The Benefits Therein

5:00 PM, Konoha Hospital conference room.

The five current jonin of the Mental Therapy Department: Tsunade, Naraku, Fugaku, Kurama Ryota, and Yuhi Shinku.

The first day of patient trials has yielded promising preliminary results.

These shinobi will be under covert observation by the Anbu to see if the previous incidents of madness are truly eradicated and to monitor whether their mental states regain vitality.

Excluding Tsunade, the other four have each treated five to ten patients.

The four work in shifts; as soon as their chakra runs low, they swap out, and by the time they have recovered, it is nearly time for their next scheduled shift.

Given this staffing situation, it seems the Konoha illusion masters and this Mental Therapy Department cannot function without the support of the Uchiha.

Kurama Ryota is the head of the Kurama Clan and a Konoha jonin. The Kurama Clan was once a major power, comparable in scale to the Uchiha and the Hyuga Clan.

Under the secret suppression of a certain ninja known as the Darkness of the Shinobi, they have withered away; the clan now possesses only five jonin and several dozen chunin and genin.

This abnormal rate of decline has caught Kurama Ryota's attention.

Contributing to Konoha is fine, but his clansmen are being whittled down so rapidly, while other clans like the Sarutobi or the Ino-Shika-Cho never seem to suffer any fundamental damage.

Kurama Ryota feels uneasy; he is unsure if someone is pulling the strings, yet he lacks any concrete evidence.

Naraku looks at this Kurama jonin and finds it rather strange.

Having watched the anime, Naraku remembers that by the late reign of the Third Hokage, the Kurama Clan seemed to have only a few ordinary shinobi left.

Yet, from what he understands now, the clan has five jonin and around a hundred chunin and genin—and this is even after significant losses during the First and Second Great Ninja Wars.

Previously, their number of jonin was even higher. It is truly bizarre.

"Thank you all for your hard work today. Once we finish these next few days, the workload of the Mental Therapy Department will decrease significantly. I hope you all remain dedicated to your posts and complete the tasks set by the Third Hokage at the start."

"Yes!"

The four men below responded in unison.

Tsunade, as the captain of the Medical Corps and the leading figure in Konoha's medical system, found today's experience to be an eye-opener.

Tsunade knows quite a few illusions herself, but her skill is average; she is far more adept at dispelling them.

The situation in the Mental Therapy Department today has sparked a keen interest in genjutsu within her.

"Clock out, dismissed!"

Military Police Building.

Naraku and Fugaku, having finished their shift at Konoha Hospital, could not neglect their duties at the Military Police Force. They worked overtime that night at the Military Police Building, reviewing the day's case files.

"Lord Naraku, it seems this Mental Therapy Department has indeed achieved the results you anticipated."

"Indeed, Fugaku. It is a pity that the Third Hokage appointed Tsunade to head the department, leaving the two of us as mere advisors. We are paid two million ryo a year each, but this isn't about money. What I wanted was executive authority and the power to make personnel appointments."

"Lord Naraku, contributing to Konoha is our duty; we should not be so calculating. Seeing those Konoha shinobi regain their spirit today gave me a great sense of accomplishment."

"Heh."

Naraku chuckled and said nothing more.

The establishment of this Mental Therapy Department was absolutely necessary, but unfortunately, Fugaku only sees the medical side of things and fails to grasp the deeper implications.

Shinobi frequently falling into madness is no small matter; subduing such a ninja usually requires a jonin to intervene.

Konoha is vast, and relying solely on the jonin of the Military Police Force to suppress them is clearly illogical.

Furthermore, these suppression missions are extremely dangerous. Anything involving a rogue shinobi starts at a B-rank mission.

Most importantly, these shinobi cannot be harmed without cause; they must be subdued.

If these rioting shinobi were to cause damage to villagers or infrastructure with their ninjutsu, the villagers would not hate the shinobi first—they would hate the Military Police Force.

The famous Uchiha Military Police Force cannot even subdue such shinobi; no wonder they dare not go to the battlefield.

Naraku could easily imagine the villagers' perception of the police force after such incidents.

And if you were to harm these shinobi or cause them injury, the villagers' narrative would shift to the police force brutalizing heroes who bled for Konoha.

In short, nothing they do is right. The work of the police force is just that difficult and prone to offending others.

As the head of the police force, Naraku would never allow such things to happen. By establishing this Mental Therapy Department, he can simply send those who fall ill there for treatment.

In the past, people were unaware of these psychological ailments.

Now, with the Mental Therapy Department proposed by Naraku, they have come to understand that there is such a thing as mental illness.

With this, the police force can completely shift the blame. There are no rioting shinobi, only shinobi suffering from mental trauma.

The villagers cannot blame the police force; any property damage or physical injury must simply be accepted as bad luck.

Secondly, by sending the subdued rioting shinobi to the Mental Therapy Department, Naraku avoids offending other shinobi factions or being accused of harming Konoha's heroes.

Instead, it earns them a reputation for protecting the borders and helping the people, which greatly benefits the prestige of the police force.

Thirdly, it provides a perfect opportunity to infiltrate Konoha Hospital. The Mental Therapy Department is part of the Konoha medical establishment, and since it relies on illusion-based therapy, there is no shortage of Uchiha shinobi skilled in genjutsu to fill those roles.

Konoha possesses clans with inherited genjutsu techniques, with the Uchiha and Kurama being the most renowned.

Unlike Uchiha Sasuke during his time in Konoha, where such traditions were lost and he was initially unskilled in genjutsu, the situation is different now.

Any current Uchiha ninja who has awakened the bloodline limit Sharingan and is proficient in its use is, at the very least, at the level of a Special Jonin in terms of combat power alone.

An Uchiha ninja with a three-tomoe Sharingan is an elite among Jonin, a standout among their peers.

The best attending physicians in the Mental Health Department are Uchiha ninjas.

Of course, the Mental Health Department is still in its infancy and requires many improvements; for instance, sleep aids or other medications that regulate pituitary secretions still need to be researched and developed.

However, if one wants the Mental Health Department to be reliable and accepted by Konoha ninjas, the most convenient approach is to have Uchiha ninjas staff it.

The Sharingan, with its ocular genjutsu, offers a massive advantage: a single glance can plunge a target into an illusion, a feat that other genjutsu users simply cannot match.

After all, having to manipulate chakra and weave hand signs would only put patients on guard, failing to achieve the same effective, preemptive result.

Although Naraku has not yet achieved all of his set goals, the benefits are still significant, at least in that he has established a connection with Tsunade.

The Sannin of Konoha hold immense prestige within the village, and Tsunade, the legendary medical ninja, possesses the highest reputation among them.

Countless ninjas wish to apprentice under the Sannin, yet they lack the means to do so.

Naraku also wishes to cozy up to the Sannin, but for such prominent figures, unprovoked overtures or visits are met with caution and wariness.

To show favor without cause is to harbor either treachery or theft. Just as if Orochimaru were to suddenly hand over a business card and request to visit Naraku, Naraku would also be suspicious; in a state of caution and wariness, he would not necessarily grant an audience.