Chapter 148: Chapter 148 : Shizune — I feel like you are playing me!
Uchiha Haru watched silently from a distant corner within the illusion. No matter what Tsunade did, he refrained from intervening.
Tsunade's hemophobia wasn't congenital; otherwise, she wouldn't have risen to become one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, much less the greatest medical ninja in the world.
Her fear of blood was purely psychological.
And psychological illnesses could not be cured by ordinary means.
They required special methods.
Uchiha Haru's method was simple and blunt.
He forced Tsunade to confront the nightmare buried deep within her heart, over and over.
By repeatedly witnessing the horrors that haunted her mind, her heart would slowly begin to accept them — and eventually, let them go.
What we call psychological trauma could be gradually healed this way.
Of course, this method wasn't completely safe, and the outcome varied from person to person.
For ordinary people, such a technique might drive them insane.
But Tsunade was no ordinary person.
This woman who became the Fifth Hokage was exceptional.
Not just in terms of raw strength, but in psychological resilience and mental fortitude — qualities few could match.
Tsunade could endure this test.
Uchiha Haru believed in her.
After countless repetitions of the tragedies playing out before her eyes, Tsunade's mental state began to shift.
At first, she hadn't dared to think about such scenes, let alone look upon them.
But now she had stared them down without flinching.
Blood?
Hemophobia?
None of it mattered anymore.
Having confirmed this, Uchiha Haru released Tsunade from the illusion.
The vines and branches that had coiled around her gradually receded.
Tsunade's expression was calm; the terror that had gripped her at the sight of blood was gone.
"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune whispered tentatively.
Tsunade gave a small nod but said nothing further.
The leader of the Kaguya clan stepped forward, testing her by lightly scratching her hand. Blood welled from the wound and dripped past Tsunade's gaze.
But Tsunade remained utterly unfazed.
"Is it truly alright?" the Kaguya clan leader asked, incredulous.
"It actually is?" Mei Terumi chuckled.
Everyone present was surprised.
Hemophobia was notoriously difficult to cure.
Yet in a remarkably short time, Uchiha Haru had broken through that barrier.
It was astonishing.
But given all the incredible feats Uchiha Haru had achieved before, this only registered as a mild surprise.
"Take her back to rest," Uchiha Haru ordered Shizune.
Tsunade had just shaken off her hemophobia and needed time to recover her strength.
"Yes, sir!" Shizune bowed deeply. "Thank you, Uchiha Haru!"
Under the watchful escort of the Hidden Mist ninja, Shizune guided Tsunade to her residence to rest.
"Uchiha Haru, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki..." Mei Terumi frowned as she glanced toward the fallen jinchūriki lying grievously wounded on the ground.
Two gaping wounds gushed blood relentlessly, bones faintly visible beneath torn flesh.
Hidden Mist's medical ninjas frantically worked to save him, but the situation was bleak.
"He's likely not going to survive," Mei Terumi sighed deeply.
"We might have to find a new Six-Tails Jinchūriki."
A perfectly synchronized jinchūriki was a tremendous asset to any ninja village.
Yet now, with the Six-Tails dying, the tailed beast would need a new host.
Whether the next jinchūriki could control the immense power and truly master it was uncertain.
Such thoughts gnawed at Mei Terumi's mind.
"Damn it!"
"The two ninjas who attacked just now must have been from the Akatsuki," Mei Terumi said coldly.
The Akatsuki, that secretive and deadly organization, had begun taking covert contracts from various villages to finance their operations.
Most ordinary ninjas were unaware of their true nature.
But as the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi was no ordinary ninja.
She had immediately recognized their identities by their distinctive cloaks.
"Sooner or later, they will pay for this."
Uchiha Haru's eyes burned with icy resolve. "Since they dared attack Kirigakure openly while I was away, they are courting death!"
Previously, Uchiha Haru had no intention of provoking the Akatsuki.
But this brazen assault was intolerable.
"As for the Six-Tails Jinchūriki," he continued, "I have another plan."
