His entire arm was stained red with blood.
Kyohiko hadn't expected this at all.
Even the beginner-level version of this technique consumed an astonishing amount of chakra. It had also caused unimaginable backlash to his arm, to the point that he hadn't even been able to escape at the last moment.
Shizune checked his injuries and cried, "We need to get you to the hospital right away!"
"I can't go to the hospital!"
Kyohiko gritted his teeth through the pain. "If I go, Lady Tsunade's situation will be exposed. Treat me here first. Heal the wounds on the surface."
"But..."
Shizune hesitated for a moment, then decided he had a point.
Nearby, Tsunade was still frozen in fear.
Shizune gritted her teeth. "All right! I'll do it!"
But—
Cold sweat was already streaming down her forehead.
Shizune had studied plenty of medical knowledge and techniques, but she didn't have much chakra, and she also lacked practical experience.
This kind of treatment was extremely difficult for her.
Kurenai Yuhi said, "I've studied for a little over half a month and know the basics of medical techniques. Can I help?"
"Yes!"
Shizune was overjoyed.
Kakashi stood to one side without saying anything.
He hadn't trained in medical techniques, so he was definitely no help.
Shizune then explained how the treatment should be done and how Kurenai Yuhi could assist—
She didn't need Kurenai Yuhi to do much.
All she had to do was use medical chakra to stimulate the cells and help shoulder some of the burden.
Time trickled by.
The wound on Kyohiko's arm slowly healed.
Meanwhile—
Shizune's forehead was already covered in cold sweat.
After a long while—
"Kakashi, give me a hand."
"What?"
Kakashi immediately stepped forward.
Kyohiko raised his uninjured hand and formed half of the Serpent seal.
Kakashi understood.
He gathered chakra and completed the other half.
Then...
Ox, Rabbit.
Water Release: Water Wave.
The two of them formed the seals and tried to perform the technique, but their coordination was unsteady. They could only spit out a small amount of water and couldn't perform it properly.
But—
Kyohiko only wanted to use it to wash his hands.
The blood was rinsed away.
The wound on his arm had mostly healed.
"Let's move somewhere else."
"Okay."
Shizune understood what he meant. Together with Kurenai Yuhi, she helped Tsunade to a spot nearby where the blood couldn't be seen.
A good while later—
Tsunade came around. Her face was pale as she first treated the internal injuries in Kyohiko's hand.
Then she fell silent for a long time.
At last, she said, "As you can see, I can't even perform basic treatment anymore."
Everyone fell silent.
Tsunade's condition was probably a severe case of postwar trauma. More than anything, she would have to work through it herself.
As for counseling—
How could a few words possibly help someone in Tsunade's situation?
If it were that simple, Jiraiya and the others would have managed it long ago.
Nearby, Kyohiko sighed inwardly.
Tsunade, however, had recovered her composure.
Or rather, she had already recovered earlier. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to treat Kyohiko's arm. She had stayed quiet because what happened to him had brought back memories of her past.
Tsunade shook her head and said seriously, "Enough about that. Kyohiko, how did you learn that technique just now?"
"Your strength wasn't that overwhelming to begin with, so I kept watching you. I figured you were using chakra to produce an explosive burst of power."
"I couldn't force you out of the circle by myself. But if I could create a similar effect to draw your attention, I could use an Explosive Tag to achieve that."
After explaining, Kyohiko lowered his head with an ashamed expression.
At that moment, even Kakashi's mask couldn't hide his astonishment.
He'd watched—
And then learned it?
No, that wasn't quite right.
Strictly speaking, Kyohiko had only been trying things out. When he failed, he used it to distract Tsunade. The Explosive Tag had been the key.
And there really had been an explosion just now.
After hearing him out, Tsunade said, "Your idea was good, but you were far too reckless. Techniques that gather chakra at such high speed can have serious consequences if they fail. You can't learn or imitate them on a whim. You were lucky to succeed this time."
Of course I wouldn't have used it if I hadn't learned it.
Kyohiko kept that thought to himself.
Outwardly, however, he looked remorseful.
"I was wrong!"
Tsunade glared at him but didn't lecture him further.
After all—
To figure out the direction of a technique after only a few glances, then successfully use it—that kind of talent was truly outrageous!
This kid was exceptionally quick to grasp things.
As far as Tsunade could remember, only one person could compare.
