"Failed."
Watching Shirozumi disappear around the corner, Naruto and Konohamaru dispelled their Transformation Jutsu and slumped together, dejected.
"At least we got a consolation prize. Konohamaru, come on. I'll treat you to ramen."
Naruto looked at the bills in his hand, his spirits lifting again.
"Forget it, Naruto. I have to go home for dinner."
Konohamaru, however, wasn't happy at all.
After all, he usually had plenty of pocket money, so he didn't care much for the little bit Kurotsuchi had given them.
After parting ways with Konohamaru, Naruto set off with the money, planning to treat himself to a deluxe bowl of ramen at Ichiraku Ramen.
Halfway there, someone stopped him.
"Young man, the ninjutsu you used just now showed me your exceptional talent..."
"Who are you?"
Naruto, eager for ramen, glared at the man blocking his way.
"Good question. I am the legendary Three Legendary Sannin, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku—"
Shirozumi knew nothing about Naruto meeting Jiraiya earlier than expected.
Of course, he wouldn't have cared even if he had known.
He and Konan had come to Konoha with just two main goals.
One was to bring Orochimaru back into the organization.
The other was to acquire some of Konoha's "resources."
Beyond that, they were helping their allies, Kurotsuchi and Mei Terumi, use the Chunin Ninja Exams for some training.
Kurotsuchi took Shirozumi and Mei Terumi to her residence.
As the Mizukage, Kurotsuchi and Mei Terumi naturally had the finest accommodations.
Once inside, Kurotsuchi began undressing.
After taking off her top and leaving only her undershirt, she pulled a bottle from her pocket and tossed it to Shirozumi.
"You want me to apply it?"
Shirozumi caught the bottle and opened it. A herbal scent wafted out.
"Oh, right. I just remembered you know Medical Ninjutsu. Go ahead, then."
Kurotsuchi had misunderstood. She turned around, took the bottle back, and sat on the desk, presenting her backside to Shirozumi.
"Medical Ninjutsu?"
Mei Terumi looked at Shirozumi in surprise.
She'd never seen him in action. Hearing Kurotsuchi say this, she wondered if Shirozumi was a Medical Ninja.
"Yeah. The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki's skin got burned by Tailed Beast Chakra, but he just touched it and healed her.
His Medical Ninjutsu is so much better than even the best Medical Ninja in Iwagakure."
After explaining to Mei Terumi, Kurotsuchi glanced back at Shirozumi in confusion. "What's wrong? Why aren't you doing anything?"
"I don't think I've ever said I was a Medical Ninja."
Shirozumi smiled helplessly, took the bottle back from Kurotsuchi, poured some ointment into his palm, and pressed it against her lower back, starting to apply it.
"Ah!"
Kurotsuchi shivered when Shirozumi pressed his hand against her, but she didn't seem bothered by the touch. Instead, she asked, puzzled, "You're not a Medical Ninja? Then how did you treat the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"I repaired Fū's body. If I'd been there when you were injured, I could've healed you right away, too. But I can't do that now."
As he explained, Shirozumi finished applying the ointment to Kurotsuchi, then held out his hand.
"What?"
Kurotsuchi was still trying to figure out what he meant by "repaired." She saw his gesture but didn't understand.
"Clean bandages. You don't carry any with you?"
"Oh, right, I do. They're over there. Mizukage, could you grab them?"
Kurotsuchi pointed to a small bag she'd left at the edge of the desk, then reached for it. When she found she couldn't reach, she had to ask Mei Terumi for help.
Mei Terumi got up, went over, picked up the bag, and handed it to Shirozumi.
After Shirozumi finished dressing the wound, Kurotsuchi put her clothes back on and patted her lower back. "This should be the last time I need to change the dressing. It's almost healed."
Then Kurotsuchi sighed, "I wish Iwagakure had a Medical Ninja like Tsunade."
As the pinnacle of Medical Ninjas in the shinobi world, Tsunade had not only powerful support abilities, but also, most importantly, a wealth of knowledge and techniques to pass on.
Every named jutsu in Medical Ninjutsu was difficult to master.
The Mystical Palm Technique was an A-rank jutsu that required precise Chakra control. It was as hard to learn as the Rasengan.
The only other kind was the ordinary Medical Ninja's technique that made their hands glow green. It could only provide support, like stopping bleeding or keeping someone alive.
If Medical Ninjas could heal people as easily as priests in an online game, the great shinobi villages wouldn't need hospitals at all.
Even after Medical Ninjas treated injuries like Kurotsuchi and Mei Terumi's, other forms of treatment were still needed.
"That gives me an idea. What do you think about setting up an advanced shinobi academy?"
Shirozumi stroked his chin as he spoke.
"Advanced? Academy?"
Mei Terumi and Kurotsuchi exchanged a glance.
Before, they would certainly have questioned whether Shirozumi's idea was practical.
But now, Shirozumi had already... educated them.
The shinobi village system and the Ninja Academy system were both things they'd copied from Konoha. Why couldn't they come up with new systems themselves and let Konoha copy them?
Just like their current system of centralized military and political power under a single Kage: Kumogakure had already copied it quite successfully. If Konoha didn't want to be left behind, it would eventually have to change, too.
"Tell us more."
Mei Terumi looked at Shirozumi expectantly. Her clothes were partly undone, exposing the bandages wrapped from her shoulder down her back. She took out a box of ointment, inviting him to apply some for her while he explained.
Shirozumi unwrapped Mei Terumi's bandages and gauze, explaining as he spread on the ointment:
"The Ninja Academy as it exists now is basically meant to give children who know nothing the most basic qualities of a shinobi, raising the ceiling for Genin. But that's as far as it goes.
"The advanced academy I have in mind would raise the ceiling for Jonin—or, more broadly, for talented shinobi.
"After leaving the Ninja Academy, a Genin who wants to grow stronger either trains alone, relies on guidance from their Jonin leader, or gets lucky and finds another teacher.
"If they aren't lucky, they can only keep studying the basics.
"There's a saying: good horses are common, but good judges of horses are rare.
"A Genin with a talent for Medical Ninjutsu who follows a Jonin skilled in Fire Release will have that talent go unnoticed for quite some time, barring some unexpected event.
"Of course, sooner or later, their talent will show.
"But once they reach Jonin, they'll run into another bottleneck.
"Just like Kurotsuchi said, there are some things no one can teach them.
"So, let's look at it another way.
"If we could get Tsunade to teach Medical Ninjas...
"She wouldn't have to take these students on as disciples and pass on everything she knows. Even just seriously teaching them some of her knowledge would be better than the situations I described.
"That could help both young geniuses whose talents have gone unnoticed and Jonin who've been stuck at the same level for a long time."
By the time he finished speaking, Shirozumi had rebandaged Mei Terumi's wound and even helped her pull her clothes back up.
"There shouldn't be any problem between us. It would just mean expanding the scope of the 'Inter-mutual Alliance.' We'd help each other with economic development, and add mutual assistance in the exchange of ninjutsu.
"But what about Konoha in the Land of Fire? They haven't joined us. Would Tsunade, the woman you mentioned, choose to pass on her knowledge to us, her enemies?"
Mei Terumi had raised the key question.
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