Hikawa looked at Tsunade holding a knife and froze. Was she going to use him as the target of her technique?
They stared at each other, small eyes against big eyes. After several seconds, he gritted his teeth and held out his arm.
"Relax. It won't hurt."
As she spoke, Tsunade used a fruit knife to slice a thin, long wound across the back of his hand.
A faint trickle of blood flowed out.
It hurt a little, but not much.
After all, she was the finest Medical Ninja.
Hikawa suddenly remembered a news story from his previous life about a medical student who slashed someone more than twenty times, yet the injuries had been classified as minor.
"Watch with your eyes, and feel with your heart."
Tsunade raised her hand, pale green Chakra flowing from her palm.
An aura brimming with vitality and life spread through the air.
The wound on the back of Hikawa's hand slowly closed.
"How does it feel?"
Tsunade asked.
"The wound feels a little itchy."
Hikawa answered honestly.
"That's because your cells are multiplying at an accelerated rate."
Tsunade gently held Hikawa's small hand and said, "It may look no different from before, but you've already used up quite a few cells."
"I see."
Hikawa nodded with a serious expression.
"But cell division and proliferation have limits."
Tsunade's tone turned solemn. "The more you use them, the faster you age."
Hikawa thought of her Yin Seal.
After releasing the Yin Seal and combining it with the Strength of a Hundred Sealings Technique, she could rapidly regenerate and heal from any injury automatically.
But excessive use would make her appear aged.
In other words, Medical Ninja had limits.
Only by not being a Medical Ninja could one break through those limits, like the utterly inhuman Hashirama Senju.
He could perform Signless Healing without Hand Seals or side effects, effortlessly achieving the same effect as the Strength of a Hundred Sealings Technique.
"Do you know the three major rules of Medical Ninja?"
Tsunade abruptly changed the subject and asked.
"I do."
Hikawa explained, "They taught us at school."
First, never act on impulse. More precisely, never rush to the front lines.
Second, never give up on treatment unless it was certain that a teammate was already dead.
Third, protect yourself and survive until the end.
Hikawa felt like they were the rules for lying low in a battle royale game.
"No matter what happens, you must survive."
Tsunade reached out and rubbed his head as she cautioned him.
Hikawa found it a little strange, like that classic line from anime: 'When you come back alive, we'll get married.'
"Let's go. We're heading to the hospital."
Tsunade withdrew her hand.
"What are we going to the hospital for?"
Hikawa was slightly stunned and did not react right away.
"What? Are you willing to be the patient?"
Tsunade chuckled. "If you're willing to make the sacrifice, then you can learn at home."
"Then let's go to the hospital."
Hikawa hurriedly shook his head. "That would hurt too much."
"What do you mean?"
Tsunade glared at him. "Did I hurt you just now?"
This was not the time to be so good at catching the important point!
Hikawa coughed and changed the subject. "Will the patients at the hospital let me treat them?"
"If it's just you, of course they won't."
Tsunade said smugly, "But with me involved, they'll definitely be willing to be little white... to receive treatment."
You were about to say lab rats, weren't you?
Hikawa followed her to Konoha Hospital.
Just as she had said, when the patients heard that Tsunade would be treating them, they were overjoyed and willingly became free teaching material.
A day passed quickly.
Hikawa finally experienced the power of the C-Rank Entry, Innate Full Soul.
With the boost from his Yin Style talent, learning genjutsu usually took him only a few minutes.
But after an entire day of learning Medical Ninjutsu, he still had not mastered it.
Aside from Medical Ninjutsu being harder to learn, he also lacked the boost of a Yang Style talent.
But that was fine. He had plenty of time.
Once he learned three Medical Ninjutsu, he could synthesize the C-Rank Entry, Heavenly Strength.
"That's enough for today."
Tsunade glanced at the sunset on the horizon, then at Hikawa, who was sitting in a chair resting and panting heavily.
The consumption of Chakra meant the consumption of Body Energy.
After studying for an entire day, he was naturally exhausted.
"Can you still walk?"
Tsunade unconsciously rubbed her fingers together.
She had not gambled all day, and her hands were getting a little itchy.
"I'll rest for a while."
Hikawa waved his hand. "Teacher, you can go back first."
"No, you can't rest yet."
Tsunade stepped forward, picked him up directly, and said, "We're going to the Casino."
Honestly... that was not surprising in the slightest.
Hikawa buried his face in her chest, breathing in the rich fragrance as he continued resting.
The warm, soft time passed in the blink of an eye.
It was another new day.
Hikawa got up early.
After running two laps through the streets, he turned a corner and entered the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore.
"Number 9527, you've done well!"
The moment Tsuchihashi saw him, he became as excited as if he had seen a relative.
After thinking for a moment, Hikawa understood the reason: Tsunade.
Over the past two days, everyone had learned that he had become Tsunade's student, and Tsuchihashi was naturally no exception.
Besides, as a spy planted by Kumogakure in Konoha, he definitely had other intelligence channels.
"Uncle Tsuchihashi."
Hikawa did not stand on ceremony and asked directly, "Is there a reward?"
"Absolutely!"
Tsuchihashi could barely contain his excitement. "Do you know? You're the highest-ranking spy Kumogakure has had since its founding!"
Hikawa paused. Were the others really that useless?
But upon further thought, it was not that they were useless. The system was simply too powerful.
Other spies could never evade the detection of all kinds of sensory and intelligence ninjutsu.
The Yamanaka Clan's memory extraction technique alone was enough to cut off any path to promotion, let alone infiltrating Konoha High-Ranking.
Of course, there was another reason: geniuses would never be sent out as spies.
Oh, except Shimura Danzō.
"I already sent word back to Kumogakure yesterday. There should be news in a few days, so come by again then."
Tsuchihashi calmed himself and said, "Work hard. The future is yours."
Hikawa was his subordinate. The higher Hikawa climbed, the more Tsuchihashi could benefit and the greater the rewards he would receive from Kumogakure.
"Alright."
With a determined expression, Hikawa said, "For Kumogakure!"
"For Kumogakure!"
Tsuchihashi echoed.
"Um... can I settle the royalties for Taimanin now?"
Hikawa coughed lightly.
"Of course."
Tsuchihashi smiled and took out a bankbook. "These are the royalties from publication until now."
Hikawa opened the bankbook expectantly.
Twelve million ryō!
We're rich!
He had not expected the royalties to amount to one-third of Sarutobi Asuma's bounty.
"I expect to release the middle volume of Taimanin this week. You can look forward to next month's royalties."
Tsuchihashi patted him on the shoulder and asked, "Do you... does that friend of yours have any other ideas?"
"I'll go back and ask."
Hikawa put away the bankbook. "I don't know right now either."
That was indeed the truth.
He still had no idea what to write for his next book.
Before you continue