036 Reborn as the Third Kazekage

"From what I can tell, there's no rejection reaction yet, but his vitals are still dangerously weak. Considering how severe his injuries were and the extent of the surgery, whether he wakes up or not... that's up to fate." Arashi said with a resigned sigh, his eyes fixed on Nawaki, who floated in a glass cylinder filled with nutrient-rich liquid, an oxygen tube attached to his face.

"I've done everything I could... everything..." Tsunade muttered, her breath heavy as she wiped the blood off her face. Her vacant eyes stared at the cylinder, her voice trembling as she repeated the words like a mantra.

Arashi tightened the robe wrapped around himself and glanced at the dissected remains of White Zetsu on the operating table nearby. His thoughts drifted back to the shocking events of the previous night.

Arashi had just finished a grueling day and was soaking in his wooden bathtub at his villa. Unlike modern bathtubs, he preferred the traditional pinewood tubs, where the soothing warmth and faint pine aroma melted his exhaustion away. The steam rose around him, enveloping him in bliss.

He was halfway to dozing off when—Bang!

A loud noise shattered the tranquility, and a puff of white smoke filled the bathroom. When it cleared, there stood Tsunade, covered in blood, clutching an equally bloody young boy.

"Take me to your underground lab—now!" Tsunade barked.

For a second, Arashi froze, his brain scrambling to catch up. But the urgency in her voice snapped him out of it. With no time to argue, he threw on a robe, scooped up Tsunade and Nawaki.

He bolted straight for the underground lab, smashing through his bathroom door on the way out.

This must be the incident where Nawaki was attacked, Arashi thought as he sprinted. But why would Tsunade come here of all places? Surely Konoha's medical facilities are far superior? Besides, in the original story, Nawaki didn't make it... How could he be saved now? And how did Tsunade even get here? Flying Thunder God? That couldn't be right—Tobirama's been dead for years, and Minato is probably still in school. Could someone else have mastered the technique?

His mind swirled with questions, but his body didn't slow. The lab wasn't far, and in minutes, he arrived. Tsunade wasted no time, rushing into the surgical room with Nawaki in her arms.

"Severe blood loss. Get 1,000cc of type B blood from the blood bank! Turn on the surgical lights, prep the equipment, start the nutrient tank—hurry! I'll fetch the donor!" Tsunade barked out commands, hooking Nawaki to oxygen and monitoring devices before disappearing.

Arashi moved swiftly, following her instructions without a word. Questions gnawed at him, though one loomed largest—Donor? Where was she going to get a donor?

The answer came quickly. Arashi had just finished the blood transfusion when Tsunade returned, dragging a struggling White Zetsu by the neck. With a flick of her wrist, she snapped its neck with a sickening crunch and dumped it unceremoniously on a nearby table.

"How's his blood pressure? His vitals?" she asked without looking up.

"65 over 32, pulse at 33. He's barely hanging on," Arashi replied, his gaze glued to the monitor.

"10 milliliters of adrenaline. Hand me the scalpel—we're starting now!" Tsunade ordered, her expression grim as she opened Nawaki's chest.

Despite being no stranger to bloodshed, Arashi felt his stomach churn at the sight. Still, he performed his role as assistant with precision, handing instruments and wiping sweat from Tsunade's brow.

When Tsunade carefully placed White Zetsu's pulsating heart into Nawaki's chest cavity, it finally clicked for Arashi—she was performing an organ transplant.

No compatibility tests? No preparation? Just like that? This is insane! he thought, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Fetch another 1,000cc of blood!" Tsunade called out, her hands a blur as she worked. Nawaki's body was losing blood faster than they could replenish it.

Arashi swapped the blood bags as Tsunade summoned Katsuyu with a powerful "Summoning Jutsu!"

"Katsuyu-sama, help stop the bleeding!"

The giant slug slithered onto the operating table, partially wrapping around Nawaki's body. Green healing light glowed as Katsuyu worked its magic, and soon the bleeding stopped. Nawaki's blood pressure stabilized, climbing to 80 over 40, with a gradual upward trend.

Arashi couldn't help but admire Tsunade's skill. Despite the chaos, she'd managed to stabilize him. Still, this was only the beginning—there was no guarantee he would survive.

By the time the surgery ended, most of Nawaki's major organs had been replaced, leaving White Zetsu's body in mangled pieces.

"Katsuyu-sama, thank you. You can release him now," Tsunade said, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

"Of course," the slug replied before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Help me move him to the nutrient tank," Tsunade instructed. Together, they carefully transferred Nawaki into the glass cylinder.

"The heart's a problem," Tsunade muttered, staring at Nawaki through the glass. "He's still a child, and this heart is too big for his chest. I left the thoracic cavity partially open, but he'll need another surgery in a couple of years once his body has grown enough to handle it."

"For now, keeping him alive is the priority. If there's life, there's hope," Arashi said, trying to reassure her.

Tsunade repeated the phrase softly to herself.

"If there's life, there's hope..." She turned to Arashi and gave him a grateful look.

"Thank you," she whispered, bowing slightly before collapsing into his arms.

"Looks like you've been through hell," Arashi said, carrying her to the resting area. The strain was evident—she had pushed her chakra reserves to the limit, teleported who knows how far, and performed an emergency surgery all without rest.

As he set her down, Tsunade stirred, her eyes fluttering open. Her gaze met his—his sharp blue eyes and the faint scent of pinewood enveloping her. Before Arashi could react, Tsunade threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

Caught off guard, Arashi froze, but her warmth and urgency quickly overwhelmed him. Decades of solitude and restraint melted away as he responded, locking the door with a flick of his fingers.

For the first time in fifty years, Arashi allowed himself to let go.