"These methods... did Nonō really come up with them all by herself?"
Tsunade Senju stood rooted to the spot, murmuring to herself. War had brought ninjas too much pain. Her dream was to establish a medical system for ninjas, minimize battlefield casualties, and reduce the harm war inflicted on Konoha.
But Yakushi Nonō, the former head of the Medical Department, had failed in her plan to send medical personnel to the front lines. Targeted and ambushed by the enemy, the defenseless medical staff had suffered forty percent casualties—the worst losses in the history of Konoha's Medical Department.
Resistance from Konoha's leadership and fierce opposition within the Medical Department had left the plan to send Medical Ninjas to the front lines indefinitely stalled. Konoha's medical staff were too far from the battlefield. The severely wounded often died without treatment, while those with minor injuries rarely needed much help from medical personnel.
The so-called Medical Department was completely unable to do anything for the ninjas fighting on the battlefield!
But the methods Sato Hideaka had compiled gave her hope. Standardized medical training, widespread use of Ninjutsu Scrolls, and the three principles for Medical Ninjas would let them play an immeasurable role on the battlefield.
"This is absolutely reckless! Does Yakushi Nonō think these so-called methods will reduce casualties among medical personnel? She's practically sending them to their deaths!" the middle-aged man said furiously as he listened to each proposal.
"I think we could give this a try..." The man standing beside him, who wore glasses and had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"Horii, what are you saying...? Haven't you always opposed Yakushi Nonō's proposal to send medical personnel to the battlefield? Why are you suddenly agreeing with her?"
The middle-aged man could hardly believe his eyes. His longtime friend Hattori Horii, who had always been on the same side as him, was actually supporting Nonō's proposal. He remembered that Horii had been the first to oppose it when Nonō wanted to take medical personnel to the front lines!
Hattori Horii adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. Through the lenses, a hint of tears seemed to glimmer. "Yes. We rejected Nonō's proposal, and the medical staff were kept safe. But what was the result?"
"The front-line ninjas' death rate remains high, and they blame us for it all. The Medical Department bears the shame of being called cowards who fear death. The ninjas think we're dispensable. Even we ourselves have begun to doubt our worth and wonder whether our work has any meaning."
"Isn't it a medical worker's duty to act with compassion, save lives, and treat the injured? What are we doing now? We've put our own interests above people's lives, disgracing the dignity of healers."
"Think back to how things used to be. Even though Yakushi Nonō's proposal put medical personnel in danger, the pure compassion in a healer's heart was never tainted. They did more than heal their patients' injuries. They healed their hearts, too, and reminded them why they were fighting!"
Hattori Horii shouted himself hoarse, as if venting years of humiliation. Then he sank helplessly to his knees and covered his face, sobbing.
"I kept opposing sending medical personnel to the front lines because I had to take responsibility for their lives... Even if I had to bear the greatest humiliation, it would still be worth it, Fujikawa Yuji."
Fujikawa Yuji was stunned. He remembered when Yakushi Nonō had been head of the Medical Department. That had been the period when the department's reputation was at its peak. The people of Konoha received treatment, the ninjas on the front lines received care, and everyone praised the "Konoha Medical Department."
But now, Konoha's Medical Department had been reduced to just a hospital!
He suddenly understood why, even though Yakushi Nonō had caused "Konoha Medical Department" enormous losses, and even though she had already left it, some people still remembered and admired her... Because she was a true healer, guided by a kind heart.
"If we can really do what Yakushi Nonō proposed, then the Konoha Medical Department supports this decision." Fujikawa Yuji gave a bitter smile and cast his vote in favor.
The measure would lead to casualties among the medical staff, but perhaps it would also breathe new life into the "Konoha Medical Department" and give it greater influence and authority!
Tsunade Senju smiled. It had been several days since she'd felt this happy. The two men before her were senior members of the current Medical Department. Their agreement had removed the biggest obstacle to sending Medical Ninjas to the front lines. In other words, her ideas and decisions would be supported and put into practice.
"Kid, I never expected treating your injuries would bring me such a big bonus!"
Once the two middle-aged men had left the infirmary, Tsunade Senju could no longer contain her excitement. She slapped Sato Hideaka on the shoulder with abandon, making him cry out in pain.
"Tsunade, did you do that on purpose? Don't you know I'm hurting all over right now...?"
Tsunade Senju was in such a good mood that she didn't bother arguing with Sato Hideaka. She simply bent down with a mischievous smile and said, "Kid, don't you always say you have good manners? Remember to call me Lady Tsunade, or big sister Tsunade, got it?"
Her short, neat blond hair, delicate beauty, and cheerful smile... The two prominent mounds on her chest rose high, and the distinctive fragrance of a young woman wafted toward him. That mature allure made Sato Hideaka's heart skip a beat.
His face grew warm, and even his breathing seemed to grow heavier...
As an elite jonin, Tsunade Senju instantly noticed the change in Sato Hideaka. She gave him a knowing look and said, "Kid, do you like big sister's chest?"
"Mm, mm."
Sato Hideaka nodded without thinking. A fist immediately struck him on the head. He clutched it and cried out in pain again, tears almost welling in his eyes.
As a Medical Ninja, Tsunade Senju knew exactly how hard to hit. Every time, she could pinpoint the perfect spot: enough to make it hurt like hell, but not enough to cause any real injury. Sato Hideaka had suffered at her hands more than once.
"You're so young, and already so lecherous. That's not good!"
Tsunade Senju put one hand on her hip and pinched Sato Hideaka's nose between two slender fingers, as delicate as scallions. She gave it a couple of tugs and bent down to lecture him with exaggerated seriousness.
Sato Hideaka's blue eyes darted from side to side. As if recalling something, he said, "I once heard a traveling ascetic say something really profound. I think it perfectly describes how I feel right now!"
"A traveling ascetic? What did he say?" Tsunade Senju asked curiously without thinking.
"Monks and good children aren't allowed to lie. So how could I love your beauty in my heart and pretend with my words that I've renounced all worldly desires? My reactions follow the truest feelings in my heart, so you can't blame me for any of this..."
As soon as he finished speaking, before Tsunade Senju could react, Sato Hideaka slapped away the hand she had been teasing his nose with and leaped out through a window in the infirmary. Once he landed, he waved both arms at Tsunade Senju, who was still by the window, then vanished into the night...
Tsunade Senju, known as the Medical Saint, truly possessed medical skill at the very pinnacle of the era. The treatment had hurt terribly, but once the pain faded, he didn't feel any side effects at all...
Compared with Yakushi Nonō's medical skills, hers was every bit as good—if not better!
Tsunade Senju stared blankly at Sato Hideaka's retreating figure, her feelings a tangled mess. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Good grief... Had she really just been teased by a five-year-old brat?
"Loving your beauty in my heart, following the truest feelings in my heart"—whose kid was this? He sure knew how to charm girls!
The evening breeze lifted a lock of her short blond hair. A sincere smile suddenly appeared on Tsunade Senju's flawless face, like sunlight bursting through the night sky. They said children spoke without guile. Perhaps a child's innocent words really did reflect the truest feelings in his heart!