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The next morning, Midorima emerged boldly through the front gate of the Hōzuki household, sparking no small amount of discussion in Kirigakure.
The fact that Hōzuki Mangetsu hadn't turned Midorima into sashimi meant only one thing—he had indeed cured Suigetsu.
Meanwhile, Igawa Bu was so furious he couldn't speak for hours.
His plan had been to borrow a knife to kill someone—using Mangetsu to eliminate Midorima—but instead, the ANBU ninja he'd sent on the mission had vanished, likely caught red-handed.
Did Mangetsu know he was behind it? Would he report it directly to the Mizukage?
Igawa was both enraged and terrified. He wanted to avoid Mangetsu at all costs, yet fate had other plans—they crossed paths.
Strangely enough, Mangetsu was smiling, his expression as warm as a spring breeze.
"Cough cough."
"I heard someone tried to ambush Suigetsu yesterday. Disgraceful!" Igawa forced himself to play along.
Mangetsu sighed. "Ah, those sneaky bastards who only know how to lurk in the shadows will never amount to anything. Like rats, hiding in their holes forever. Oh, by the way, Deputy Chief Igawa, did you know? Some rats grow fat precisely because of that. But no matter how plump they get, they'll always fear the cat."
Igawa's face flushed slightly.
Though Mangetsu was talking about rats, the implication was clear—he was referring to him.
Not long after, Igawa noticed Mangetsu saying the same thing to others, and he relaxed a little.
He must not have gotten the ANBU ninja to talk… Of course, that ANBU was personally trained by me. His lips are sealed tight.
Still, even if Mangetsu hadn't extracted any information, Igawa had no choice but to lay low for now.
That brat Midorima had to be suspicious. Any future schemes would only be harder to pull off. He could only take things one step at a time.
Igawa was bitter, but after yesterday's failed ambush, he had no other options.
This is exhausting…
---
Shimomura had fallen ill.
First, he'd been mauled by a dog, then left out in the cold for over an hour. Though Mangetsu eventually invited him inside for hot tea, and Midorima even used medical ninjutsu to treat him, the fatigue and weakness refused to fade. He had no choice but to take a day off from the medical division.
As the "spark" that ignited the whole incident, Midorima naturally went to visit Shimomura at his home.
Shimomura's wife placed a bowl of salted fish soup in front of Midorima. The familiar scent of seafood wafted up, and though his body instinctively recoiled—after all, he'd eaten nothing but fish soup for three meals a day while living alone—he forced himself to drink it.
"Sensei, I'm really sorry about yesterday… I…"
Shimomura Shūsaku waved his hand, signaling him to stop. He asked his wife to leave the room first. Once they were alone, he turned to a cabinet, retrieved a scroll, and handed it to Midorima.
"Even though I was at home, I saw the toxin analysis report from the science division. It's a rare poison. Once it enters the bloodstream, it becomes nearly impossible to treat after two hours. The fact that you saved Suigetsu proves your medical skills surpass most in the treatment squad. No need to be modest."
Midorima broke out in a cold sweat.
If not for the [Cell Laboratory], he never could have saved Suigetsu.
"This scroll contains my family's secret technique—'Aquatic Healing Fang.' It's not a resurrection jutsu, but it can slow cellular respiration, delaying the progression of a patient's condition. It's a supplementary medical technique. The conditions for use are strict, though—the patient must remain submerged in water."
"Sensei, are you… dying?" Midorima felt the scroll in his hand grow heavy, like a hot potato. "This feels like you're arranging your final affairs."
"Final affairs, my ass!" Shimomura smacked Midorima on the back of the head. "Do you think I'm stupid? You talked with Hōzuki Mangetsu and Zabuza for so long—you must have discussed something. Normally, I can trade barbs with ANBU operatives just fine, but if things turn serious, I'm nothing in front of them. I can't protect you. From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself."
Hearing Shimomura's words, Midorima suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.
"That's all I have to say. There's a bowl of rice left—eat it and get out." Shimomura's mood lifted abruptly.
Midorima shoveled the rice into his mouth hastily.
---
After this meeting, Shimomura fully released Midorima, giving him ample time to spar with Zabuza and Mangetsu.
Mangetsu was a prodigy with the Seven Ninja Swords—even Zabuza acknowledged this.
At first, Midorima was covered in wounds after just a few exchanges, completely outmatched.
Thankfully, the [Catalysis Chamber] granted him recovery far beyond normal humans, allowing him to endure.
Zabuza was slightly weaker than Mangetsu, especially in swordsmanship.
His specialty was killing without a trace—his Hidden Mist Jutsu was terrifyingly effective. A moment's lapse in focus, and his blade would already be at your throat.
Initially, Mangetsu and Zabuza held back, considering Midorima's level. But progress was too slow that way.
At Midorima's insistence, they went all out.
Though his body accumulated countless cuts, his strength grew exponentially. Through the [Analysis Laboratory], he acquired numerous ninjutsu—mostly Water Release techniques like Mist Teleportation, Water Prison, and Silent Killing.
He also learned some swordsmanship from them, but ninja swords weren't easy to carry, and scrolls were too expensive. Midorima preferred compact kodachi or small concealed weapons.
Over this period, Midorima completed 6 A-rank missions, 3 B-rank missions, and 1 C-rank mission, all as a medical-nin accompanying squads. Igawa made no further moves against him.
Six monotonous and grueling months passed. The [Cell Laboratory] didn't undergo a true upgrade—no new areas were unlocked—but its proficiency improved dramatically.
- [Catalysis Chamber]: 80%
- [Activation]: 90%
- [Conversion Chamber]: 75%
- [Analysis Laboratory] (Ninjutsu):
- A-rank: 10%
- B-rank: 30%
- C-rank: 50%
Compared to six months ago, Midorima's strength now rivaled Zabuza and Mangetsu's.
The only thing he lacked was killing intent.
Unlike Zabuza and Mangetsu, who had weathered countless battles, Midorima still needed tempering.
But he was certain that opportunities for "tempering" would not be in short supply.
Additionally, Midorima hadn't neglected his medical ninjutsu. Though he rarely had chances to use it in the medical division, whenever he did, he healed high-difficulty injuries, gradually earning respect. Some kunoichi even requested him by name after getting hurt, drawing dirty looks from other medics.
To this, Midorima could only say: You all should train harder.
---
"Compared to other ninja, what you lack are high-value missions. You've only completed one S-rank mission. You need one more."
After Midorima finished training with Zabuza, Mangetsu called him over.
"This mission is critical. Once you begin, I'll propose it to the Mizukage. The participation requirement will likely be two S-rank missions and five A-rank missions. As for the S-rank mission, I've already selected one—you'll go with Zabuza."
"What's the mission?" Midorima asked.
"Hunting a missing-nin. Destination: the Land of Snow."
*****
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