AWB Chapter 167 Healthy Weasel, this piece?
Chapter 167 Healthy Weasel, this piece?
Chapter 167: The Healthy Weasel?
When Sasuke arrived at the Konoha Hospital ward, sunlight cast a soft glow on the white hospital bed.
On the hospital bed, Uchiha Itachi had woken up. His face was still a little pale, but he forced himself to sit up and was talking quietly with Uchiha Inahashi, who was waiting beside him.
Inahaki, who hadn't slept a wink all night, immediately stood up to greet Sasuke upon his arrival: "Young Master Sasuke."
"I brought breakfast." Sasuke waved the food box in his hand and quickly walked to the bedside.
He distributed the steaming porridge and side dishes to the group, and said softly, "Nisan, how are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"
Itachi smiled slightly, took the water glass his younger brother offered, took a sip, and said in a weak but steady voice, "I'm fine, I feel okay."
Don't worry."
"What exactly happened yesterday? Why did you suddenly vomit blood, Nii-san?"
Sasuke finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him, his voice filled with worry.
Itachi smiled upon hearing this and seemed to be trying hard to recall.
He raised his hand to his temple, a hint of confusion flashing across his brow: "Yesterday—I remember I was on patrol, and then—"
He recalled how he had forced himself to patrol the village with Inahisa and Sasuke the previous morning.
Everything was normal until, during the patrol, his vision suddenly went black, and he felt a dull pain in his chest as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer. Then he lost consciousness.
He said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have worried you."
Sasuke nodded silently, about to say something more, when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the door of the ward.
The group turned to look and saw Tsunade stride in.
Upon seeing this, Inahime immediately bowed and greeted her: "Lady Tsunade."
"You're here too."
Tsunade nodded to Inahisa and Sasuke, then walked to the bedside and bent down to carefully examine Itachi's condition.
A pale green chakra glow emanated from her palms, slowly sweeping from her chest to her pulse.
A moment later, Tsunade withdrew her medical chakra and revealed a satisfied expression: "The recovery is not bad."
Hearing this, Sasuke's heart finally settled down a little.
However, Tsunade then changed the subject, adding, "But your illness can't be cured in a short time; it requires a long-term treatment process. It's unrealistic to expect a full recovery in a short period, so you need to be mentally prepared."
Sasuke's heart tightened again upon hearing this: "Lady Tsunade, can my brother's illness be cured in the future?"
:
Tsunade glanced at Sasuke's worried expression and smiled reassuringly: "Don't worry too much, Itachi's illness isn't difficult for me."
After saying that, she patted Itachi on the shoulder, "The most important thing right now is to rest and recuperate."
Itachi nodded, his attitude respectful and grateful: "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."
"Yes, thank you very much, Lady Tsunade!" Sasuke also bowed deeply.
He hoped his brother would recover soon more than anyone else, and was extremely grateful to Tsunade for personally treating him.
"Haha, it's just my job."
Tsunade laughed heartily and waved her hand, indicating that the two of them didn't need to be so polite.
Tsunade shook her head, stuffed the stethoscope back into her coat pocket, and prepared to turn and leave: "Alright, I'll go take care of other things now. Call me anytime if anything comes up."
As she spoke, she turned around and was about to walk towards the door.
However, after taking only two steps, Tsunade paused, as if remembering something, and turned back to look at Itachi: "Oh, right, there's one more thing—"
She crossed her arms, her expression slightly stern yet filled with concern, "Training is a good thing, but the intensity can't be too high. Your physical condition can't withstand that kind of high-intensity Sharingan training!"
Upon hearing this, Itachi's eyes widened slightly.
Sasuke and Inahisa were also stunned. Seeing Itachi's surprised expression, Tsunade continued to solemnly warn him, "If you continue to train like crazy after you recover, even if I cure you, you won't last long!"
Upon hearing this, the weasel on the sickbed fell silent.
He lowered his eyelashes and did not answer immediately.
A few clear birdsongs drifted in from outside the window, and the ward fell silent for a moment.
Looking at Itachi's slightly stiff expression, Tsunade suddenly smiled gently and softened her tone: "Don't make such a serious face."
I didn't mean to blame you.
She took two steps closer and said earnestly, "At your age, to have this level of ability is already quite remarkable. Don't put too much pressure on yourself!"
She paused, raising an eyebrow slightly: "There can only be one Fourth Hokage. It's unrealistic for your clan leader to think he can cultivate another Minato Namikaze for the Uchiha clan!"
Upon hearing this, Itachi's previously tense lips tightened slightly, his eyes dimmed slightly, but his voice remained respectful and firm: "Lady Tsunade, thank you for your concern. But—"
He paused, then looked up directly at Tsunade, a hint of determination in his eyes. "I respect Father's decision!"
