Chapter 74: Is This... Really Okay
"It's troublesome."
Su Xiao's face was covered in sweat, and he had been focusing intently for several hours.
Konan picked up a nearby towel to help wipe away his sweat. Sweat dripping into his eyes would interfere with the surgery.
The aloof, mature Konan had transformed into a little nurse. This was to save Nagato's life. As for the dignity of a strong person, Konan had never cared about that.
"Hold this beetle."
Konan stepped forward but didn't know how to proceed. This beetle was indeed difficult to handle.
"Left hand here, right hand here."
Su Xiao pointed out the positions for Konan, and she gently grasped the beetle with both hands.
"I don't believe you have no nervous system. Your body can coexist with the heart, but severing the nervous system will definitely break that symbiotic relationship."
Su Xiao began studying the beetle. He had previously underestimated its intelligence. Now, the eyes covered by a transparent film actually showed fear.
"This..."
Konan murmured softly. She also realized this beetle was a sentient being, perhaps a type of summoning beast.
Su Xiao searched for a long time before finally finding the beetle's neck. This little thing was shaped too haphazardly. Identifying the neck took Su Xiao half an hour, mainly because the beetle was curled into a ball, and he had to distinguish which side was the tail and which was the neck.
The extraction of the beetle's nerve had to be fast. He didn't know if the thing was fully anesthetized. If it lashed out before dying, that would be disastrous.
Su Xiao made an extremely shallow cut on the beetle's body, trying his best not to provoke it. Pale green blood flowed out. He used a piece of sterilized cotton to absorb some of the beetle's blood.
Sizzle~
A corrosive sound came. The worst-case scenario had occurred—this thing had acidic blood.
If he violently dissected it, Nagato's heart would be corroded away.
Thanks to the potent medicine's effect, minor wounds on Nagato's heart were manageable, but if the entire heart was corroded, there was no saving him.
Su Xiao extended his arms horizontally, signaling Konan not to hold the beetle but to take off his coat instead.
The coat was covered in Nagato's blood. Su Xiao was preparing for the worst. If the beetle's blood splashed out, he could promptly cut away the skin contaminated by the acidic blood to avoid being affected himself. No one knew if the beetle's blood was toxic.
Su Xiao removed the disposable rubber gloves. Life and death now hung in the balance. If he could instantly extract the beetle's nerve, Nagato would live; otherwise, he would die. Acidic blood was no joke.
First, he clenched his fist, then released it. Su Xiao repeated this motion.
Five minutes later, Su Xiao let out a long breath.
The scalpel slashed forward, and a cold gleam flashed.
Su Xiao's fingers shot toward the beetle's wound like lightning. With a tearing sound, a "white thread" was pulled out—this was the nerve running through the beetle's entire body.
Dropping the nerve, Su Xiao plunged his hand into a nearby basin of saline solution. The acidic blood on his fingertips was diluted, with only minor skin damage.
The beetle's body slowly unfurled like a blooming flower. Su Xiao took the beetle out and placed it on a metal tray.
Nagato's heart appeared before him. If Su Xiao had murderous intent, he could kill Nagato right now.
Although killing Nagato would yield rich rewards, that would be an extremely foolish choice. An all-attribute penalty of -8 was no joke. His charm, which had barely reached normal human levels, would turn negative, and his main attributes would be drastically reduced.
Thump, thump, thump~
Nagato's heartbeat gradually returned to normal, with blood delivering oxygen throughout his body.
After examining Nagato's various organs and confirming there were no issues, Su Xiao began the follow-up procedures. He sutured one layer of the wound, which would be removed after healing, continuing until the outermost layer was stitched.
When Su Xiao pulled out the last suture from Nagato's wound, his eyes were already bloodshot.
Nagato wore an oxygen mask on his face and was in a coma, but the surgery wasn't over yet.
Su Xiao picked up four metal rods and instructed Konan to grind them into several different specifications.
