Apprenticeship

A cold touch, accompanied by the pungent smell of disinfectant, slowly pulled Duanmu Ci from the boundless darkness.

His eyelids felt heavy as lead, each attempt to open them bringing a tearing, aching sensation, especially his left eye, which felt like a red-hot iron needle was churning inside it.

He laboriously opened them a crack. Blurry shapes shifted, accompanied by low voices.

"...vital signs are unbelievably stable... for that level of backlash, an ordinary person would have..."

"...residual chakra fluctuations... very ancient... mixed with... Yang Style... Wood nature..."

"...mummified... chakra completely drained... traces of a jutsu never seen before..."

The voices were intermittent, laced with undisguised shock and inquiry.

Duanmu Ci's consciousness, like rusty gears, turned with difficulty.

The battlefield... Mist Village... Captain Iwasaki... Shota...

And that terrifying power that had torn his body apart, destroying everything...

He jolted, fully awake!

But his body's instincts made him suppress his movements, maintaining his unconscious posture. He merely narrowed his eyes further, cautiously observing his surroundings.

He lay on a simple but clean hospital bed, covered by a thin blanket. The strong smell of disinfectant emanated from here.

The room was small, like a makeshift medical tent or a corner of Konoha's frontline hospital.

Three people stood by his bedside.

The most striking was the woman with brilliant blonde hair and a figure so voluptuous it was breathtaking.

She wore a dark green traditional ninja vest over a tea-brown robe, though the robe was now stained with a few mud spots and dark red blood.

She slightly furrowed her heroic brows, looking down at a scroll in her hands, her expression grave and focused.

The powerful aura she exuded, even unintentionally, instantly confirmed her identity to Duanmu Ci – one of Konoha's Sannin, the "Princess Slug," Tsunade!

Beside her stood the bespectacled woman he had seen before, her demeanor gentle. She was currently holding a record board, quickly writing something down. It was her assistant, Shizune.

There was also a ninja in a black, form-fitting outfit, wearing an animal mask. Their aura was cold and restrained, clearly indicating they were from the Anbu.

Tsunade put down the scroll, her gaze sharp as a knife, falling back onto Duanmu Ci. Her eyes seemed to pierce through flesh and bone, reaching the depths of his soul.

Duanmu Ci's heart leaped into his throat. He quickly closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and tried his best to play the part of a critically injured patient who had just narrowly escaped death.

"Vital signs have indeed stabilized, even... perhaps too much."

Tsunade's voice rang out, carrying a hint of inquiry and unquestionable authority.

"His chakra pathways are abnormally resilient, and his recovery rate far surpasses that of an ordinary person. Shizune, what are his external injury records?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Shizune immediately flipped open the record board.

"Upon arrival, his left arm had a comminuted fracture, his chest and abdomen had three deep, bone-exposing lacerations, his internal organs had minor contusions, and there were multiple soft tissue contusions and abrasions. Blood loss exceeded the critical point. However... in less than twelve hours, the fracture site has already begun to heal and connect, the lacerations have scabbed over stably, the internal organ contusions have mostly disappeared, and the symptoms of blood loss have greatly eased. This recovery speed... it's practically inhuman."

"Inhuman?"

Tsunade snorted and walked to the bedside, directly extending a finger to press against Duanmu Ci's carotid artery.

Her fingers were slender and strong, carrying a slight coolness, yet her touch was exceptionally precise.

Duanmu Ci felt a gentle but incredibly tenacious chakra, like the most intricate probe, carefully delving into his body.

This chakra carried a powerful life force, clearly investigating his internal condition.

His internal alarm bells blared. He desperately suppressed the three restless forces within him that had only just calmed down, especially the strange burning sensation deep within his left eye and the latent Wood Style vitality hidden deep within his body. He pressed them down to the deepest recesses of his cells, only revealing a life vitality far beyond that of an ordinary person and a relatively "empty" sea of chakra.

Tsunade's chakra circulated within him, and her brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

She clearly "saw" the vast, ocean-like life essence, felt the lingering resonance of pure Yang Style, and, deeper still, the hidden but immensely profound, ancient aura belonging to Wood Style.

All of this corroborated the traces found on the battlefield.

But at this moment, these powers lay dormant, as if exhausted.

Only a massive, solid "container" and astonishing self-healing instincts remained.

"Interesting..." Tsunade withdrew her hand, her gaze fixed intently on Duanmu Ci's pale face.

"Kid, I know you're awake. Stop pretending and answer my questions."

