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To Midorima, whether Akizuki lived or died was no longer the most important matter.
Even if Akizuki were to charge at him now, Midorima could barely stand, let alone fight back. All he could do was sit and wait for death.
However, after resting for two or three minutes, Akizuki still hadn't emerged from the thick fog. Midorima, having recovered slightly, found a wooden stick to support himself and struggled to his feet. At the same time, he recalled the message that had flashed in his mind earlier.
Unsurprisingly, it was a notification from the [Cell Laboratory].
"Hidden condition [Overload] unlocked."
[Overload]? What's that?
Midorima immediately checked the explanation.
[Overload]: In a state of extreme exhaustion, the user can continue to expend chakra beyond their maximum limit, up to an additional 20%.
In other words, Midorima could now overdraw his chakra reserves.
Moreover, this was a percentage, not a fixed value.
The more chakra Midorima accumulated in the future, the greater the absolute amount of extra chakra he could access through [Overload].
If he could somehow obtain a Tailed Beast, that extra 20% would be a terrifying amount.
The nearest Tailed Beast, the Three-Tails, was sealed within Yagura. It wouldn't be easy to extract, and as for the others…
Midorima sighed. The Tailed Beasts were still far beyond his reach. For now, mastering the [Cell Laboratory] was his priority.
Though [Overload] provided a lifeline when his chakra was depleted, it wasn't without drawbacks.
Once the extra chakra from [Overload] was exhausted, Midorima would be unable to refine chakra for the next 24 hours.
Thinking about it logically, this made sense.
After all, an overdrawn body needed time to recover.
A mere 24 hours of rest in exchange for a second chance at survival?
No matter how he looked at it, this was a winning deal.
With [Overload] unlocked, did that mean new functions in the [Cell Laboratory] had also opened up?
Midorima was tempted to check, but now wasn't the best time.
The fog had thinned slightly, but it wouldn't dissipate completely anytime soon.
Akizuki's fate remained unknown, and Midorima needed to find Terumi Mei quickly.
Yet after walking barely ten meters, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Before losing consciousness, a line of text appeared in his mind:
"'Analysis Lab' unlocked. Initiating analysis of 'Exploding Water Collision Wave.' Difficulty: B. Success rate: 10%..."
---
"Hah!" Akizuki burst out of the seawater, trudging onto the shore, his feet sinking into the wet sand.
He rubbed his neck, his fury growing.
That damned brat had tricked him… suddenly unleashing a "Water Dragon Bullet"… Unforgivable!
His sword… where was his sword?
Akizuki scanned his surroundings in confusion. He tried to use a sensory jutsu but found his chakra nearly depleted.
"Damn it!" He roared at the sky, his face darkening as he stalked deeper into the mist.
Just then, footsteps echoed behind him. Akizuki whirled around—only to see a shadowy figure raising a massive scythe high before bringing it down toward his head…
---
"No!" Midorima jolted awake with a shout, his eyes snapping open.
The dim ceiling lights made everything feel surreal.
Had he died again?
No… the smell in the room was off.
It was familiar, even distracting.
Hmm… medicinal herbs?
Specifically, herbs for treating external injuries—something Midorima had become intimately acquainted with over the past few months.
Who were they treating?
He tried to scratch his head but found both arms bound in splints and bandages, mummified.
What a waste. His arms didn't even hurt.
Midorima inwardly complained. He hated waste.
More importantly, he really needed to pee.
How was he supposed to go like this?
No, he couldn't hold it anymore…
As he struggled to push the blanket aside, the partition curtain in front of him was pulled back, revealing Terumi Mei in a hospital gown.
"Mei, help me get these bandages off," Midorima said, relieved to see her looking well.
Honestly, as long as the patient had enough chakra, [Activation] was far superior to ordinary medical ninjutsu for healing external wounds.
"The doctor said your injuries are severe," Mei replied, shaking her head.
"How could mine be worse than yours? You were skewered clean through, and now you're bouncing around like nothing happened."
"It's different. Mine were external. Yours is brain damage," Mei retorted.
'Brain damage? You're the one with brain damage!'
Midorima gave up arguing. "Anyway, where are we?"
"The Hidden Mist Medical Corps. You don't recognize it?" Mei eyed him suspiciously.
Midorima rolled his eyes. "Every hospital has white beds, white walls, and white curtains. How am I supposed to tell them apart?"
Mei thought about it and realized he was right.
"You said we're in Hidden Mist… so we made it back?" Midorima asked, surprised.
"Yeah."
"How?"
"An ANBU rescued us. Shortly after the fog lifted, an ANBU arrived—just one guy—but he carried you back."
Midorima pictured the scene and cringed, quickly changing the subject.
"Akizuki… uh, what happened to him?"
Whether the man lived or died, it was a headache either way.
"Dead."
At the mention of Akizuki, Mei's face flushed—with anger.
"That bastard… He's disgusting. He's the one who hurt me, but now? Now he's being honored as a hero who died saving us. Ha! The ANBU is preparing a commendation for him."
Her voice trembled with frustration, tears of anger glistening in her eyes.
Midorima was equally furious at the injustice, but something else concerned him more.
"How did he die?"
"Chopped apart… nearly decapitated."
Chopped? Then it wasn't Midorima's doing.
Not getting to kill Akizuki himself left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"What about Katsuramaru?"
"Died right beside Akizuki. 'Love and hate intertwined,' or so they say."
Mei spat the words through gritted teeth before adding bitterly, "Just because Akizuki died next to Katsuramaru, he gets all the credit. Is that fair? We almost died because of him, and now he's being glorified!"
Midorima could only sigh.
The truth was, once Akizuki was dead, his actions in life no longer mattered.
It wasn't that Midorima was magnanimous.
He 'had' wanted to kill Akizuki himself—he just wasn't strong enough.
Even if he and Mei accused Akizuki of trying to murder them, the ANBU could easily counter that they'd conspired to kill Akizuki and take all the credit.
In the end, they'd be the ones suffering.
In the world of 'Naruto', strength often dictated justice.
"By the way, do you know Akizuki's real identity?" Mei asked.
Midorima shook his head.
"His name was Igawa Tai. Just a mid-tier ANBU operative. But his father… now 'he's' someone. Igawa Takeshi, deputy commander of the ANBU." Mei clicked her tongue, her disdain obvious.
"How do you know all this?" Midorima frowned.
ANBU operatives wore masks and used codenames. How could Mei know these details?
"Your friend told me."
'My friend?'
Midorima had transmigrated here alone. What friend?
"That ANBU who brought us back. He's a 'celebrity' in Kirigakure—Momochi Zabuza." Mei smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement.
Midorima nearly choked on his own blood.
'Friend? That bastard was the reason he'd been transmigrated to this godforsaken world in the first place!'