridors, finally stopping in front of a large door. As he pushed open the lab door, he reassured Kakuzu, "Don't worry, I've prepared a new heart for you. Once I return to the village, I can get a few spare hearts for you, so you can have something to fall back on in emergencies."
"Put Yahiko on that operating table. I need to use the equipment to check his condition further," Kagetsu pointed to a certain operating table in the lab, signaling Nagato and the others to lift Yahiko onto it.
After connecting the equipment to Yahiko's body and watching the data appear on the screen, Kagetsu paused for a moment, deep in thought.
"Is it really that bad?"
Konan, who had been watching Kagetsu's expression, saw his serious face and, sensing the tension, asked anxiously.
"It's worse than the previous check-up. This is going to be a long recovery process. I'll make all the preparations and plans for his recovery. Also," Kagetsu's gaze shifted to Konan's face, making her a bit nervous, "your medical ninjutsu skills and knowledge should have a good foundation by now, right?"
"Yes, apart from the books you gave me, Shinnō-sensei has taught me a lot. I can now use healing jutsu proficiently, identify some herbs, and perform relatively difficult surgeries with a scalpel," Konan responded immediately.
Kagetsu didn't pay much attention to her still referring to Shinno as "Sensei," and said, "That's good! While I treat Yahiko and Nagato, you'll be my assistant! You can ask me any questions if you need help. When I'm not around, you'll be in charge of their condition, treatment plan, and the preparation of medicine."
"Can I do it?" Konan asked, pointing at herself in surprise. Her previous confidence had collapsed seeing Yahiko's frail and dire condition.
"Everything I assign to you is within your ability. Now, let me see the foundation of your skills," Kagetsu said, not giving Konan much time to think. He immediately started giving orders.
Konan instinctively began following Kagetsu's instructions, assisting beside him.
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