Mental Therapy Department

Hokage Building

The Jonin Class meeting had concluded. A small number of jonin with urgent missions or specific requests remained, while the others had returned to their respective homes.

In the Third Hokage's private lounge, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura sat in the seats of honor.

Below them, Uchiha Nara, Uchiha Fugaku, and Tsunade knelt on cushions, small tea tables placed before them with refreshments.

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not dare take the Mental Therapy Class—which had garnered support from the majority of the jonin—lightly. He had summoned the head of the Medical Department, Tsunade, to consult and evaluate the feasibility of Uchiha Nara's proposal.

After finishing the two scrolls, Sarutobi Hiruzen handed them to Utatane Koharu beside him. He exhaled a ring of smoke and said with a grave expression, "I never imagined that in just half a year, so many cases of ninja losing control and abusing ninjutsu due to mental instability would occur. I have truly been negligent toward these heroes of Konoha."

"Third Hokage, as Hokage, you have a multitude of affairs to attend to. It is inevitable that some things might be overlooked; there is no need to blame yourself." Utatane Koharu, the only woman in the quartet, offered a soft word of comfort. She scanned the files submitted by Nara with a quick, practiced eye, finished them in moments, and passed them to Mitokado Homura.

Mitokado Homura examined the scrolls meticulously before replying, "Third Hokage, what we should be considering now is whether Uchiha Nara's proposal is truly feasible."

"I believe the proposal is excellent and highly viable. These ninja who have suffered mental trauma are in dire need of genjutsu to help them resolve the obsessions in their hearts and guide them back to the light."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke slowly. Nara's proposal suggested using genjutsu to help traumatized ninja resolve their inner obsessions, preventing them from sinking further into despair and allowing them to return to a normal life.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was deeply impressed by Nara's treatment plan and suggestions. For most ninja who suppressed their pain over the loss of friends, family, or lovers, or who were haunted by the horrors of the battlefield, the aid of genjutsu to bid a proper farewell to their cherished ones could prove invaluable.

Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help but look at Nara's proposal and treatment plan with newfound respect. It was rumored that the Uchiha were arrogant, yet here was one with such a compassionate heart.

Tsunade had also finished reading the scrolls. In her youth, holding authority over the Medical Department, she possessed a boldness that rivaled any man. Her once cheerful and lively personality had turned cold and sharp following the deaths of her younger brother and lover. It was merely a cold exterior, however; she had not yet reached the point of the self-destructive, alcohol-numbing figure she would eventually become.

Nara's suggestions and the provided plan caused Tsunade's impression of the Uchiha to shift significantly. At the same time, she felt a surge of curiosity toward this Uchiha leader.

As a master of medical ninjutsu, she could pull anyone back from the brink of death, provided they still had a breath left. Yet, she had never considered that people could suffer from mental trauma, or that such wounds could be treated.

After reading Nara's scrolls and the descriptions of the conditions, Tsunade realized in an instant that she, too, suffered from mental trauma—the longing for her brother and lover, which had led to her own hemophobia...

After the Third Hokage finished speaking, Mitokado Homura took over, saying coolly:

"Uchiha Nara's proposal is excellent. Third Hokage, let Yuhi Shinku be responsible for the research and development of the relevant medical department."

Uchiha Nara, who had been sitting silently below, frowned slightly at these words. While he had proposed the Mental Therapy Department and the genjutsu therapy out of a desire to contribute to Konoha, he did harbor some personal motives.

Genjutsu therapy should naturally be led and coordinated by the Uchiha, who possessed the Sharingan bloodline and excelled in genjutsu. What was Mitokado Homura implying?

"Lord Mitokado Homura, although Jonin Yuhi Shinku is a genjutsu expert, my Uchiha clan is filled with those who have mastered the art. Why must you look far afield when the answer is right before you?"

Nara did not indulge the Hokage's advisor and asked back directly.

To push aside the very ninja who proposed the idea in favor of their own Anbu captain was a blatant move that, while strategically sound in their eyes, was truly unsightly.

"Indeed, Lord Homura. My Uchiha clan possesses the Sharingan bloodline, and those who have mastered it are almost all proficient in genjutsu. In the field of genjutsu, while I, Uchiha Fugaku, would not dare claim to be the best in Konoha, the aforementioned Jonin Yuhi certainly does not possess the deep foundation of Uchiha genjutsu."

Uchiha Fugaku spoke up at this moment to support him.

Mitokado Homura fell silent, his expression displeased. He could not refute them, as what they said was the truth. However, the concept of the Mental Therapy Class was now clear; having a genjutsu expert in charge to develop it would yield results quickly.

It did not necessarily require Uchiha participation. The quartet's ideology regarding the Uchiha was consistent: they were to be kept within the Police Force to handle the dirty work. A position like this, which would be highly respected by the villagers, was not something they wanted to easily grant the Uchiha.

Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke, feeling somewhat speechless at Mitokado Homura's bluntness. Yuhi Shinku was one of the four Anbu division captains and a direct subordinate of the Third. Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen had the same intention, but since the two below had refuted it, he could not ignore their input. He spoke up:

"Whether this so-called genjutsu therapy is effective remains to be seen. It requires experimentation. We should recruit ninja in Konoha who excel in genjutsu to be responsible for this department."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's approach was far more sophisticated than Mitokado Homura's. He did not specify who would or would not be used, speaking only of recruitment. However, the actual execution would remain under his private control.

As long as he established this Mental Therapy Department in Konoha, he could satisfy the majority of the jonin. As for which genjutsu ninja ended up there, that was of no concern to the others; it was not something they needed to worry about.

"The Mental Therapy Department is of great importance. I believe it should fall under the Medical Department, with the office located within Konoha Hospital. As for the genjutsu-specialized ninja, the Uchiha clan excels in this field and should be given priority in recruitment, especially Jonin Nara, who should be responsible for participating and providing guidance."

Tsunade spoke up, supporting Uchiha Nara. Tsunade was naturally adept at political balancing and deeply loved Konoha. As a medical master, she felt compassion and a desire to heal every patient, always upholding the belief that as long as a patient was still breathing, they should be treated.

Now that the focus had shifted from physical medicine to mental medicine, this genjutsu therapy was something Tsunade was eager to test and verify.

All treatment methods required experimentation before they could be applied clinically. Although the theoretical basis in Nara's scrolls was very sound, it was, after all, only a hypothesis; the specifics still required testing.