"What... did you do to my body?"
Outside, a gentle breeze stirred the hospital room's curtains. Pure white moonlight spilled across the floor, illuminating skin as smooth and flawless as jade.
Kaito smiled faintly. After tucking Yūhi Tsuki in properly, he walked over to Yūhi Ryuun—who was currently "crashed" from her cells working overtime, leaving her temporarily paralyzed.
"Of course..."
"I did a lot of things."
"Wuu—"
Tears welled in the girl's eyes. Ignoring her distress, the young man silently scooped up the limp girl. The softness in his arms, the faint fragrance mixed with light sweat—it made the face beneath the mask flush, and his body reacted instinctively.
"I-I won't let you get away with this."
Ryuun had realized her wounds were healed, but she already liked someone. She absolutely wouldn't submit to this stranger.
"Even if you took my body... next time we meet..."
"I'll kill you!"
He laid her on the family bed beside her mother's, then gathered the soaked sheets and sweat-drenched hospital gown and pants, tossing them into the dirty laundry bin. He replaced everything with fresh spares.
Finally, holding a clean set of hospital clothes, he approached. In Ryuun's despairing gaze, he dressed her like one might a beloved doll—completing the final ritual with his own peculiar care.
"There. Room check complete. Sweet dreams, Miss Yūhi Ryuun."
Transforming back into Kitada Aina, he moved on to the next ward for another round of "patrol and treatment."
Left alone, Ryuun slumped against the headboard, staring down at her flawless, pale skin—the sight she'd dreamed of waking to every day. Now it was real.
But for some reason...
She felt no joy.
Ryuun knew (or thought she knew): she was tainted. That damn man had done this and that to her—that's why her body burned, why she sweated!
Tears fell unbidden once more.
"I'm sorry... Kaito..."
Exhausted from the massive cellular overhaul, she drifted off again, crying herself into sleep.
In her dream, she saw Kaito's face—utter disappointment and disgust upon learning what happened.
Some time later, Ryuun jolted awake.
"Ryuun! Ryuun, are you okay?!"
"Mom..."
She'd slept over nine hours. Tsuki stood worriedly beside her. Guessing what happened last night—the fresh sheets and clothes confirmed it.
"It's my fault. I couldn't protect you."
"Mom... waaah—" Ryuun sat up and clung to her mother.
In the room, mother and daughter embraced—a warm scene tinged with nameless misunderstanding and sorrow.
In another hospital rest area, on-duty medics and nurses found Kitada Aina passed out. Seeing her disheveled clothes and exposed skin, they shook her awake: clearly a naked-sleeping habit.
"Aina! Aina, you okay?!"
"Huh? What happened..." Still groggy, thinking she was home, Aina rubbed her eyes. Then she saw the surroundings—and looking down at her open gown, memories flooded back.
"Waaaaah—"
"I'm not pure anymore!!!"
BAM!
"Investigate! Find that bastard who even goes after little girls!!!"
In the hospital director's office, Tsunade slammed the desk, face twisted in rage.
She'd examined Aina earlier, confirming the girl was still a virgin—so she'd assumed the "surgeon" only used hypnosis and exploited her position.
But now...
Two young women in their prime, stripped and touched. From their statements, the "surgeon's" words screamed perverted intent.
And there was an eyewitness: Tsuki had "seen" her daughter violated!!!
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen was jealous—no, furious—nearly losing it. He glared at the ANBU squad before him.
"From now on, your team is stationed at Konoha Hospital. Catch that scum—no matter the cost!"
"Yes, sir!" ×N
Then, wary of the surgeon's elusive strength, he added:
"But try not to kill him. We need him alive. His medical skills are invaluable to the village. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" ×N
From then on, the Surgeon's reputation among Konoha's shinobi stank to high heaven.
Exhausted after a full night, Kaito returned home to sleep—still planning more hospital visits for "material." Patients' injuries and illnesses were just too perfect for experimentation.
That feeling—activating the Op-Op Fruit, mobilizing cells... like inventing unheard-of treatments and miracles. Like commanding an army of tiny cell workers in his own domain, bending them to his will.
It was...
Addictively thrilling!
Until he woke up and visited the hospital, only to hear from Nonō that his exploits had spread—and ruined his name: claiming he was "impotent"!
"No way he finished the job—both girls were 'fine,' right? Must be too quick and small."
"Pfft, saying that—if the girls heard, how heartbreaking."
"But sneaking in daily? Probably picking pretty ones to mess with. We should even go to the bathroom together now—or that pervert will target us."
"And an impotent pervert? Terrifying~!"
Two nurses chatted as they passed right in front of the "pervert" himself. He wanted to die.
Waaah—
Why do others get to flex with secret identities, but he gets branded a creep?!
