Shennong (Part 2)

From the second day on, Ye Wuji put his other training on hold and began learning medicine from Shennong. Only then did he understand how Medical Ninjutsu differed from other kinds of ninjutsu. Most Medical Ninjutsu had no elemental nature, and few people incorporated Water Release into it. Shennong didn't know whether anyone could add elemental chakra to Medical Ninjutsu, but he couldn't do it himself.

During his time studying medicine, Ye Wuji learned that very little of it dealt with illnesses. Most of it was about treating injuries—external and internal—with fractures being the most common.

At first, Ye Wuji focused mainly on medicinal herbs: which ones treated illnesses, which ones healed injuries, which stopped bleeding, which strengthened the body, which neutralized poison, and which replenished chakra.

From this, Ye Wuji also learned that there weren't really any ordinary doctors in the Naruto World. Anyone who knew some medicine was basically considered a medical ninja. This was probably because people in the Naruto World were generally very healthy. Most of the time, they only caught colds or came down with fevers. They either toughed those out or, if they knew a little about medicine, found some herbs and took them.

In short, medicine here was used to treat injuries and neutralize poison.

Once Ye Wuji could recognize some herbs, Shennong gave him several books. They mainly covered the different parts of the human body. Ye Wuji had already learned some of the material from Fu, but she hadn't taught him the more advanced topics: the relationships between nerves, cells, muscles, and bones.

Ye Wuji hadn't gone to school in his previous life, but he still knew a little about biology. From Shennong's books, though, it seemed that this world's research into the human body was quite advanced. That was without even counting the methods used by ninja—it was based purely on knowledge.

No wonder the study of cells was so advanced in this world. After all, chakra was produced by the cells.

Aside from external injuries, most injuries affected the inside of the body. That meant a person needed to understand the body's meridians and nerves, as well as how its cells worked.

After studying for a while, Ye Wuji realized that medicine in this world was something like a fusion of Chinese and Western medicine. The traditional Chinese methods of inspection, listening and smelling, inquiry, and palpation all played an important role here. The first three were no different, but palpation was. Traditional Chinese medicine used the fingers to feel a patient's pulse, while doctors here used their own chakra to sense the patient's condition. Only by understanding the patient's body could they determine how to treat it.

From that perspective, the Hyuga Clan's Kekkei Genkai made its members ideally suited to becoming medical ninja. After all, they could see through other people's meridians. But the Hyuga Clan seemed not to have a single medical ninja. Ye Wuji didn't know what the clan was thinking. Did they consider medical ninja low-ranking? Well, maybe they really were. Unless your Medical Ninjutsu reached Tsunade's level, it didn't seem all that useful—and reaching that level took more than just the Byakugan.

Ye Wuji focused mainly on knowledge of the body and on ways to neutralize poison, hoping it would be useful in the future. A month passed like this. Then Shennong called Ye Wuji over and said, "I've seen how hard you've worked this past month. You really do seem interested in medicine, and I've also noticed that you have good chakra control, which makes you well suited to becoming a doctor. You've passed the first stage. Next comes the second stage: practical experience. Rest today. Starting tomorrow, I'll take you out to gather herbs in the morning, and in the afternoon, you'll begin treating patients, starting with animals. All right, go get ready. We'll be gathering herbs in the morning, and if we go far, we might have to stay out there."

"Okay, I understand. I'll go get ready."

Starting the next day, Ye Wuji went everywhere with Shennong. They spent most of their time outside, in the Land of Waterfalls, studying the properties of herbs and treating injured animals in the forest. Another month passed. Ye Wuji could now use chakra to treat some external injuries, but he still couldn't treat internal ones. He couldn't use his chakra to understand the other person's body. If he had the Byakugan, it would be easier.

Shennong took Ye Wuji back to Uncle Ukyo's house in the Land of Waterfalls and told him to go straight to bed. Then he went to find Uncle Ukyo and Aunt Kei. "The Daimyo's poison has been completely purged, so there's nothing left for me to do here. I'm thinking of leaving tomorrow. I'll leave that fellow in your hands."

"Why leave now? The New Year is only half a month away. Why not stay until after the celebrations?" Ukyo asked.

"Haha, I'd like to stay, too. But even though the fighting on the front lines has stopped, the countries are still negotiating over their interests, and tensions are rising. I'm afraid the war could start again," Shennong said in a regretful tone. "And even if it doesn't, the countries have no time to look after the civilians injured in the war. I'd like to get there early and do what little I can to help."