Orochimaru!
She sank into memories of the past.
Kakashi was also thinking back on the battle.
Sometimes, he wondered if he was the rookie Genin, not a Chunin who had graduated a year or two ago.
The atmosphere fell quiet.
"Kyohiko is amazing. I couldn't learn it even if I wanted to."
Shizune was full of envy.
Tsunade said, "Your body is too weak, and you don't have much talent for chakra control. If you force yourself to learn it, you'll end up like him—or worse."
Shizune stuck out her tongue.
Tsunade gave her another lecture.
Of course everyone wanted to learn a technique like this, but the bar for mastering it was extremely high. It wasn't something just anyone could handle.
Finally, Tsunade turned to Kurenai Yuhi.
"Would you like to try?"
"I'm sorry, my skills are nowhere near good enough, but I'd still like to ask Lady Tsunade for guidance."
Kurenai Yuhi bowed.
Tsunade nodded. "You might as well."
Then she drew a circle on the ground.
Kurenai Yuhi started with genjutsu, but Tsunade easily broke it. She then tried combining the Clone Technique with genjutsu and using Explosive Tags to disrupt her opponent in battle.
But—
Tsunade saw through every move with pinpoint accuracy and swiftly countered.
Before long, Kurenai Yuhi was defeated.
"All right, let's take it one at a time."
Tsunade sat cross-legged.
After that battle, the rush of blood that had stirred her earlier had completely faded, and she had returned to her usual carefree manner.
"Kakashi, your top speed is greater than Kyohiko's, but Kyohiko can control his movements and make flexible use of his speed. You're far behind him in that regard. That's what you need to improve."
Tsunade paused slightly to gather her thoughts. "If you're going down the assassination route, aiming to kill with a single strike, I suggest learning a ninjutsu with strong concentrated destructive power."
"Yes. Thank you, Lady Tsunade."
Kakashi hurriedly thanked her.
Tsunade looked at Kyohiko, her expression turning serious.
"Kid, you have plenty of talent and good ideas, but learning and developing many techniques comes with enormous risks. You need to strengthen your fundamentals and broaden your knowledge."
"Yes, I'll do my best," Kyohiko said.
Knowledge was precious. Some families guarded their teachings like secret techniques; he couldn't just learn whatever he wanted.
Tsunade nodded and said no more.
She turned to Kurenai Yuhi, her expression softening.
"Kurenai, you have the same problem as Shizune. Your physical foundation is too weak, but you have more talent for chakra control than she does. If you're serious about becoming a medical ninja, you need to make up for the gaps in your medical knowledge."
Being a medical ninja wasn't as simple as knowing how to use ninjutsu.
Kurenai Yuhi nodded. "I've been studying lately."
"Good. I'll have Shizune lend you her notes later. The two of you can study together."
With that, Tsunade stretched.
"It's been a long time since I've loosened up my muscles. Fighting you two or three little ones was more tiring than I expected!"
"I'm off. You can train on your own."
With that, she vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
Not long afterward, Tsunade pushed open the door to Hiruzen Sarutobi's office in the Hokage Building.
"Tsunade?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked slightly surprised, but soon composed himself and smiled as he invited her to sit.
Tsunade slapped the desk. She was as blunt as someone who had come to collect a debt.
"Old Man, you didn't take all my Second Grandfather's notes, did you?"
"Well..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched. He cleared his throat. "Those books were put away in storage."
"I understand sealing away some because they involve forbidden subjects, but why are so many ordinary notes missing too? Were they put away, or did certain people take them and try to pass them off as their own?"
Tsunade spoke bluntly, though she didn't directly accuse the Third Hokage. Instead, she aimed her words at Danzo.
Hiruzen Sarutobi found it hard to answer.
Though he and Danzo had been students of the Second Hokage, strictly speaking, Tsunade was far more entitled to inherit the Second Hokage's legacy.
"That's not what happened. Danzo only thought the Second Hokage's things were precious, so he stored them with the Anbu for safekeeping. If you want to use them, I'll have him bring them out. Which ones do you want?"
"Bring out the basic ones. It's not like you're using them anyway."
Tsunade didn't mince words.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, already understanding what she was after.
That child!
I got mixed up while writing and instinctively thought he was a generation older than the protagonist. I've fixed it now.
Before you continue