Tsunade: You're the One

Soseki did not "know" the details of her hemophobia, yet he still urged her fervently, "You are Lord Tsunade, one of the Legendary Three Ninja and Leaf Village's greatest Medical Ninja. You can definitely overcome that damned hemophobia!"

Tsunade still looked utterly dejected. "What use are even the finest medical skills? Not only can they not save this despairing world, they cannot even save the people I cherish."

Soseki fell silent for a moment, his tone growing heavy as well. "I do not know what setbacks you have suffered, nor am I qualified to tell you to forget your pain. But as Medical Ninja, we must be strong! If even we give up, then there will be no light left in this world!"

"Everyone in this world has a hard life. No one has it easier than anyone else. Many of my classmates lost family in the war too, but that is not a reason for us to abandon hope. Or rather, it is precisely because of their sacrifices that we should cherish the present even more."

Seeing Tsunade remain silent, Soseki struck while the iron was hot and pointed outside. "Mizuki has already lost his family and his friends. Now... must he lose the only dream he has left as well?"

A flicker of struggle appeared in Tsunade's eyes, but she ultimately shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"I was wrong. You may be Leaf Village's most skilled Medical Ninja, but you are not its greatest Medical Ninja at all!" Soseki looked devastated, as though his idol had shattered. "A Lord Tsunade this cowardly is truly disappointing!"

"Do not speak of Lord Tsunade that way!" Shizune rushed in angrily, shielding Tsunade behind her like a mother hen as she glared at Soseki. "Lord Tsunade must have her own reasons for doing this!"

Tsunade placed her right hand atop Shizune's head and sighed with a bitter smile. "He is right. I truly am a coward."

Shizune turned back in disbelief. "Lord Tsunade, you..."

Tsunade shook her head slightly, let out a breath, then fixed Soseki with a sharp gaze. "I may be weak, but... do you truly have the courage to bear it all?"

"I don't know." Soseki pressed his lips together, then raised his head, his eyes incomparably resolute as he looked at Tsunade. "But I have the conviction to protect everyone!"

"Very well. I will guide your training, and then you will perform his operation yourself!"

"I... will perform the operation?"

"You had better think this through. The consequences of a surgical mistake can be fatal!" Tsunade looked at Soseki calmly. "Other than me, no one else in Leaf Village has more than a thirty percent chance of succeeding at this operation. As for you, my requirement is that your chance of success must not be below fifty percent."

Soseki fell silent once more. At that moment, Mizuki entered as well and said excitedly, "Class Leader, agree to it. If it is you, I will have no doubts at all!"

Tsunade instinctively recalled what Shizune had mentioned yesterday and thought, As expected, that kind of trust is truly enviable!

Soseki nodded gravely, then looked at Tsunade. "Lord Tsunade, I will be in your care from now on!"

The next morning.

Soseki lay on a narrow wooden bed and sighed inwardly. For someone as calm and steady as me, getting angry really is not easy. Fortunately, nothing went wrong yesterday.

Although he had still failed to make Tsunade overcome her hemophobia, Soseki was not surprised.

After all, in the original story, Tsunade had undergone the successive trials of Bettenkuchi and the temptation of the Impure World Reincarnation before finally making her decision and overcoming her fear of blood.

Soseki did not believe those two speeches of his could compare to Bettenkuchi, so he settled for the next best thing. As long as Tsunade could help him complete the operation, that was enough.

"As for Mizuki's change, that was an unexpected bonus. Once someone with his personality changes his mind, he will instead become more dependable than others."

"Only those filled with darkness will cherish the one ray of light they possess even more!"

"...That concludes this lesson on 'The Extension and Expansion of the Will of Fire.' When you return home, remember to review it thoroughly. This is a key topic that the Hokage personally designated for the advancement exams. All right, class dismissed."

"Ah! We have to memorize all of that?"

"When I become Hokage someday, the first thing I'll do is abolish every exam."

"And we should catch these authors and spank them too!"

"Uh... the author of this book is the Third Hokage!"

"Oh, then never mind."

Amid the waves of complaints, Asuma looked rather awkward.

After all, this book was the old man's proud work. In his spare time, he would even sit at home and savor it by himself.

To divert everyone's attention, Asuma deliberately called out loudly, "Soseki, how is Mizuki doing now?"

Hmm, the classmates needed to know about their contribution.

At his shout, the others suddenly remembered that one inconspicuous person was missing from class.

"That's right, Mizuki still didn't come to school today!"

"I get it. He must be slacking off. My parents beat me up just yesterday, but didn't I still come to school today?"

Asuma spoke sternly. "Don't talk nonsense. Mizuki was badly injured. Even the hospital said he might not be able to become a ninja."

"Huh? How did it come to this?"

"Even though Mizuki is not very likable, still..."

Asuma waved his hand again. "But don't worry. Soseki already took him to see Lord Tsunade yesterday. By now, the operation might already be finished. Right, Soseki?"

As everyone looked over, Soseki shook his head with a grave expression. "For certain special reasons, Lord Tsunade cannot perform Mizuki's operation."

Hearing this, Asuma grew anxious too. "Then what do we do? How about I go find the old man? He is the Hokage, so he will definitely have a way!"

"Calm down first." Soseki reassured him. "Although Lord Tsunade cannot perform Mizuki's operation, there is still me."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Lord Tsunade will guide my training, and then I will perform Mizuki's operation."

Upon hearing Soseki say that, everyone in the class instead breathed a sigh of relief.

In their eyes, their Class Leader was far more reliable than any Lord Tsunade.

"Whew, that is wonderful. With the Class Leader here, Mizuki will definitely come back."

"That scared me to death. I'm unhappy now. I really want to go beat up the third year students again."

"Exactly. Mizuki nearly lost his chance to become a ninja. Let's find some time and beat up those bastards again!"

"Asuma Sarutobi, Shimizu Soseki..."

Just as everyone was intensely discussing the feasibility of beating people up, several ill-timed calls joined in.

Then, all manner of fierce and irritable gazes turned toward the classroom door.

As their eyes met, several drops of cold sweat could not help but run down Shūnen's forehead as he stood in the doorway. Had he heard wrong just now? These First Years wanted to beat them up again!

And what was with those savage looks? Were these First Years all demons?