Distributing the Squad

Mito Uzumaki was her grandmother, and to Tsunade, she was as dear as a mother.

As the successor chosen by Grandmother Mito, Tsunade could not, in good conscience or reason, simply turn a blind eye to Kushina.

Furthermore, guiding a jinchuriki and ensuring their stability was an extremely important and classified task; the upper echelons would hardly feel at ease handing such a responsibility to anyone else.

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke at the opportune moment, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable weight: "Tsunade, Jiraiya makes a valid point. Kushina's identity is special; she requires someone both absolutely reliable and powerful to guide and protect her."

"You are the most suitable candidate; there is no one more trustworthy than you. As for Uchiha Ling..." The Third Hokage paused, his voice deepening.

"This child is very special. He possesses an immense talent for power, and more importantly, his way of thinking... perhaps it can break through some deep-seated prejudices. His 'Will of Fire' even surpasses the understanding of many jonin."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze became meaningful: "I cannot rest easy handing him over to others. Whether it is his talent or the profound bond he shares with Kushina, he requires a guide who is sufficiently powerful and wise."

"Danzo has always held deep-seated prejudices against the Uchiha. I hope you can accept him, teach him, and at the same time... observe him."

"Ensure that his power and his will to serve Konoha are directed along the right path. This is not just for their sake, but for the future of the village."

A brief silence fell over the office. The information revealed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's words was immense.

The reluctance on Tsunade's face was gradually replaced by a solemn expression. She was a person who disliked trouble, but she was, above all, the princess of the Senju clan and a ninja deeply trusted by the Third Hokage. She understood the weight of her teacher's words.

Protecting the successor chosen by her grandmother and guiding an anomaly who might change the relationship between the Uchiha and the village—this responsibility was indeed heavy, but it was hers to bear.

She took a deep breath, as if having made a difficult decision, and waved her hand with a hint of resigned irritation: "Fine, fine, I get it! What a pain! An Uchiha brat and a little red-haired girl."

"I'll take them! But let's get one thing straight: if these two brats are too much trouble, I'm quitting whenever I feel like it!"

A look of relief appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face; he knew that once Tsunade gave her word, she would never do a half-hearted job: "Of course, I trust you can handle it."

And so, the matter was settled.

Orochimaru remained coldly detached, Jiraiya chose Namikaze Minato, and Tsunade, under the appointment of the Third Hokage and the goading of Jiraiya, reluctantly yet dutifully accepted the heavy responsibility of mentoring Uchiha Ling and Uzumaki Kushina.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sent men to summon Uchiha Ling, Namikaze Minato, and Kushina to the Hokage Building.

"You three are the most outstanding graduates of this year. Your strength far exceeds the others, making you ill-suited for standard squad operations, so I have taken the liberty of arranging different teachers for you."

Jiraiya and Tsunade had already been waiting there for some time.

"Yo! Blondie, from now on, this great man is your master!"

Upon meeting, Jiraiya familiarly ruffled Minato's hair.

"Big Sister Tsunade!" Seeing Tsunade, Kushina excitedly rushed over to her.

Ever since Grandmother Mito passed away, Tsunade had been busy with missions. It had been a long time since Kushina had seen this, her only relative left in Konoha.

"I'll be taking Kushina and this Uchiha brat," Tsunade said with a click of her tongue, sounding somewhat reluctant.

As for this outcome, Uchiha Ling was actually quite satisfied.

Apprenticing under Tsunade was a step he had planned long ago, which was why he had intentionally or unintentionally displayed an interest in medical ninjutsu during his time at the academy.

Tsunade's medical ninjutsu and Strength of a Hundred were undoubtedly formidable abilities. More importantly, Tsunade held a transcendent status within the village and was at odds with Danzo, which could provide him with an important protective umbrella.

At the same time, getting close to Tsunade meant the possibility of coming into contact with the senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest in the future, which was crucial for his long-term development.

One had to know that once he mastered the basics of senjutsu, he could use low-cost proficiency scrolls to enhance it.

Arriving at Training Ground 3, Tsunade stood there with her arms crossed, the light blue diamond mark on her forehead shimmering faintly in the sunlight.

"Lady Tsunade." Uchiha Ling bowed respectfully.

Tsunade looked Uchiha Ling up and down, her gaze sharp: "Kid, no need to be so formal. If the old man hadn't said you had a talent for medical ninjutsu, I wouldn't have planned on taking an apprentice."

Uchiha Ling replied calmly: "Thank you for the compliment, Lady Tsunade. I will study hard."

"Medical ninjutsu isn't child's play. It requires immense patience, precise chakra control, and a calm, strong heart," Tsunade said, her tone turning serious.

"Furthermore, learning from me will be hard—very hard. If you don't meet my requirements, I won't hesitate to kick you out. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Uchiha Ling nodded. Hard? He could just use his points to level up.

"Good." A smirk tugged at the corner of Tsunade's mouth. "First, let me see just how good your chakra control is. Climb that tree."

Uchiha Ling walked to a large tree as instructed. Without weaving any signs, he focused chakra into the soles of his feet and walked up as if it were flat ground, until he stood at the very top, his posture as steady as a rock.

"Hmm, the foundation is solid. Now, water walking." Tsunade pointed to the pond beside the training ground.

Uchiha Ling leaped down from the treetop and landed lightly on the surface of the water. Only the faintest ripples spread out as he stood there steadily.

The look of appreciation in Tsunade's eyes deepened.

This level of chakra control already surpassed many chunin and was approaching the level of a jonin. It seemed she had truly struck gold this time.

"Next, try this." Tsunade tossed a thin piece of paper to Uchiha Ling. "Use your chakra to change it without destroying the structure of the paper. This is the foundation for practicing the medical ninjutsu 'Chakra Scalpel'."

Uchiha Ling caught the paper and focused his mind.

He concentrated chakra at his fingertips, a change that was extremely subtle and gentle in nature.

Under Uchiha Ling's control, the paper began to vibrate slightly, and then its edges became as sharp as a blade, easily slicing through falling leaves while the paper itself remained completely intact.

Watching this scene, Tsunade finally revealed her first genuine smile of the day: "Interesting. Uchiha Ling, from today on, you are my disciple. I will teach you everything I know about medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. I hope you won't let this talent go to waste."

"Yes, Teacher!" Uchiha Ling replied solemnly.

Meanwhile, at a training ground on the other side of the village, Namikaze Minato also met his instructor—a heroic-looking man wearing red layered armor with spiky white hair, one of the Sannin, Jiraiya.

"Yo! Minato, let's work hard together in the future to create... ah, no, to practice powerful ninjutsu!" Jiraiya clapped Namikaze Minato on the shoulder and laughed heartily.

Although Namikaze Minato was a bit surprised by his teacher's eccentric style, he remained polite and respectful: "Yes, Teacher Jiraiya, I look forward to your guidance."