Naruto: Starting as a Defector in The Hidden Mist Village

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Midorima sat at the dining table, staring at Tsunade, who was sprawled across the sake table in a drunken stupor. He couldn't help but regret his earlier decision. 

Why had he asked for the Fine Extraction Technique? He should have gone for something more powerful. 

Not that the technique wasn't impressive—it just didn't quite match the effect he had envisioned. 

The Fine Extraction Technique could isolate toxins, but to ensure full recovery, the patient still needed to take antidotes afterward. 

In other words, its actual effectiveness was inferior to his Activation + Chakra Scalpel method. 

That was why the drunken Tsunade kept grabbing his arm and demanding answers—How the hell did you remove the poison from Iwasaki Hikaru's body without an antidote? 

He had been careless… 

The Activation + Chakra Scalpel method had only been used twice so far, making the sample size too small. It wasn't as stable as the Fine Extraction Technique. 

If given the chance, he might even try combining all three techniques to see if a new effect could be achieved. 

Still, his conversation with Tsunade had been unexpectedly enlightening. 

"In the end, ninjutsu is all about how you utilize the nature of chakra," Tsunade had said, tapping her temple. "It's about using your brain. Anyone without creativity won't get far on the path of ninjutsu. Take the Fine Extraction Technique, for example. Sure, it's difficult to use, but is it enough on its own? When a person is poisoned, their chakra becomes unstable. You need to sense the toxin or pathogen with chakra, then use the Chakra Scalpel to cut open the affected area, and only then can you use the Fine Extraction Technique to draw out the poison… It's a whole process." 

"The same goes for other techniques. You have to understand what effect you want from a new jutsu, then figure out how to achieve it. Sometimes, that even means altering the shape and size of your chakra. That's where chakra nature transformation and shape transformation come into play." 

Tsunade had been slurring her words, but Midorima listened intently. 

Unfortunately, that was all she managed to say before passing out, much to his disappointment. 

Whether it was Tsunade, Orochimaru, or Jiraiya, their understanding of ninjutsu ran deep. Aside from cheaters like Naruto and Sasuke, it was nearly impossible to find anyone who surpassed them. 

Especially now that they were older—their comprehension of ninjutsu had only deepened. 

It was a shame that he had little chance to interact with the Sannin. Otherwise, he might've been able to learn a thing or two from them. 

While Tsunade was drunk, Shizune had curled up on the tatami, hugging the money box as she slept. 

Life with Tsunade wasn't easy for her. 

Tsunade had always been a big spender, so they had to carry their money with them at all times. 

No matter how much they had, it could all be gone in a day or two. 

And when they were broke, Shizune probably had to argue with Tsunade over finances. 

Since both were sound asleep, Midorima didn't disturb them. After paying for the meal, he sat to the side, waiting for them to wake up while studying the Fine Extraction Technique. 

By the time Tsunade finally stirred, Midorima had already dissected most of the technique. With enough practice, he should be able to use it. 

Tsunade rubbed her temples, still groggy, as Shizune handed her a prepared hangover remedy. 

One sip later, Tsunade visibly relaxed. Midorima took the opportunity to bid her farewell—he didn't have time to linger. 

"Tch, I was hoping to gamble with you a few more times," Tsunade said, sounding genuinely disappointed. 

"Uh… I doubt we'll get another chance," Midorima replied, breaking into a cold sweat. 

Forget whether he could actually beat Tsunade—gambling was a bad habit in the first place. 

Even someone as strong as her was constantly short on money. 

"What a shame. A worthy opponent, gone just like that." 

Wait a minute, being your "worthy opponent" basically means being the unluckiest in Naruto, doesn't it? 

Midorima's face darkened, but he couldn't exactly refute it—after all, he had only won once. 

"I was also hoping to ask you about yourself…" 

"Lady Tsunade, it's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that we've only met once—we barely know each other. Even if I told you, would you believe me?" 

"I would!" Tsunade declared firmly. "Someone with such… honest gambling skills can't possibly be a bad person!" 

"..." 

The more Midorima listened, the more he felt Tsunade was mocking him. 

Nope. If I stay any longer, I'll die of frustration. 

"If we meet again, I might tell you what happened in Kirigakure. Maybe even some things related to Konoha," Midorima said dismissively. 

Right now, he just wanted to leave. 

"When?" Tsunade had initially thought Midorima was just an interesting guy, but now she sensed there were secrets about him worth uncovering. 

"Trust goes both ways. I'll tell you when I trust you." With that, Midorima waved goodbye to Tsunade and Shizune. 

Kirigakure was in turmoil, but Konoha wasn't exactly peaceful either. 

By the time Midorima left Kirigakure, the Fourth Hokage was already dead, forcing the Third Hokage to retake office. 

But whether Shisui Uchiha had already committed suicide, or how far the conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konoha had escalated, were things Midorima was curious about. 

Judging by the timeline, about three years had passed since the end of the Third Shinobi World War. Shisui's fate was still uncertain. 

But these matters had little to do with him. 

Right now, his focus was on evading pursuit. 

After leaving the village, Midorima thought for a moment before deciding to head in the direction of Konoha. He planned to improve his strength while figuring out his next steps. 

As for why Konoha—well, he wasn't familiar with the other major shinobi villages. 

But he had barely walked ten meters when two black-clad figures leaped down from the trees, blocking his path from both sides. 

"Hey, kid. You're Asachi Midorima, right?" A heavily wrapped-up ninja held up a bounty poster, glaring at him. 

Red clouds on black robes—this was the Akatsuki. 

And the one speaking to him? No matter how he looked at it, that had to be Kakuzu. 

As for the ninja behind him, Midorima couldn't immediately place him. 

Before partnering with Hidan, Kakuzu had gone through multiple teammates, so it wasn't surprising that Midorima didn't recognize this one. 

Midorima glanced back at the village. 'This damn place is cursed.' 

Yesterday, he had been about to leave when he ran into Tsunade. Today, just as he was setting off, Kakuzu shows up. 

"Nope." 

Midorima knew exactly how troublesome Kakuzu was—the man had five hearts, essentially stacking five layers of buffs. Fighting him was a nightmare. 

And facing two opponents at once without a Tailed Beast's help? Escaping was nothing more than a pipe dream. 

Even if he didn't know the other ninja's strength, anyone who could join the Akatsuki was likely no pushover. 

"He says it's not him. What do we do?" the ninja behind him asked Kakuzu. 

"We're already here. Might as well kill him. If he's not the guy, we'll just keep looking. But if he is—that's 25 million right there." 

Midorima felt the urge to murder someone. 

So whether he admitted it or not, he was dead either way. 

He truly didn't understand Kakuzu's obsession with money—what was the point of hoarding it all when, in the end, Konan would just spend it on 600 billion explosive tags?