Medical Ninjutsu (I)

"Yue, today is your first day training under Lady Tsunade. Make sure you do your best!"

Minako gently stroked Uchiha Yue's hair, her eyes full of affection. Then she placed the lunch she had prepared in his hands.

"I know, Mother."

Smiling, Uchiha Yue took the lunch from his mother and nodded firmly. Then he set off for Tsunade's residence to train.

Just as Uchiha Yue had expected, once Hatake Dansui and Hyuga Anihiko passed the news of his apprenticeship to Tsunade on to Sarutobi Shinsuke, an instructor at the Ninja Academy, it took less than a day for the whole village of Konoha to hear about it. In fact, many people had come to congratulate him the previous evening, including his friend Uchiha Obito.

What surprised Uchiha Yue was that his mother, Minako, showed no displeasure at all when she learned he had become Tsunade's apprentice. He had worried that being a member of the Uchiha Clan might make his parents object to his studying under Tsunade. Now, seeing that his mother wasn't the least bit unhappy—in fact, she was delighted he could learn from someone as powerful as Tsunade—Uchiha Yue felt no pressure at all. He was simply determined to train hard under Tsunade.

As he made his way to Tsunade's residence, Uchiha Yue could clearly sense that the people around him were treating him differently.

In the past, because Uchiha Yue carried Uchiha Madara's bloodline, the villagers had treated him coldly. But after he became Tsunade's apprentice, he could tell they were much friendlier toward him. Of course, the Uchiha Clan members were an exception. Whenever they saw Uchiha Yue, their eyes held a strange look, apparently because he had become Tsunade's apprentice.

Uchiha Yue paid no attention to any of it. All he wanted now was strength.

After finishing his training the previous day, Uchiha Yue had also wondered what kind of training he would receive from Tsunade.

By now, Tsunade had sent Shizune to the Ninja Academy, leaving only her and Uchiha Yue in the vast training ground. When Uchiha Yue saw Tsunade sitting there with a flask of alcohol, drinking alone, his expression turned awkward. Her attitude toward teaching seemed rather irresponsible.

Before Uchiha Yue could say anything, Tsunade turned her gaze to him, set down her flask, and said, "Good. You weren't late on your first day of training. At least you know how to respect your teacher. But starting today, you'll come here two hours early every day to clean up for me. Understood?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Uchiha Yue was speechless that Tsunade had ordered him to clean, but in the end, he could only nod and accept her unreasonable demand.

Once Uchiha Yue agreed, Tsunade finally rose to her feet and beckoned him over with a finger. "I saw your fight with those two brats yesterday. But today, I'm still going to test your strength. Attack me with everything you've got. That'll help me come up with a training plan for you."

"Quit stalling. Attack!"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

Uchiha Yue couldn't help feeling excited at the chance to face Tsunade in a spar on his very first day of training.

After all, Tsunade was a renowned Sannin of the Shinobi World, powerful enough to intimidate some of the smaller ninja villages. Even villages that could rival Konoha had to take her strength into account. Being able to spar with Tsunade and see how strong he really was was a dream come true for Uchiha Yue.

Uchiha Yue attacked Tsunade without holding back, while she remained completely relaxed, holding her flask in one hand.

"Thump..."

As he reached Tsunade, Uchiha Yue threw a punch straight at her chest.

It wasn't that Uchiha Yue was trying to take advantage of Tsunade. She really had left herself open.

Uchiha Yue's plan was sound, but Tsunade had exposed that opening on purpose. It seemed as if her whole body was full of vulnerabilities, but when Uchiha Yue finally struck, he realized that what looked like an opening to him was nothing at all to Tsunade. She simply raised a hand and blocked his punch, all while leisurely lifting her flask to her lips.

At last, Uchiha Yue understood the gap between his strength and Tsunade's, but it didn't discourage him. Tsunade was a ninja famous throughout the Shinobi World. Even if Uchiha Yue could now hold his own against an ordinary Genin, there was no way he could impress her too much. So he focused on doing what he could, without forcing himself to defeat Tsunade.

Then...

In just a few dozen minutes, Uchiha Yue had shown her everything he could do: his Taijutsu, the new ninjutsu he had created, and his strongest skill, throwing weapons. He used them all in front of Tsunade. When the chakra in his body was finally exhausted, Tsunade beckoned him over and said, "Hmm, you really do live up to your reputation as a talented young ninja of Konoha. Your strength is already comparable to that of an ordinary Genin. You could even defeat quite a few of them."

"But..."

Tsunade raised one finger. "Your ninjutsu and throwing weapons are well-practiced, but your body is limiting your Taijutsu. That won't help you in your future training. You also focus too much on using ninjutsu and throwing weapons during battle, which leaves you somewhat lacking in your overall awareness."

"Still, these shortcomings are perfectly normal. You've never been on a real battlefield; you've only played at being ninja with some brats at the Ninja Academy. The battles you've faced so far have all been one-on-one, without other factors coming into play. So, for the next little while, I'll teach you how to fight on a real battlefield. I'll also start teaching you Medical Ninjutsu. The training may be grueling, so be ready. Understood?"

"Medical Ninjutsu?"

The moment Tsunade brought it up, Uchiha Yue frowned slightly. He had been hoping she wouldn't teach him Medical Ninjutsu just yet.

It was true that learning Medical Ninjutsu from Tsunade was something countless ninja dreamed of—but it wasn't what Uchiha Yue wanted.

Uchiha Yue already needed time to train his chakra control, his throwing weapons, and the new ninjutsu he had been developing. Those took up most of his time. He even had to squeeze in extra time to maintain his Taijutsu. If he added Medical Ninjutsu on top of all that, he was afraid he wouldn't have enough time.

Besides, with such an all-around approach to training, Uchiha Yue worried that in the end he would know a little about everything but excel at nothing.

So as soon as Tsunade finished speaking, Uchiha Yue's first instinct was to refuse.

But Tsunade gave him no chance to refuse. She dragged Uchiha Yue into her room, casually picked up a scroll, and said, "Yue, I'm starting to teach you Medical Ninjutsu right now. Listen carefully! If you don't remember something after I've explained it once, the consequences will be terrible!"