Tsunade's Tears

"Merit?" Hyuga Ningyuan blinked, confused.

Sarutobi Biwako didn't elaborate. She figured a five-year-old might not grasp what "merit" meant, but she wasn't the type to hog her student's achievements. When she taught the other medics later, she'd make sure to credit Hyuga Ningyuan's contribution.

Besides, this invention was revolutionary for Medical Ninjutsu. It let every Medical Ninja heal more people and close more wounds with less Chakra.

A super-genius like Hyuga Ningyuan in medical arts was certainly exciting, but for a power, one genius never matched ten elites.

This was equally significant for Konoha as a military organization, so she'd have to report it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Konoha might not always reward every merit, but Hyuga Ningyuan had connections above him, so this credit couldn't be buried!

As for Hyuga Ningyuan's Medical Ninjutsu talent, that could be kept under wraps. He was still young; if word got out now, other villages might get ideas.

As for Hyuga Ningyuan, he was genuinely speechless.

He'd watched plenty of Naruto-related content, but he really didn't know the Mystical Palm Technique took five minutes to heal a wound. He only remembered that when Sakura Haruno tested her Medical Ninjutsu aptitude, she just pressed her hand on a fish and it healed.

So it was shortened for pacing, to trick and ambush this five-year-old kid?

Or had Sakura already had this technique back then?

Good thing he'd revealed this technique now. Otherwise, if others needed five minutes to heal a wound with the Mystical Palm Technique and he only needed two seconds, that would've been really absurd.

Now, he was at two seconds, others at sixteen. Still a huge gap—eight times faster—but at least not as ridiculous as five minutes versus two seconds.

"Let's stop here for today." Sarutobi Biwako patted Hyuga Ningyuan's shoulder, then thought for a moment and added, "Oh, and don't tell anyone about what happened today—not your parents, not the Yūhi Clan members!"

"Mm!" Hyuga Ningyuan nodded.

"Right, I remember you said you were going to play with Minato." Sarutobi Biwako recalled something else, then pulled a stack of cash from her pocket. "Here's some money. You can't show up empty-handed on a first visit. Go buy a gift on the street!"

"Okay!" Hyuga Ningyuan nodded, took the money, and turned to leave the ward.

As soon as he stepped out, he heard Sarutobi Biwako telling the others to keep it secret too.

He wasn't worried about secrecy. Konoha was a spy organization—they might slip on anything else, but never on confidentiality.

Unless the higher-ups deliberately leaked it.

He counted the money in his hand. Ten bills, one thousand ryō!

That wasn't pocket change. Word was Hinata's allowance was only fifty ryō!

A thousand big ryō—how was he supposed to spend it all?

Hm?

Hyuga Ningyuan's hand twitched, dodging a jade-like hand reaching for his cash.

"Oh?" The person let out a light exclamation. "You actually dodged?"

Hyuga Ningyuan looked speechlessly at the blonde, voluptuous woman before him. "You're Tsunade, one of the famous Sannin, and you're stealing a kid's money?"

"Hmph, is that even yours? Where would a little brat like you get so much money?" Tsunade didn't blush at all, instead turning it around on him. "And what do you call me? Even if you won't say 'ma'am,' at least call me 'big sister'!"

"Fine, Big Sister Tsunade!" Hyuga Ningyuan flashed the money in his hand. "This money really is mine—earned with my brains!"

"Your brains?" Tsunade looked skeptical. "What did you do?"

"Can't tell you that. I promised my teacher I'd keep it secret. All I can say is it's related to Medical Ninjutsu!" Hyuga Ningyuan smiled.

"What Medical Ninjutsu thing needs to be kept secret from me?" Tsunade stared at him. "Did you forget how your teacher introduced me just now? I'm the Vice President of this Konoha Hospital!"

"So ask the President then. My orders are to keep it secret from everyone, even my parents!" Hyuga Ningyuan waved dismissively. "So, Big Sister Tsunade, see you?"

With that, he sidestepped her and headed off to find Minato.

But after only two steps, he sensed a gust of wind rushing at him from behind.

His mental acuity had long reached a point where he could vaguely perceive images even without his Byakugan—something like Spider-Man's spider-sense, or a low-grade Observation Haki.

And he could tell the wind was fast, but with his speed and flexibility, he could dodge it.

But why bother dodging?

The next second, he was lifted by the collar and pulled into a soft embrace.

His hand, without him realizing it, landed on a massive softness.

"What the hell?" Ningyuan was dumbfounded. Was this moving that fast?

"You little brat, acting all smug. I'll pry it out of you!" Tsunade held Hyuga Ningyuan with one arm and rubbed his head with the other, shouting, "Spill it, will you or won't you?"

As for the hand on her chest, she didn't care at all.

A five-year-old, not even out of kindergarten—unless it was a modern-day Fairy, who'd make a fuss over a kid like that?

Hyuga Ningyuan, on the other hand, suddenly understood Momonosuke a bit.

A kid's body and looks were really deceptive!

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you, but here?" Ningyuan said quietly. "At least find a quiet place!"

"That's more like it!" Tsunade nodded approvingly.

Hyuga Ningyuan thought he'd be taken to a quiet room, but instead, Tsunade carried him straight out of Konoha Hospital!

To the Senju Family?

"Not really. Tsunade carried him straight to the back of Konoha Hospital, then started climbing up the rock face."

"You ask what that rock face is?"

"Hokage Rock!"

"That's right. Konoha Hospital, as a core building of the village, was built at the base of Hokage Rock, just like the Ninja Academy."

"Right next to it was Senju Hashirama's massive stone head."

"Ningyuan instinctively tightened his arms around Tsunade's neck—not to take advantage, but because he was afraid she'd shake him off and drop him."

"Mmm, smells nice."

"A moment later, the two had scaled Hokage Rock and reached the summit."

"'Not bad, right?' Tsunade smiled as she set Ningyuan down, then turned to look at Konoha below and asked."

"'Sigh.' Regretfully letting out a sigh, Hyuga Ningyuan gazed at the unobstructed view of Konoha beneath Hokage Rock and nodded: 'Pretty good. Towering above, seeing everything at a glance. But looking at it like this, Konoha's pretty urbanized.'"

"Good thing his surname wasn't Bo, or he'd think Konoha was a bit too urbanized."

"'No one's here, absolutely no eavesdropping. So can you talk now?' Tsunade asked."

"'It's nothing major. Just before using the Mystical Palm Technique, I press the patient's wound tightly together,' Hyuga Ningyuan said."

"'That's it?' Tsunade froze, suddenly sensing something off."

"'Wait. Press the wound together, then use the Mystical Palm Technique... that seems, really useful!'"

"'Yeah, that's it. Simple stuff. I don't know why not a single Medical Ninja in Konoha thought of it in all these years,' Hyuga Ningyuan shrugged."

"Tsunade fell silent. Not only had other Medical Ninjas missed it—she had too!"

"'How much Chakra did I waste back then!'"

"'No, if I'd known this trick earlier, how many more people could I have saved?'"

"'The war might have ended sooner. Nawaki and Dan might not have died!'"

"'So why, why didn't I figure out something so simple sooner!'"

"'Why, why!'"

"'Boom!' Tsunade punched the ground in fury, cratering it deeply."

"The earth took the hit, but Tsunade was the one in tears."

"Hyuga Ningyuan said nothing."

"If he were forty, he'd ruffle her hair and comfort her."

"If he were thirty, he'd give Tsunade a warm hug and help her forget the past."

"But he was only five, so he could only reach out a finger, wipe the tears from the corner of Tsunade's eye, and play innocent: 'Big sis, don't cry...'"