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In the Land of Water, few dared to threaten Mist ninjas—unless they possessed extraordinary strength.
In 'Naruto', even Konoha had been invaded by outside forces, but whether it was Orochimaru or the Akatsuki, their actions were always organized and calculated.
Thus, an attack on a Mist ninja within their own territory was no small matter.
In fact, it likely meant they were getting dangerously close to the rogue ninja they were pursuing.
Just like during the exams, the rogue ninja lurked in the shadows while they were exposed in the open.
If the rogue ninja launched a surprise attack, Midorima and Mei might not even have time to react before being killed.
But there was no turning back now. They had come too far to retreat.
Following the villager's lead, the two headed toward the backside of the mountain.
This time, neither Mei nor Midorima was in the mood for idle chatter. The villager, sensing the tense atmosphere, had lost his earlier arrogance and now cowered nervously.
Though there was a mountain path, the villager instead led them through the forest, eventually arriving at a hidden cave. Inside, they found the Mist ninja.
The cave's entrance was narrow, but the interior opened up into a spacious hollow. At the very back lay a motionless ninja, collapsed on the ground.
"Midorima…" Mei whispered his name.
Midorima shook his head helplessly. Even without seeing the wounds, he could tell the ninja's condition was dire.
Too much time had passed—the window for saving him was long gone.
"The fatal wound is on his back… hit by a shuriken," Midorima noted as he approached. The injury was deep, piercing through the body, and blood had pooled beneath him.
"Dead?" Mei asked.
"Not yet."
"Hurry and treat him! Maybe he can tell us who did this," Mei urged.
Midorima shook his head again.
"Too late. The wound is fatal—the attacker never intended for him to survive. Right now, he could die at any moment."
Mei's heart sank. She stepped closer and saw the ninja's pale face, drained of blood.
Midorima felt powerless.
This ninja's chakra was nearly depleted. Using [Activation] on him now might only hasten his death. Besides Tsunade, was there really anyone who could save him?
"If you want us to avenge you, use your last moments to tell us the killer's name," Midorima whispered into the ninja's ear.
The ninja's brow twitched slightly, as if he had heard.
"Midorima…"
For shinobi, life and death were commonplace—yet witnessing it firsthand was never easy.
Mei was no exception.
Midorima, however, had already experienced death in a past life. His composure was far steadier.
But he and Mei were still in danger. The killer—possibly the rogue ninja—could still be nearby.
He "had" to know who the attacker was and where the rogue ninja was hiding.
[Activation] surged—but instantly, Midorima sensed the emptiness of the ninja's chakra reserves.
"Damn it…"
[Activation] used the patient's own chakra to heal injuries, but this ninja had almost none left. It was impossible to trigger.
What about medical ninjutsu?
If the victim had a chance, Midorima wouldn't hesitate. A healed ally could be valuable in battle. But for someone on the verge of death…
It wasn't that he minded expending his own chakra—but a 60% loss was too steep.
If his reserves dropped too low, and the killer "was" nearby…
"Mei!" Midorima suddenly barked.
Mei jolted. "Y-Yes?!"
"Watch the entrance. I'll… try something."
Even if the ninja could just say a "name"—that would be enough.
All Midorima needed was a moment of clarity. But the ninja's condition was beyond critical.
His medical ninjutsu options were limited. Without mastery of advanced techniques, he could only use basic healing jutsu to sustain the ninja's life, channeling converted chakra into his body in a desperate attempt to rouse his consciousness.
[Powerhouse] had activated most of Midorima's cells, granting him chakra reserves far beyond his peers—even rivaling Mei's. But with a 40% conversion rate, the expenditure was far greater than he'd anticipated.
Sweat dripped from his face. Mei, watching from nearby, felt a pang of helplessness—she could do nothing but stand guard.
Midorima was trapped between two bad choices.
If he stopped now, all the chakra he'd spent would be wasted. But if he continued, he risked complete exhaustion.
Then—suddenly—[Cell Lab]'s numbers shifted.
[Conversion Chamber] proficiency rose from 40% to 45%.
A mere 5% increase, but because it applied to "all" chakra natures, his efficiency in converting any type would improve.
Most assumed he could only wield Water and Yang chakra. Revealing his ability to manipulate all seven natures would be suicidal—especially with Kirigakure's "Bloody Mist" era approaching.
Those with Kekkei Genkai would soon be hunted. Standing out too much would make him a target.
Thus, outside of medical ninjutsu, he rarely had chances to raise his proficiency.
"An unexpected bonus?"
Instantly, he felt a slight resurgence in his chakra.
Had his mental energy also increased?
Mental energy grew through training and experience. He "had" been practicing medical ninjutsu for two months—had he just crossed a threshold?
Or maybe the proficiency boost had reinvigorated him, dulling his fatigue.
Then—
The Mist ninja's fingers twitched.
Midorima's gaze snapped to the ninja's face. His eyelids fluttered slightly.
"Mei! He's conscious!" Midorima called.
Mei rushed to the ninja's side.
The ninja's eyes cracked open at the sound of her voice.
"You… you're…"
His words were ragged, forced from his lungs.
"Don't waste energy. "Who attacked you?" Midorima demanded.
"…Beware…"
A mouthful of blood spilled from the ninja's lips. His grip on Midorima's wrist tightened with his last strength—then went limp.
His half-lidded eyes didn't close.
Midorima slumped against the cave wall, drained. The chakra cost had still been severe.
Mei bowed deeply to the corpse. "Forgive us," she murmured, then knelt beside it, retrieving anything of use.
Truthfully, the five villagers had already looted most valuables.
Too exhausted to speak, Midorima simply watched Mei "loot the body."
She tossed him a canteen and some rations.
"Guess what his role was," Mei said suddenly.
Midorima perked up. "No idea."
Mei glanced back.
"Sensor."