Duanmu Ci knew he couldn't hide it any longer, and continuing to feign unconsciousness would only make him suspicious. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze a carefully mixed blend of weakness, confusion, and a hint of wariness. He looked at Tsunade and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Where... where is this? And... where are my teammates?"

His first priority was to show concern for his comrades, which was the most logical reaction.

"Konoha frontline medical station," Tsunade stated concisely, her gaze not relaxing in the slightest.

"Your squad was ambushed by Mist Village elites. The scene... was brutal. When we arrived, we only found you and one severely injured, unconscious teammate alive. The others... have perished."

Although mentally prepared, Duanmu Ci's heart sank heavily upon hearing the word "perished," and his eyes instantly dimmed.

The image of Captain Iwasaki pushing him away, the image of Shota being cut by a Water Blade, resurfaced.

He closed his eyes in pain, his fists clenching silently beneath the thin blanket.

At that moment, the Anbu ninja stepped forward, their voice muffled by the mask.

"Chunin Duanmu Ci, I am Anbu codename 'Tanuki'. Based on the scene investigation, the final phase of the battle involved an extremely powerful force, suspected to be Wood Style, and a bizarre phenomenon that completely drained the Chakra of multiple Mist Village ninjas. We need you to explain the situation in detail, as well as... the source of your own power."

Their tone was cold and businesslike, with an undeniable air of inquiry.

Here it comes!

Duanmu Ci felt a chill run down his spine.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his churning emotions. When he opened his eyes again, only exhaustion and a dazed sense of lingering fear remained.

"I... I don't know..."

His voice was weak, trembling with the aftershocks of survival.

"At that time... Captain and Shota had both fallen... that enemy wearing the shark mask... charged at me with a sword... I... I thought I was going to die... my mind went blank... and then... something inside me... just exploded..."

He described it intermittently, deliberately blurring key points and emphasizing "near-death instinct."

"Exploded? What exactly did it feel like? What did you see? What did you do?" Anbu 'Tanuki' pressed, their speech quickening.

"It hurt... my whole body felt like it was tearing apart..." Duanmu Ci put on a pained expression.

"In front of my eyes... I think I saw many strange purple shadows... then... many vines suddenly emerged from the ground... like they were alive... they wrapped around those Mist ninjas... and then... I didn't know anything else..."

He focused on describing the Wood Style, downplaying the Rinnegan anomaly as near-death hallucinations, and claiming complete "amnesia" regarding the Chakra absorption and repulsion release.

"Purple shadows? Vines?" The Anbu was clearly unsatisfied with the vague answer.

"That's enough, 'Tanuki'." Tsunade suddenly interjected. Looking at Duanmu Ci's pained and confused expression, and recalling the vast yet seemingly ignorant life force within him, she had a preliminary judgment.

"He just went through a life-or-death ordeal. It's normal for his body and mind to be extremely weak, with confused memories or even hallucinations. The priority now is treatment and recovery." She turned to Duanmu Ci, her tone slightly softer but still scrutinizing.

"Kid, what's your name? What are your registered identity details in Konoha? Do you have any family?"

Duanmu Ci felt a wave of relief, knowing he had passed the initial hurdle.

He followed his pre-arranged identity script and answered weakly:

"Duanmu Ci... war orphan... civilian background... my parents... in the previous war... they passed away... registered... graduated from the Ninja Academy... recently promoted to Chunin..." He deliberately projected a common, slightly numb sadness found in lower-ranked ninjas.

Tsunade and Anbu 'Tanuki' exchanged a glance. 'Tanuki' nodded slightly, indicating that the identity information basically matched.

"Alright, I have a general understanding of the situation." Tsunade waved her hand.

"'Tanuki', you can go about your business. I'll contact you again if needed. Shizune, change his dressing, administer the nutrient solution, and focus on monitoring his recovery data."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Shizune replied. 'Tanuki' silently exited the tent.

Only Tsunade and Duanmu Ci remained in the tent.

Tsunade didn't leave immediately. Instead, she stood by the bed, looking down at him, her amber eyes incredibly deep.

"Duanmu Ci..." she repeated his name, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the edge of the bed.

"Your body... is very special. So special... it even surprises me."

Her gaze seemed to penetrate his flesh, making Duanmu Ci feel an invisible pressure once more.

"Rest well. Your mysteries... we have plenty of time to unravel them slowly."

With that, she turned and strode out of the tent.

Duanmu Ci lay on the hospital bed, looking at the tent ceiling, and let out a long, silent breath. The cold sweat on his back had soaked through his hospital gown.