"I see. Then I won't try to stop you. I wonder how Ye has been doing with his studies," Ukyo said. Hearing Shennong's explanation, he didn't press the matter and instead asked about Ye Wuji.

"Speaking of that, I have to thank you. If I weren't in such a hurry to get there, and if he weren't so young, I'd want to take him with me. He learns incredibly fast, and, more importantly, his control over chakra is astonishingly precise. Once he's a little older, he might even surpass me. I think he'll accomplish more than I have." Shennong's face lit up as soon as he began talking about Ye Wuji.

"I see. Then letting him study with you was the right choice. If I'd taught him swordsmanship, I might have wasted his talent." Ukyo was taken aback. He probably hadn't expected Shennong to praise Ye Wuji so highly.

"Shennong, you're praising him too much. He's still young. You shouldn't heap so much praise on him," Aunt Kei said from the side.

"This isn't praise; it's the truth. He's young, but he's already had ideas I never would have thought of, and some of them have been very useful to me. He's only just begun learning this material. Once he's more familiar with it, who knows—he might even bring about a revolution in medicine. When he grows up, even if he doesn't come looking for me, I'll go looking for him. A pupil this good would be a terrible loss if he got away. And if he really does bring about such a major change in medicine, then his teacher will become famous, too!" Shennong burst into laughter.

"In that case, Mr. Shennong, why not stay here tonight? We can hold a farewell gathering for you this evening," Aunt Kei suggested.

"Good idea. I'll go tell the Daimyo, too. After all, you saved his life. I'm sure he'd want to come," Ukyo added.

"No need. If you're going to hold a farewell gathering, let it be just the people here. There's no need to invite anyone else; too many people would be a bother. Besides, the Daimyo is busy, so we shouldn't disturb him. Ukyo, could you please explain things to him for me? I'm sure we'll meet again someday," Shennong said, stopping Ukyo from inviting the Daimyo.

"How can we do that? Surely the Daimyo can spare a little time, even if he's busy," Ukyo said.

"Really, there's no need. If the Daimyo comes, then more people will come with him, and that would be too much trouble. I think we should leave it at that," Shennong insisted.

"Then how about this? Tonight, our family will keep you company. I hope you don't mind. For now, go get some rest. You've worked hard for Ye all this time, too. We'll call you when everything's ready," Aunt Kei suggested, watching the two men argue.

"That sounds good." Ukyo and Shennong considered Aunt Kei's suggestion and agreed.

"Then I'll go get things ready. Make yourselves at home." With that, Aunt Kei left.

"See you later, Mr. Shennong." Ukyo left as well.

"See you," Shennong replied.

The food that evening was especially lavish. Ye Wuji was surprised, and so were Rei and Yuta. Only after Aunt Kei explained did everyone learn that it was a farewell dinner for Shennong.

"I see. Is Ye going with you, then?" Rei asked. Since Ye Wuji had been studying with Shennong for the past two months, everyone here knew that he was practically Shennong's pupil.

"No, Ye is still young. Mr. Shennong said he'd come back and take Ye on as his pupil once he's a little older, so Ye will stay here," Aunt Kei explained.

"Ah, Mr. Shennong, are you leaving tomorrow?" Ye Wuji asked. He hadn't expected Shennong to leave so soon. He had indeed learned a lot over the past two months, but for some reason, Shennong had taught him plenty without teaching him a single Medical Ninjutsu technique. Ye Wuji hadn't known how to ask him to teach one.

Still, Shennong hadn't held back when it came to the fundamentals of medicine. Ye Wuji didn't know much about medicine, but he had learned a little from Naruto.

Ye Wuji watched Shennong talking with Ukyo nearby. To be honest, Shennong had truly devoted himself to teaching him over the past two months, but that couldn't change the fact that Shennong was a bad person.

"Mr. Shennong, are you leaving?" Ye Wuji went up and asked.

"Yes. I wanted to take you with me, but I can't right now. Still, don't slack off just because I'm not here. I'll prepare some things for you tonight. After I leave, make sure you study hard. I'll test you when I come back. If you meet my expectations, I'll take you on as my pupil," Shennong said with a smile.

"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Shennong." After saying this, Ye Wuji hurried out of the hall, leaving everyone inside stunned.

When Uncle Ken saw this, he stood up and went after him.

After a while, Uncle Ken came back and said, "That fellow seems unable to accept that Shennong is leaving so soon. He's crying in his room."

"I see." Everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about him, Mr. Shennong. Children are like that. He'll be all right tomorrow," Aunt Kei said first. "Everyone, please carry on."