Tsunade

The next day, with no missions assigned, Shinichi left for his morning training at four as usual.

After finishing, he made his way to Konoha Hospital as always, beginning another day of internship.

Over two months of study, he had gained a great deal. Not only had his precise control over chakra improved further, but he had also mastered two C-rank medical ninjutsu—Hemostasis Technique and Healing Technique—as well as the B-rank Delicate Illness Extraction Technique.

This pace of progress led the hospital's senior staff to sigh in admiration, calling him "a true genius."

After all, many people needed two or three years of study to grasp these techniques; Shinichi's performance was already exceptional.

As for the higher-level Mystical Palm Technique and Chakra Scalpel, Shinichi had yet to touch them—these two were rarely mastered even within the hospital, belonging to the advanced tier.

At noon, after treating several patients' injuries, Shinichi was about to head for lunch when a loud, casual voice suddenly rang out from down the corridor:

"I heard the hospital recently got a talented young man! And who do I find? It's you, kid!"

Shinichi turned at the sound. A tall, blonde woman with a striking presence stood not far away, arms crossed as she sized him up. She was statuesque, wearing a traditional tea-green top and dark trousers, with a light outer robe over them. Her golden hair fell to her shoulders, and the pale blue diamond mark on her forehead was conspicuous.

Tsunade!

"So you're Higashino Shinichi?" Tsunade walked over, her tone straightforward, her gaze carrying a mix of scrutiny and curiosity. "That little Shizune has been going on about you all day—'Shinichi's amazing,' 'Shinichi's a genius,' 'Shinichi developed an incredible jutsu'—my ears are practically calloused. Finally get to see the real deal."

You're the one who rarely shows up, Shinichi thought to himself.

In the two-plus months he'd been studying at the hospital, he'd expected to meet this legendary Sannin sooner, but hadn't crossed paths with her even once.

Later, from the occasional gossip and sighs of other doctors and nurses, he learned that Tsunade had rarely visited the hospital in recent years. She only appeared when faced with extremely difficult, otherwise untreatable critical injuries.

After finishing, she would leave in a hurry, as if something in the hospital disgusted her so much she couldn't bear to stay a moment longer.

Shinichi understood. After the successive, tragic deaths of her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan Katō, Tsunade had developed hemophobia.

As time passed after the war, the images of losing those she loved—scenes drenched in blood—haunted her like an inescapable nightmare, tormenting her day and night. This made it increasingly hard for her to face illness, blood, and the capriciousness of life and death.

Thus, she chose to stay away from the hospital, the place most likely to trigger painful memories. In a few more years, her inner wounds and deepening hemophobia would drive her to leave Konoha with Shizune, beginning a long, aimless journey of wandering and escape.

His thoughts raced, but his face betrayed nothing. Shinichi replied with respect, neither overly humble nor proud: "It's an honor to meet you, Lady Tsunade."

"You know me, kid?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

"Yes. Shizune... also often mentions you," Shinichi answered calmly.

"Alright, so what does Shizune say about me?"

"Well..."

Shinichi's face showed a hint of appropriate hesitation, his gaze shifting slightly as if choosing his words.

"Hmph!" Tsunade snorted, a knowing look on her face. "That little brat definitely doesn't have anything good to say about me."

Shinichi just smiled faintly and didn't respond. Fortunately, Tsunade didn't dwell on it.

Her gaze returned to him, appraising him from head to toe.

The young man before her was indeed plain in appearance, but strangely, when he stood there, he naturally exuded a comforting and trustworthy aura.

This quality was so at odds with his youthful looks that even Tsunade, who usually paid little attention to such things, found him oddly... agreeable.

Then she got to the point, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry: "You're quite the famous genius. Instead of rushing off to train after missions, why do you come to the hospital, burying yourself in learning these medical ninjutsu?"

"You flatter me, Lady Tsunade." Shinichi remained neither servile nor arrogant, answering clearly and logically: "In my view, studying medical ninjutsu is itself an excellent form of training. It demands extreme precision in chakra control, making it a perfect way to hone that skill."

"Furthermore, a deep understanding of human anatomy, meridian flow, and bodily reactions greatly benefits my taijutsu and ninjutsu practice. And of course, as a ninja, having some medical knowledge might, in a critical moment, give a comrade a better chance of survival—that's also an important consideration."

"Sounds like you've thought it through." Tsunade nodded noncommittally, pressing further, "So tell me, what exactly have you learned in these two months?"

"In terms of medical theory and diagnosis, I've studied basic pathology identification, standard treatment procedures for common injuries, and the preliminary use of various medical tools under the guidance of seniors." Shinichi listed, his tone practical. "As for medical ninjutsu itself, I'm still at the entry level. For now, I've learned Hemostasis Technique, Healing Technique, and the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique."

"You've mastered the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique too?" Tsunade's eyes flickered with surprise, and she took another look at him.

That B-rank medical ninjutsu demanded extremely fine and stable chakra control—it was no easy feat to learn in a short time.

"So Shizune's constant talk of you being a genius isn't entirely nonsense. Not bad. Keep up the good work, kid."

With that, she seemed to lose interest in further conversation. Casually, she raised a hand and patted Shinichi's shoulder—not lightly—then turned and strode away without hesitation. The whole interaction felt spontaneous, as if she had simply passed by on a whim and decided to chat.

In truth, even Tsunade wasn't sure why she had taken the initiative to speak with this young man she only knew from Shizune's chatter.

Maybe it was because Shizune mentioned him so often that curiosity had sparked.

Or maybe it was just that, at first glance, this plain-looking young man was unexpectedly agreeable.

Just then, a young nurse named Izumiko, carrying a clipboard, hurried over with obvious curiosity and a smile on her face.

"That was... Lady Tsunade just now? She actually spoke to you first?" Izumiko lowered her voice, eyes sparkling with gossipy interest.

"Yeah." Shinichi nodded, his tone ordinary. "Lady Tsunade asked about my studies at the hospital."

"Not bad, little Shinichi!" Izumiko nudged him lightly with her elbow, her smile carrying a familiar teasing edge. "No wonder you're the man I like—even Lady Tsunade is looking out for you."

Shinichi could only offer a helpless, wry smile and shake his head, not taking the bait.

He knew Izumiko was lively and loved to joke; the best response was to let her have her fun.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you." Izumiko knew when to quit, her expression turning serious, though the amusement in her eyes lingered. "But seriously, being noticed by Lady Tsunade is a good thing. She may not come around much these days, but her eye is top-notch. Keep it up, future great doctor!"

She smiled, patted Shinichi's shoulder, then turned lightly and hummed a tuneless song as she went back to work.

The corridor fell quiet again. Shinichi glanced in the direction Tsunade had gone, then after a moment, withdrew his gaze and headed toward the cafeteria.

The brief exchange just now was like a pebble dropped into the still lake of his mind—ripples spread, then slowly settled back into calm.