Mystical Palm Technique

Without further hesitation, Xing Ran placed his hands on Junpei's back wound, simultaneously pulling out the kunai fragment with a clean motion.

After a period of internal bleeding in his lungs, the accumulated pressure was released the moment the kunai was removed, causing a splatter of blood that was quite impactful. However, it was quickly alleviated by Xing Ran's Healing Technique.

It just wasn't enough.

Junpei's complexion grew even paler, a clear sign of excessive blood loss. Xing Ran watched the slowly healing wound before him, a fine sweat breaking out on his forehead. The Healing Technique's recovery speed was too slow. If the bleeding wound couldn't be stopped quickly, Junpei would still be in danger. The only difference was that with Medical Ninjutsu alleviating it, he wouldn't die as painfully.

Mystical Palm Technique!

This was a ninjutsu more powerful and far more difficult to learn than basic healing ninjutsu. Its principle was the same as the Healing Technique: accelerating cell proliferation to rapidly heal wounds. However, while this technique possessed greater power, the chakra circulation within the user was more complex, and it heavily tested the user's medical skill. If not controlled properly, excessive proliferation in a localized area could lead to malformed wounds, affecting the patient's quality of life, or in severe cases, directly deplete the vitality of the recipient's local body, potentially causing premature aging.

The reason ninjas didn't have long peak periods and most didn't meet a good end was because they sustained too many injuries in their youth, damaging their core essence and prematurely depleting too much life force.

One had to remember that the average lifespan in the Warring States period was only 30 years, precisely because medical ninjas back then were not systematized; many were like quacks. This phenomenon only began to form a system with the establishment of Konohagakure and the continuous efforts of several generations of the Senju Clan, finally reaching Tsunade's generation. In just this short period of change, many individuals in the ninja world had already lived long lives.

Xing Ran had actually felt confident he could use the Mystical Palm Technique from the moment he discovered he could use the Healing Technique. However, he had never formally studied medical knowledge. From Nonō's notes, it was clear that someone who could simply use the Mystical Palm Technique without understanding practical medical knowledge was essentially only good at knocking people unconscious. Improper treatment often backfired. Naruto's higher-level Six Paths Yang Release healing was an exception; that was cheating, akin to someone who completely lacked knowledge of the human body and couldn't read getting a martial arts manual and becoming invincible. It couldn't be explained by common sense.

But now was not the time to worry about post-treatment quality of life. Even localized aging was better than losing one's life.

The glow from Xing Ran's hands intensified. His powerful mind controlled his body, naturally and precisely switching the Healing Technique to the Mystical Palm Technique.

The powerful ninjutsu seemed exceptionally miraculous at this moment. Junpei's wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye: stopping the bleeding, healing local organs, scab formation...

The entire healing process was completed in just a few minutes, like watching a sped-up video.

Up to the scab formation stage, Xing Ran quickly stopped his actions. Nonō's notes mentioned a small trick for beginners in emergency situations to save lives quickly: stop after stopping the bleeding and then use physical bandaging and medication for the final treatment. This minimized the depletion of the patient's life force. While saving their life, it could also conserve life force to some extent when combined with medication, although the recovery speed would be slower.

This was also why, in the original story, despite having such powerful Medical Ninjutsu, people still needed to use medication and bandages after getting injured. Who wouldn't want to be resurrected at full health with a burst of holy light after getting hurt?

He didn't know if other enemies would appear, and they still had to travel. Even if he had the conditions to bandage Junpei, movement could reopen the wound that had just stopped bleeding. Therefore, Xing Ran had brought it to the point of scab formation. With gauze and bandages, even if they had to fight later, Junpei wouldn't be completely incapacitated.

"Hoo—That's good. This guy's tough. Besides a slight fever, he won't die for now. Let's hurry back to the village." Ten minutes later, Xing Ran let out a heavy sigh. The Healing Technique had taken too long to heal him. Now that everything was done, this was no place to linger. Slinging Junpei over his shoulder, the two quickly vanished into the quiet woods.

In the natural world of this realm, the animals seemed full of spirit. Some lucky animals could even become beast ninjas after mastering chakra. Not long after Xing Ran and Yamaki Atsushi, two ninjas exuding an aura of menace, left, the quiet woods regained their sounds. Small animals emerged from somewhere, reclaiming the area. The world seemed to return to its normal course. No matter how fierce the battles of the ninjas, the world continued on its own path, marching forward with the passage of time.

As the sun set, Konohagakure was about to be enveloped by the glow of countless lights. After several days of hardship, the three-person envoy to the Land of Earth, covered in grime, finally returned.

After escorting Junpei to Konoha Hospital, Yamaki Atsushi bid farewell to Xing Ran. He still had to report to the Hokage to complete his mission. Thus, Xing Ran walked alone on the streets heading home.

The tense mission and travel were over, and he had finally entered the safe confines of Konohagakure. Suddenly transitioning from the brutal reality of life and death to the peaceful and leisurely atmosphere of Konoha, Xing Ran watched children in a small park saying goodbye to each other, preparing to go home for dinner, and felt a sudden sense of daze.

No wonder those who had truly experienced the battlefield craved a world of peace so desperately. Even if it was just a small corner of the world where children could grow up to taste fine wine, it was the goal that these heroes tirelessly strived for.

"Let's go have a big meal." A soft sigh echoed from the increasingly deserted street.

His home was just around the corner. He could even hear the hearty laughter of Yamanaka Hai Yi teasing little Ino; Hai Yi was back.

But Xing Ran stopped as he reached this point. Having suddenly transitioned from intense stress to such a peaceful environment, the emotional fluctuations made him lose the mood to go home and eat instant noodles. He no longer had to worry about the cost of food and firewood, so he should treat himself well. As for asking Hai Yi for advice, he could wait until tomorrow. What he needed now was relaxation.

His former comrades, who had been wiped out, hadn't been close because Xing Ran always felt like he was holding them back. However, although he had only known Junpei for a few days, the sincere concern and Junpei's usually somewhat carefree personality had laid a good foundation for their relationship.

What happened today was not a big deal in the vast ninja world, but it had been quite a shock for Xing Ran. Xing Ran didn't care about the seemingly grand Will of Fire, but sometimes, experiencing someone he had a bond with nearly dying made him more interested in becoming strong, specifically, a strong medical ninja.

PS: Many thanks to the book friend Guda Zi for their help. I recently discovered some typos in the earlier chapters, so I'll review and correct them later.