The first hurdle, he had managed to pass, barely.

But Tsunade's meaningful glance at the end told him that the real trouble was just beginning.

And the three dormant powers within him, powers capable of overturning the Ninja World, were the source of all his troubles.

Duanmu Ci was transferred to a hospital ward with more complete facilities in Konoha Village.

Although it was still a shared room, the environment was far better than the front-line medical tents. White walls, clean sheets, and the smell of disinfectant in the air was fainter.

He became the most eye-catching "freak" on this floor.

The reason was simple – his recovery speed was too fast!

The other injured patients in the same room had fractures requiring casts for a month, and those with internal injuries were carefully advised not to move. But Duanmu Ci?

Nurse Saiko remembered the scene when she changed his dressing on the first day:

When he was brought in, his left arm was swollen like a purple eggplant, twisted beyond recognition. The wounds on his chest and abdomen were deep enough to see bone, looking terrifying.

But when Saiko changed his dressing the next day, holding tweezers and gauze, she saw his arm, which had clearly reduced swelling and was returning to a normal color, and the thick, dried, and contracted dark blood scabs on his chest and abdominal wounds. She was so shocked she almost dropped the tray.

"You... your injuries..." Saiko stammered, her hand holding the disinfectant cotton ball trembling slightly.

"Huh? Oh, maybe my physique is just good? I used to recover quickly from injuries too."

Duanmu Ci lay on the bed, explaining with a "weak" expression. He even coughed twice to cooperate, diligently channeling the surging life force of the Sage Body to make his complexion look paler.

Saiko changed his dressing, half-believing him.

As a result, on the third day, the cast on his arm was removed!

Although he couldn't move much, simple bending and stretching were no longer a problem, and the bone fracture had healed exceptionally well.

The scabs on his chest and abdomen also began to fall off in large patches, revealing tender new flesh underneath. The speed of this healing astonished even the attending physicians.

"A miracle... truly a miracle of life!" an old physician with white hair exclaimed as he recorded notes in a medical chart.

"I've been practicing medicine for decades, and I've never seen such a strong recovery rate! Young man, it would be a waste if you didn't become a medical ninja with a constitution like yours!"

Duanmu Ci could only offer a "shy" and slightly "bewildered" smile to brush it off. "Perhaps... it's just good luck?"

His "good luck" constitution quickly spread throughout the hospital.

The nurses looked at him with amazement, and the other injured patients in the ward were filled with envy and jealousy.

"Hey, kid Duanmu, isn't your recovery rate too monstrous? Yesterday I saw you grimacing in pain, and today you're jumping around?" An uncle with a broken leg in the next bed couldn't help but say enviously, watching Duanmu Ci already able to get out of bed and move around a little.

"I'm not jumping around, just moving a bit. I'm afraid my muscles will atrophy if I lie down for too long."

Duanmu Ci "weakly" supported himself on the edge of the bed and took two careful steps, a thin sheen of sweat "appropriately" appearing on his forehead.

He knew in his heart that this was the result of him deliberately suppressing the recovery effects of his Sage Body.

If he had let it run completely unchecked, these injuries would probably have healed in a day or two, which would have been truly astonishing.

What he needed to do now was to play the part of a lucky person whose "recovery ability far exceeded the norm but was still within the realm of human understanding."

In addition to his physical recovery, Duanmu Ci also keenly sensed the huge changes in his perception.

Although he dared not use the Rinnegan, the passively enhanced eyesight and chakra perception were constantly at play.

He could clearly "see" the details of a small bird preening its feathers on a branch dozens of meters away outside the window.

He could "hear" two nurses in the corridor whispering gossip in hushed tones.

Most miraculously, when a patient in the same ward groaned in pain due to an injury caused by chakra imbalance, Duanmu Ci subconsciously "looked" over—in his vision, the flow of chakra within the injured man was like a turbid stream, congested and colliding at several meridian nodes, which were the source of the severe pain.

This discovery made his heart stir.

That day, the injured patient was again sweating profusely from pain, and the on-duty nurse was overwhelmed. Duanmu Ci "struggled" to get out of bed, walked to his bedside, and said with a look of "concern," "Uncle Yamada, are you... are you alright? You look like you're in a lot of discomfort?"

"Sigh... it's an old problem... my chakra is out of control... it feels so blocked..." Yamada's face was pale with pain.

