Although Ino had barely managed to develop Yang Release Chakra by drinking heavily, her use of Medical Ninja Techniques was still a disaster.
Her Yin Release level was too high, while her Yang Release level was too low. Her constitution leaned towards Yin, and her healing methods were rather crude. It was truly a case of treating one patient and losing one.
A several-hundred-pound pig, after her treatment, died peacefully on the spot.
How did Hayate Gekko, who usually looked like a consumptive ghost, compare to that pig? Ino was a little scared.
People had such impressive nicknames, like the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, Konoha's White Fang, or the Yellow Flash. But if she ended up with a nickname like "The Killer Doctor"? She felt she would be letting down the medical books her Shadow Clones had studied so hard.
Ino followed Uzuki Yugao back to the village, deep in thought along the way.
Did she have a way to treat Hayate Gekko? Actually, she did.
"I understand what the Third Hokage meant. Lady Tsunade's Summoning Beast should be able to save Hayate Gekko. Let's head back now!"
On the way, Yugao forced herself to stay awake and recounted what had happened.
There wasn't much to say. During her patrol that night, Hanare had detected a faint smell of blood in an alley. This female spy, who had traveled across many nations, was highly sensitive to blood and sounds. She found Hayate Gekko, severely injured, in an abandoned house.
Hayate was covered in wounds and had long since fallen unconscious. Hanare brought him to Konoha Hospital, but the Jonin specializing in Kampo were unsure about performing surgery. The injuries were simply too severe. In the end, it was the Third Hokage who remained calm and thought of Ino, believing she could save Hayate.
The group rushed to Konoha Hospital, where they found Hayate lying on the operating table, covered in blood. Several Medical Ninjas were trying to stop the bleeding, but the essence of Medical Ninja Techniques was to use Chakra to stimulate the patient's own cell growth. This growth wasn't omnipotent. Often, just as a wound on the arm healed, a wound on the abdomen would reopen. Once the abdomen was treated, the neck would start gushing blood like a fountain.
The Medical Ninjas were overwhelmed, sweating profusely, while Hayate's breathing grew weaker and weaker.
The Third Hokage and Kakashi were both present, along with the advisors Koharu Utatane and Mitokado Homura.
Ino hurried in, and the Third Hokage gave her a slight nod, signaling her to hurry—Hayate was on the verge of death!
Saving a life was as urgent as putting out a fire. Ino also believed that a "Hayate Chronicles" without Hayate would be incomplete. The Chakra she expended from running at full speed was nothing to her.
She bit her thumb and quickly formed the hand seals in the order of Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, and Ram.
"Summoning Technique!"
With a puff of white smoke, through her Chakra substitution, the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest, following the Summoning Contract, transformed a part of its body into a clone. Using the channel established by the technique, it was transmitted over a great distance to Konoha Hospital.
Ino used the maximum amount of Chakra for the summoning, and the Slug that appeared was a towering 18 meters tall. The Sage's clone looked at Ino and spoke in a gentle voice, "Little Ino, what's the matter?"
Ino pointed to Hayate in the operating room and said, "Lady Katsuyu, please help us heal this ninja."
Katsuyu's voice remained calm. "Of course."
Her body began to split, dividing into countless small slugs. These tiny slugs crawled all over Hayate Gekko's body, each one repairing his wounds as if hundreds of medical ninjas were treating him simultaneously. A green chakra glow enveloped Hayate Gekko.
The treatment by the small slugs was merely a life-saving measure. Issues like displaced organs and severe internal bleeding still required surgical intervention.
This wasn't a particularly complicated case, but the sheer number of wounds and the severity of the injuries made it challenging. Hayate Gekko was like a shattered porcelain doll that needed to be pieced back together. While the slugs handled the bulk of the repairs, the more delicate tasks fell to the medical ninjas, making the workload immense.
The doctors worked tirelessly, meticulously tending to each injury.
Katsuyu and the Konoha ninjas had collaborated for many years, and she was well-versed in their medical methods. She continuously separated small slugs from her body to aid in the treatment. Whenever a slug's chakra was depleted, she would detach another from herself.
The sudden appearance of such a massive creature in the hospital, despite the Anbu ninjas' efforts to calm the situation, still caused some panic.
Tsunade had left the village after the Second Great Ninja War. While older ninjas were familiar with the Slug Princess, many younger ones had no knowledge of her.
The Hyuga Clan, with their Byakugan, the Inuzuka Clan, which was highly sensitive to the presence of large creatures, and the Aburame Clan all turned their attention toward the Konoha Hospital.
Jiraiya, who was in the bathhouse with Naruto, and Orochimaru, lurking in the shadows, both sensed Katsuyu's appearance. Their reactions differed, but their choices were similar: to wait and observe.
An hour later, the combined efforts of surgery and ninja techniques finally concluded. Various procedures, including blood vessel suturing, organ repair, the Mystical Palm Technique, and the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique, were all employed. Hayate Gekko's life was ultimately saved.
He had lost a significant amount of blood and his heart had briefly stopped. When he would regain consciousness depended on his own willpower.
Uzuki Yugao was more anxious than anyone. Upon hearing that her lover's life had been spared, she let out a heavy sigh of relief, nearly fainting on the spot.
During the surgery, Ino had the urge to step in and showcase her skills. However, remembering the saying "the last ten percent of the journey is the hardest," and considering her good relationship with Hayate Gekko and Uzuki Yugao, she decided against interfering. She held back with great difficulty, while the medical team worked themselves to exhaustion. After pushing him into the ward for observation, they went to rest.
Ino thanked the Slug Sage for her assistance and dispelled the Summoning Technique.
The summoning had drained a considerable amount of her chakra, leaving her exhausted. Summoning Katsuyu had also drawn a lot of attention, so she chose to head straight home. With her chakra depleted, she couldn't afford to wander outside the village. She planned to rest for two days before seeking out Tsunade the day after tomorrow.
The Root guards continued to use the excuse that "Lord Danzo is out of the village on a mission" to avoid meeting, making it impossible to locate him. The Third Hokage had no choice but to call a meeting with his two old comrades. In addition to advisor Shikaku, Kakashi was also invited. The Third Hokage's reasoning was that Hanare had discovered Hayate Gekko.
The five of them closed the door to study the injuries on Hayate Gekko's body.
The first to speak was still Shikaku: "Looking at the wounds on Hayate Gekko's body, he was injured by a powerful Wind Release Ninjutsu. Currently, in the Hidden Leaf Village, there are quite a few ninjas skilled in Wind Release. However, the range narrows significantly when considering those capable of injuring, or even nearly killing, a Special Jonin proficient in Body Techniques."
Several ninjas skilled in Wind Release, and who, due to their positions, could have ambushed Hayate Gekko, were listed one by one.
The rogue ninja Orochimaru, Wind Release ninjas currently in the village, ninjas from the Sand Hidden Village, and even Asuma and Ino were within this range of suspicion. The one with the greatest suspicion was none other than Shimura Danzo!