Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!
Chapter 534: No Visible Effect

Chapter 534 - 534: No Visible Effect

After nearly half a month of sleepless nights and countless test subjects used, Orochimaru finally informed Kawakaze that the cell transplant was ready.

Early the next morning, after leaving Ginji in charge of watching his sister, Kawakaze walked to the lab with Tsunade. His eyes shone with anticipation—he was eager for the procedure to begin.

"Don't go looking for more trouble after this."

"I'm exhausted."

Tsunade stretched lazily as they walked, then looped her arm around Kawakaze's.

In truth, what she feared most was that Kawakaze would come up with an even riskier idea next. As an elite medical ninja, she understood the dangers of a cell transplant better than anyone.

"You two have really worked hard for this."

Kawakaze knew how much effort Orochimaru and Tsunade had put in to ensure his safety. Experiments that were usually performed once or twice to confirm viability had been repeated multiple times for extra caution.

"As long as you know that."

"I honestly don't know what I ever saw in you."

"And now I have to put up with all this suffering."

Tsunade pinched the soft flesh at Kawakaze's waist, venting her frustration.

"Well, you were blind back then."

"But it's too late to regret it now—you should be thanking me instead."

"I cured your eyesight."

Kawakaze teased, trying to lighten her mood, only to earn a few more hard pinches.

"You're the blind one."

Tsunade shot him a playful glare but couldn't hold back her laughter.

Talking and joking, they made their way to the laboratory.

"...You're here?"

Orochimaru and Misaki were already prepared, standing by the equipment. The fatigue on Orochimaru's face was even more pronounced than Tsunade's.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Kawakaze puffed out his chest, shrugged off his jacket, and changed into a hospital gown.

"Get inside and wait."

Orochimaru didn't waste words, simply pointing toward the operating room.

"Got it."

Kawakaze flashed an "OK" gesture before heading inside. With Tsunade at his side, he lay down on the operating table without resistance.

"Don't stress."

"The procedure is as safe as it can be."

As she secured Kawakaze's arms and legs, Tsunade spoke softly—though it was unclear whether she was reassuring him or herself.

"It's not my first time."

"I know what I'm doing."

With limited movement, Kawakaze lightly pressed his bound hand against Tsunade's in a reassuring gesture.

"...Yeah."

Tsunade gave a slight nod just as Orochimaru and Misaki entered, pushing a cart.

The sound of the wheels rolling across the floor echoed unnaturally in the sterile operating room.

"I'll handle it."

Tsunade took the electrode patches from Misaki and carefully applied them to the appropriate spots on Kawakaze's body.

"Vitals look good."

"Let's begin."

Orochimaru glanced at the monitors displaying Kawakaze's condition, nodding in satisfaction. Everything was within expected parameters.

"Let's do this."

Kawakaze relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and waited for the needle to pierce his skin.

"Do you want to do it, or should I?"

Orochimaru lifted a syringe filled with a cloudy liquid, the long, sharp needle glinting under the light.

"You do it."

Tsunade didn't take the syringe, leaving the task to Orochimaru.

"Alright."

Stepping forward, Orochimaru rolled up Kawakaze's sleeve, located a vein, and injected the needle without hesitation.

As the cold liquid slowly entered his bloodstream, Kawakaze felt every cell in his body come alive, surging with energy.

There was no pain—only an indescribable, almost euphoric sensation.

Madara's cells fused seamlessly with his own, triggering subtle changes within his body.

As Orochimaru withdrew the needle, Kawakaze's body temperature began to rise, yet he remained completely at ease, a look of satisfaction on his face.

To an outsider, it might have seemed like Orochimaru had just injected him with some kind of narcotic.

"What's going on?"

Tsunade glanced at the monitor with some doubt before turning to Orochimaru.

"The data is all within controllable limits."

"Maybe the fusion went exceptionally smoothly?"

Even Orochimaru wasn't entirely sure—this was an outcome he hadn't considered.

For now, all they could do was wait and observe the final stages of the cell fusion.

The operating room was eerily silent, with only the sound of steady breathing filling the space.

Tsunade's gaze never left Kawakaze, while Orochimaru remained fixated on the instrument panel, his eyes unblinking.

Only Misaki's eyes shifted between the two of them.

...

No one knew how much time had passed when Kawakaze's body temperature finally began to drop.

That overwhelming sense of comfort faded gradually, and the readings on the monitor slowly returned to normal.

"It's over."

Orochimaru exhaled a long breath, the weight on his chest finally lifting.

The cell fusion had gone far more smoothly than expected.

"Kawakaze... Kawakaze..."

At Tsunade's gentle call, Kawakaze slowly opened his eyes.

It felt as if he had just woken from a long, blissful dream.

"Is it done?"

He didn't feel any significant changes in his body. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or disappointed.

"Yeah, it's over."

Tsunade nodded as she undid the restraints on his arms and legs.

They had been completely unnecessary.

"How do you feel?"

Orochimaru stepped closer, pressing his hands directly against Kawakaze's chest.

"I don't feel any discomfort."

Kawakaze struggled to come up with anything notable and could only give a vague response.

"And?"

Orochimaru frowned. That wasn't the answer he was looking for.

"I feel like I could take down a bull right now."

Kawakaze sat up slightly, clearly just messing around.

"Get lost."

Orochimaru didn't even think before the words left his mouth.

If Kawakaze couldn't kill a bull, then he was probably at death's door.

"Haha!"

Tsunade and Misaki couldn't hold back their laughter any longer.

Unlike Orochimaru, they hadn't placed such high expectations on the cell fusion experiment.

"Maybe the fusion just finished, and I haven't noticed any changes yet."

"Why don't we wait a bit and check again later?"

Kawakaze wasn't entirely confident in his own words, carefully gauging Orochimaru's reaction.

"You wasted my excitement for nothing."

Orochimaru suddenly realized he might have been played.

But what could he do? He had no one to blame but himself—his own curiosity had been exploited by a certain someone.

"That really hurts, you know."

Kawakaze was about to play the emotional card when he suddenly noticed Orochimaru pulling out a massive syringe—one that looked big enough to be used on livestock.

"Just a little blood draw, and you're free to go."

Orochimaru pressed Kawakaze down without hesitation, preparing to stick him with the needle.

"What the hell—!"

"Can't you use a smaller one?!"

Kawakaze struggled like a pig about to be butchered, making it impossible for Orochimaru to pin him down properly.

"Be a man. Just bear with it."

A sly grin flickered across Orochimaru's face as he adjusted his aim.

"Tsunade, are you really my wife?"

"You're just going to stand there and watch?"

Kawakaze's voice echoed through the operating room.

"I'm a bit tired."

"Misaki, let's go outside and take a break."

Tsunade stretched her neck and rubbed it, pretending not to hear a thing.

"Alright, Sister Tsunade."

Misaki, keeping a straight face, quickly followed Tsunade out.

"You can't just abandon me!"

"Help—!"

"It's no use screaming your lungs out, heh heh heh~"

...

About ten minutes later, Orochimaru emerged, holding a syringe full of fresh blood, his face radiating satisfaction.