"What exactly is Takumi going to do?"
Naruto asked, hands behind his head, puzzled. "Where did that kid come from anyway?"
"Takumi-kun must have his own ideas."
Lee said seriously. "Anyway, this mission is over. Delaying a bit won't hurt."
"Tch."
Naruto pouted. "I want to hurry back and train!"
"That kid is not simple."
Neji said with a frown.
Because Takumi had defeated Raiga so quickly, Neji never got to see Ranmaru's true power.
But from Takumi's attitude, it was clear this kid was definitely special.
He also mentioned leaving the kid with him, which meant Takumi wanted to bring the child back to Konoha.
And specifically entrust him to the Hyuga Clan.
So, either this kid could be an orphan of the Hyuga Clan left outside the village,
But that was basically impossible.
Another possibility was that this kid had a unique ability or identity.
Either way, definitely not a simple child.
Inside the room, Yugito watched Takumi perform the surgery in stunned silence.
She had never seen such an exquisite surgical method.
In her eyes, every stitch and line Takumi made was like art, filled with a kind of beauty.
The entire surgery didn't take much time.
Takumi completely transformed Ranmaru's physical constitution.
The muscle atrophy caused by years of inactivity was also quickly healed by his Medical Ninjutsu.
Aside from being a little weak, Ranmaru had become a healthy girl.
That's right.
Just like what he did to Haku.
Ranmaru himself was already very delicate, looking very much like a little girl.
He simply went ahead and turned Ranmaru into a girl outright.
He believed Ranmaru wouldn't mind.
The surgery ended.
Ranmaru slowly opened her eyes.
Her whole body felt tingly and itchy, but what shocked her even more was her ability to control her body.
She couldn't believe it as she used her hands to prop herself up. Although a bit weak, compared to before, it was a world of difference.
"You're still a bit weak now, but once your nutrition improves, you'll be able to walk on your own."
Takumi's face held a gentle smile. "So? What do you think of your body now?"
"Think?"
Ranmaru found his words a bit strange. She carefully felt her body, then her expression suddenly changed. She reached down and grabbed. "It's gone?"
"If you're referring to that extra thing on your body, I've already removed it for you."
The smile on Takumi's face didn't change, but at this moment, it seemed like a demon's smile to Ranmaru. "I don't think you needed that thing anyway, right?"
Yugito looked away. She had witnessed the entire surgery.
She was an eyewitness to Ranmaru's transformation from a boy to a girl.
She gained a deep understanding of Takumi's surgical skills.
This was something none of the Medical-nin she knew could do.
It was simply too unbelievable.
"Alright, now that you've become a normal person, do you still want to die?"
Takumi's smile faded, his expression becoming serious. "Every life deserves respect. I understand your despair over your own body."
"But now, you are a complete person. Your previous reason for wanting to die is gone. Do you still want to die?"
Takumi's sudden seriousness caught Yugito off guard.
But listening to his words, she also fell silent.
In a way, she wasn't a complete person either.
She wasn't missing anything; instead, she had an extra monster inside her.
Although this monster had become her source of power,
It also made her a monster in the eyes of others.
Had there ever been times when she couldn't go on, times she wanted to die?
There certainly were.
But back then, she had people encouraging her by her side. Not everyone saw her as a monster.
Like B, who taught her how to communicate with her Tailed Beast and become a perfect Jinchuriki.
Ranmaru also fell silent.
She thought she would resolutely follow Raiga in death.
But at this moment, feeling her new body, she hesitated.
She wanted to feel the earth with her own feet.
At this moment, this feeling was very strong.
"Since you're silent, I'll take it as your agreement."
Takumi smiled. "But because of your ability, I have to say sorry. For now, you probably won't be able to leave Konoha."
'Ability?'
Yugito was startled, 'How had I not noticed her ability?'
'And when had Takumi noticed her ability?'
Ranmaru still said nothing.
Or rather, she was still in shock, hesitant.
But Takumi didn't give her more time to hesitate.
He pulled her up from the floor, then slid open the door and looked at the four waiting outside. "Neji, she's in your care now."
"May I ask why?"
Taking Ranmaru's hand from Takumi, Neji asked calmly.
If he couldn't get an answer, he would have to apologize to Takumi.
Takumi smiled, then looked down at Ranmaru. "Ranmaru, use your ability."
"Ability?"
Neji frowned, 'Just as I thought, this kid had a special ability.'
Ranmaru hesitated for a moment, then obediently used her Kekkei Genkai.
A red light appeared in her eyes.
Then, Neji saw a figure appear before him.
'A Genjutsu?'
Neji immediately judged, 'But if it was just a Genjutsu...'
He turned to look at Takumi, as if questioning.
Takumi said, "Use the Byakugan to look."
"Byakugan!"
Neji immediately activated his Byakugan and looked at the figure.
But what shocked him happened.
This figure, which should have been a Genjutsu, actually had visible Chakra Pathways!
This was unbelievable!
He looked at Ranmaru in shock, then back at Takumi.
"You've seen her ability too, right?"
Takumi said. "Ranmaru's ability strongly counters the Byakugan. That's why he has to come back to Konoha."
"However, I'm worried he might be exploited by those with ulterior motives."
"Arranging for him to stay with the Hyuga Clan is the most suitable choice."
Then, he looked down at Ranmaru. "From today, he is your family in Konoha. Although he seems cold on the surface, he's very gentle inside. I think you two will get along well."
Ranmaru said nothing.
She was still conflicted.
After years with Raiga, she still had deep feelings for him.
Now, being asked to leave with the person who killed Raiga, the awkwardness she felt was understandable.
In fact, if she hadn't suddenly been able to stand and walk on her own, she probably wouldn't have hesitated at all.
But the temptation of being able to walk on her own made her hesitate.
If she had never experienced it, she wouldn't have developed this desire.
But once she had tasted it, the desire inside her was hard to suppress.
Boom!
A violent rumble came from afar, drawing everyone's attention.
"That's..."
Lee looked in the direction of the thunder. "Such a big lightning strike."
Takumi raised an eyebrow. "I'll go check it out."
With that, he left the house with Yugito.
"Wait!"
Neji reached out futilely, but with Takumi's speed, how could he stop him?
Helpless, he could only stare at Ranmaru, a headache written all over his face.
He never imagined that just doing a mission, he would suddenly end up bringing a little girl home.
Takumi quickly appeared at the location of the lightning strike.
Originally, Raiga had been revived by channeling Ranmaru's Chakra with her help.
But this time, Raiga had crazily summoned lightning down onto himself.
If he made the slightest mistake, he would have been burnt to a crisp.
But now it seemed he had gambled successfully.
Not only had he successfully revived, but the lightning he controlled had also become stronger.