Gulp gulp gulp~~!
The rescue operation—getting her to drink milk—was nearing its end.
Naruto pressed the bottle firmly, determined to make Yūgao drink every last drop.
Yūgao: "Mmmh~~~!"
Poisoned and forced to drink for so long, Yūgao, though unconsciously resisting, was finally reaching the end of her ordeal.
Her body writhed weakly, her limbs trembling intermittently.
Of course, between the poison and the massive amount of milk she had ingested, she couldn't feel good. Her instinctive resistance was inevitable.
Yet her sickly reactions were immediately restrained by Naruto.
This small body held incredible strength.
He held her tightly, continuing to make her drink, again and again…
Until…
Ploof~.
Naruto finally withdrew.
Yūgao: "Uuh…"
A stream of white milk escaped her crimson lips, slowly dripping down her chin.
Her once-lost eyes now seemed slightly more focused, as if a part of her mind had returned.
But the vacant look lingering in her gaze proved one thing: the poison had only been partially neutralized. It was still present.
Naruto: "Looks like it's worse than I thought…"
Standing beside her, Naruto rubbed his chin, thinking intensely.
On the wall, his shadow was outlined… along with that of the tailed beast beside him.
Far from being asleep, the beast seemed more active than ever in the dark of night.
"Are you worried about Yūgao-neechan too?"
Naruto murmured, as if speaking to himself… or perhaps to the beast.
Kyūbi: "…"
For the Nine-Tailed Fox, one thing was clear: the darkness within Naruto's heart was indescribable.
Naruto: "We'll need to start a more advanced treatment."
Clearly, a second phase of care was about to begin.
"The human body is mostly made of water… Normally, removing excess liquid helps flush out toxins… But Yūgao-neechan is a kunoichi, not a civilian. So there's an easier way..."
A cheerful idea crossed his mind: Yūgao could use a Suiton (water technique) to expel the liquid from her body!
Thanks to the large amount of milk she had just drunk, there was no risk of dehydration.
And once he had the idea, Naruto—always quick to act—decided to move immediately.
Clearly, this time… it would go much further than before.
Naruto: "Yūgao-neechan, can you stand…?"
He tried to help her sit up.
Lying on the ground, Yūgao lifted herself with difficulty, her trembling, jerky movements resembling those of a critical patient.
With Naruto's help, she slowly walked, step by unsteady step, guided toward the bathroom.
After all, a Suiton required a drainage system. The living room wasn't suitable.
Minutes passed. Just getting up and reaching the bathroom took them a full five minutes.
But Naruto, a good caretaker, wasn't rushing.
"Patience is key."
After all, anyone can fall ill.
Yūgao: "Nnnh…"
From time to time, in her dazed state, she let out weak moans.
They sounded almost like… tiny plaintive cries.
Once in the bathroom, Naruto closed the door.
Through the frosted glass, two blurry silhouettes appeared.
Inside, Yūgao was standing—barely.
Her trembling legs betrayed her struggle.
Naruto: "Yūgao-neechan… Go ahead, I'm here."
He looked at her encouragingly, signaling that she could start, that he would watch over her.
Yūgao: "Hah…"
But Yūgao, still deeply confused, seemed unable to understand his words.
The Kyūbi's chakra clouded her thoughts, and Naruto's yang energy had begun to alter her mind… permanently.
Naruto: "You can't use water techniques?"
He frowned slightly.
That's a problem.
Without hesitation, he opened the door, rushed into the living room, and rummaged through a drawer until he found a ninja technique manual.
Of course, this book had been brought to him by Hinata.
They had even studied it together, side by side at the table.
After some searching, he found the Suiton section:
"Let's see… Hmm…"
He quickly absorbed the necessary information.
Then, back in the bathroom, Naruto began mimicking the hand seals.
Thanks to Sako's influence, he had already mastered Fūton: Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough of Wind). So hand signs were a breeze, right?
Still, even his precise movements couldn't get any reaction from Yūgao.
Naruto: "Well, this isn't working…"
Then he remembered a scene where Anko had used Orochimaru's hand to form seals and complete a technique.
Often, a ninja could use another's hands to perform hand seals.
It helped guide chakra flow through their own meridians.
Naruto: "Yūgao-neechan… Let's try something else."
He reached out his hand to her.
With a rustle of fabric, he positioned her hand correctly.
Then… he began chaining seals at high speed, his hand becoming a blur…
Swish~!
Swish swish swish~~!
...
Meanwhile, at the hospital, in the middle of the night.
Shiranui Genma, on the verge of sleep, received an unexpected visitor.
At this hour, you had to be especially motivated to be out and about.
A young man with silver hair, dressed in a dark blue tunic, arrived after a long day's work.
His tired face was half-hidden by a mask.
Sitting by Genma's bed, he inquired about his condition.
Due to their joint missions, the ANBU and the reconnaissance unit often worked together. Thus, Kakashi and Genma had become old comrades.
And of course, Kakashi also looked after Yūgao, his junior.
Genma: "Kakashi-senpai… You came to talk about Naruto, didn't you?"
Genma had sensed his hesitation.
As the student of the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi had to look after his sensei's child.
But his own traumas had kept him from acting properly.
Lately, however, Kakashi had been feeling better.
With Gai's constant interventions and the support of other comrades, he was slowly regaining his zest for life.
Without them… he didn't know what would've become of him.
Kakashi: "…Yeah, that's right."
He scratched his head, admitting his concern.
The recent events involving his sensei's son had forced him to take a closer look.
Genma: "That kid, Naruto… He's going to surpass you before you even realize it."
Genma smiled, assuring Kakashi that he had nothing to worry about.
Defeating a member of the Seven Swordsmen like Zabuza? No normal kid could do that.
So-called "genius" Itachi Uchiha? Pfft. Naruto just hadn't entered the Academy yet!
Kakashi was stunned by such praise.
Genma: "But most importantly… that kid has an incredibly pure heart."
His smile grew.
"So don't worry, Kakashi-senpai. Uzumaki Naruto is going to be just fine."
Kakashi: "That's true…"
Finally reassured, Kakashi let out a sincere smile.
But then… what was Naruto doing at that very moment?
Genma: "He's probably already asleep."
He shrugged.
Kids fall asleep easily.
"Yūgao's with him… She'll watch over him."
At the mention of his beloved, Genma's smile brightened even more.