Tsunade: You'll Have to Impress Me

"Is that really true? If Mikoto hadn't told me, who knows how long you would've kept it from me?"

Looking at Kushina with her cheeks puffed out, Qingshui smiled and didn't explain any further.

He and Kushina had known each other for several years, and he knew she wasn't really angry.

Sure enough, the next second, Kushina smiled too and slapped Qingshui on the shoulder with a carefree laugh.

"I can't believe you're so talented at Medical Ninjutsu, Qingshui!"

Just as Qingshui and Kushina were chatting, a nurse knocked on the door, interrupting them.

"Hirakawa-sama, another patient has arrived. Sorry for the trouble, but could you come take a look?"

"I know. I'll be right there."

Seeing this, Kushina stood up too. "All right, I won't take up any more of your precious time, you busy man."

After leaving Konoha Hospital, Kushina soon returned to the Senju Clan Compound.

It was just about lunchtime.

At the dining table.

Uzumaki Mito sat at the head of the table, with Tsunade and Kushina seated on either side of her.

Mito was also a member of the Uzumaki Clan, but she had married the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, long ago. Later, she became the Nine-Tails' first Jinchuriki.

Tsunade was the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama and Mito, as well as a student of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Her Medical Ninjutsu was exceptional. No one in the Ninja World would dare claim to be second to her.

But ever since the Second Shinobi World War, Tsunade, who had earned the title of Konoha Sannin, seemed like a different person.

She spent all day gambling and rarely went to Konoha Hospital anymore.

Still, she came home for lunch on time every day.

The vast Senju Clan Compound was home to just the three of them eating together.

That was because the Senju Clan had long since been completely absorbed into Konoha.

Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, should have been there too, but he had died in the Second Shinobi World War after a trap of Explosive Tags blew him up.

"Lord Tsunade, do you know what I saw at Konoha Hospital today?"

"Qingshui is a Medical Ninja now, and he even treated Mikoto. He's actually a genius at Medical Ninjutsu!"

Mito and Tsunade were both surprised to hear this.

Kushina would become Konoha's second Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, so she was important.

That was why they paid close attention to her social circle.

They naturally knew the Qingshui Kushina was talking about.

They had thought he was just an ordinary civilian Ninja. But he had an extraordinary talent for Medical Ninjutsu?

"You're sure you mean that little Hirakawa Aosui?"

Tsunade asked without thinking, unable to believe it.

She remembered that a year ago, Kushina had asked her to help guide Hirakawa Aosui.

But at the time, she was still consumed by grief. And since Hirakawa Aosui had shown only average talent up to then, she'd refused outright.

And now, just one year later, the kid could perform medical procedures on his own?

If it was true, his talent was every bit as good as hers had been.

"Who else could I mean?" Kushina replied with a smile.

Because of what she'd experienced as a child, she hated war and cherished her family and friends.

So whenever she could, she did her best to help them.

Of course, Kushina had gone to Tsunade in the hope that this might help her pull herself together again.

Two birds with one stone.

"So, Lord Tsunade, you won't refuse to guide Qingshui this time, right?"

Uzumaki Mito, who had been quiet until then, spoke up too. "Tsunade, you haven't been to Konoha Hospital in a long time."

Mito understood Kushina's intentions perfectly and supported her.

She didn't want Tsunade to remain lost in grief forever, either.

With Mito joining in, and since this was only a matter of guidance, not taking on a student, Tsunade couldn't easily refuse again.

But she still didn't want to agree.

She couldn't get past the obstacle in her heart.

"How about this? I'll go to Konoha Hospital tomorrow. If the kid really is as impressive as you say, I don't mind giving him a few pointers."

In the end, Tsunade compromised.

She was only going to take a look. She didn't believe someone who'd always seemed so ordinary could actually be a genius Medical Ninja.

Although Kushina said Hirakawa Aosui had treated Uchiha Mikoto, he had probably just assisted.

"That's great!"

Seeing Tsunade finally give in, Kushina was delighted.

Once she'd made one concession, there'd be a second and a third.

Seeing this, Tsunade quickly emphasized again:

"Only if his talent impresses me. And even if I am impressed, I'll only give him pointers!"

Inside Konoha Hospital.

Qingshui naturally knew nothing about what was happening at the Senju Clan Compound.

He was performing a medical procedure.

A middle-aged Genin had injured his left eye while carrying out a mission.

People in his previous life often said that a Ninja's eyes were plug-and-play.

But that wasn't quite true.

Only someone with an exceptionally powerful healing ability could do that.

When an ordinary Ninja injured an eye, it needed to be treated promptly, or it could leave lasting complications.

Still, this was the Ninja World, where eye surgery was indeed much simpler than it had been in his previous life.

Besides, Qingshui knew this middle-aged Genin.

His name was Maruboshi Kosuke.

When he was young, Kosuke had been rashly ambitious and taken charge of a mission. His actions had led to the deaths of two teammates.

So Kosuke had sworn to the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, that he would remain a Genin forever.

Although he was a Genin for life, his actual strength was good enough to make him an elite even among the Jonin.

Qingshui didn't know him because of memories from his previous life.

After all, Kosuke appeared only a few times in the Original Work, and always as an old man, while he was only middle-aged now.

Rather, Qingshui had met him by chance on a mission a few years earlier, not long after graduating.

So Qingshui had immediately chosen to stick close to him.

Kosuke was a Ninja who truly carried on the Will of Fire, so he didn't refuse. He taught Qingshui Konoha Style Swordsmanship.

Ten minutes later, the procedure was successfully completed.

[Treated Maruboshi Kosuke. Reward: one Golden Orb.]

[Congratulations! You have obtained Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet.]

Hearing the system's voice, Qingshui thought that his guess had been right.

He'd suspected that the system judged a patient by their true strength, not their Ninja rank.

"Uncle Kosuke, your injury is all right now. You just need another day or two to recover before you can leave the hospital."

"Sorry for the trouble, Qingshui."

"It's my duty. Besides, if you hadn't taught me swordsmanship, Uncle Kosuke, I might have died in the war."

Qingshui understood his own talent very well. On the battlefield, he would certainly have been among the first cannon fodder to die.

Without Kosuke, he wouldn't be where he was today.

So he meant every word.