Chapter 22: Time at the hospital

Tsunade has shushined away to the hospital, Riku still in her grip. In no time she had secured a lab with all the equipment needed to work. Speaking of the dirty blonde, he was by her side, ready to unsealed and sealed again Hiruzen’s arm at a moment's notice.

“You’re ready?”

“Yes, sensei.”

“Once I have a sample of the poison, seal the arm away immediately.”

Riku nodded and waited for her signal which he got. Pumping a small amount of chakra into the storage seal, the Sandaime’s left arm popped into existence. It was as Riku remembered. The skin and flesh near the cut by which the poison was inserted was black indicating necrosis. Going up the arm the change in color wasn’t as pronounced. It wasn’t black but a dark purple who kept becoming lighter the further up the arm. A clear indication of the spread of the poison.

Tsunade immediately stuck a syringe on the clearest purple area. Riku knew it was because the poison had yet to destroy the cells there whereas at the point of entrance there were dead cells and tissues in abundance and that may have “corrupted” the sample. As soon as she was done, he sealed the arm away as ordered.

“It’s worse than I imagined, we may not save the arm.”

“The hand and wrist maybe not but the rest didn’t seem that affected. And we still can regenerate dead cells with the Mystic Palm. The problem is if the cells could handle the healing and rapid division. Sandaime-sama is no spring chicken.”

“There is only one way to find out.” she replied as she emptied the syringe into a vial and put it into a centrifuge which she turned on. “You did well by the way. The tourniquet was the right thing to do, so was the amputation. I’ve seen doctors with years of experience not doing as good as you did.”

“I practiced to hell and back my wind manipulation. Making such a cut isn’t difficult normally but I was running low on chakra and were tired as hell. I’m pretty sure that with enough focus I could make microscopic cuts.”

She nodded thinking about the possibilities that sharp tiny blades offered. Wind, out of the five elements, was the only element she didn’t master. Her natural affinity being lightning it was especially difficult for her to get the hang of wind as it was the superior element between the two. With four elements out of five she never thought of spending a lot of time to add wind to her arsenal but now she was beginning to change her mind. With the help of shadow clones, she may drastically reduce the time needed to master the element. That was something Riku had shared when he told her that he had mastered wind completely and already mastered the first stage of Earth. The experience of clones working on an elemental affinity was transferred back to him. So was his training in chakra control which kept getting better and better.

The centrifuge beeped, indicating that it was done with its job. Tsunade opened the lid of the machine and took the vial she had put in it. Raising it under a lamp both sensei and apprentice saw the separation of the plasma, the red cells and the poison which was stuck right in the middle of the two. Turning around she put the vial on a rack and used another syringe to suck the plasma then a third one to get all the poison. Afterward she put a drop of the lethal liquid under a microscope and studied it for long minutes then added a drop of blood.

“Sensei, I’m pretty sure that’s not very…”

“It’s not the protocol, I know.” she replied not raising her head from her observation. After a minute more she finally did so. “The poison parasitizes the red cells’ membrane then eats its content giving it enough of an energy boost to reach for another cell and do it again. It’s not the worst, they’re attacking white cells too.”

“So the body can’t fight the poison and its spreading. No wonder the regular antidote didn’t work. Hmm… The ‘easiest’ way to stop it would be to introduce a component that would act as… a decoy? Taking the place of the red and white cells then reacting with the poison, dismantling it and making it ineffective, no?”

“Yes. I see you’ve studied more on your own about poison.” Tsunade commented with a bit of pride in her voice.

“Not really? I just mixed my already existing knowledge on poisons with the one on cells.”

“That’s not an usual and linear way of thinking, Riku.”

Riku just shrugged at that tidbit of information. It’s not like he could do anything with it. Instead he decided to watch attentively what she was doing to create an antidote to learn the process. He asked questions here and there and she answered them without hesitation and by demonstrating her answer when she could. After two hours of work she believed she had made something that could work. Replacing the drop of poison under the microscope with a fresh one, she added a drop of her concoction. She waited a bit and slowly but surely the purple liquid turned blue, the same color as the antidote.

“Success!” she exclaimed happily.

“Great work, sensei. Now all that's left is to make a bigger quantity of it and treat the whole arm and then-”

“Healing it. This will be difficult, it’s not connected to a chakra network and a body. While the arm is still freshly cut from sensei, it’s technically dead.”

“Can’t we connect it to something acting like Sandaime’s body? Use a pig maybe?”

“Hmm… You mean like having the pig’s organ do the job of a human one for them because their own are failing to do their job for whatever reason? That’s…”

“A bit more complicated, yes, we’re not just doing a dialysis of the blood and the pig’s chakra won’t be compatible and not enough but if we use a seal containing Sandaime’s chakra…”

“You have a seal like that?!”