"I... I learned some folk methods for calming chakra from the elders in the village before. How about... I try to help you?" Duanmu Ci suggested cautiously, his eyes "sincere" yet with a hint of "uncertainty."

Yamada was in so much pain that he didn't care about anything else and nodded, willing to try anything.

Duanmu Ci extended his uninjured right hand and gently pressed it near the painful area of Yamada.

He held his breath, concentrated, and carefully guided out a trace of extremely weak, pure Yang Style chakra. Following the congested nodes he perceived, he gently "combed" through them like the most skillful needle.

His movements were slow and light; to outsiders, it looked like ordinary massage.

Yamada frowned at first, but gradually, his furrowed brow relaxed, and the look of pain on his face significantly lessened.

"Huh? It seems... it really feels a bit better?" Yamada's eyes widened in surprise. He felt as if the unruly chakra within him was being smoothed out by a gentle hand. Although it wasn't completely healed, the severe pain had indeed been greatly alleviated.

"Kid Duanmu, this folk method of yours... it's got something to it!"

"Really? That's great! I was just trying it out randomly!" Duanmu Ci appropriately showed an expression of "surprise" and "relief," withdrew his hand, and more sweat "perfectly" beaded on his forehead, making it seem like he had "expended a lot of energy."

This scene was witnessed by the head nurse who had just entered the ward, and a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes. Duanmu Ci's "special constitution" and his "coincidentally effective calming method" soon spread through the nurses' station again.

"That Duanmu Ci is such a strange person... his injuries heal frighteningly fast, and he even knows some obscure methods to calm chakra imbalances..."

"I heard even Lady Tsunade personally inquired about his condition..."

"Shh... keep it down, it seems like people from the Anbu have also come..."

Duanmu Ci lay on the hospital bed, his eyes closed, pretending to rest, but his ears clearly captured the hushed discussions of the nurses outside the door.

He knew that his reputation as the "Konoha Hospital Ghost Story" was now cemented.

This not only brought him attention but also invisibly laid the groundwork for his "special constitution" and any potential medical talents he might reveal later.

Trouble and opportunity always went hand in hand.

Duanmu Ci's "ghost story" reputation, as expected, reached Tsunade's ears.

She looked at the report compiled by Shizune:

Bone healing speed exceeding the norm by more than three times, deep laceration scars fading abnormally quickly, chakra replenishment speed astonishing, and that nurse's record about "calming chakra imbalances"...

"Slap!" Tsunade closed the report, her eyes flashing with interest.

"This kid... is truly a treasure! No, he's a monster in the making!" She instructed Shizune:

"Get ready, we're going to the hospital."

When Tsunade, accompanied by Shizune, reappeared in Duanmu Ci's hospital room, the entire ward quieted down a notch. The presence of one of the Sannin was not to be trifled with.

"How are you feeling? Can you get out of bed and move around?"

Tsunade got straight to the point, her sharp gaze sweeping over Duanmu Ci's left arm, which had its splint removed and was moving freely.

"Thanks to you, I'm much better, Lady Tsunade."

Duanmu Ci quickly sat up in bed and replied respectfully, with the appropriate amount of awe.

"Come with me." Tsunade wasted no words and turned to leave.

Duanmu Ci was stunned for a moment and quickly got out of bed to follow. Shizune gave him a gentle, encouraging smile, signaling him not to be nervous.

Tsunade didn't take him to her office but directly to the hospital's treatment room.

There, a young ninja was being treated. Due to improper training, his arm had been grazed by the shockwave of an explosive tag, leaving it a bloody mess, bone visible, and causing him to grimace in pain.

"Watch," Tsunade said concisely to Duanmu Ci before walking up to the injured ninja.

She didn't form any hand seals, simply extending her fair palm, holding it about an inch above the wound.

A soft, concentrated green chakra light instantly illuminated, like gentle spring rain, enveloping the gruesome wound.

Duanmu Ci immediately focused, his Rinnegan's passive perception fully activated!

In his "vision," Tsunade's chakra release was incredibly precise!

It was like countless nimble threads of life, accurately seeping into the damaged tissues, stimulating cellular activity, guiding severed blood vessels to reconnect, decomposing necrotic tissue gently, and allowing new granulation tissue to grow and close the wound at a visible rate...

The entire process was like the most masterful art!

Stable, efficient, and filled with precise control over the power of life! This was the ultimate medical ninjutsu – the Palm Immortal Technique!

In less than five minutes, the once gruesome wound had transformed into a faint pink scar. The injured ninja moved his arm, his face filled with disbelief and gratitude. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade! It doesn't hurt at all anymore!"

