Kurama Yakumo's Dream

"Mm."

Sasuke gave a soft hum, and Kurama Yakumo continued, "Sasuke-kun, you once told me that ninjas experience so much slaughter and witness so much death during wars and missions that they develop... well..."

"Right, it's exactly what you called post-traumatic stress disorder. Physical wounds can be healed by medical ninjas, but psychological trauma cannot be cured."

"Physical illness is easy to treat, but mental illness is hard to heal. That is why I want to become the first medical ninja in the village, no..."

"The first medical ninja in the ninja world capable of healing people's hearts and minds."

"Just as you said, Sasuke-kun, everyone is born with a purpose. Perhaps the talent heaven has bestowed upon me is meant for this very task."

Kurama Yakumo said this with a faint smile, her tone calm, yet a flash of unprecedented determination and sanctity crossed her eyes.

Sasuke stared, stunned, a ripple stirring in his heart.

He had not expected that the little girl from the original timeline, who had been so obsessed with becoming a ninja that it birthed a heart-demon, would undergo such a transformation and sprout such a grand dream after knowing him for a few years.

What Kurama Yakumo intended to do was to expand the very profession of a ninja; it was no exaggeration to say she was carving out a new path and founding her own school of thought.

If Kurama Yakumo could truly achieve this, her accomplishments would be in no way inferior to Lady Tsunade, who had perfected the medical system.

And medical ninjas would be divided into two.

Ninjas who understood human anatomy and mastered Yang Release would be physical medical ninjas.

Ninjas who understood human psychology and mastered Yin Release would be mental medical ninjas.

After a moment of silence, Sasuke spoke: "So, you want to leave the village and see the outside world."

"Mm." Kurama Yakumo nodded and said softly, "Sasuke-kun, you once told me that knowledge gained from books is superficial, and one must practice it to truly understand. You spoke of the wisdom in reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles. Since I am determined to become the first mental medical ninja in the ninja world, I naturally must go beyond Konoha to see the world, witness the myriad states of life and the common people, so that I may broaden my horizons, combine theory with practice, and apply what I have learned."

At this point, Kurama Yakumo couldn't help but tease, "Although you always tell me these philosophies come from books, why is it that I have searched through many books in the ninja world and found no such records? Don't tell me you came up with them yourself, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke smiled slightly and explained, "They are indeed learned from books, but the authors of those books are not from this world."

"I see." Kurama Yakumo nodded gently.

She assumed the books Sasuke referred to were written by some deceased ancestor of the Uchiha clan that had yet to be published.

Both fell silent for a while, and then Sasuke said, "Yakumo, although the general trend of the ninja world is peaceful and no wars have broken out, you must still be very careful when traveling."

"Don't worry, I have already told my parents about this, and they are very understanding. In a few days, my uncle will accompany me to see the world outside Konoha."

As she said this, Kurama Yakumo squeezed her small fist and said confidently, "Also, don't underestimate me, Sasuke-kun. I am very strong too!"

Sasuke nodded slightly, signaling his approval.

The uncle Kurama Yakumo mentioned was a retired jonin of the Kurama clan who had nearly died at her hands in the original timeline; Sasuke had met him a few times himself.

As a jonin, his strength was considered top-tier within Konoha.

Moreover, Kurama Yakumo's own strength was formidable. Now that her heart was free of resentment and darkness, filled only with faith and resolve, there was no second personality splitting her innate talent and power.

Coupled with over four years of practicing Yoga, Kurama Yakumo's body was in far better condition than in the original timeline, and the power she could exert was far greater than her original self.

Among her peers, only Sasuke could be considered her rival.

One could even say that some of Konoha's jonin were no match for Kurama Yakumo.

If she encountered a jonin like Kurenai Yuhi or her uncle who specialized in genjutsu, but whose genjutsu was completely countered by her, Yakumo could even kill them in an instant!

Therefore, with her current strength and her uncle's protection, there was basically no danger in the ninja world, provided she did not run into members of the Akatsuki.

"Do your best, Yakumo!"

Sasuke offered a word of encouragement: "I look forward to it, and I believe you will certainly be able to create a brand-new medical system—a medical system belonging to Yin Release ninjas—to fulfill your dream!"

In their four-plus years of knowing each other, Kurama Yakumo was arguably the person in all of Konoha who knew the most about his secrets.

However, there was no youthful, romantic ambiguity between them.

They were friends, and perhaps confidants. As the saying goes, a friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water; it is a bond between wise individuals, plain and simple, without vanity.

That was perhaps the best way to describe their friendship.

Kurama Yakumo covered her mouth and laughed, "Then I thank you for your kind words, Sasuke-kun."

(I am not a Yakumo fanboy, but in the anime, Yakumo is truly that powerful. Her record includes instantly killing two Kurama jonin (her parents) and easily critically injuring one Kurama jonin (her uncle). Even Kurenai Yuhi could only wait for death. One can view Kurama Yakumo as a genjutsu genius who awakened Mangekyo-level abilities from a young age, only held back by her poor health.)

(By the way, let me add that although Kurenai Yuhi had been a jonin for less than half a year, her performance was far better than the three background-character jonin of the Kurama clan. This is a common trait in Naruto; some background jonin have feats worse than genin, usually serving as mere set dressing to showcase the strength of enemies or the protagonist.)

Time flew by, and soon a month had passed.

In March of the 61st year of Konoha, the Ninja Academy welcomed its new class of graduates for the final graduation exam.

This graduation exam was no different from previous years, testing the basic Three Body Technique that Sasuke had already mastered long ago.

"Congratulations, Sasuke. You are the top student of this graduation exam."

After the assessment concluded in the examination room, Iruka handed over a forehead protector with a complex expression.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

Sasuke took the forehead protector and offered his thanks.

Iruka smiled warmly, "Starting tomorrow, you will officially become a ninja. Keep working hard!"

Sasuke's lips curled into a faint arc as he replied, "I will, Iruka-sensei."

"Remember to come back and visit the academy often when you have time, Sasuke."

Mizuki, who was sitting to the side, suddenly spoke up, flashing a sunny smile at Sasuke.

Sasuke gave a faint nod: "I will, Mizuki-sensei."

If you're still around by then, that is.

Mizuki smiled gently and said to Iruka beside him, "Let me personally take Sasuke to the academy archives to register. The top student should always get some special treatment, don't you think?"

Iruka's mouth twitched. Although he didn't agree with Mizuki's claim that the top student deserved special treatment, he couldn't very well refute it in front of Sasuke.

He could only nod slightly: "Alright, then you take Sasuke over there. However, come back as soon as possible; I can't handle everything by myself."

"Don't worry." Mizuki smiled slightly, then beckoned to Sasuke: "Follow me, Sasuke."

The two walked one after the other toward the school archives.

"Next, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Yosh!"

Outside the examination room, Naruto, who had already been restless, let out an excited shout.

Not a moment after hearing his name, he strode into the classroom.

"The examination this time is the Shadow Clone Technique..."

Before Iruka could finish his sentence, he saw Naruto Uzumaki impatiently release the Shadow Clone Technique, creating ten identical clones.

"How was that? How was that? Iruka-sensei, did I pass the exam?"

Iruka revealed a gratified smile, nodded, and said gently:

"Congratulations, Naruto!"