No, I had to change this boy's way of thinking!
"That's not the right way to think. War only brings endless suffering."
"Young man, how you think is none of my business. You're not my teacher.
I don't care what you think. I'm going to treat the wounded now, so stop getting in my way."
A teacher?
Tsunade's dejected expression shifted, as if she had made up her mind.
"I won't stop you from treating the wounded. I'm only stopping you from hurting people. Carelessly transplanting an animal's arm could cause unknown complications, and in serious cases, it could even kill the injured person!"
"Ugh, you're so annoying. Why are you nagging like an old woman? You look like you know Medical Ninjutsu. How about we make a bet? Whoever loses becomes the other's student. Let's bet on whether I can reattach his arm. You're here anyway, so if anything goes wrong, you can save him."
After putting on an act for so long, Kimura Takuya had finally shown his true colors.
Becoming someone else's student would be so embarrassing. Wouldn't it be great if I made Tsunade become my student instead?
"Fine. Let's see what you can do. But my assistant will be the judge."
"Sure, no problem."
A judge? Was she worried she might have an unexpected bout of hemophobia and something would go wrong?
Kimura Takuya readily agreed.
After waiting a while, Tsunade went out and brought Shizune back.
Shizune was astonished when she saw Kimura Takuya.
She hadn't expected the modest young man she'd met yesterday to be so arrogant as to want Lady Tsunade to become his student.
He might not know Lady Tsunade's identity, but asking a senior to become his student was still incredibly disrespectful.
Hmph. Just wait until he loses. I'll show him what his senior student can do!
They crossed the butcher shop together and entered the small courtyard where the animals were slaughtered.
Tsunade was clearly uncomfortable, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.
In the courtyard, the Ninja Leopard, most of whose bones had been shattered by a kick, was tied up in a corner.
Kimura Takuya told Oda Lang to wait nearby. Then he formed a high-temperature Chakra Scalpel and removed the Ninja Leopard's foreleg.
The Ninja Leopard didn't lose a single drop of blood during the entire process.
Next, he used ninjutsu to drain all the blood from the leopard's leg.
He walked over to Oda Lang and prepared to attach it to his arm.
"Wait a second! You're not even going to give him anesthesia? And you're planning to perform the surgery here?"
"What's the problem? Medical ninjas should be able to work in harsh conditions without being affected!"
That sounded so reasonable that they couldn't argue with it.
Tsunade and Shizune were speechless.
Oda Lang, on the other hand, acted as if this were perfectly normal. What was there to be speechless about?
Yesterday, he'd performed surgery by the side of the road!
Now that it had come to it, Oda Lang let Kimura Takuya do as he pleased and didn't waste time arguing.
Kimura Takuya used the Flesh Substitution Technique, first severing the pain nerves at the stump.
Then he closed off the blood vessels there and removed the layer of tissue cauterized by the high-temperature cut.
Once he'd finished, less than ten centimeters of the stump remained.
Kimura Takuya picked up the leopard's leg and pressed it right against the stump.
He steadied the stump with one hand and held the leopard's leg with the other.
He pressed the two severed ends together, though the leopard's leg was much thicker than the stump.
But Kimura Takuya didn't care. As he kept pressing the leg against the stump, he released the Flesh Substitution Technique with both hands.
The stump and the leopard's leg slowly fused together.
But Kimura Takuya still didn't stop "pressing."
He kept pushing the leopard's leg against the stump.
Gradually, the thick leopard's leg swallowed the stump completely.
Oda Lang's severed arm and the leopard's leg had become one.
Still, the result looked a little mismatched.
Kimura Takuya let go and, in a rare move, began forming Hand Seals with both hands.
"Ninja Art: Flesh Substitution Technique!"
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke billowed up and then cleared.
The leopard's leg on Oda Lang's body, which had just looked so strange and out of place,
had disappeared.
In its place was a human arm identical to his own.
Even its skin tone was the same.
It looked as if his arm had never been severed.
"All done. Give it a try."
"Okay!"
Oda Lang eagerly raised his arm.
Crack!
He moved too fast and broke it, dislocating the joint.
Kimura Takuya looked utterly speechless. He fixed it for him and told him to try again.
"This is incredible! Incredible! Tuoye, it looks just like my original arm, but it's actually much sturdier, stronger, and faster!"
Oda Lang felt the power in his new arm and was overjoyed.
The chakra stored in this arm even exceeded his own reserves. Once he fully adapted to it,
his chakra would more than double!
He'd gone from having less chakra than an ordinary Jōnin to surpassing them and reaching the level of an elite Jōnin.
If measured in cards, his chakra reserves should reach 1.5 cards.
How could he not be thrilled?
He was only a Special Jōnin. His chakra reserves had been lower than those of even an ordinary Jōnin, and now they'd jumped straight to the level of an elite Jōnin.
He kept thanking Kimura Takuya, his excitement clear.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. There's more. Feel this new arm, then try using the Transformation Technique with it as your focus."
"Uh, wouldn't that turn me into an arm?"
"Not an arm. Focus your attention on this arm and use the Transformation Technique directly. Don't think about the arm or anything else."
Oda Lang took a moment to understand, then did as he was told.
Poof!
The smoke cleared.
Oda Lang had transformed into the Ninja Leopard, though he was a little smaller than the original. He was still much larger than an ordinary leopard.
"Holy crap! I really turned into a leopard! It's not just a superficial transformation like the ordinary Transformation Technique!"
He happily sprinted and leaped around the courtyard. His speed and strength had both improved compared with when he was human.
Success!
Oda Lang hadn't actually mastered the True Transformation Technique. Rather, he now possessed two physical forms.
Both his animal and human forms counted as his body.
So he could use the Transformation Technique to switch back and forth between those two forms.
At first glance, this seemed useless, since he couldn't form Hand Seals or use ninjutsu in leopard form.
But once he truly grew accustomed to both forms, he could combine them into something like a Beastman Form.
In Beastman Form, he'd have the strength and speed of the animal form while still being able to use ninjutsu.
Kimura Takuya's initial estimate was that Oda Lang would reach ordinary Kage-level strength by then.
After Kimura Takuya explained his theory to everyone present,
they fell silent. By so easily attaching an animal's leg to a Special Jōnin, had he really created an elite Jōnin with Kage-level potential?
That was absurd!
But with Tsunade's discerning eye, she could tell it was entirely possible!
No!
The Konoha High Command absolutely couldn't learn about this technique, especially Danzo!
Tsunade silently resolved to protect this secret at all costs.
"Oda Lang, you mustn't tell anyone else about what Kimura Takuya did today!"
Before you continue