Tsunade's Shock

"Hold on, wait a second! Are you a medical ninja, kid? Don't you even know the common sense that animal organs are incompatible with human bodies? You're going to get someone killed!"

Kimura Takuya turned his head to look outside, taking in the familiar style and the towering peaks.

It was none other than Senju Tsunade.

Standing outside the shop, Tsunade had shouted to stop the two of them, but she didn't step inside, remaining firmly on the street.

She had just sent Shizune to post a mission to find the five-man merchant caravan.

Because she didn't really want to see the Third Hokage, she had come out to the streets to look around first.

She hadn't expected to run into this scene.

Driven by her professional ethics, she suppressed her discomfort with the butcher shop and spoke up to reprimand Kimura Takuya.

"Big sister, who are you? Don't think that just because you're... well-endowed, you can talk nonsense. In Konoha, no one understands medical ninjutsu better than me! Even if Lady Tsunade were here, I'd say the same thing!"

"Damn it! You brat, you're just a newly graduated ninja—your forehead protector is so shiny it's obvious you've barely worn it! How dare you say such things? Do you even know who I am?"

Tsunade was infuriated beyond measure by Kimura Takuya's words.

Ignoring her fear of the blood in the butcher shop, she stormed in and grabbed Kimura Takuya by the collar.

At this moment, Kimura Takuya was only twelve years old and about 1.5 meters tall, so he was hoisted up to the chest level of the 1.63-meter-tall Tsunade.

His line of sight was perfectly positioned to take in the view from the summit.

"Miss, please don't treat Takuya-kun like that, or I won't be so polite."

Oda Lang drew a kunai with his single arm, watching Tsunade with vigilance.

The latter noticed that the wound on Oda Lang's severed arm was clean, clearly caused by some tool cutting at high temperatures.

Yet, strangely, there were no typical burn scars.

It was as if the wound had been sealed, just like a seal.

As long as that high-temperature cut surface was removed, the arm-reattachment surgery could begin immediately.

It was simply incredible.

It was like a miracle.

Yes, a miracle!

Yesterday, when Shizune mentioned that genius medical ninja, it seemed that before saving the female ninja, he had used some kind of ninjutsu that generated high heat to treat a ninja with a severed arm.

Could it be this very ninja with the severed arm?

Was this arrogant brat the genius medical ninja?

Thinking of this, Tsunade finally let go, her eyes locked on Kimura Takuya.

"Are you Kimura Takuya?"

"Oh? You know me too? That's right, I am the greatest genius medical ninja in the history of Konoha, bar none. Even if Tsunade came here, she'd have to beg to be my apprentice!"

Kimura Takuya's tone was arrogant and overbearing, his expression dismissive; he was truly acting wild beyond measure.

This was a complete departure from his usual steady demeanor.

There was, of course, a reason for him to deliberately act this way in front of Tsunade.

Although Kimura Takuya's current medical ninjutsu had, to a certain extent, surpassed Tsunade's, that was only in terms of individual healing. Furthermore, Tsunade knew far more than just medical ninjutsu.

Strength of a Hundred, the Yin Seal, and the summoning scroll for the Slug Sage were all excellent things.

Tsunade had always been someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. If he had asked her to teach him medical ninjutsu directly, she surely would have refused.

He had no choice but to put on a show.

A genius medical ninja of Konoha who was a wicked brat and was attempting to walk down a crooked path.

As a senior in Konoha and the founder of Konoha's medical ninjutsu, would she be able to stand by and watch without wanting to discipline him?

Sure enough, Tsunade's mouth twisted in anger at the comment about her having to beg to be his apprentice.

"Brat, I think you don't know what's good for you!"

"What's the matter? You aren't even wearing a ninja forehead protector, so who exactly are you? Don't tell me you're just another one of Lady Tsunade's fan girls?"

Tsunade froze upon hearing this.

That's right.

Who was she, really?

By what right was she lecturing him here?

Having wandered for many years, she hadn't worn a forehead protector in a long time, as it would reveal her identity.

Furthermore, she had no desire to lead anyone anymore; the cruelty of the ninja world had left her physically and mentally exhausted.

She had long since grown weary of the life of a ninja.

That was why she rarely returned to Konoha over the years. Even when she did, she only came to collect money, and she would have Shizune enter the village to retrieve it while she herself refused to set foot inside.

She only returned to the village this time because Tonton had an accident; otherwise, she probably never would have come back at all.

Tsunade, her gaze somewhat dejected, heard the final remark and her eyes flickered.

"Young man, are you also an admirer of Lady Tsunade?"

"Huh? No, why would I admire someone like that?"

"Indeed, she has been away from Konoha for so long, it wouldn't be a stretch to say she's a rogue ninja."

Nice, Oda Lang was providing the perfect assist. Kimura Takuya gave him a mental thumbs-up.

Yet, he showed nothing on his face and continued to speak.

"She clearly had the responsibility, as well as the talent and ability to match it."

"Yet she walked away, not even returning when the Fourth Hokage passed away."

"If she had been in Konoha at that time, many people wouldn't have died."

"But she just happened to be absent! My parents—"

Kimura Takuya stopped mid-sentence, controlling his tear ducts to secrete just a hint of moisture before pulling it back at the perfect moment.

He then took a deep breath, as if skipping over something unpleasant, and continued.

"In the end, she still didn't rush back. If she had returned, the village wouldn't have had to force the Third Hokage, an elderly man, to come out of retirement."

Tsunade looked at the boy before her; she was, of course, aware of the events Kimura Takuya was describing.

The death of the Fourth Hokage and his wife was a major event—how could it possibly be kept secret?

Even though she was wandering abroad and her information was not up to date, she had heard whispers. She even knew that because of such incidents, Konoha had lost two of its top-tier combatants.

At that time, Master Sarutobi had certainly sent people to recall her.

But during that period, she had even deliberately transformed into a child, constantly evading the ninjas sent to find her.

Even when the Third Hokage managed to track her location several times, she had dodged those sent to retrieve her every single time.

Like a child who didn't want to go home, she had been running away from everything.

Because of this, the Third Hokage eventually gave up on trying to bring her back.

That incident must have been truly severe; even the Hokage had died in battle, and the casualties among the common people must have been heavy.

Judging by this child's age, he must be an orphan of that very event.

No wonder, no wonder he looked down on her so much.

"Perhaps she had her own hidden reasons. Not everyone can endure the cold-blooded cruelty of the ninja world."

Tsunade offered a slight defense for herself, her expression desolate.

She dared not look at Kimura Takuya again.

"Maybe, but that has nothing to do with me. I only need to become the strongest ninja, then lead Konoha to flatten the other ninja villages, and make everyone feel my pain. That way, there will be no more war!"

Kimura Takuya put on the appearance of a warmonger who believed in ending war through slaughter and conflict.

His young face was filled with murderous intent, looking even more chuunibyou than Nagato.

"Baka! War only brings about greater war. Your way of thinking is far too dangerous!"

Tsunade looked at the boy before her in shock; he actually wanted to ignite a new Great Ninja War!

Did he even know what war was?

As someone who had personally experienced two Great Ninja Wars.

Both her lover and her younger brother had died in the flames of war.

Tsunade loathed war with every fiber of her being.

Kimura Takuya's declaration caused her gaze toward the boy to shift from soft to sharp.

No, she had to change his way of thinking!