Diagnosing Auntie

After school, Hyuga Ningyuan held Yūhi Kurenai's hand, and the two skipped along together to the Yūhi Clan's home.

Yūhi Shinku hadn't returned yet, so only Yūhi Kurenai's mother, Yūhi Nogiko, served them a cup of tea.

Her complexion was growing paler by the day, looking as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

"Auntie, is your body alright?" Hyuga Ningyuan asked with some concern. "Have you seen a doctor?"

"I have, but they couldn't find any clear symptoms..." Yūhi Nogiko held her waist and forced a smile. "It's probably an old injury from the battlefield back then. I'll be fine after some rest!"

If rest could fix it, her condition wouldn't have been worsening day by day!

The Medical Ninja system was only established during the Second Shinobi World War, just a few years ago.

They could heal wounds and detoxify poisons, but when it came to replenishing the body's deficits, they might not be skilled.

Let me see if I have a way!

Hyuga Ningyuan sat down in a chair, took a sip of tea, then closed his eyes and entered the Arcane Brush Palace.

"Give me a medical book!" Hyuga Ningyuan only remembered watching some clickbait videos or biology textbooks in his past life; he didn't recall ever reading medical texts.

But let's try—maybe I did read one, and it's just buried deep in my memory!

Whoosh.

A thick book floated out from the bookshelf and landed in front of Hyuga Ningyuan.

"There really is one!" Ningyuan was startled, then looked at the cover: Barefoot Doctor's Manual!

"When did I ever read this?" Ningyuan looked bewildered, but as he took the book, memories of flipping through it in his childhood automatically surfaced in his mind.

It was when he was seven or eight years old. He'd been frail and sickly since birth, practically living at the village's Chinese medicine clinic.

And since his family was poor back then, unable to afford coal briquettes, the clinic was always warm and cozy—a great place to keep warm.

Back then, the old doctor had that very book on his desk, and Ningyuan had leafed through it once.

"So that's it," Hyuga Ningyuan said, speechless. He probably hadn't been studying medicine back then, just recognizing characters or looking at pictures.

At that age, just learning to read, he'd devour any book with words.

Ningyuan had always been an avid reader. He never expected that planting a tree in his past life would provide shade in this one—something he did at seven or eight would benefit him after reincarnation.

Opening the book, the first page bore a line: "Focus the work of medical and health care on the countryside." —Mao.

Ningyuan's eyes instantly welled up. Even after reincarnation, he was still benefiting from his grace.

He flipped to Chapter Three: How Chinese Medicine Diagnoses Illnesses.

Observation Diagnosis.

Hyuga Ningyuan opened his eyes and looked at Yūhi Nogiko before him. Her pale face mostly indicated deficiency syndromes.

"Auntie, could you let me see your tongue?" Hyuga Ningyuan asked. "I'll diagnose you!"

"You know how to diagnose?" Yūhi Nogiko asked, curious.

"Just a little!" He was still at the stage of flipping through a medical book.

"Alright, then I'll let you take a look!" Yūhi Nogiko didn't believe him, but since her son wanted to play, she'd play along.

She stuck out her tongue. Hyuga Ningyuan examined it carefully, then turned his head and said, "Red Wolf, you stick out your tongue too, let me see!"

"What did you call me?"

"Ahem, Little Red!"

A small fist came flying at him: "I have a name!"

Still, she stuck out her tongue in the end.

"Mm, Auntie's tongue is paler than yours, and her coating is whiter," Hyuga Ningyuan said.

"So... is there a problem?" Yūhi Kurenai blinked and asked.

"This is a symptom of illness!" Hyuga Ningyuan asked, "Auntie, do you have any other symptoms? Anything different from a normal person counts!"

"Well..." Yūhi Nogiko hesitated, then looked troubled. She did have symptoms, but they were all embarrassing to mention.

"I'm a doctor now. What's there to be shy about saying in front of a doctor?" Hyuga Ningyuan said. "The clearer you describe it, the more accurate my diagnosis will be!"

"Well..." Though she still didn't trust Hyuga Ningyuan, she had to admit the logic was sound.

She'd just mention something trivial, then.

"Mm, does not wanting to eat count?" Yūhi Nogiko asked.

"Loss of appetite—of course it counts!"

"Then, there's always feeling weak," Yūhi Nogiko continued.

"Is it body weakness or limb weakness?" Hyuga Ningyuan asked.

"Body weakness!"

"That's fatigue. Anything else?"

"I always feel cold in my stomach, and I want to vomit, but I can only bring up clear fluid..."

