i am kimimaro

Amaiy is a medical ninja trusted by the Raikage and one of the top three medical experts in the Hidden Cloud Village.

If even he says so, then this young man must have some skill.

"Raikage, do you have any objections? The condition of your subordinate is not looking good. The longer we delay, the worse it will be for him," Tsunade said.

"Sorry to trouble you," the Raikage responded briefly.

Tsunade and Kimimaro exchanged glances and began their examination.

The strange lump on Karai's abdomen was clearly a sign of an internal problem.

There was a bug inside, and it was still alive.

Each used their own method to examine the patient.

Soon, both had completed their work.

"You go ahead," Tsunade said, passing the floor to Kimimaro.

"I'll explain, though it may not be perfect. This patient's body has been invaded by a special type of bug. This bug lives in the body's chakra pathways and feeds on chakra, growing rapidly.

Normally, a ninja's chakra is stored within their cells. Only when they perform jutsu do they use spiritual energy combined with physical strength to draw out chakra from their cells and circulate it through their chakra network.

Whenever chakra appears in the pathways, it gets devoured by the bug. As the bug consumes more chakra, it grows larger. Once it has absorbed a certain amount, it will explode, tearing the body apart.

Not only that, the explosion will have a blast radius of about three meters, seriously injuring or even killing anyone nearby."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, surprised that Kimimaro had so accurately diagnosed the bug's characteristics in such a short time.

"It feeds on chakra? No wonder Nikai exploded and died while using a jutsu," the Raikage said, clenching his fists.

"Has someone already died from this?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, Nikai died instantly when he used a jutsu and exploded. If Karai hadn't stopped using his jutsu midway, he would have been blown up as well."

"So it's not just any bug," Tsunade mused.

"This is likely the work of an explosive bug," Kimimaro added.

"An explosive bug?" Tsunade was unfamiliar with the name.

"Yes. The explosive bug is a highly specialized insect that only grows in unique environments. After hatching, it's so small it can't be seen with the naked eye and enters the body through a person's breath. It's practically impossible to defend against.

There aren't many of these bugs. The only group that specifically cultivates them is a mercenary organization called Yokai," Kimimaro explained.

"You know about this?" Tsunade asked, surprised.

"I read a lot of books. I found this in one of them," Kimimaro responded modestly, his extensive reading showing its advantage.

Even Tsunade hadn't read 5,000 medical books, let alone memorized them.

Tsunade wasn't overly concerned and trusted Kimimaro's explanation.

"The Yokai mercenaries, known for hunting ninjas? Raikage, it seems you've crossed someone quite wealthy. Hiring them is expensive, but they never fail," Tsunade teased.

Seeing the Raikage in such bad luck seemed to lift her spirits.

"Hmph," the Raikage grunted but didn't respond.

Kimimaro approached the Raikage.

"Kid, what do you think you're doing?" the Raikage growled.

"Raikage, if I'm not mistaken, you were ambushed along with your subordinates, correct?"

"Yes, Nikai, Karai, and I were attacked together."

"Then it's likely you also have remnants of explosive bugs in your body. They just haven't activated yet."

"According to your theory, if I use chakra, the bugs should grow larger. But just a moment ago, I arm-wrestled Tsunade and released a lot of chakra, yet I feel fine. Your diagnosis must be wrong."

"No, my diagnosis is correct. You haven't had any symptoms because you release chakra too quickly.

You perform jutsu almost instantly, so the explosive bug doesn't have time to absorb your chakra. Simply put, your speed outmatches the bug's ability to consume chakra.

Just because you haven't noticed anything yet doesn't mean you won't. If you don't believe me, try using chakra to perform a shadow clone jutsu—but do it slowly.

The amount of chakra required should be enough for the bug to grow to the size of a fist."

The Raikage looked serious, staring at the smiling young man, unsure whether to trust him.

But it was just a shadow clone jutsu—was he really afraid to try?

"Fine, I'll give it a shot!"

The Raikage formed the seals and attempted a shadow clone jutsu.

In the next moment, he felt a jolt in his abdomen. The jutsu didn't succeed, but a bug-shaped lump appeared on his stomach.

It looked just like the one on Karai's abdomen, only smaller.

"What the...?" The Raikage's eyes widened in disbelief.

Kimimaro smiled. "Raikage, do you believe my diagnosis now?"

His knowledge of explosive bugs allowed him to handle the situation smoothly.

Even Tsunade was surprised. To be honest, she wouldn't have asked the Raikage to take such a risk, given her lack of familiarity with explosive bugs.

But Kimimaro was clearly confident.

"Mr. Kimimaro, I take back what I said earlier," Tsunade conceded.

"No problem, but it seems both you and your subordinate will need treatment," Kimimaro said.

"Treat him first. I can manage," the Raikage said, showing concern for his subordinates.

It was no wonder the Hidden Cloud Village was so united, with no defecting ninjas. Even their jinchūriki were treated well compared to the rest of the ninja world.

"No, let Raikage go first," Karai said, enduring the pain.

"Enough, we'll treat you both at the same time. Shizune, Kimimaro, each of you take one patient and prepare for treatment. Kimimaro, if you finish faster than Shizune, I'll agree to mentor you for a while.

Shizune, if you finish first, I promise not to gamble or drink for the entire year."

"Really, Lady Tsunade?! I'll do my absolute best!" Shizune said, excited by the bet.

"Alright, Lady Tsunade," Kimimaro replied confidently, sure he could beat Shizune.

But the Raikage wasn't pleased.

"Tsunade! You're treating us like a joke! I came to you because you're the best medical ninja, and now you're passing us off to them?"

"If you want to get treated, then shut up. I don't need to step in for such a small issue."

"Tsunade, you're messing with me!"

"Relax, if anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility."

Seeing Tsunade's firm stance, the Raikage had no choice but to reluctantly agree. With his life in her hands, he couldn't be too stubborn.

"You'd better be right, or neither I nor the Hidden Cloud Village will forgive you!"

(End of Chapter)