Uchiha Haru recalled there was a suitable jinchūriki candidate within the Hidden Mist Village.
With him, the problem might be solved.
Mei Terumi nodded in agreement.
With this, the immediate crisis was almost resolved.
"Uchiha Haru, Lady Tsunade..." Mei Terumi began.
Although Tsunade seemed to have recovered from her hemophobia, without Uchiha Haru's reassurance, the Kaguya clan leader still felt a bit uneasy.
"Rest assured," Uchiha Haru said calmly.
"Tsunade has recovered. She only needs some time to rest before she can treat Kimimaro."
"Thank you, Mr. Haru!" The Kaguya clan head bowed deeply, gratitude clear in his eyes.
Tsunade had recovered.
His son Kimimaro's illness was on the mend.
…
In a dark, unnoticed corner, a pale figure silently observed everything. Careful to stay hidden, he stood far away, barely making a sound, trying not to draw attention. He was well aware of the terrifying perceptive power of Uchiha Haru's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Only after Haru had left with everyone else did the white figure fully reveal himself. Squinting sharply, he watched the battlefield with a grim expression.
"Kakuzu and Hidan... were defeated without the slightest suspense," he muttered.
"Uchiha Haru's strength has grown since the night of the clan massacre. How long has it been? A year?"
"This is terrifying."
"We must inform Madara. The plan might need adjusting."
Without another word, the white figure melted into the ground, disappearing silently.
…
After Kakuzu and Hidan's assault on the Saiken, the Hidden Mist Village erupted with commotion. But the uproar wasn't panic; it was genuine admiration for the heroes defending against the foreign threat.
From the newly formed Police Department to Mizukage Mei Terumi herself, everyone had rushed to the front lines, standing firm to protect the village and its people.
This unity and courage were unheard of during the Fourth Mizukage's era, when fear of the masked man kept everyone silent.
Now, the Hidden Mist Village was truly their home. Everyone was fighting for survival, and after everything they had endured, their hearts had changed.
Born into darkness and despair, many had long accepted their fates as pawns in corrupt schemes, powerless to change their reality. They had drifted with the current, becoming what they once despised.
But with the shifting tide, Kirigakure's spirit was rekindled. The desire for justice and beauty stirred within, driving the villagers to act genuinely for their home and each other.
Kirigakure was changing—growing stronger, more united, harmonious, and prosperous.
Among these changes, two major events stood out.
The first was the establishment of a medical division under the Police Department, dedicated to treating the injuries and illnesses of ninjas and civilians alike.
At its helm was Tsunade, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin and the best medical ninja alive.
Her deputy was her devoted disciple, Shizune.
Besides daily treatment, the medical division had another crucial duty: training a new generation of medical ninjas.
Kirigakure had some medical ninja before, but their skills left much to be desired.
During the Blood Mist Village era, the entire village's systems had crumbled, medical care neglected and abandoned.
This neglect had directly contributed to Kirigakure's decline.
Then there was the Uchiha clan—large and formidable but lacking even a single medical ninja.
Thus, Tsunade, the best medical ninja of the current era, reluctantly took on the responsibility of teaching.
Reluctantly, because she was bound by a three-year contract. She had already boarded this pirate ship and couldn't back out.
During this time, the Kaguya clan leader brought his son Kimimaro to Tsunade.
After examination, Tsunade confirmed that while Kimimaro's strange illness was difficult to cure, she had a method—though it would take time.
The Kaguya leader was overjoyed.
Being able to save Kimimaro was the best news he had received.
The second major event concerned the Akatsuki organization.
Uchiha Haru deployed Wood Release: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, creating over a hundred clones to scour the land for Akatsuki members.
Whenever a clone found one, it would immediately disperse, leaving behind a kunai inscribed with the Flying Thunder God technique.
Haru would then instantly teleport to the location, hunting down the Akatsuki member without mercy.
He had made his stance clear: anyone who dared attack Kirigakure would become a target.
This was no empty threat.
On the very first day, Haru captured the lone Juzo Biwa.
After a brief and merciless confrontation, Biwa was eliminated.
…
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