Cold sensation in the abdomen, with clear fluid rising in the mouth.

I've found the condition!

"Is there also bloating and swelling in the feet?" Hyuga Ningyuan asked.

Yūhi Nogiko's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, that's right!"

"And diarrhea!" Yūhi Kurenai added from the side: "My mom has diarrhea!"

Yūhi Nogiko glared at her: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Hyuga Ningyuan glanced at Yūhi Kurenai—you really are your mother's daughter.

Still, this was indeed a very clear symptom, one Hyuga Ningyuan had been too embarrassed to ask about. Good thing Yūhi Kurenai blurted it out.

"I think I know what the problem is!" Hyuga Ningyuan said decisively. "This is Qi Deficiency and Spleen Yang Deficiency!"

"Wh-what?" Yūhi Nogiko blinked. Hyuga Ningyuan had spoken in Chinese, since he didn't know how to say it in Japanese, so she didn't understand!

"It means there's a kind of energy in your body that sustains life, but yours is running a bit low!" Hyuga Ningyuan explained. "Also, the main issue lies with your spleen!"

Yūhi Nogiko's eyes widened: "I was injured there—can you really tell that?"

"I'm a doctor!"

Yūhi Nogiko looked at the confident Hyuga Ningyuan and was already half-convinced. She then asked: "So, can this problem of mine be treated?"

Konoha Hospital really couldn't cure this, because this world had no China, and those little islanders had nowhere to steal Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas to turn into Kampo. Naturally, there was no suitable prescription.

"Yes!" Hyuga Ningyuan said. "Use Dried Ginger, Psoralea, Nutmeg, Atractylodes Macrocephala, and Long Pepper. Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Yūhi Nogiko asked.

"Hold on!"

The medical text only listed which herbs to use, but didn't say how to use them!

"Let's start with some Brown Sugar Water boiled with Ginger Soup, drink it every day!" Hyuga Ningyuan then realized that the names of Chinese herbs in the Barefoot Doctor's Manual might not match those in the ninja world. He might not even find the herbs by those names.

Luckily, ginger was a seasoning, available at the market.

"Let me learn Medical Ninjutsu first, then I'll treat Auntie!" Hyuga Ningyuan said.

"Oh, no need, no need!" Yūhi Nogiko quickly replied. "You're someone destined for Major Events—just focus on learning ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and genjutsu. Why bother with Medical Ninjutsu!"

"If I don't learn Medical Ninjutsu, am I supposed to just watch Auntie waste away before my eyes?" Hyuga Ningyuan shook his head. "If I truly couldn't do it, that would be one thing. But since I have this ability, why not give it a try!"

Over the past couple of days, Yūhi Nogiko had watched Yūhi Shinku teach Hyuga Ningyuan, and she had some idea of his learning speed.

If he learned Medical Ninjutsu that fast too, maybe it really could work?

After all, it was a child's sincere gesture, and learning more things was never a bad thing in the end.

She stopped trying to dissuade him.

So when Yūhi Shinku came home and taught Hyuga Ningyuan two low-level genjutsu, he heard the boy's request.

"Father-in-law, if I want to learn Medical Ninjutsu, do you have any way to arrange it?"

"Out of nowhere, why the sudden interest in Medical Ninjutsu?" Yūhi Shinku asked curiously.

"I feel like I learn very quickly, but there isn't much to study each day, and a lot of time goes to waste!" Hyuga Ningyuan said. "Learning medicine is both to make good use of time and for Auntie's sake."

Hyuga Ningyuan turned his head to look at the thin, pale-faced Yūhi Nogiko: "Maybe after I learn medicine, I'll have a way to treat Auntie!"

"This..." Yūhi Shinku looked at his wife, who had been unwell ever since giving birth to Yūhi Kurenai, and tears instantly streamed down his face.

The ninja world had no tradition of ruling through filial piety, but it was still a classic virtue. At this moment, Yūhi Shinku, who already approved of Hyuga Ningyuan, felt even more fortunate.

Good thing I was patient and tested him.

If I had driven away such a fine child, I'd regret it for the rest of my life!

"It's good that you have this intention, but a person's energy is—" He wanted to say a person's energy was limited, but Hyuga Ningyuan seemed to be an exception.

Genjutsu he always learned on the first try; if he couldn't, it was because of insufficient Chakra, not because the technique was too hard.

So for a genius, not learning more things would be the real waste!

Besides, the child meant well, didn't he!

"I'll ask around for you tomorrow!" Yūhi Shinku said seriously after a moment of thought.

"Mm-hmm!" Hyuga Ningyuan nodded heavily.