Sasuke and Inahikasa both live there.
Then, Tsunade sighed and shook her head helplessly.
It seems that my well-intentioned advice was mostly in vain.
"Sigh—" Tsunade gave a wry smile and said nothing more. "Get some rest."
She waved her hand, turned around, and walked out of the ward.
The door closed with a soft "click".
Inside the ward, Itachi let out a long breath, his expression returning to its usual calm.
Sasuke, however, remained standing there, still processing the information from Tsunade's words, his mind unable to calm down for a long time.
He recalled the scene just now: the meaning behind Tsunade's words was clear—Nisan's training intensity was too high, and his body was being worn down. The source of the pressure that made Nisan work so hard was his father!
Sasuke could hardly believe it.
In his memory, Nisan Uchiha Itachi had always been the most outstanding and excellent ninja.
In terms of both cultivation and character, no one in the entire Uchiha clan, or even the entire Konoha, could surpass him.
How could someone as perfect as him suddenly fall ill?
Sasuke had been completely baffled before, but now, everything seemed to have an answer—
Illness caused by overwork.
Nissan's illness was actually caused by overworking himself!
Thinking of this, Sasuke felt a mix of emotions: shock, heartache, and above all, incomprehension and a hidden resentment towards his father's actions.
His fist clenched involuntarily, then quickly relaxed.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Sasuke have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
He vividly remembered his father's strict demands on him and his brother from a young age; he knew his father expected them both to bring honor to the family, but he never imagined...
The father's demands on Nissan were so harsh!
"Nii-san—" Sasuke raised his head, looked at his pale brother on the bed, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
While Itachi was deep in thought, he was brought back to his senses by the words and looked at his younger brother: "What's wrong?"
Sasuke pursed his lips, carefully choosing his words: "Um—what Tsunade-sama said earlier—is your illness really because of Father, brother?"
On the sickbed, Itachi then revealed a gentle smile.
He didn't answer directly, but slowly raised his hand and ruffled his younger brother's slightly messy black hair.
Sasuke's voice was as gentle as a breeze, "It's not entirely because of my father."
As he spoke, Sasuke's slightly uneasy expression was reflected in his eyes. "What I hope for more is that you can grow up carefree."
boom-
Sasuke felt as if something exploded in his ears.
He stared intently at his elder brother, his eyes wide open.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Sasuke have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
Itachi's warm hand was still resting on his head, gently rubbing it.
"N-Niseko."
Sasuke's voice trembled, as if something was stuck in his throat.
He couldn't say anything more; he felt a thousand words stuck in his throat.
No wonder he always found it strange that the "self" in his dream always had a silly smile on his face, just like a carefree, silly son of a landlord.
Sasuke couldn't have imagined before how he could have become so carefree, but now he suddenly understood that it was because his brother had shouldered all of his father's expectations and burdens that he had gained the seemingly natural happiness and freedom in his dream.
Meanwhile, the people in the audience watching this scene had different expressions.
Naruto Uzumaki twitched his nose, his blue eyes filled with emotion: "So—Sasuke's brother Itachi had such a story behind him."
Naruto had seen the gentle Uchiha Itachi in his dreams several times. Every time he appeared, Itachi was always polite and understanding, and very kind to his younger brother and clansmen.
"Sasuke's father is such a terrible person!"
Naruto angrily curled his lip. "They don't even care about the life of their own son? That's outrageous!"
[Ding! Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Kakashi frowned slightly upon hearing this, instinctively wanting to reprimand Naruto for making such a fuss about his elders, but he swallowed the words back.
Thinking of Itachi Uchiha in real life, Kakashi felt a heavy weight in his heart.
To be honest, Naruto's statement wasn't entirely unfounded.
Fugaku deserves such praise.
After all, that man did many unbelievable and ruthless things back then. For the sake of his family's ambition, he sent his eleven-year-old son into the Anbu as a spy, forcing Itachi, who had just turned eleven, to choose between Konoha and the Uchiha clan. How many fathers could be so heartless?
Fugaku deserves the most credit for how Itachi turned out to be like that in real life!
A hint of sadness flashed in Kakashi's eyes. He shook his head, unwilling to think about it any further.
[Ding! Kakashi Hatake's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
He let out a soft breath, casting aside his chaotic thoughts.
Compared to these old stories, he is now more concerned with another pressing issue.
He was still more concerned about Obito's situation.
Kakashi turned his head to look to his right.
Jiraiya-sama was sitting leisurely in a chair on the other side, staring at the screen with great interest, seemingly also moved by what had just happened.
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat: It's rare to see Jiraiya-sama here today!
Thinking of this, he lowered his voice slightly and asked Jiraiya, "Lord Jiraiya, have you found any clues?"
