“Tsunade-sama, I beg you! Please save my child!”

  The one speaking was Gekko Kazahana.

  The moment Kyoichi saw him, he reized him right away—Kazahana was the uncle of Gekko Hayate.

  Hayate’s father had passed away years ago, leaving Kazahana to raise him ever since.

  Clearly, he was here for Hayate.

  “It’s you…”

  Tsu out a sigh.

  The Gekko …

  They had risen to prominence during the Sed Hokage’s era and were now well-known in Konoha. She was naturally familiar with a few of them, including Kazahana.

  “Tsunade-sama, my brother’s son, Hayate, has been sick since childhood. Please, I beg you to save his life!”

  Kazahana pleaded desperately.

  He had sought help from many people.

  But…

  No mediinja in Konoha had cimed they could cure Hayate. His only hope now rested with Tsunade.

  Tsunade hesitated.

  She knew herself well. Theoretically, she uood mediinjutsu deeply, but the moment she saw blood, fear would paralyze her. She simply couldn’t perform surgery.

  Kyoichi’s mind stirred.

  He had some uanding of Hayate’s dition.

  On one hand, he had suffered from a lung disease since childhood.

  Oher, there was his ’s Kekkei Genkai—

  Transparent Escape Teique.

  The bination of these two faade his illness difficult to cure, leaving him frail even at twenty-three. If not for this, even someone like Baki might not have been able to kill him so easily.

  He was a true talent.

  It was a shame that illness had been holding him back.

  “Tsunade-sama, let’s at least take a look first?” Shizune couldn’t help but suggest.

  Tsunade shot her a gre. Then, notig that Kyoichi had a simir expression, she sighed helplessly and said, “Kazahana, I ’t promise anything.”

  “I uand! I uand!”

  Kazahana was overjoyed.

  With no one else able to help, he had no choice but to pin all his hopes on Tsuhere was no room for pints.

  Medical disputes?

  Iire ninja world, there were probably very few people who dared to cause trouble for Tsunade over medical treatment.

  —

  The Gekko ’s pound wasn’t rge, but it bore distinct symbols of their lineage.

  Trees and moon insignias decorated the pce.

  Upoering, they saw several children practig sword teiques. Most were simply practig basic sshes, while only a select few had mastered actual kenjutsu.

  The most talented among them, naturally, was Gekko Hayate!

  But…

  His physical dition was also the worst.

  “Hayate…”

  “Uncle Kazahana… Kyoichi-sensei!”

  Hearing voices, Hayate turned his head. When he saw Kyoichi, his eyes immediately lit up, and he even seemed a bit more eic.

  “You’ve got quite a way with kids,” Tsutered.

  She could tell that Hayate truly respected Kyoichi.

  Otherwise…

  Why the hell did he not even look at her?!

  “I temporarily took over as his instructor before,” Kyoichi expined.

  Hearing his voice, Hayate finally looked at the woman standing beside him.

  Tsunade had already left the vilge by the time Hayate was born, so he didn’t reize her.

  But…

  The rge “Gamble” character on her clothing caught his attention, and his expression shifted as he deeply bowed. “Tsunade-sama!”

  “Ugh…” Damn it, is this tiny hobby of mine known across the entire world?!

  Tsunade eechless.

  She studied Hayate carefully, and soon, her brows furrowed.

  For a child…

  His dition was already quite severe.

  “Let’s talk inside.”

  “Yes!”

  —

  Ihe house, Tsunade signaled Hayate to sit down before beginning a careful diagnosis.

  Kazahana stood nearby, his heart pounding with ay.

  Tsunade was their st hope!

  If even she couldn’t help…

  “You have a Kekkei Genkai?”

  “…Yes.”

  Hayate nodded.

  He had awakeransparent Escape Teique at a young age, which made him highly valued by the . From then on, he had been trained in Dance of the Crest Moon.

