Several of them arrived at the edge of an open clearing.
Tsunade set the fish basket on the ground and looked down at the fish inside, which were still flicking their tails.
"Here will do."
She lightly stomped her foot.
With a muffled thud, the ground seemed to tremble.
The water in the fish basket rippled along with it. The lively fish rolled over, exposing their white bellies. Their mouths opened and closed, their tails stopped moving, and only their gill covers still fluttered faintly.
Rin, Shizune, and Red were all stunned.
"Lady Tsunade," Rin asked softly, "are they dead?"
"Not yet." Tsunade crouched down and picked up a fish. "They still have one breath left. Your task is to save them before they stop breathing."
She shoved the fish into Rin's hands.
Rin caught it in a fluster. The fish was slippery and nearly fell to the ground. She held it with both hands, not knowing where to put it.
"Chakra," Tsunade said. "The foundation of medical Ninjutsu is Chakra control. Send your Chakra into the fish's body and awaken its vitality. If you can do that, it means you have the potential to become a medical Ninja."
Shizune and Red exchanged glances. Each picked up a fish, closed their eyes, and began trying in earnest.
The clearing fell quiet.
Tsunade stood to the side with her arms folded, watching the three girls nervously exert themselves over the fish.
Rin's face had turned bright red. Shizune pressed her lips together without saying a word. Red frowned at the fish in her hands as though staring at it long enough would make it come back to life on its own.
Tsunade watched for a while, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. This was not something five-year-olds could accomplish. She