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya turned his gaze away from the screen and looked at Kakashi: "A clue? I only arrived near Kannabi Bridge tonight, and haven't had time to investigate thoroughly yet."
Kakashi paused slightly, realizing he had acted too hastily: "I'm sorry, I was too impatient."
"Haha, it's alright." Jiraiya patted Kakashi on the shoulder twice, laughing heartily. "I understand how you feel. Don't worry, I, Jiraiya, will personally investigate and find out the truth! After all—he's also Minato's student!"
Upon hearing this, Kakashi nodded, a hint of nostalgia and sorrow flashing in his eyes: "Yes! Thank you for your help."
Naruto, who was standing to the side, was initially indignant on Itachi's behalf, but at this moment he keenly caught the key words.
He suddenly raised his head, his deep blue eyes staring intently at the two elders. "Dad's student?"
Jiraiya and Kakashi are both witnesses.
The two exchanged a glance, both inwardly cursing – they had completely forgotten that Naruto was right beside them!
They had an unspoken agreement to keep Naruto from knowing anything about "Obito" for the time being, lest the little guy cause any trouble in a moment of impulsiveness.
Jiraiya smiled and said, "Yes, one of your father's students! He went missing during a previous war, and I'm currently searching for information about him."
Naruto scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.
Then he suddenly remembered the photo he had seen at Kakashi's house, a picture of Kakashi and his father.
Besides Kakashi-sensei and his father Minato, there is also a short-haired girl and a boy wearing goggles in the photo.
"Could it be those goggles?"
Jiraiya was pleased to hear this and looked at Kakashi: "Has Naruto seen him before?"
Kakashi nodded with a wry smile: "That's right, Naruto has seen his picture!"
Naruto grinned upon hearing this: "I actually quite like him! You perverted sage, you absolutely have to find him!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened upon hearing this, and he gave Naruto a rather strange look: "What? You said you like him!?"
[Ding! Jiraiya's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
On the other side, in the VIP audience section.
The weasel crossed his arms over his chest, disappearing into the darkness. He stared at the huge screen in front of him, his expression deep and unreadable.
The events in the dream didn't surprise him much.
He wasn't surprised by Itachi's choice; if he were in Itachi's shoes, he would have made the same choice.
He wasn't surprised by his father's actions; no one knew Fugaku better than Itachi Uchiha.
In reality, the father, for the sake of the so-called glory of the Uchiha clan, demanded the utmost strictness from his eldest son.
So it's not surprising that Itachi in the dream might have some problems.
Was it unexpected?
Not at all.
Itachi's thin lips pressed into a straight line, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.
What Itachi cared about more than his father's actions in the dream was Tsunade.
Every word the blonde female medical ninja had just said had entered Itachi's ears and lingered there for a long time.
Tsunade was able to cure his illness?
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Itachi Uchiha have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
The weasel's long, slightly drooping eyelashes trembled.
He raised his hand to cover his lips, then suddenly coughed softly a few times.
After experiencing the previous dream, he clearly felt that his condition had worsened considerably.
Originally, he estimated that he could barely hold on for about two more years. But now Itachi gave a bitter smile and calmly assessed that perhaps even a year would be a problem.
How can we wait for Sasuke to grow up in just one year?
Itachi clenched his fist. In fact, Itachi had always been aware of his illness, the main reason being the burden his eyes placed on his body.
The backlash from the Mangekyou Sharingan slowly eroded his vitality.
This is also known as "bloodline disease": possessing a powerful bloodline limit but lacking a strong enough physique to control it, resulting in being devoured by this power.
In the world of ninjas, this is almost an incurable disease.
However, before Tsunade, he actually knew another possibility. A sharp, cold glint flashed in Itachi's eyes: the mysterious masked man!
That guy also possesses the same Mangekyou Sharingan as him, and is equally powerful.
More importantly, he never hesitates to use it; he can even use the power of the Square Flower Sharingan to travel!
He was skeptical that the masked man had any tricks to entering this dream.
However, Itachi was absolutely certain: the masked man must possess some method to counteract the side effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan!
This is why he bowed to the masked man in reality today, not simply to continue entering the dream to find information or satisfy personal emotions, but also because he intended to take this opportunity to obtain a way to heal himself from the masked man.
However, the situation is different now.
Since someone in Konoha actually has the potential to cure his illness, there seems to be no need to compromise with that masked man any longer!
Even if his illness is more severe than in the dream, he doesn't need to be cured.
As long as we can hold on until Sasuke grows up, that's fine.
Itachi took a deep breath, feeling much of the pent-up frustration in his chest dissipate, and some of the plans in his mind subtly shifted direction.
After all, he joined the Akatsuki organization under the orders of the Third Hokage to infiltrate and infiltrate.
Strictly speaking, he is still a member of Konoha!