In a remote village in the Land of Water, Kabuto Yakushi sat beside a high mound of earth, treating the sick villagers. To gain their trust and dispel their wariness of outsiders, he fabricated a plausible story.
"I heard that your village has been plagued by illness. The Daimyō of the Land of Water specifically sent me to help. Severe cases, the elderly, women, and children will be prioritized. Please line up in an orderly manner for treatment."
While Kabuto was treating an elderly woman, a disheveled little girl curiously stared at the snake behind him. Her innocent face was filled with wonder. "Uncle, uncle, why do you have a snake behind you?"
Hisssss!
The snake's slit pupils fixed on the little girl, flicking its tongue in and out.
Kabuto chuckled, "Uncle's a bad man with a heart as venomous as a snake, so that's why I have a snake behind me."
The little girl, however, replied earnestly, "Uncle isn't a bad man. You're a really good person! You cured my little brother and my dad, and now you're curing Grandma too!"
Kabuto merely smiled faintly. He turned back to the elderly woman and said gently, "Ma'am, I'll prescribe you some medicine. Starting tomorrow, take it for three consecutive days, and you'll recover."
The medical treatments continued until dusk. Before leaving, Kabuto reminded the villagers to fast for the rest of the day.
Late at night, when the village was silent, Kabuto approached the village's only well. He poured a specially prepared concoction into the water.
Sasuke Uchiha, clad in a black cloak with his hood covering his hair, appeared behind Kabuto, his expression puzzled. "Why are you doing this?"
Pushing his glasses up, Kabuto explained, "The root cause of the villagers' illness is their consumption of contaminated water. If the water source isn't purified, even if they recover now, they'll just fall ill again later."
Sasuke pressed further, "That's not what I'm asking. Why are you wasting time treating and purifying their water? We're here to gather information. Couldn't we just ask directly? If they refuse, the Sharingan can handle it."
Kabuto replied calmly, "Sasuke, brute force isn't the only way to solve problems. In most cases, there are better methods than violence."
Sasuke fell silent.
Kabuto continued, his tone patient, "I want to cultivate you into an insightful person, not just a machine that only knows how to kill.
For instance, when Naruto Uzumaki sought secret scrolls from the five great shinobi villages, he managed to obtain them without significant conflict. Even though he was a rogue ninja, he only clashed with Kumogakure and even earned the gratitude of Kirigakure for helping them. That's Naruto's brilliance."
Hearing this, Sasuke clenched his fists. "If one person can handle it, why rely on irrelevant others?"
Kabuto shook his head lightly. "That's where you're mistaken. Let me give you an example. Suppose Naruto's strength is 100, and the strength of others is 1. It's simple arithmetic: 100 + 1 is greater than 100, isn't it? If one day, Naruto faces an opponent with a strength of 100, that extra '1' could make all the difference."
Sasuke remained silent.
Kabuto added calmly, "Well, that example might sound too utilitarian. My hope is for you not to think from a purely utilitarian perspective but to become a truly insightful person."
At this, Sasuke chuckled coldly. "Hmph. Coming from someone who treats Reanimation Jutsu summons as mere pawns on a chessboard, do you really have the right to talk about 'insight'?"
Kabuto paused briefly, then adjusted his glasses. "Perhaps you're right. I hope that where I fall short, you can make up for it. Lately, I've been having such thoughts, though I'm not sure why."
Sasuke smirked. "Kabuto, do you know what that mindset is called?"
Kabuto had asked himself this question many times but had always been unwilling to admit the answer.
"The answer is..."
Sasuke left the sentence unfinished, turning away and heading toward the tents in the background.
"I'm going to sleep," he said.
Kabuto called out, "Make sure to close the tent properly. The nights are getting colder."
"I know," Sasuke replied. "You're such a nag."
The next morning, Kabuto met with the village chief.
The chief grasped Kabuto's hands tightly, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you so much! Without you, we wouldn't have survived this crisis. This is a small token of appreciation from the villagers. Please accept it."
On the table were some money and provisions that the villagers had pooled together.
Kabuto declined politely, "I appreciate the gesture, but I'm just doing my duty. I can't accept this."
The chief, though secretly relieved, feigned regret. "Oh dear, you came all this way and cured our illnesses, yet you're leaving empty-handed. It feels wrong."
Kabuto replied with a sense of righteousness, "Healing the sick is a doctor's duty. I seek no reward for it."
The chief sighed, "What a good person you are. In these times, people like you are rare. To be honest, our village is very poor. This money and food were scraped together with great difficulty. If you were to take it, we'd truly have nothing left. On behalf of the villagers, let me thank you for your kindness."
As he spoke, the chief prepared to kneel in gratitude.
"Please, don't!" Kabuto quickly stopped him, helping him back into his chair. With a serious expression, he said, "If you truly wish to thank me, you don't need to give me anything. Just tell me the whereabouts of someone I'm looking for."
The chief asked, "Who are you looking for? If I know, I'll tell you."
Kabuto explained, "This person was a friend of my father's and did a great kindness for our family. I've been searching for him for years to repay that kindness. From what I've gathered, he stayed in this village many years ago. You must know something about him."
The chief hesitated before asking, "What is his name?"
Kabuto replied, "His name is Jishin."
The chief's expression changed noticeably.
To find the last descendant of the Senju clan, Kabuto had mobilized all his intelligence networks. Starting with the whereabouts of Jishin, the son of Hashirama Senju, he had finally found a lead!
Years ago, Jishin, who had no interest in being a shinobi, sought to escape the chaos of the world. He arrived in this village in the Land of Water and stayed for a while.
The chief sighed, "To tell the truth, Jishin came to our village years ago with a woman. My father, the previous chief, hosted them. That well in the village was dug with his help. Before he left, he asked us not to reveal anything about him. I don't think you'll be able to meet him."
Kabuto was taken aback. "Why not?"
The chief revealed the truth, "Back then, Jishin was already suffering from an incurable illness. He didn't have long to live. After all these years, he must have passed away."
Kabuto was momentarily lost in thought. "I see... My benefactor has already passed. How can I repay his kindness now?"
Seeing this, the chief couldn't bear to keep silent. "You've saved the entire village. Clearly, you're not a bad person. I'll make an exception and tell you where Jishin's descendants are."
Kabuto's eyes lit up instantly.
The last descendant of the Senju clan truly exists!
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