"Kaito-nii? What's wrong?" Nawaki, ahead, saw Kaito frozen and immediately regretted asking—mentally slapping himself: Idiot question.
Nawaki sighed, walked over, patted Kaito's shoulder, meeting his blank stare.
"Don't take it too hard. Ryuun-chunin... she probably didn't mean for it to happen."
"Maybe it's just fate."
Kaito, now thoroughly confused: "???"
Belatedly, he realized Nawaki thought he'd been cuckolded.
Nice.
Cheating on myself—impressive.
And anyway, he and Ryuun were just friends! What nonsense was this?!
With that, Kaito sighed. "Come on. Let's check on Ryuun."
...
At her room, they heard banging inside. A young man with a Konoha forehead protector stood arms crossed, helplessly saying:
"Okay, okay—I won't say anything. I'm leaving."
Kurama Unkai dodged a flying pillow, shut the door, and leaned against it in exasperation.
Next second, he clenched his fists like swearing an oath—oblivious to Kaito and Nawaki approaching.
"That damn 'pervert doctor'! Touching my best bro's girlfriend—when I catch you, I'll put three hundred and sixty holes in your tool!!!"
"Hiss—" ×2
Kaito and Nawaki instinctively covered their crotches, horrified by "three hundred and sixty holes." Kaito recalled the worst nurse stabbing incidents topping maybe two hundred—this guy wanted senbon holes?!
Terrifying!
"Hey, Kaito!!! You're here!!!" Unkai's voice boomed, earning glares from passing nurses. He apologized quickly, then clapped Kaito's shoulder (whose emotions were now indescribable).
"Sorry, man. I'll get revenge for you."
"Don't worry!"
Before they could speak, Unkai continued:
"The whole hospital—even all Konoha shinobi—are on high alert."
"Soon it'll be a village-wide manhunt. Forget cockroaches or ants—anyone suspicious gets grabbed and interrogated hard."
"Great! I was worried about Sis getting targeted too!" Nawaki exclaimed.
"..." Kaito fell silent. Done for. No human experiments for at least a year. My fruit development is screwed—
Then, to blend in, Kaito vented with Unkai, condemning the "pervert doctor":
"If I catch that guy..."
"I'll show him true hell."
Nawaki pumped his fist. "Tie him to a prison cart and parade him—let him learn the consequences!!"
Kaito glanced at the little brat. If I'm exposed and defect... full nude parade for you. He held grudges.
Unkai: "And write 'Perverted Creep' on him in permanent ink!"
Nawaki, finding a kindred spirit, shook his hand. "Brilliant!"
"Yeah, yeah~!"
Kaito, the actual "pervert," felt utterly out of place.
Then the door locked from inside. Ryuun's voice rang out.
"I don't want to see you!"
"Go find someone else! Leave!"
She'd heard the commotion and assumed Kaito now knew everything from others.
"Uh... Kaito, you're on your own now. Whatever you decide, bro—I won't judge." Unkai patted his shoulder with a dramatic JOJO pose.
Nawaki mirrored it on the other side. "Me too."
"????"
The two walked off. Kaito stared after them, a million thoughts galloping wildly. We weren't even dating! Why does everyone act like...
Click—
The door opened anyway. The sudden quiet scared Ryuun—she feared he'd really left.
Seeing him, her eyes flashed with touched adoration... then wrenching pain.
Kaito pondered what to say.
"Why... why did this happen right after my wounds healed..."
Seeing her suddenly sob, Kaito stepped forward and hugged her tightly.
She burst into full tears.
Loud enough that passing nurses sighed and looked away—she was a "victim," after all.
Inside, Tsuki packed discharge items with mixed feelings: helpless over what happened to her daughter, overjoyed her wounds were gone.
After minutes of crying, Kaito gently released her. Her face was flushed, eyes watery and bright.
"It's okay."
"Your wounds healed, right? Like I said—as long as you're alive, there's hope."
"Looks like my words came true."
"B-But I..." Ryuun bit her lip, looked away, then continued: "I have a new wound now. Will you still stand behind me... support me?"
"..."
What kind of NTR plot is this?!
Kaito's brief silence made her think he despised her—found her dirty. She pushed him away instinctively, but he held firm, pulling her close—their faces inches apart.
Breaths quickened.
Suppressing his reaction, Kaito nodded faintly.
"I will."
"Just this once."
"Mm." A mosquito-like hum.
Tsuki cupped her cheeks, watching the intimate moment. "Ahh~ Young love is so beautiful~~~"
Outside, plenty were peeking.
Tsunade pinned Nawaki's head down, ignoring his muffled "Ow ow ow—"
Nonō pouted defiantly. I won't lose. Until Kaito-sensei marries Ryuun, I'll keep trying.
Only Unkai watched happily: Be happy~!
