"No, absolutely not!"
"But if she moves around during the operation and disrupts it, it could lead to irreversible consequences!"
"Th-then, that's still not acceptable!"
"Then there's nothing we can do."
In the corridor, a middle-aged woman argued fiercely with several nurses.
"Could you tell me what happened here?"
A cool voice came from nearby. The young nurses turned around and let out delighted cries.
"Lord Tsunade!"
Upon hearing the nurses reveal the newcomer's identity, the middle-aged woman initially lost some of her momentum, but she quickly threw herself forward regardless.
"Lord Tsunade, please, you have to save my daughter!"
"Please calm down first." Tsunade soothed her while asking the nurses, "What exactly is going on?"
"It's like this. This woman's daughter needs surgery, but she's too young. If we don't use anesthesia, it could very likely interfere with the operation." The nurse looked through the ward door at the little girl with helpless sympathy.
Tsunade followed her gaze toward the ward. A two- or three-year-old girl sat tearfully in a chair, while a slightly older boy stood beside her, looking after and comforting her.
Without much thought, Tsunade said gravely, "If there's no way to keep her body still, performing the operation rashly would indeed be dangerous!"
The nurse nodded. "That's what we were worried about too, which is why we wanted to anesthetize her."
The middle-aged woman flew into a rage. "You call that anesthesia? That's practically murder!"
The nurse looked embarrassed. "Actually, we also have smaller ones..."
Seeing the murderous look in the woman's eyes, the nurse did not dare continue.
"I could use a Chakra Scalpel to temporarily sever her pain nerves, but she's still too young. It's hard to say whether that might affect her future life." Tsunade pondered seriously, then recalled Nonō's earlier suggestion. "Have you tried Genjutsu?"
"We have, but the little girl woke up very quickly." The nurse said helplessly, "And all the adults in the village who specialize in Genjutsu are away on missions."
Tsunade shook her head slightly. She knew the Genjutsu specialists the nurse mentioned most likely did not include that clan.
After all, that clan was famous for its arrogance. Coupled with their position in the police force, most people in the village kept their distance from them.
The Uchiha Clan... Tsunade hesitated. She had not had much contact with them, and her status as the "princess" of the Senju Clan might even trigger that clan's allergic reaction.
Just then, a small figure standing at the doorway broke everyone's contemplation.
"Actually, Anko can undergo surgery now."
"Soseki, what do you mean?" Nonō's eyes lit up. More than anyone else, she knew about Soseki's training and experiments over the past two months.
"He's Shimizu Soseki?" Only then did Tsunade realize that the boy in the ward was not the little girl's brother.
Soseki nodded his little head. "I've already put Anko under Genjutsu. She should be ready for surgery."
Before anyone around them could question him, Nonō entered the ward first. Looking at the little girl sleeping sweetly, she carefully placed her right hand on her.
Very soon, Nonō came out with delight on her face. "Lord Tsunade, please take a look."
At this sight, the young nurses all had the same incredulous thought flash through their minds. Could it really have worked? Even Chunin can't do this! (Author's note: This does not mean a Chunin's Genjutsu cannot handle a little girl. As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the little girl woke up very quickly. Generally, as long as Genjutsu can confuse an enemy for a few seconds, that is enough to end a battle. Most Genjutsu do not deliberately pursue long-lasting effects, and the level of immersion is also an issue. Finally, the Chunin mentioned here are not necessarily Genjutsu specialists. It's like a math professor failing a language question—once word gets around, it becomes a question even professors cannot solve.)
The middle-aged woman looked at Tsunade with eager hope. "Lord Tsunade..."
Tsunade entered the ward. Seeing the little girl sound asleep, a trace of surprise appeared in her eyes. "It was indeed successful, but we need to test it once more."
As she spoke, Tsunade suddenly clenched her right hand.
Bang!
The explosive crack of the air being crushed made everyone instinctively hunch their shoulders. Yet the little girl in the chair merely licked her lips, without even the slightest disruption to her breathing.
"This level of immersion... Did you construct a complete, realistic world?" After a moment of amazement, Tsunade looked at Soseki with a complicated expression. "Perhaps you would be better suited to becoming a Genjutsu ninja."
"Whether it's Medical Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, as long as it's a technique that can help everyone, I'll do everything I can to learn it!" Soseki clenched his fist as Tsunade had done and spoke firmly.
Then, he abruptly changed the subject. "But this illusionary realm doesn't actually need to be very realistic."
"Why do you say that?" Tsunade asked with interest.
"Because we're children. Why would children care whether the world is real or not?" Soseki said as if it were only natural.
Tsunade froze slightly. That did seem true. For children, an absurd and unrestrained world might instead fit their fantasies better.
Soseki continued, "Also, I talked with Anko for a long time just now, so I know what she truly longs for."
"Family or friends?" Tsunade asked softly.
Soseki shook his head. "No. Anko's dream is actually very simple. She just wants to eat red bean soup one more time."
"Sweet food makes people happy, so that's why I gave her that name." Anko's mother supported her somewhat plump, misshapen waist and said with a hint of embarrassment. "It's just that prices have been too high after the war..."
"So I specifically designed an illusionary realm where the entire world is made of red bean soup." Soseki spread his arms, as though earnestly depicting that world of red bean soup.
"That really was difficult for you." Tsunade could not help but laugh, then sighed. "Yet no one had thought of even such a simple illusionary realm."
"Little one, you really are impressive!"
Soseki said somewhat "shyly," "I only listen and understand a little more than other people."
Tsunade murmured softly, as though asking herself, "Listening... understanding?"
Soseki nodded vigorously. "Mm-hm! I think doctors shouldn't only treat physical injuries. Pain and confusion of the heart also need us to guide and comfort them! And only by listening to and understanding their true feelings can we find the treatment method most suitable for the patient."
"Learn to listen, learn to understand a patient's true feelings?" Tsunade was deeply moved. For the first time, she looked at Soseki as an equal. What made him stronger than other Medical Ninja was not merely his talent and hard work, but even more so his attitude and responsibility as a doctor!
Before you continue