Chapter 15

More than ten minutes passed. Just as Gen was wondering how to make his escape,

a sharp rebuke suddenly rang out from the distance. "What are you all doing? Why is it so noisy?"

"Huh? Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade: With that kind of vitality, are you sure you're not from the Senju clan or Uzumaki Clan?

"Ah!"

The next second, the nurses' expressions changed. They scattered with a whoosh and hurried back to their posts.

One by one, they put on a show of being busy.

Gen finally escaped and got a clear look at the newcomer.

That fierce expression paired with such a delicate face made even Gen mutter inwardly, Really... cough! Really pretty!

"Hm?"

At that moment, Tsunade also noticed Gen standing there with his clothes slightly disheveled.

She, too, was unable to resist the charm of Gen's delicate little face and could not help exclaiming, "Oh? Whose little one is this? He's so cute!"

As she spoke, she strode over, reached out without another word, and pinched Gen's cheeks despite his speechless expression.

Then she crouched down, rubbed his head until his hair looked like a bird's nest, and stared at him with shining eyes.

"Lady Tsunade, this is my youngest son, Uchiha Yan. You saw him before, when I was still pregnant with him."

Meixin hurried forward and pulled Gen over to introduce him to Tsunade.

Then she gently pushed Gen's back and prompted, "Gen! Didn't you say you admired Lady Tsunade the most and wanted to learn medical knowledge from her? Hurry and greet her!"

"Lady Tsunade!"

Gen gave Tsunade a neither servile nor overbearing salute and greeted her.

"Oh?"

Tsunade stood up, surprise and curiosity on her face, then could not help reaching out to pinch Gen's cheek again.

Gen rolled his eyes and could not be bothered with her.

Tsunade looked him over and asked, "You're that little monster who suddenly appeared in the Uchiha clan?"

"I heard you could walk at three months, speak clearly at six months, and started flipping through books and studying on your own at one year old?"

"Is that true?"

"It's not just nonsense people made up, is it?"

She had never expected that the little one who had been unusually lively even in the womb, whose vitality after birth had been as strong as that of the Senju Clan and completely unlike an Uchiha, had grown this tall already.

How did he look anything like a three-year-old?

Tsunade wondered inwardly, Is it because his vitality is too abundant? Or is there some other reason?

Gen knew Tsunade was teasing him. Veins bulged on his forehead as he snapped back without any courtesy, "Why don't you test me and find out for yourself?"

"They all say you're the greatest medical ninja in Konoha and even the entire Ninja World, with the finest medical skills. I'd like to see just how capable you really are!"

"I've studied Medical Ninjutsu and medical knowledge on my own since I was little. I've read every book on the subject in the Uchiha Clan and consider my medical skills fairly good. Do you dare to compete with me? Let me see what you're really made of!"

Who did not know how to use a little provocation?

Besides, he wanted to take Tsunade as his teacher, learn medical knowledge from her, and obtain ninjutsu, secret techniques, and even the Senju Clan's collections from her. That was no ordinary challenge.

Who told him to be born an Uchiha? He had started with the difficulty cranked all the way up.

If he did not think of a way to impress Tsunade, this might not work out at all.

"Oh?"

Tsunade folded her arms and raised a brow. Looking at the confident little brat before her and meeting his challenging gaze, she became interested as well.

She deliberately put on a stern face. "Kid, you've got some nerve! Fine, then let me see what you can do!"

After saying that, she tilted her chin at Meixin. "Bring him to my office."

With that, she turned and led the way. Meixin quickly took Gen by the hand and followed after her.

On the way, Meixin lowered her voice and scolded him, "You little brat, weren't you here to ask her to take you as a student? Why did you have to provoke Lady Tsunade?"

Gen waved a hand and said carelessly, "Don't worry, Mom. I know what I'm doing, so stop worrying."

Meixin looked utterly helpless. You know nothing!

He really dared to say it—he actually wanted to challenge Lady Tsunade.

She was beginning to regret bringing Gen to meet Tsunade.

Her child truly was a prodigy, but when it came to medical skills, she did not think Gen could compare to Tsunade.

"Still... if it's just medicinal baths, then maybe not."

Thinking of the medicinal bath formulas Gen had devised, Meixin silently added that in her heart.

Before long, the three of them entered Tsunade's office.

After taking her seat, Tsunade tipped her chin toward the sofa. "Don't just stand there. Sit down and talk."

Only then did Meixin and Gen sit down across from her. Tsunade looked at Meixin, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. "From what you said earlier, you want this little brat to learn Medical Ninjutsu from me?"

Meixin hurriedly stood, nodded, and bowed slightly. "Yes, Lady Tsunade. This child has some talent for medicine. I cannot teach him much myself; he has mostly explored and learned on his own. He has already read all the medical books in the clan and mastered the basics."

"He wants to learn more advanced things, and you are the only person I could think of. Please give him a chance. I'm begging you."

After saying that, she bowed to Tsunade again.

Gen's heart warmed. He stood as well and respectfully saluted her. "Please."

Tsunade raised a brow and looked him over. "Oh? You're quite well-behaved now. You little brat, you've got plenty of tricks up your sleeve."

She waved a hand, her tone casual. "Fine, I'll give him a chance. But let me make this clear first—I won't take on a disciple. I gave up on that idea long ago. If certain matters were not holding me back, I would not even want to stay in Konoha."

"First, let me see how capable this kid is. If he satisfies me, I'll let him study with me for a while. The Ninja Hospital's medical books can be opened to him as well."

To her, Konoha was nothing more than a place of sorrow. She had devoted most of her life to the village, but what had she gotten in return? The Senju Clan had vanished, her parents were gone, and her grandmother had passed away as well. What angered her most was that her younger brother had died under unclear circumstances. She knew perfectly well how many shady schemes had been involved behind the scenes.

"And Dan..." At the thought of Dan Katō, Tsunade's throat tightened, and she did not continue.

She came back to herself and stared at Gen. "Kid, let me ask you—"

The assessment began just like that. Tsunade first chose some basic medical questions to test him with. Gen answered fluently, not only giving the correct answers but adding his own understanding and explaining everything clearly.

And his insights were genuinely profound.

Tsunade became interested, and her questions grew increasingly difficult—complex medical principles, herb combinations, conflicting medicinal properties... each question delved deeper than the last.

Yet Gen handled them all. Not only could he offer his own deep views, but when he occasionally encountered something he could not answer, he honestly admitted that he had not studied that area yet. Even so, he would use the medical and herbal knowledge he already possessed to reason through it and extend his analysis in that direction.

His deductions were remarkably accurate and logically organized, and Tsunade's eyes gradually brightened.

More than two hours passed just like that.

Tsunade stopped questioning him. Her gaze settled on Gen as she said with a hint of disbelief, "Now I believe that you weren't saying those things earlier just to flatter me. You truly have the desire and the ability to discuss medicine with me."

After a pause, she added, "It seems those people outside haven't praised you nearly enough by calling you a genius. You're not a genius at all—you're a monster."

After saying that, Tsunade abruptly stood, walked over to Gen, bent down, and placed both hands directly on his shoulders with a smile on her face. "I've changed my mind. From today onward, you're my disciple."

She truly had not intended to take anyone on as a student.

But meeting such a freak of nature, taking him as a disciple seemed rather exciting.

As for whether he was Uchiha or not—she could not be bothered to care.

The Senju clan was already gone, so what was the point of fussing over such nonsense?

"Huh?"

Before Gen could speak, Meixin beside him was the first to freeze in surprise.