Tsunade nodded, signaling him that he could leave. She then turned to Duanmu Ci, her chin slightly raised:

"See clearly? This is the most basic Palm Immortal Technique, the entry-level skill for medical ninjas. Now, you try."

"Me?" Duanmu Ci looked "astonished," pointing to his own nose. "Lady Tsunade, I... I haven't learned it..."

"If you haven't learned it, you must learn it!" Tsunade's tone was irrefutable. "Place your hand there, concentrate, recall the feeling from just now, and imagine your chakra as water, gently seeping in and guiding it to repair."

Shizune, at the opportune moment, handed over a clean tray containing disinfectant supplies and a gel block simulating a wound, prepared for new trainees.

Duanmu Ci understood. This was a test, and an opportunity!

He took a deep breath, his face showing a mixture of nervousness and eagerness. He walked to the gel block and extended his right hand, hovering over it. He deliberately slowed his movements, mobilizing the subtle chakra control, almost instinctual, granted by his Sage Body, while simultaneously mimicking the gentle life aura of Tsunade's chakra.

A green chakra light slowly illuminated from his palm. This light was not as concentrated or dazzling as Tsunade's, appearing somewhat scattered, but it was extremely stable and... carried an indescribable affinity and vibrant life force!

The light enveloped the simulated wound.

Under Duanmu Ci's "clumsy" control, the green chakra seeped into the gel like a trickling stream.

The edge of the simulated "wound" actually began to show subtle signs of "healing"!

Although the speed was very slow and the effect far from immediate like Tsunade's, for someone encountering the Palm Immortal Technique for the first time, this was simply incredible!

Shizune gasped, covering her mouth in surprise. Tsunade's pupils also constricted slightly.

She could clearly feel that while the amount of chakra Duanmu Ci released was not large, the subtlety of his control and his affinity for life energy were innate talents!

The gentle life force contained within that chakra, though still nascent, was fundamentally pure!

Duanmu Ci "effortlessly" maintained it for several dozen seconds, "appropriately" breaking out in a fine sweat on his forehead, before withdrawing his hand as if "exhausted," and the chakra light dissipated. The simulated wound had healed a small portion, with a significant effect.

"Hoo... hoo... Lady Tsunade... I... I think... I can only do this much..." he panted, looking at Tsunade with a hint of "frustration" and "apprehension."

Tsunade remained silent, staring at Duanmu Ci, then at the partially healed gel, her expression complex. Shock, curiosity, and a hint of the excitement of discovering a rare treasure!

"For the first time... you can guide chakra to stimulate initial healing..." Tsunade's voice gave away no emotion. "Shizune, how long did it take you to reach this stage?"

"Reporting, Lady Tsunade, I... I practiced for a full month before I could even output chakra stably to achieve this initial stimulation effect... it took three months..." Shizune's voice was filled with disbelief.

Tsunade nodded, her gaze locking onto Duanmu Ci again, as if trying to see through him. "Duanmu Ci."

"Yes!"

"Starting tomorrow, you don't need to return to the regular ward."

Tsunade's voice carried a decisive weight.

"Pack your things and move next door to my temporary medical laboratory. You," she paused, then declared with conviction, "have been taken on as my disciple, breaking protocol. From now on, you will learn medical ninjutsu under me."

"Ah?!" Duanmu Ci was genuinely stunned this time. Although this was his goal in approaching Tsunade, he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly and directly!

His face rapidly displayed immense "joy" and "disbelief." "Is... is it true? Lady Tsunade! Can... can I really do it?"

"Enough nonsense!" Tsunade waved her hand impatiently, but a hint of satisfaction flickered deep within her eyes.

"A horse is only proven by taking it for a ride!

Your talent... Hmph, you're still far from it!

Don't think you're amazing just because you succeeded once! You'll have plenty of hardship to endure later!"

Her words were harsh, but as she turned to leave, the corner of her mouth curved into an almost imperceptible arc.

Duanmu Ci stood in place, watching the retreating figures of Tsunade and Shizune. A heavy weight lifted from his heart, only to be replaced by immense anticipation.

The first step of his plan was successful!

He had successfully latched onto Tsunade, gaining the most solid platform for establishing himself and developing in Konoha!

"Medical Ninja Duanmu Ci..." he murmured, clenching his fist.

This identity would become his best camouflage and the perfect cover for developing the terrifying power within him.

And the name "genius" would officially begin to be written from this moment on.