“Not yet. I’ve had the idea for a while now but with the chunin exam I had to focus more on my battle abilities than medical ones. I do have a rough outline of the seal already so I know where I’m going with it but it would take a lot of trial and error. I was planning on creating a tag doing the same thing as the Mystical Palm. An emergency first aid if you will. It would purify the chakra stored inside the seal and turn it into medical chakra which would…”

“Accelerate the cellular division. That’s brilliant! How long do you think-”

“I don’t know. A month? And that’s counting my shadow clones working on it full time too.”

“What if… you had the help of a seal master?” she asked, having an idea in mind.

“I… honestly don’t know. It may go faster?”

She nodded and exited the room, signaling him to follow her. In no time they went back to her office where she found Hiruzen talking with Jiraiya. There was no trace of Naruto anywhere.

“Hime!”

“Not a word Jiraiya! Not even a look at my chest or I swear I’m going to rip your balls and feed them to you!” she struck preventively with a lot of killing intent unleashed toward her former teammate.

The effect was immediate and the man paled on the spot at the mental image. Quickly he raised his hands in a universal surrendering gesture and took a few steps back.

“I’m just glad to see you again after so long. Nostalgia aside, I have important matters to discuss with you.” he said, his eyes landing on Riku by her side then back to hers.”

“Me too. How long do you think it would take for you to work on a chakra battery seal?”

“A chakra…” he blinked at the idea contemplating it. “A while. Though you are more knowledgeable about that subject than me.” he replied looking at the diamond shaped seal on her forehead.

“It was designed for me, not for a tag.”

“A tag?” he repeated instinctively, rubbing his chin. “Hmm, now that’s different, yes.”

“Here.”

Looking down, Jiraiya saw the dirty blonde who still didn’t know the identity and was handing him a few stacks of papers. The toad sage blinked again but took them.

“What’s this?”

“Notes on the seal that sensei wants.”

“Sensei, huh?” he said, casting a glance at Tsunade quickly then back on the notes. “It’s cute kid but fuinjutsu is incredibly diffi-.”

He stopped talking when his brain finally processed what he was reading. He kept reading attentively, not caring from anything else around him. Knowing that it would take time, Tsunade went to speak with Hiruzen, as did Riku.

“Good news: I created an antidote. Bad news: your hand and wrist already started a severe necrosis. Good news again, we may have found out how to reverse it. We do that, and we may reattach your arm.”

“And it would need that seal you asked Jiraiya to make? Or help making, I assume?” he replied looking down at Riku who nodded. “This is fine, I just have to be patient then.”

Tsunade went back to sit at her desk but decided to let her clones go on with her work. Riku for his part asked some questions to Hiruzen.

“Sandaime-sama. I have a few questions regarding the jutsu Orochimaru used. How did he control them? Is it inherent to the jutsu or did he do something else for that?”

“HOLY SHIT! This is brillant! Tsunade! Who came up with that?!”

They all turned to Jiraiya. Everyone in the know or having an idea pointed with their fingers at Riku.

“The kid?!” A dumbfounded and disbelieving Toad sage exclaimed when his eyes landed on Riku. For the first time he had a good look at him.

“It’s just an idea and a theory I got.”

“No way! You’re way too young to-”

“Jiraiya.” Hiruzen cut in. “Everything seal related I have been discussing with you for the past hour came from his mind.”

The seal master’s jaw draped down comically, his impression frozen in shock. Done with his antics Riku turned back to Hiruzen to get back on their conversation. The old man noticed and gave him the answer he was looking for.

“No, it's not inherent to the jutsu. Orochimaru put a kunai with a tag and a special seal written on it, inside their heads.”

“In that case, shouldn’t-”

“Destroying the head didn’t work.”

“... I see. That means the tag was activated and…”

“What are you talking about?” asked the Toad Sage whose brain had rebooted.

“Riku, here is trying to send back my senseis to the pure lands.”

“Now that I know what Orochimaru did, I may remove, stop or take control of the seal, allowing them to undo the jutsu. The Nidaime did make a way to undo it, right?” Riku inquired to Hiruzen.

“Of course he did. Who do you take him…” The intense look Riku was giving him, made him remember that his sensei had created the Kage Bunshin and never noticed its many advantages beyond recon. “Riiiight.” He begrudgingly said, elongating the word. “He did. What exactly do you have in mind?”

“Action and… obedience? Submissiveness? Nevermind… Different parts of the brain are responsible for each, if I remember correctly at the top of my head. I haven’t yet read much on the brain.”

“You’re correct. Obedience comes from the anterior cingulate cortex, free will from the frontal and parietal areas and actions from the frontal lobes.” Tsunade revealed.

“I think the seal had an effect on the obedience area. If we could remove it or contain it, they may regain the totality of their free will and undo the jutsu themselves. The only problem at hand is that I’m not well versed in dealing with existing seals. Yet.”

