To Kakashi, the Plague Doctor’s method is Orochimaru’s work copied out—or worse.
Naruto and the others get to their feet and stare at Zabuza and Haku swaying where they stand.
It takes a long time.
They barely swallow the fact.
Terror eases enough for Naruto to lock onto the Plague Doctor, who stands over the two bodies shaking his head.
Naruto is about to speak when the man shrugs, turns, and says, gentle as ever:
“Let’s go. The treatment here is finished. We can continue.”
No one moves.
They look at one another.
No one knows if he will snap again on the road and decide they are the enemy.
If he does, no one here can promise they walk away.
He tilts his head, faintly puzzled.
Heads shake at once.
“Ah—no, no, nothing. Let’s go. Let’s go.”
Refusing him feels like a good way to make him angry, so they start walking.
Kakashi has already decided.
The first clean chance he gets, he pulls Naruto and the others off this man.
That temper is too wild to trust.
On the road, Naruto watches the same uncle chat with him, kind again.
He cannot make the kind face and the demon from a minute ago into one person.
The Plague Doctor feels the stare and turns.
Their eyes meet. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Naruto’s heart slams into his throat.
He waits for the switch to flip.
He asks anyway.
“Uncle… those two were dead. Just now—did you bring them back?”
His eyes are full of the question.
What kind of ninjutsu raises the dead?
The Plague Doctor thinks for a breath.
“In a sense, you are looking at it too simply.”
He turns toward the far skyline.
“Broaden your horizons. Life and death, disease and health—those are amateur terms. For amateur doctors.”