Chapter 10: Coincidence or Intention?

The hospital in Konoha was large and extremely busy, which Kenichi thought was probably due to the war that had just ended, hence the reason there were still many injured people.

Upon entering the hospital, the smell of disinfectant wafted over, and Kenichi's nose twitched. He didn't particularly like the smell, but he didn't hate it either.

However, figuring out where to get the information about the patient he needed was a problem. After all, Kenichi wasn't sure if the world of ninjas even had cancer.

He hadn't watched many anime and could only remember some of the main plots; he wasn't very familiar with the rest.

And asking someone was also a problem.

Originally, Kenichi had an acquaintance in the hospital, Tsunade and her disciple, but unfortunately, Tsunade left the Village Hidden in the Leaves after the Second Great Ninja War, so Kenichi no longer had anyone he knew there.

However, after spending a little money, Kenichi got the information he wanted from a medical ninja.

"No cancer? How is that possible?" Kenichi was somewhat shocked. After spending the money, he asked a medical ninja working there, but the person had never heard of the strange disease Kenichi described.

In the ninja world, most injuries were either external or internal, or caused by ninjutsu. Occasionally, there were cuts from blades, but they had never seen a disease like the one Kenichi mentioned.

Naturally, there were no such patients in the hospital either.

However, the medical ninja also mentioned that they were new and might not be very clear about this matter, suggesting that Kenichi could ask others.

After consulting an older doctor, Kenichi confirmed that there were indeed no such cases in Konoha at the moment.

"Could it be because of chakra? Or do people in the ninja world simply not live long enough to discover cancer?" Kenichi couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark before leaving the hospital.

His mood was complex. In his previous life, cancer was an incurable terminal illness; once diagnosed, it was essentially a death sentence. If one had money, they might struggle a bit, but those without money could choose whether or not to donate their bodies.

But in the world of Naruto, there was no cancer, or at least Kenichi had not discovered it yet.

However, Kenichi believed that cancer definitely existed because, despite some peculiarities, the people in this world were still human, not aliens.

It made no sense for people in the ninja world to be free of cancer, so either the existence of chakra suppressed cancer cells, or there were no such cases in Konoha, or the medical ninjas had not discovered the disease.

"If only Sister Tsunade were here," Kenichi sighed. As Konoha's most skilled medical ninja, Tsunade had seen countless strange diseases and might actually know about cancer.

"Oh? Young man, you know Tsunade?" A somewhat hoarse voice spoke, and Kenichi looked up, then froze for a moment.

Standing before Kenichi was the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"The Third Hokage?!" Kenichi was surprised to see the legendary ninja before him.

Kenichi had never imagined that he would one day meet the Third Hokage, especially under such circumstances.

"Hehe, young man, don't be so excited. After all, I am your master's master," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile. Although he was old now, he was not as feeble as he would be later.

"I know, Third Hokage. My teacher has told me that you are a very powerful ninja!" Kenichi put on an excited facade, having learned to control his expressions under the pressure of Orochimaru over the years.

At this moment, Kenichi was also full of caution; he did not understand the purpose of the Third Hokage's appearance.

He could only wait and see.

"Ha ha, you little rascal. Your teacher definitely didn't describe me like that; he would surely call me an old coot," Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed heartily and patted Kenichi's shoulder.

Kenichi laughed awkwardly. Indeed, Orochimaru had described Hiruzen Sarutobi in such terms, but Kenichi himself could not afford to do so.

"Are you feeling unwell, visiting the hospital today? I say..." Hiruzen Sarutobi inquired about Kenichi's reason for coming, then walked away, leaving Kenichi stunned.

Kenichi turned and left, maintaining an excited expression as if he had seen a celebrity, until he got home and dropped the act.

"Something's not right," Kenichi frowned. He had never met the Third Hokage before, and such a significant figure should have no interest in someone like him.

Moreover, it was a time when a change in Konoha's leadership was imminent, yet the Third Hokage seemed to have no worries about it.

Kenichi checked his clothes for anything amiss and even burned the clothes that Hiruzen Sarutobi had touched, but he still felt uneasy.

If Kenichi were an ordinary person, then Hiruzen Sarutobi would be a lion king entering his twilight years. But even as the lion king approached old age, he remained a king.

So it made no sense for him to target Kenichi unless his goal was Kenichi's teacher.

"Perhaps there's an element of startling the snake in the grass?" Kenichi wasn't sure, but he felt it was a possibility.

When Orochimaru came to find Kenichi, Kenichi excitedly told him about his encounter with Hiruzen Sarutobi that day, his expression and tone that of an ardent fan of the Third Hokage.

Orochimaru didn't say much, just glanced at Kenichi and then gestured for him to follow on a mission.

"Teacher, are we taking on a mission this time?" Kenichi wasn't surprised; his teacher often used missions as an excuse to leave the village for experiments or to capture test subjects.

Kenichi thought this time was probably the same.

"Yes, during the war, a small team of ninjas defected. We're going to find them," Orochimaru said calmly. Kenichi was taken aback; such a mission was unusual?

Typically, a small team consisted of three people, a team leader and two members, with the team leader being at least a chunin in strength.

This left Kenichi somewhat puzzled. Was his teacher really planning to take him on a mission?

Note: This is my own secondary setting; cancer has not been discovered yet, but it will be soon and then defined.

(I couldn't find any information when I searched before, but some videos mentioned checking for suspected cancer cells, so I think Konoha does have cancer.)

(End of Chapter)