“I am.” said Jiraiya. “I would need to actually see the seal, which means…”

“Opening up their skulls.” Tsunade explicitly said it with a profound distaste and a big hint of sadness.

“And we need to keep them restrained. I’m not sure the amateurish paralyzing seals I made will hold them for long. No matter how many were put on them.”

“And find a way to stop their regeneration, the skull will not stay open for long.” Hiruzen added.

“We can take pictures.”

“Ha, yes. Good idea, Riku.” noted the former Hokage.

“Riku, go to the hospital to find Shizune and ask her to prepare a room with everything we need. Which includes-”

“A small corner to work on the seals. I got it sensei.”

“I’m coming too. They are with me anyway.”

Hiruzen patted his chest and Riku briefly saw the outline of a book under his clothes. He didn’t say anything nor did he nod and simply left the office with the older man. Jiraiya shared a look with Tsunade and they followed suit a few seconds later.

“I really need to talk to you. It's a village matter.”

“Why didn’t you speak with one of my clones?”

“They threatened to dispel themselves for interrupting their work and that you would punch me into orbit when you’d get back. Beside your… new apprentice was present. And wasn’t that a surprise. On top of you coming back willingly on your own.”

“Are you criticizing my decisions Jiraiya? My choice as an apprentice and my return both?”

“Not at all. I’m just curious.”

“I spent twenty years grieving by drowning in alcohol and gambling and the only thing it did was either make me numb or more miserable. Just in a different way. Riku… just threw that fact to my face. Of how… selfish I was towards Shizune. It hit home harder than Hanzo.”

“So he’s responsible for your return and you what? Took him as an apprentice as a thank you?”

“Not at all. I tested him, Jiraiya. On his knowledge on medical stuff. He’s really good. The most talented individual I’ve met so far in my life. And the medical field is not the only thing he’s good at as you witnessed. He’s a genius all round. A true prodigy.”

“Really? I can imagine after reading and hearing his theory on seals but a prodigy all around? You know how rare that is?”

“Yes. But sensei’s tales about him confirm it. Did sensei tell you Riku recreated his Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu simply from my uncle’s notes on the Kage Bunshin?”

“No, he did not.” he replied with a frown. “Nobody helped him with it?”

“No. Honestly, I was hoping you could help him with his fuinjutsu a bit. To speed along his development.”

“You know how I teach, Tsunade.” not particularly wanting to do that. He had already made plans concerning Naruto and they didn’t involve staying in the village.

“It’s fine, he’s self-taught. A hint here or there is all I’m asking.”

“... I’ll see what I can do.”

They reached the hospital while catching up with their lives. After asking a nurse working at the reception desk, they went to the room that Shizune had prepared. When they entered inside the first thing they saw was a dumbfounded Shizune and Karin then a very amused Hiruzen. Turning their head to their right, they witnessed at sight they never thought they would, at least for Tsunade. Senju Hashirama, her own grandfather, was trapped onto a table and was being all chummy with Riku who was waving a bone saw around as he talked animatedly as if he was talking to a long time friend.

“... so bad at it she got a title out of it you know?”

“Really? What is it?”

“The Legendary sucker.”

Hashirama began to laugh loudly and heartily after hearing his granddaughter’s title for her bad luck at gambling.

“I’m pretty sure that Konoha has an immediate lock down contingency if she ever won the lottery.”

The Shodaime laughed even more. Had he not been tied up tightly to the examination table he would have fallen off of it to roll on the ground laughing.

“She’s also an exhi-”

“Not. Another. Word.” Tsunade ordered or rather threatened as she grabbed Riku’s head in an iron claw. His feet were not touching the ground.

“No! No! Let him talk! An Exhi-what?! An Exhi-what?! I need to-”

“SHUT IT.”

Jiraiya wisely clamped up on the spot, reining back his eagerness and pervertedness. The murderous glare she was giving him had been the same as the one she gave him when she nearly killed him for peeping on her in the hot springs.

“Tsunade-sama? Maybe you should release Riku before you smash his skull to mush?” proposed weakly a very scared Shizune.

That earned her Tsunade’s glare but only for a brief moment. Her sensei turned her head around and after a moment of consideration put down her apprentice and released his head.

“They’re going to be consequ-”

“Now, now, Tsuna. This young man was just filling me in about your life. There is no need to punish him.”

“Grandfather.” she said softly and a bit embarrassed. “It’s good to see you again, despite the circumstances.”

“Yes, I share the sentiment. My, you grew up into a beautiful woman. I still remember you wearing this cute flower dress with those adorable pig-”

“Enough!” she quickly said, putting her hand on Hashirama’s mouth to stop him from talking. Riku’s snickering incensed her once more but this time he stopped himself right before she could threaten him.

