Izuna, restore the glory of the Uchiha!

Izuna didn't rush to agree. He glanced at the attendants standing beside the daimyo and asked:

"Does Your Highness have a detailed record of the symptoms?"

"Yes! Yes! Lord Izuna, please take a look."

One of the older servants quickly stepped forward and handed a thick register to Izuna with both hands.

Izuna took it and opened it; it was a book that recorded in detail the daily life of a daimyo.

In recent months, almost the entire article has been a description of the illness: night sweats, low-grade fever, hemoptysis...

The daimyo, who had caught a chill, was breathing heavily in the main seat, sounding as if he might suffocate at any moment.

After a short while, Izuna closed the notebook, having already made up his mind.

tuberculosis.

Or rather, tuberculosis.

A disease that was very popular at the time, considered incurable, and for which there was no cure.

In folklore, tuberculosis is often regarded as a lung worm disease, that is, a poisonous insect that grows in the lungs, biting and devouring flesh and blood.

No wonder the daimyo had such a wild idea: could the method used to treat Tobirama be used for treatment?

After all, the concept of microscopic organisms didn't exist at that time. Under the intense chest pain and hemoptysis, this was the only explanation people could come up with, hoping to dig out the worm.

Although he was already aware of the illness, at this point, it was truly a case of "even a skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice."

The fact that this disease has raged for so long in modern times demonstrates that without technological advancements, there can be no fundamental solution.

His laboratory was just starting out. Even if he stopped all projects and devoted the entire clan's resources to studying the extraction of streptomycin strains, the technological leap and time cost were something that the daimyo's crippled body could not afford to wait for.

Moreover, given the current decline of the daimyo, it's unlikely that he could offer conditions that would make him back down.

Having figured things out, now it's time to face the daimyo's questions.

Izuna returned the notebook to the servant, his tone carrying just the right amount of regret:

"I'm very sorry, Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, the figure behind the curtain slumped back as if sentenced to death.

"This condition cannot be treated with surgery."

Moreover, your physical condition…”

Izuna paused for a moment, her gaze piercing through the curtain.

Although he couldn't clearly see Daiming's face yet, he could make a basic preoperative assessment based on her obese figure, the intensity of her breathing, and her age.

His preoperative indications were highly unlikely to be met; if surgery was forced, he would die on the operating table, and he could only receive conservative treatment.

"It's not suitable to make a big fuss."

After finishing his statement, to prevent this high-ranking patient from making the classic "I think" rebuttal, Izuna deliberately gave a convincing example.

"Even with Tobirama Senju's physical strength, the situation after open-chest surgery would be extremely dangerous."

Of course, he didn't say where the danger came from.

"Your Highness, you have been living a life of luxury for a long time, and your health is precious. It is really not advisable for you to take this risk."

Izuna's words sounded sincere because he was giving advice from a doctor's perspective.

If one is only concerned with profit, there is no need to say much to a dying person; one can even exploit information asymmetry to swindle them out of money.

But he didn't, because there was no need.

"Ah, yes, is that so...?"

The long-awaited hope was extinguished, and Daiming was momentarily stunned.

"Lord Izuna...you didn't even go up close to take a closer look. Isn't your conclusion a bit too hasty?"

His voice trembled as he tried to grasp at the last glimmer of hope.

"unnecessary."

Izuna answered decisively.

The pathological features are already quite indicative.

Moreover, tuberculosis is a highly contagious respiratory infectious disease. Being in such a poorly ventilated, enclosed indoor environment without protective measures...

Izuna knew that ninjas had good physical constitutions, but he didn't want to test his own body's resistance.

He didn't want to stay here a moment longer unless absolutely necessary.

"All right."

The nameless man was still in a daze, and he had even forgotten that he was supposed to discuss sending a teacher.

He waved his hand, dismissing the crowd.

"Thank you, Lord Izuna."

The attendant bowed to Izuna in thanks, and then led the way to see the guest off.

Izuna crossed the threshold of the daimyo's residence, nodded, and took his leave.

What a hasty audience!

Only after leaving the daimyo's mansion did Izuna dare to take a deep breath of air, and he couldn't help but sigh.

An inexplicable show of force, a flustered attempt to shirk responsibility, and a sloppy and ineffective medical consultation.

Daming Prefecture is nothing special. I did a lot of mental preparation before I came in.

but……

Sitting in the carriage on the way back, Izuna took out the information letter that the courtesan had given him from his pocket.

The letter made no mention of the daimyo's illness, but instead detailed the conflict between the two princes.

However, considering the fact that Daimyo is critically ill today and his medical efforts have been fruitless, doesn't that also mean—

Is the battle for inheritance about to begin?

Izuna stroked his chin, and by the light of the candlestick in the carriage, he read the letter again while pondering it.

He had already met Ichiro. He was indeed rigid and conservative in character, just as described in the letter. He was good at maintaining the status quo but lacked ambition.

As for Jiro, the information he received indicated that he was living in seclusion in a temple near the capital.

Little is known about his personality.

Should he go and pay him a visit?

……

Back at the inn, to celebrate the conclusion of the matter, Izuna decided to treat the guards to a good meal and wine.

After a hearty meal and drinks, the moon hung high in the sky. Izuna bid farewell to his subordinates, who were eager to continue their revelry, and returned to his room alone.

As I pushed open the door, the familiar warm fragrance wafted in once again.

It's a familiar scene.

The courtesan sat in the spot she had left last time, still exuding charm, but no longer feigning it.

Her long, silvery-white hair was as smooth and lustrous as silk, and two bright red cinnabar dots were drawn between her eyebrows.

She was dressed in a black, fitted outfit that accentuated her slender and powerful figure, making her appear clean and efficient.

Izuna took off his cloak and hung it on the coat rack in the entryway of the room. He had expected her to appear and greeted her warmly:

Why didn't I see you on stage today?

Upon hearing this, the woman smiled warmly, looked him up and down in his dark blue tribal robes, and said:

"Do you really think I'm a courtesan?"

Izuna paused, then, while unfastening the wrist guards on his sleeve, asked:

"This line of work... can you even do part-time jobs?"

Now it was the woman's turn to pause. She hadn't expected Izuna's focus to be so unusual. She raised an eyebrow and stood up from her chair.

Seeing her approaching step by step as she did last time, Izuna couldn't help but lean back slightly.

"I just wanted to get to know Lord Izuna."

The courtesan just happened to be off work that day.

The two had some overlapping interests, and the woman wouldn't threaten him at this moment, so Izuna wasn't afraid that she would take out the bone blade again, and therefore didn't back down.

However, this distance is a bit too close.

"Our Water Kingdom has long been known for this."

The woman's gaze traced his facial features from a distance.

"The Uchiha clan is known for producing handsome men."

After taking a satisfied look at Izuna's face, she finally looked away.

"Having seen it today, I can confirm that its reputation is well-deserved."

"Didn't you get enough last time?"

Izuna shrugged, unmoved by the straightforward praise.

"The situation was urgent, and there wasn't time to examine it closely."

The regret in his tone was obvious.

He could only smile and shake his head.

Having teased her enough, the woman dropped her frivolous demeanor and spoke seriously.

Let me formally introduce it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Taketori Shiro."