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Upon learning that Suigetsu had been attacked, Mangetsu panicked. He abandoned his work and hurried to the back of the mountain.
Members of the Hōzuki clan, armed with ninjatō, shuriken, and kunai, had been summoned to maintain order.
When Mangetsu saw Suigetsu lying on the ground, his mood soured instantly. Furious, he demanded, "Who did this?!"
"It might be the ninja who was treating Suigetsu, or someone hiding in the crowd," someone whispered in response.
Mangetsu rolled his eyes. Wasn't that just stating the obvious? It wasn't like someone could kill from a thousand miles away.
Suppressing his anger, he slowly approached Suigetsu.
A young man knelt beside Suigetsu, treating his injuries, while another held a flashlight to illuminate the scene.
Midorima Asachi!?
As a newly prominent ninja who had been frequently mentioned lately, Midorima Asachi had practically become a celebrity—a medical ninja who insisted on learning combat ninjutsu, even going so far as to clash with Shimomura over it.
How bizarre.
But was he really capable of treating Suigetsu?
Mangetsu grew increasingly restless.
The person lying on the ground was his younger brother, his own flesh and blood. If anything went wrong, killing Midorima wouldn't even begin to make up for it.
Still, judging by Midorima's technique, he seemed quite skilled—not like some incompetent medical ninja…
Despite his thoughts, Mangetsu instinctively gripped the twin swords, Hiramekarei.
If Midorima failed to heal Suigetsu properly, he'd slice him into sashimi on the spot.
The wound was dark, oozing black blood, while Midorima remained utterly focused, not daring the slightest negligence. He didn't even notice Mangetsu standing beside him.
Normally, treating poison wounds only required basic first aid followed by an antidote. But this toxin was particularly vicious, and analyzing its composition would take time.
By the time an antidote was prepared, Suigetsu would likely already be dead.
The "Extraction of the Malignant Affliction" technique was the best solution for such injuries, but no one in Kirigakure knew how to perform it.
Fortunately, Midorima had been right in front of Suigetsu when the attack happened. The poison hadn't yet spread through his bloodstream when treatment began, making the task slightly easier.
On one hand, Midorima used chakra to locate the poison's position. On the other, he employed [Activation] to enhance Suigetsu's internal chakra, forcing the toxin to concentrate in one spot before making an incision with a scalpel to drain it out.
By the time the entire procedure was finished, Midorima was completely exhausted.
Mangetsu waited patiently until Midorima had fully treated the wound with a healing technique before grabbing him by the collar and yanking him up.
"Midorima Asachi?"
Midorima pried Mangetsu's hand away, ignoring the shock on his face, and straightened his clothes. "That's me."
"What happened? What's wrong with my brother?"
"I know just as much as you do." Midorima shrugged, then picked up a kunai from the ground and handed it to Mangetsu. "This is what stabbed Suigetsu. It's poisoned. Take it to the Science Division and have them analyze the toxin so the Medical Unit can develop an antidote quickly."
"But you already healed him, didn't you?" Mangetsu took the kunai.
"I did. But you don't trust my skills, do you?"
Mangetsu sneered.
In all the intelligence reports he'd read about Midorima, the latter's medical abilities were mentioned only in passing.
After all, who would believe someone who had only studied medical ninjutsu for half a year could cure a poisoned wound?
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Midorima had originally wanted to spar with Mangetsu to analyze a few techniques, but after this incident, he'd lost all interest.
Seeing Midorima about to leave, Mangetsu quickly blocked his path.
"What now?" Midorima asked, puzzled.
"You're coming with me first!" Mangetsu's sneer didn't hide the hostility in his eyes. "First, you're still a suspect. Second, if Suigetsu's condition worsens overnight, we'll need a medical ninja on hand."
Midorima opened his mouth to argue but then reconsidered.
Explaining would be pointless.
News Spreads Through Kirigakure.
The news that Midorima had been taken away by Hōzuki Mangetsu quickly spread throughout Kirigakure.