She took a deep breath and wondered why Riku had brought out her grandfather instead of her uncle. Tobirama was a quiet and taciturn man and she knew he wouldn’t have said a thing while everyone was working. Her grandfather on the other hand was a chatterbox. Worse, he was a charismatic and friendly chatterbox. And he didn’t know how to release the Edo Tensei either since the jutsu’ completion was done after his death. Still, that presented an opportunity to question him on a few things she always wondered.

“Riku, why is my grandfather out instead of my uncle?”

“Because I would have strangled Nidaime-sama for being an idiot?” her apprentice answered on the spot with confusion as if the answer had been obvious. A few feet away, they all heard Hiruzen facepalming.

“... You have one more try.”

“Eh? Hum… Because of the seal?” Riku quickly replied with the first thing that crossed his mind.

“Explain.”

“We don’t really know what the seal does. Maybe there is a fail safe erasing the knowledge or completely shutting down free will or the ability to speak? We would be in big trouble if there is and we trigger it on Nidaime-sama since he’s the only one who knows how to stop the jutsu. That left only Shodaime-sama as… well  a guinea pi-... I mean test subject! Test subject. No offense, Shodaime-sama.” Riku quickly added and the grunt he received was acknowledged as ‘No biggie, young man’ in his mind.

Tsunade looked at her student for a moment in a contemplative manner. She then decided that pursuing the matter wasn’t worth the headache and took the bone saw from his hand.

“Whatever, let’s get to it. Sorry, grandfather but it’s the only way we have right now. The other avenues would take too much time. Not like I don’t like having you back but-”

“My place is in the pure lands. Do what you must, Tsuna. I have faith in you.”

The gentle smile he gave her also gave her confidence. She signaled Riku to have his polaroid ready and Shizune to help her remove her grandfather’s skull top. When everyone was in position she began to saw around, unfortunately she had to quickly stop. The Edo Tensei’s regenerative abilities were too fast for this method to work.

“Maybe using wind would be better and more importantly faster?”

Riku’s suggestion had merit. A wind chakra blade would cut deeper, better and faster than a regular saw. The problem was she couldn’t use it. Not yet at least. The only ones in the room who could was Hiruzen but he only had one hand and needed two and she wasn’t sure he was competent enough with it which left only Riku. Sighing, she moved to the side and waved at Riku to take her place. He apparently knew that he was the only option. He wasn't shocked and he wasn’t afraid or nervous about being the one having to do the job, she noticed.

“I’m sorry, Shodaime-sama. I have to pick your brain a bit.” he joked, making the dead man chuckle.

He made some hand seals and brought out his chakra scalpels which he promptly changed the neutral nature into wind element. That surprised Tsunade a bit and it really hit home she needed to master this element asap. Under her watchful eyes, Riku placed his hands at her grandfather’s forehead and in one swift move separated them. Each hand went in their own direction cutting neatly in a circle around the skull. With a vigilant Shizune, she pulled the now detached part of the bone and revealed the brain. The regenerative factor immediately kicked in and instinctively, Riku put his small hands in the skull while dispelling his chakra scalpel and grabbed the brain. He pulled it out without hesitation.

“Riku!” Tsunade exclaimed, not very happy about what he had just done but anymore reprimand died in her throat when a new brain began to be created inside the skull from what she saw before the bone reformed completely. Riku still had the original brain in his hand.

“Sorry, sensei but-”

“It’s fine. I was being hasty. You did good in this particular situation.”

“Honestly, I just panicked and didn’t really want my hands stuck. It was a gamble.”

“That paid off. Now we can study the seal better than with a quick picture.”

Riku nodded and went to delicately put the brain on the adjacent examination table when he turned around and apologized. “I said picking a bit but it turned out I picked all of it. Sorry about that.”

A new round of chuckles came from Hashirama.

Jiraiya went to take a look at the seal and Hiruzen walked closer to Tsunade and his predecessor to just talk. Shizune, believing her work was done, left the room with Karin in tow.

“That’s quite the student you have, Tsuna.” Hashirama commented honestly.

“That I do.” she said with a tired sigh but a pleased smile on her lips.

“He wasn’t always like that. He used to be a lot more reserved until I began teaching him. The change is even more pronounced since he met you, Tsunade.”

Tsunade and Hiruzen looked in silence at Riku asking questions to Jiraiya.

“... But if we supercharge, with chakra, that part of the seal, wouldn’t it collapse on itself?”

“Hmm…No. That part will collapse, yes but it won’t have a chain effect because it’s only one out of eight, the other seven will maintain the seal. We need at least…”

“I’m really glad the two of you met.”

Tsunade said nothing, she just looked at her dirty blonde student.

‘It’s been less than a month but me too, sensei. Me too.’