Lose? Uchiha Dan's Scheme

After pressing the patient back down onto the bed, Uchiha Dan began unwrapping the bandages around his leg.

The patient felt unbelievably fortunate.

How many people could be lucky enough to receive treatment from Konoha's Peerless Duo of the medical world at the same time?

Countless people had envied those forty-seven individuals before him, who had become the greatest beneficiaries of Tsunade and Uchiha Dan's contest.

Now that such good fortune had fallen upon him, the patient found it a little unreal.

"Uncle, relax. I'm starting!"

Uchiha Dan took a deep breath, drew out silver needles, and began inserting them into the patient's leg.

Although the patient was not a ninja, and Uchiha Dan could not manipulate the Chakra within his body, his Acupuncture Technique could still stimulate cellular activity and accelerate the wound's recovery.

After finishing all that, Uchiha Dan extended both hands.

As Chakra surged forth, two completely different types of Chakra began to gather.

The technique Uchiha Dan used with his right hand was none other than Tsunade's self-created Mystical Palm Technique.

Over the course of their contests all these years, Uchiha Dan had long since mastered the Mystical Palm Technique completely.

Later, when he had used the Mystical Palm Technique right in front of Tsunade and defeated her with it, he had nearly angered her to death.

He had even shamelessly declared that only by defeating her with the same ninjutsu could he be said to have defeated her completely.

As for the Chakra in Uchiha Dan's left hand, Tsunade had never seen it before.

Yet she could sense the immense vitality contained within it, as well as... the aura of nerve fibers?

What kind of technique was this? Why did she feel healed just from watching it?

Ignoring Tsunade's gaze, Uchiha Dan placed his palms on either side of the fractured bone in the patient's lower leg.

"Mm..." The treatment had barely begun when the patient uncle let out an uncontrollable, blissful moan.

He swore he was not being lecherous. It was simply too comfortable for him to control himself.

However, that comfort did not last long.

After just one minute, Uchiha Dan began gasping for breath, looking as though every last bit of strength had been drained from him. His entire body was already soaked in sweat.

Unable to keep going, Uchiha Dan withdrew his hands. His whole body went limp, and he nearly collapsed to the floor before a nearby nurse caught him.

"What? You bastard, you're done already?" Tsunade mocked him, imitating the way Uchiha Dan had once spoken to her. "A man can't say he can't do it, you know!"

Ignoring Tsunade's mockery, Uchiha Dan continuously adjusted his breathing, recovering his strength and Chakra as quickly as possible.

Ten minutes later, Uchiha Dan's complexion finally improved a little.

Chakra surged from his palms again as he continued the treatment.

This time, it lasted only thirty seconds before Uchiha Dan's face turned completely pale, and not a trace of Chakra remained in his body.

Yet Uchiha Dan still wore an unwilling expression as he began recovering his strength and Chakra once more.

"Doctor Dan, I feel much better!" Seeing Uchiha Dan looking as though he was about to die, the patient uncle could no longer bear to continue. "My leg only hurts a little now. At most, it'll be completely healed in a week. Thank you, but I don't want any more treatment!"

Uchiha Dan stubbornly shook his head and slowly waited for his strength to return.

Over the course of half an hour, he treated the patient four times in succession, and the patient uncle's leg was completely healed.

However, compared with Tsunade's mere dozen-plus minutes, it seemed rather lacking.

"Hahaha, how truly pathetic!" Uchiha Dan stared at his own hands and laughed wildly in bitter self-mockery.

Only after a long while did he say to Tsunade, "You won this time. Congratulations. And from now on, I won't be your opponent anymore."

With that, Uchiha Dan struggled to force himself upright and dragged his exhausted steps out of the ward, leaving behind only an incomparably lonely silhouette.

Uchiha Dan had conceded, decisively and without hesitation.

Yet Tsunade could not feel happy at all.

Had she really won?

No. This time, she had lost even more thoroughly.

When she had been completely crushed in Medical Arts and talent, could winning solely because she had more Chakra count as a victory?

Tsunade did not acknowledge such a victory.

Although the treatment had lasted a full half hour, Uchiha Dan had actually spent less than three minutes performing the treatment.

The reason it had taken so long was because he had been forbidden from training since childhood. The amount of Chakra in his body was pitifully low, forcing him to stop and rest midway through.

If he had truly been allowed to train, then even if the amount of Chakra in Uchiha Dan's body had only reached the level of a Special Jonin, no one else would ever hold the title of the ninja world's number one Medical Ninja.

At that moment, Tsunade was confused.

Why had her Second Grandfather, even on the verge of death, still remembered to issue the order forbidding Uchiha Dan from training?

It had directly resulted in a perfectly good medical genius being forcibly snuffed out like this.

Tsunade had never looked deeply into the matter before. In her eyes, Second Grandfather must have had his reasons for doing things.

He clearly possessed unparalleled talent, yet Chakra limitations prevented him from using many Medical Ninjutsu. It had to be called a tragedy.

Back in his office, Uchiha Dan spread out his senses to feel the changes in Tsunade's emotions, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

As long as I put on a convincing enough act, I refuse to believe you won't feel sorry for me.

Uchiha Dan had spent three full years planning this round, guiding Tsunade step by step into feeling what she felt now.

After fighting each other for five whole years, Uchiha Dan understood Tsunade's personality very well.

Tsunade was someone who valued loyalty and sentiment, and she was also deeply compassionate.

Though Tsunade at this age was somewhat competitive, she would not be like Hiruzen Sarutobi, jealous of the worthy and envious of the capable.

On the contrary, Tsunade placed great importance on talent.

At this time, Tsunade still had a strong sense of belonging toward Konoha. She wished there were more extraordinarily gifted Medical Ninjas like Uchiha Dan.

So, she did not want to see Uchiha Dan forced to squander such talent.

After being at each other's throats for so long, although the two of them had always been like needles meeting wheat awns, it would be a lie to say they did not care at all.

Come on, sympathize with me without holding back. My hope of escaping now rests on you.

Your Second Grandfather screwed me over so badly back then, so it's perfectly reasonable for me to use you to help me, right?

If you can really do it, then at worst, I'll provoke you a few fewer times in the future.

Uchiha Dan was in a great mood, but Tsunade's mood was anything but.

After returning to the Senju Clan Estate, Tsunade looked utterly dejected.

Uzumaki Mito was elegantly brewing tea in the courtyard corridor. Seeing Tsunade like this was rare, and she smiled as she asked, "Little Tsunade, what's wrong? Did you lose to that Uchiha brat again?"

Tsunade shook her head and said gloomily, "I won!"

"It's fine even if you lost... Huh?" Uzumaki Mito had just been about to comfort her when she suddenly caught on. "Then why do you look even sadder than if you'd lost?"

Tsunade had always lost before, so Uzumaki Mito had long since grown used to it. Hearing that she had won instead left her surprised.

"I'd rather have lost!"

Tsunade became even more depressed and told her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, everything that had happened today in full detail.

"You're saying that the Medical Ninjutsu that boy created himself is far more advanced than your Mystical Palm Technique?" Uzumaki Mito, who had seen all manner of storms and waves, immediately sat up straight and asked in utter astonishment.

"I saw it with my own eyes. How could it be fake?" Tsunade said listlessly.

"Can someone truly possess such talent?" Uzumaki Mito sat back down again and fell silent.