Shimomura had just finished dinner and was considering some light exercise—perhaps a walk—when he heard about Midorima's capture. The shock nearly made him choke—'This kid… is he done for?'
He rushed out of his house, intending to find someone to accompany him to the Hōzuki estate. His eyes immediately landed on Zabuza, who was grilling skewers at a roadside stall.
'Perfect. You'll do.'
"Zabuza—"
"Huh?" Zabuza turned his head, mouth full of squid, but upon seeing an unfamiliar old man, he turned back dismissively.
"Midorima's been taken by Mangetsu."
The squid suddenly lost its flavor.
"What's that got to do with me?" Zabuza mumbled while chewing.
"You never apologized for nearly killing him last year, did you? If we don't hurry, you might never get the chance." Shimomura cut straight to the point.
Zabuza turned to face him fully. "The Medical Unit's full of useless people."
"…"
Despite his reluctance, Zabuza allowed himself to be dragged to the Hōzuki estate—only to be turned away at the gate.
"No visitors!" the guard barked.
"I'm the head of the Medical Unit."
"Doesn't matter. Lord Mangetsu's orders—no one gets in!"
"We're here for Midorima," Zabuza stepped forward, glaring at the guard.
The guard, intimidated by Zabuza's fierce gaze, squeezed his eyes shut and muttered, "I see nothing," pretending to be blind.
Zabuza pulled Shimomura toward the wall and pointed at the two-meter-high barrier.
'At a time like this, who cares about the front door?'
Shimomura understood immediately and vaulted over without hesitation.
"Holy—there's a dog here?!" Shimomura's scream echoed through the air.
Zabuza rolled his eyes. 'Medical Unit guys are so dumb.'
Inside the Hōzuki Estate.
"Did you hear that scream?" Midorima looked up toward the door.
"The guards will handle it. No one's interrupting us."
"It's getting louder," Midorima pointed out.
"You don't want a third party listening in, do you?"
"Ah, must be my old ears playing tricks on me. Anyway, Lord Mangetsu, what were you saying?" Midorima smiled faintly, his gaze fixed on Mangetsu.
"Have you made any enemies?"
"Me? I'm just a small-time ninja. I go to work, practice taijutsu—who'd want me dead?" Midorima waved his hands dismissively. "But you—the newly appointed Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the Mizukage's most trusted man. Your position is coveted by many. Take Igawa Tai, for example—don't look at me like that, he said it himself. Could Bu be targeting you?"
The attack on Suigetsu was a messy affair, and Midorima had no qualms about pinning the blame on Bu.
"I've also heard Tai once attacked you and Mei Terumī. Maybe Bu thinks you killed his son? Hah, seems he hates you more." Mangetsu smirked coldly.
Midorima felt sick.
The way Mangetsu spoke, it was as if they were discussing lovers rather than enemies.
"My lord, we've identified the culprit!" A voice called from outside.
Mangetsu stood, pushed open the door, and listened as a ninja whispered in his ear. Then he slammed the door shut again.
His fury was palpable.
After four or five minutes, Mangetsu's expression calmed slightly, but the fire in his eyes remained. He was clearly plotting revenge.
"Who's behind this?" Midorima asked quietly.
He was just as eager to know.
"You guessed right—it was Bu." Mangetsu slammed his fist on the table, snapping one of its legs. "He wanted to use me to eliminate you. Does he think I'm an idiot?"
Midorima rubbed his temples.
Though he was the intended target of Bu's scheme, the real victim was the Hōzuki clan. No wonder Mangetsu was furious.
Besides, Mangetsu had only recently become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and Bu had already tried to manipulate him.
The insult was clear.
"You could take the captive to the Mizukage," Midorima suggested.
Mangetsu's face twisted in rage as he smashed the table again. "The interrogation already destroyed his mind. A captive like that is useless as evidence!"
Midorima clicked his tongue. 'Revenge won't come easy.'