Soon, Shisui's capable subordinates all arrived at the scene. However, none of them acted rashly—they stood in place, awaiting Naruto's instructions.
Naruto himself arrived shortly afterward. With a single glance at Uchiha Itachi, he could tell that an intense battle had just taken place. Although Sasuke had already treated Itachi's injuries, his torn and bloodstained clothes clearly showed how brutal the fight had been.
"Sasuke, it seems I wasn't wrong about you after all,"
Uchiha Yu said with a satisfied smile as he patted Sasuke on the shoulder.
"You really did it."
"Uncle Yu," Sasuke replied calmly, "I did defeat him—but Itachi's condition is extremely bad. Overusing the Mangekyō Sharingan, combined with the illness that's already taken root in his body, means… he probably doesn't have much time left."
Yu lowered his gaze to the unconscious Itachi. After a moment of silence, he spoke coldly.
"Letting him die like this would be far too easy for him. We can have Orochimaru and Lady Tsunade treat him. At the very least, he should live long enough to atone—especially when the Uchiha clan is revived."
"That's right!"
"We can't let him die just like that!"
The remaining Uchiha echoed his words, their voices filled with resentment. They understood Itachi's past and his choices, and while the truth left a bitter taste, the future of the Uchiha clan still depended heavily on him.
"No problem," Naruto said casually.
"I'll contact Orochimaru right away."
He snapped his fingers as he spoke.
How Uchiha Itachi would be dealt with was ultimately the Uchiha clan's internal matter. Naruto had no intention of interfering—he would simply observe.
As for Itachi himself, Naruto's feelings were complicated.
He admired Itachi's intellect and talent, but when it came to handling relationships and navigating the conflict between the clan and the village, Itachi's choices were… painfully flawed. Naruto could only sigh at how persuasive the Third Hokage's rhetoric must have been back then.
There was also the possibility that prolonged exposure to the Sharingan had affected Itachi's mental state.
Perhaps a research project should be opened someday—
"The Impact of the Sharingan on the Human Mind."
If anyone understood this subject deeply, it would be the Second Hokage. As a master of ninjutsu research, Tobirama Senju surely knew far more than most.
When should I bring him over? Naruto wondered briefly.
Shaking his thoughts aside, Naruto took out his phone and dialed a number.
"This is Orochimaru," a magnetic voice answered.
"Naruto-kun, what do you need?"
Many Uchiha instinctively disliked Orochimaru. Every time he looked at them, it felt as though a venomous snake was sizing up its prey.
And yet, none of them could deny his medical and research expertise.
At the moment, Orochimaru was in Sky City, deeply immersed in an intriguing project—the development and practical application of anti-gravity technology.
"Uchiha Itachi?" Orochimaru repeated after hearing Naruto's explanation.
"…Very well. I'll be there immediately."
Although he no longer harbored any special interest in Itachi, the fact remained that Orochimaru had once suffered a severe defeat at his hands. Whether out of curiosity or lingering resentment, he clearly still cared.
Activating the teleportation array installed in Sky City, Orochimaru vanished and reappeared directly within the Umbrella Organization's base.
Moments later, he arrived at the scene.
When Orochimaru saw Itachi's tattered clothes, his pupils contracted sharply. His gaze then shifted to Sasuke.
So his strength has already reached this level…
After recalling Naruto's own abnormal growth, Orochimaru quickly regained his composure.
He had already witnessed far greater abnormalities—what was one more?
"Lord Orochimaru," Yu said respectfully, "we ask that you treat Uchiha Itachi."
Orochimaru gave a slight nod and began a thorough examination.
The longer he examined Itachi, the darker his expression became.
By the time he finished, his face was solemn.
Uchiha Itachi's body was in far worse condition than expected—like a completely tangled mess, barely holding together.
Seeing Orochimaru's grave expression, Yu's heart sank.
He didn't understand medicine, but if even Orochimaru looked like this…
then Itachi's situation was truly dire.
Orochimaru withdrew his hands and spoke frankly.
"His condition is extremely troublesome. At the very least, it would be difficult for me to handle it alone—and it would consume an enormous amount of my research time. It would be better to bring Tsunade here. In this field, no one is more authoritative than her."
As soon as he said that, Sasuke and the others visibly relaxed.
From Orochimaru's words, it wasn't that Itachi couldn't be treated—only that Orochimaru found the process too time-consuming. Everyone present understood his temperament well. When it came to research priorities, Orochimaru was practically a mad scientist.
"Orochimaru," Naruto said with a faint smile, "this could be a perfect research opportunity for you. Aren't you curious about why the Mangekyō causes blindness? Or about Susanoo—a power that's practically godlike? Don't you want to understand what kind of force lies behind it?"
In truth, Naruto himself was deeply interested.
The Sharingan was tied not only to chakra, but also to the mind, spirit, and emotions. That alone made it a fascinating subject. If studied properly, it could even provide valuable insight for Naruto's Yin Release cultivation.
If someone were to ask Naruto what the ultimate form of Yin Release was, his answer would be simple.
Creation.
Yin Release represented the transformation from nothingness into reality. As for how such a phenomenon was achieved, Naruto hadn't fully grasped it yet.
But legends spoke of an ultimate state capable of reversing life and death itself.
That boundary—between living and dying—was precisely what intrigued Naruto the most. If he could truly understand and analyze such principles, then he would be no different from a living Rinnegan.
Life and death would no longer be obstacles.
Naruto's words immediately struck a chord with Orochimaru.
It had to be said—Naruto always knew exactly how to grab Orochimaru's attention.
Soon after, Naruto contacted Tsunade.
At the moment, she was still in Konoha. Even traveling by air, it would take nearly half a day to arrive—after all, Naruto hadn't yet established a teleportation array inside the village.
Tsunade, however, showed clear interest.
Naruto had once mentioned that the Senju and Uchiha shared the same origin. Previous studies had already confirmed the existence of overlapping genetic traits between the two clans, and Uchiha Itachi was undeniably an exceptional specimen.
A little over half a day later, Itachi was moved to a different room.
By then, the number of people present had greatly decreased. Only Naruto, Shisui, Yu, Orochimaru, and Sasuke remained.
Izumi, Zabuza, and the others had gone off to deal with various matters. Recently, there had been no shortage of work.
Standing beside the operating table, Tsunade frowned as she examined Uchiha Itachi.
His body was severely depleted. His life force had been overdrawn, and numerous hidden injuries were layered throughout his body. Worse still, the Mangekyō Sharingan appeared to have triggered a bloodline-related illness.
In the ninja world, once bloodline diseases were involved, treatment became exceptionally difficult.
Fortunately, they weren't without precedent.
They had once treated Kimimaro, and compared to him, Itachi's condition—while serious—had not yet reached that extreme.
However, there was nothing Tsunade could do about Itachi's drained life force. No matter how skilled she was, she couldn't sacrifice herself to replenish it.
After a round of initial treatment, Tsunade stabilized Itachi's condition with remarkable efficiency. Her medical skills had clearly improved further, becoming even more precise and refined.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan placed an enormous burden on him," Tsunade said quietly.
"His body was far too frail to withstand that kind of power."
Itachi had awakened the Mangekyō at an exceptionally young age—arguably the earliest in Uchiha history.
From the moment it awakened, his body had been forced to bear its immense strain.
That pressure alone had already damaged him.
Coupled with constant battles afterward, it ultimately led to his current condition.
There was only one factor Tsunade hadn't voiced.
A disease of the heart.
Sometimes, psychological wounds could be just as lethal as physical ones—if not more so.
(End of Chapter)
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