  “g your lung disease isn’t difficult, but the real issue stems from your Kekkei Genkai. Every time you use Transparent Escape Teique, it damages your body. Eventually, it will repse.”

  Tsuated bluntly.

  Kazahana was stunned.

  So…

  That meant Hayate couldn’t use Transparent Escape Teique anymore?

  He looked at his nephew, unsure of what to say.

  “So, I ’t use my Kekkei Genkai?”

  Hayate was equally dumbfounded.

  “That’s right. If you stop using Transparent Escape Teique, I cure you.”

  Tsunade nodded.

  She had some prior uanding of the Gekko ’s Kekkei Genkai, so she was able to make a quick judgment.

  In fact…

  She had said the same thing to Hayate’s father before.

  And the result back then had been obvious.

  Kazahaated for a moment before turning to Hayate. “This is your decision to make. No matter what you choose, I will support you!”

  “…Sensei.”

  Hayate looked at Kyoichi in fusion.

  He was the same age as Shisui. Though both were precocious, such a major decisio him overwhelmed.

  “You’re asking me?”

  Kyoichi had inteo stay out of it, but seeing the hopeful, pleading look in Hayate’s eyes, he sighed.

  “Fine. Let me ask you this—what defihe Gekko : your Kekkei Genkai or your swordsmanship?”

  Hayate thought for a moment.

  Then, with firm determination, he answered:

  “Swordsmanship.”

  Their Kekkei Genkai was merely a tool.

  It was Kenjutsu that truly made the Gekko strong.

  At that moment, he uood.

  “Then what are you hesitating for?”

  As Kyoichi spoke, he drew his sword—

  And in the blink of an eye…

  He instantaneously appeared above Hayate!

  “Dance of the Crest Moon?!”

  Kazahana was shocked.

  Though Kyoichi hadn’t created shadow es for interferehe essence of the teique was the same—

  Find a weakness.

  Strike from a blind spot.

  “Dance of the Crest Moo rely heavily on Transparent Escape Teique. Its true strength lies in its ability to deceive an oppo’s vision. pletely forbidding its use might be unrealistic, but unless absolutely necessary, don’t rely on it.”

  Kyoichi’s voice was serious.

  “Yes! Thank you for yuidance!”

  Hayate bowed deeply.

  Tsunade g Kyoichi with an amused expression before suddenly saying, “I heal you, but I won’t be the one perf the surgery—your teacher, Kyoichi, will. Do you still dare to gh with it?”

  “I do!”

  Hayate answered without hesitation.

  “Then it’s settled. e to the hospital tomorrow m for pre-surgery preparations.”

  “Yes!”

  “Thank you, Tsunade-sama! Thank you, Kyoichi-sama!”

  “…Uh.”

  Kyoichi wao protest, but he knew why Tsunade was doing this. Calling her out on it now wouldn’t be appropriate.

  Fine…

  It’s just surgery.

  No big deal!

  Besides…

  Just now, Hayate had even given him a reward.

  [Gekko Hayate sees you as his life mentor.]

  [Reward: Secret Sword – Moon Shadow.]

  This kid really just handed me a freebie!

  Even Kyoichi hadn’t expected Hayate to accept him so easily.

  Well…

  Thanks for the gift!

  ---

  Leaving the Gekko ’s pound,

  “Lady Tsunade has… some minor issues, which is why she ’t personally hahe surgery…”

  Shizuated, trying to choose her words carefully.

  But Tsu straight to the point. “I have hemophobia.”

  Hemophobia.

  Kyoichi put on a deliberately surprised expression.

  After a moment, he asked, “Is that why you left the vilge?”

  “I am one of the Legendary Sannin, a top-tier mediinja, yet now I ’t step onto a battlefield or even hold a scalpel. What use do I have in Konoha?”

  “Leaving means no one would know about my dition.”

  Tsunade sighed.

  Her departure from the vilge had been due, in rge part, to this affli.

  Of course…

  There were other factors as well.

  Gcell