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The toxins in the old man's body had already accumulated in his internal organs, making treatment considerably more troublesome.
Midorima's first round of surgery had only removed the toxins from the bloodstream and the surface layers of the organs. The subsequent procedures would be even more complicated.
When Iwasaki saw some color return to the old man's face, he relaxed slightly. After discussing with Midorima, he learned that a full recovery would require a second and third round of treatment.
Iwasaki couldn't help but suspect that this young man with a thin mustache was using his father's illness as leverage, delaying further treatment until the merchant ship had left the harbor.
If Midorima knew what Iwasaki was thinking, he would have smacked him on the head.
The toxins had already seeped deep into the internal organs. Trying to purge them all at once would be difficult—even someone like Tsunade wouldn't find it easy.
Not because it was particularly hard, but because the process was far too tedious.
Maintaining the chakra scalpel for an extended period would drain Midorima's chakra reserves.
Late at night, Iwasaki, who had been keeping watch by the bedside, was abruptly startled awake when the old man opened his eyes.
Overjoyed, Iwasaki shook the sleeping Midorima awake and dragged him over to the old man's side.
Midorima remained polite but showed little excitement.
The old man waking up was within his expectations—but waking up and fully recovering were two entirely different things.
Right now, the old man had merely opened his eyes. He was still far from being in a normal state.
Sure enough, just as Midorima had predicted, the old man was only conscious, his body weak and exhausted. He couldn't even speak.
Iwasaki panicked, pacing around like an ant on a hot stove, repeatedly asking Midorima what to do.
"If I were you, I'd prepare some broth for him to drink," Midorima suggested.
Iwasaki smacked his forehead and was about to rush out when Midorima grabbed him.
"If the person who poisoned him finds out he's awake, don't you think they'll make another move?"
Iwasaki nodded repeatedly. In his excitement, he had completely overlooked that possibility.
Whoever had poisoned the old man, Iwasaki would not let them get away with it.
However, this also reminded Iwasaki that it was time to leave the harbor.
All the necessary procedures had already been completed, and the port authorities were eager for the ship to depart. When the merchant ship finally lifted anchor and sailed into the open sea, the harbor master let out a long sigh of relief.
As long as the old man didn't die within the port's jurisdiction, it was no longer his problem.
At dawn, after resting and replenishing his energy, Midorima began the second round of treatment, continuing to cleanse the toxins from the old man's organs.
This session took much longer, lasting an entire day. Iwasaki paced anxiously outside the room until Midorima finally opened the door. He immediately rushed in and knelt beside the old man.
"Father, I've already found out—it was Uncle and the others…"
After hearing just a few words, Midorima pieced together the situation.
The Iwasaki family was like the Hyūga clan, divided into a main and branch family. However, unlike the Hyūga, they didn't have a cursed seal like the "Caged Bird" to enforce loyalty. The branch family's allegiance relied entirely on their own restraint.
It seemed Iwasaki's uncles had grown impatient and decided to take advantage of this trip to cause trouble.
Typical melodrama…
Midorima sighed inwardly, his gaze drifting toward the water—only to notice a man hanging upside down along the side of the ship, his head barely above the surface. Whenever a wave rolled by, seawater splashed onto his face.
He wouldn't die, but he certainly wasn't having a good time. Midorima guessed they'd deal with him properly once they reached land.
The man's clothes looked familiar—probably that pharmacist from earlier.
After the second day of treatment, the old man regained the ability to speak. His spirits were high, though his long period without proper food had left him weak. Still, he couldn't resist diving back into business matters, flipping through ledgers and planning future work.
Iwasaki, concerned, placed some freshly made snacks by the bedside and stood dutifully at his father's side. "Father, why don't you rest for now? These tasks can wait until tomorrow."
"Worthless fool!" the old man barked. "Do you have any idea how much work has piled up these past few days? All you know how to do is eat, drink, and have fun! If I die—if the entire family falls into your hands—will you even be able to handle it?"
Iwasaki chuckled awkwardly. "Haven't I been taking care of you these past couple of days?"
"As if I needed your care!" The old man's beard practically bristled with anger. "It's that young man's medical skills that saved me. What does that have to do with you?"
"Right, right…" Iwasaki was used to his father's temper. "But that guy… there's something off about him."
The old man frowned. "What do you mean?"
"He seems to be hiding from someone. A couple of days ago, I tried to coax information out of him, but he didn't take the bait."
The old man hurled a pen at Iwasaki. "You haven't learned anything useful, just underhanded tricks!"
"Didn't you say that every word a merchant speaks has a purpose, that we should gather as much information as possible?" Iwasaki caught the pen, inwardly annoyed.
His father was a hypocrite—preaching one thing while doing another.
"Bullshit!" the old man snapped. "I was talking about business negotiations! Were you speaking to him as a merchant? If it's not a business matter, then you should treat people with sincerity. Besides, some things shouldn't be said outright—can't you investigate in secret? What's the point of money if you don't spend it?"
Iwasaki grimaced. It wasn't that he didn't know this—he just wasn't as shameless as his father. Pretending to be sincere while secretly digging up every scrap of information about a person.
"I've offended Kirigakure…" Iwasaki muttered.
"That is a serious matter… but compared to my life, it's nothing."
"Midorima might be a missing-nin."
"So what? Our family employs over twenty missing-nin. As long as you pay them, they're far more reliable than those self-righteous hypocrites."
"Then… what about…"
"Listen, boy. For those without money, money is more important than life. Those who risk their lives for work do it for money. But for the wealthy, life is more important than money. Do you think we befriend Tsunade because we're rich? Of course not.
"Against enemies, we can hire missing-nin who don't fear death, use body doubles, or tighten security. But when it comes to illness, only medical-nin like Tsunade can save us. If even the ship's doctor couldn't cure me, but Midorima managed to extract the toxins, then his medical skills must be impressive. He's likely a medical-nin too.
"Of course, he's not as skilled as Tsunade-hime, but she has one flaw."
"What flaw?"
"She can save my life, but not yours. She… isn't getting any younger." The old man coughed lightly and held out his hand.
Iwasaki obediently returned the pen, his mind conjuring an image of Tsunade.
What nonsense was his father spouting? Tsunade was a stunning beauty who looked decades younger than her age.
After this conversation, Iwasaki's attitude toward Midorima shifted dramatically, making the latter uneasy—to the point where Midorima wondered if Iwasaki had certain… inclinations.
After completing the third round of treatment, Midorima solemnly declared the old man cured—just as the ship was about to dock.
*****
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