Just when everyone thought Kaito and Ryuun might date, she repeated her old confession.
"Th-Then... starting today, y-you're my boyfriend, right?"
Kaito instantly let go, stepping back. "I already comforted you—don't repay kindness with enmity!"
Ryuun: ?
"You..."
"I haven't made chunin yet. No dogshit romance for me. Bleh—" He stuck out his tongue and bolted from the hospital—on purpose.
Once he was gone, Ryuun's face darkened, fists clenched. "Kai-to! You bastard! Reject my confession twice—believe I'll kill you?!!"
And this time, in the crowded hallway—no less. She couldn't save face.
A few gossip-loving onlookers passed. Kaito leaped out a window to the ground below, finally exhaling. Women were trouble.
If he actually dated, his future would chain to her.
He couldn't. He wasn't the strongest yet. So much left to do...
Like his dreams.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Three ANBU suddenly surrounded him.
One spoke: "Kaito-genin. Next time you randomly jump from hospital heights, we might mistake you for the 'pervert doctor' and arrest you."
Kaito: "..."
He scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry, sorry. Just... had a situation..."
Pat—
A hand landed on his shoulder. Kaito looked at the ANBU, confused.
"I get it. Stay strong!"
"???"
"Sigh. Such a good couple... how did it end like this?"
"???"
"The captain saw everything between you two." (Only half.)
"????"
From then on, the Surgeon persona... well, Kaito sealed it away for a long time.
The following days focused on training: mastering chakra threads (harder than scalpels), increasing weights for endurance, and deep cell research.
Inanimate objects could multiply or change mass freely. Living things—organs, cells—lost added vitality outside ROOM, away from his control.
Thus, ROOM awakening: Immortality Surgery required replacing every cell, organ, tissue with ROOM-attributed ones, locked in eternal youth.
Only a god like Nuwa could grant true immortality to another.
Kaito understood why Law said the surgery would kill him: generating that many human cells while real-time monitoring and balancing them into a pure "ROOM" body...
The moment ROOM dropped, even with Law's—or Kaito's current—stamina, it was instant death. (Ultimate stamina debt for immortality.)
Too hard.
Better to periodically rewind his own age slightly—stay forever eighteen. Downside: losing some training gains periodically.
Three years later.
Major events shook the shinobi world. For example, Third-Class Commander and Konoha jonin Kato Dan perished early in Year 37 on the Rain border in Grass Country, in a rain-soaked jungle.
Upon hearing, the Kato clan head—Dan's father—suffered a brain hemorrhage. Even Tsunade, master medic, was on the front; village doctors, including Nonō personally, couldn't save him.
With no heir, the remaining chunin families decided to formally request clan dissolution.
Thus, the Kato clan faded into obscurity.
Only Dan's niece Shizune remained—a Ninja Academy student interning as a nurse on breaks. Devastated, crying herself unconscious multiple times, she resolved after recovery to carry the Kato name alone and one day rebuild the clan.
The greater war neared its end. Only Iwa clung on bitterly; Suna had long abandoned offense, retreating to await negotiations and peace.
But all this...
Had nothing to do with Kaito.
"We found your kid by a river in the forest outside the village. Next time, keep a closer eye—don't let him wander."
"Thank you!"
"As expected of Konoha's Black Phantom—missions always perfectly completed!"
At the mission desk, grateful parents hugged their troublemaking child.
"And me—the Youthful Beast of Konoha!"
"Uh." The couple eyed Might Duy's odd pose, stepping back warily—until spotting his forehead protector. Realizing he was also genin, they bowed thanks hurriedly, dragging the kid home amid scolding echoes.
Duy deflated instantly. Kaito patted his shoulder.
"Hey."
"A little parental bias shouldn't crush you, right?"
Kaito still looked eighteen, around 180cm tall—no growth, face unchanged by time. If anything, more captivating: improved cell quality.
"Here—one eighteen thousand. Take it." Nara Yōsuke handed the counted cash to Kaito, then eyed the pair and couldn't resist: "You two... so many C- and D-ranks over the years. Everyone else promotes to chunin—even jonin. How are you both still genin?!"
Kaito scratched his cheek, head lowering in mock shame. Duy looked even more ashamed—he'd tried, but pure taijutsu and their joint research plus low chakra caps weren't enough for chunin.
"Ma~ I'll definitely pass next time!"
"Heh. Sure." Yōsuke saw through it. Duy had strength issues, but Kaito? Deliberately staying genin—probably dodging pursuit from certain women: like Ryuun and his two female students.
—
Outside the Hokage Tower, Kaito and Duy parted at a street corner. Duy didn't need banks, but Kaito did—too much cash at home.
Soon, he arrived at the Shinobi World Bank's Konoha branch: Shinobi Bank—Konoha Division.
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