Konan was very fast. In less than twenty minutes, according to Su Xiao's requirements, the four metal rods were broken down into dozens of small pieces and ground into various specifications.
According to Nagato's statement, three rods would be enough, but Su Xiao prepared four. The reason was to prevent some of the black metal from detaching from Nagato's body during battle.
Nagato would be his "enforcer" soon. Destroying Konoha still depended on this guy, so he absolutely couldn't let him lose combat capability.
Su Xiao began "modifying" Nagato, embedding black iron nails into his arms.
An hour later, Nagato's arms were each embedded with two rows of black metal nails. The nails extended from above the wrists to the shoulder blades, avoiding the joints that needed to move.
According to Su Xiao's plan, he had originally wanted to put a nose ring on Nagato. This position, which wouldn't affect combat, was undoubtedly an "excellent" choice. However, under Konan's "fierce resistance," the nose ring was changed to twelve black earrings. Nagato didn't become a "minotaur."
Su Xiao secretly regretted it. He imagined how amusing it would be to see Nagato fighting with a black nose ring.
Bubu Wang beside him also felt regretful. It wanted to see that scene too.
Konan's cheek twitched. She suddenly felt that this man and his dog weren't very reliable, although she was also curious about what Nagato would look like with a nose ring.
Thinking about it, Konan shook her head. The image was too beautiful; she dared not imagine it.
The surgery ended. Nagato's body was recovering in a brutal way. Whether he would survive was still unknown.
This kind of surgery, which opened a hole straight through the body, could only be done by an "unlicensed doctor" like Su Xiao. Without that potent medicine, the blood loss alone would be fatal.
"Is Nagato... okay?"
Looking at Nagato lying flat on the operating table with steady breathing, the smile on Konan's face never faded.
"Okay? There's only a sixty percent chance he'll live. I've done what I can. After this, it depends on his will to live and his constitution."
Su Xiao pulled the needle out of Nagato's arm. Although the potent medicine had astonishing effects, if the side effects were triggered, Nagato would surely die.
At this point, Nagato no longer needed it. The Uzumaki clan's constitution was enough for Nagato to gradually recover his vitality. It wasn't worth the risk.
"When will he wake up?"
The smile on Konan's face had faded, and she looked at Nagato with concern.
"Not sure. Could be a few hours, a few days, or even a few months."
Su Xiao was only responsible for the treatment. Whether Nagato recovered was his own business.
Haa~, Su Xiao yawned and walked out of the operating room, waving at Konan behind him.
"I'm going to sleep. If something unexpected happens, call me from the next room."
Su Xiao walked into the adjacent ward and fell asleep immediately. The surgery had drained more of his mental energy than he had expected.
...
Konoha Village, near the former Uchiha compound, inside a prison.
Drip, drip.
The sound of dripping water came. The prison was dark and damp, filled with a sense of despair. Even in the outwardly glamorous Konoha, the prison environment wasn't much better than the Mist Village's.
In the innermost cell, a little girl was curled up in a corner. If one listened carefully, they could hear her muttering.
"These bitches, keep chasing me. Since the Divine Emperor Adventure Group has left, I'll hide in Konoha's prison. If you have the guts, come attack Konoha. I don't believe any contractors dare to attack Konoha."
After muttering for a while, the little girl suddenly thought of something.
"But if I calculate the time, Nagato will probably attack Konoha soon. Fortunately, there's still enough time. I can return in ten days."
The little girl took out a black ring. The ring was simple in design, just a band.
A dark purple luster flickered across the black ring, clearly not an ordinary item. This was one of the Demon Hunter Set pieces, the Demon Hunter Ring—a dream set for all melee fighters.
"For you, I've been chased by three adventure groups. I wonder where I can get the other two set pieces."
Gulu in the cell let out a long sigh. Perhaps because she was in a bad mood, she unwrapped a candy and tossed it into her mouth.