Encounter at the Medical Department and Ripples Within the Clan

The unexpected connection with Ino Yamanaka was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending out ripples slightly larger than Uchiha Ling had expected. The blond girl seemed to have decided that he was an "interesting and amazing" classmate, and over the next few days, she kept finding all sorts of chances to talk to him, with topics ranging from shuriken techniques to the latest ninja manga.

Uchiha Ling maintained an attitude that was neither overly intimate nor deliberately distant. He responded with a few words now and then, but most of the time, he was still immersed in his own training. That push-and-pull attitude, however, only piqued Ino's curiosity even more.

However, high-intensity training eventually brought hidden dangers.

Late that night, after completing his routine shallow strike visualization and mental tempering in his consciousness space, Uchiha Ling felt an unprecedented wave of fatigue wash over him. His eyes throbbed with waves of soreness, swelling, and stinging pain, and his vision even blurred for a brief moment.

Was I too eager to make progress with the Basic Sharingan Control Technique? Or has visualizing the shallow strike placed a mental burden beyond my current limits? His heart tightened, and he immediately stopped training.

The backlash from excessive chakra consumption, especially the overdraft of Yin Release mental energy, was beginning to show. It was not a serious injury, but if he did not deal with it in time, it could affect his condition the next day and even cause subtle damage to the meridians around his eyes.

I can't just tough it out.

He made the decision at once. The ninja school had a basic infirmary, but it was not open at night. Konoha Hospital, on the other hand, accepted patients twenty-four hours a day.

Without the slightest hesitation, Uchiha Ling changed his clothes, quietly left the clan grounds, and headed toward Konoha Hospital. Konoha at night was still brightly lit. Patrolling ninja occasionally cast scrutinizing glances his way, but after seeing the Konoha forehead protector on his head—standard ninja school issue, without any markings—and his young face, they stopped paying attention.

When he arrived at Konoha Hospital, the smell of disinfectant filled the air. There were not many medical staff on night duty. After briefly asking about his condition, a chunin nurse at the front desk pointed to an examination room at the end of the corridor. "Doctor Shizune is still on duty. Go there and have her take a look."

Shizune?

Uchiha Ling's heart stirred. Lady Tsunade's disciple, and one of the future pillars of the Konoha Medical Department.

He pushed open the door to the examination room and saw a woman in a white medical-ninja vest sitting at the desk, reading a scroll under the lamplight. She had black shoulder-length hair and a gentle, composed face. She looked to be around twenty, and her focused eyes gave off an extremely reliable impression. A small pink pig was also lying on her shoulder—Tonton.

"Sorry to disturb you, Doctor Shizune," Uchiha Ling said politely.

Shizune raised her head. Seeing that he was a student from the ninja school, a gentle smile appeared on her face. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Her voice was soft, carrying a quality that put people at ease.

"My eyes feel a little uncomfortable, and my chakra seems to be somewhat overdrawn." Uchiha Ling walked forward and sat down at Shizune's gesture, briefly describing his symptoms. He concealed the parts about the system and the shallow strike visualization, only saying that he had overtrained.

Shizune put down the scroll, her expression turning serious. She signaled for Ling to raise his head, and a gentle green chakra glow appeared around both her hands. It was the starting motion of the medical ninjutsu, Mystical Palm Technique.

"Relax. Don't resist my chakra," Shizune said softly, gently pressing her medical-chakra-covered fingers around Uchiha Ling's eye sockets and temples.

A cool, gentle chakra full of vitality slowly seeped in, like the finest spring water, nourishing his sore, swollen eyes and weary mind. Uchiha Ling could clearly feel the discomfort in the meridians around his eyes rapidly fading, while the emptiness caused by overexertion was slowly being replenished.

[Ding! Sign-in target detected: Shizune.]

[Interaction level: Conversation + rescue.]

[Sign-in rewards being issued...]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained: Naruto World: Basic Medical Ninjutsu Manual (knowledge infusion)!]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained: Antidote (ordinary) x 3!]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained: 40 system points!]

A large amount of basic medical ninjutsu knowledge poured into his mind, covering human meridians, acupoints, treatment of common injuries, identification and use of medicinal herbs, and the basic principles of the chakra scalpel. Though it was only "basic," its systematic structure and comprehensiveness far surpassed the superficial things taught at the ninja school! Without a doubt, this opened a new door for him.

"The meridians around your eyes seem much more active than those of ordinary people. Are you practicing some kind of special ocular technique?" Shizune asked with some surprise as she treated him. She could sense that the eye meridians of this Uchiha boy were exceptionally resilient, but at the same time, they seemed somewhat fatigued from excessive "tempering."

"I was just trying some chakra control exercises," Uchiha Ling answered vaguely. The existence of the Sharingan was a secret of the Uchiha, and he could not state it plainly.

Shizune glanced at him and did not press further. She had heard some things about the Uchiha Clan and did not want to get too involved. She focused on the treatment in her hands, the green chakra glow flowing out steadily and continuously.

About ten minutes later, Shizune withdrew her hands and smiled. "All right. It was just ordinary chakra overdraft and eye fatigue. I've already helped you regulate it. In the future, pay attention to balancing work and rest during training, especially when it involves the meridians around the eyes. They're very fragile, so you can't rush things."

"Thank you very much, Doctor Shizune," Uchiha Ling said sincerely. He could feel that the soreness in his eyes had completely vanished, and the fatigue in his mind had also eased greatly. In fact, nourished by Shizune's pure medical chakra, his condition was even a bit better than when he had arrived.

"It's my duty." Shizune smiled and began tidying the scrolls on the desk. "Coming to the hospital this late—you're very hardworking. But hard work also needs the right methods. The body is the foundation of a ninja."

Her reminder carried the concern of a senior for a junior.

Warmth touched Uchiha Ling's heart. After thanking her again, he left the examination room.

On the way back to the clan grounds, he carefully reflected on the Basic Medical Ninjutsu Manual he had just obtained. This did not merely mean that he would be able to handle his own injuries better in the future. It also represented the possibility that he now possessed another path besides combat—the path of medical ninjutsu. This would be crucial for forming a team in the future and improving his ability to survive.

This unexpected "injury" had instead become an important opportunity.

However, it seemed that his late-night trip to the hospital had not been completely hidden from everyone.

The next day, when he headed to the training ground as usual, an uninvited guest blocked his path.

It was an Uchiha boy a few years older than him, wearing the clan uniform of the Uchiha. His face carried a hint of arrogance and scrutiny. Uchiha Ling recognized him. He was the grandson of an elder in the clan, named Uchiha Shu. His talent was decent, and he was usually quite active within the clan.

"Hey, Ling." Uchiha Shu crossed his arms and stood in the middle of the road. "I heard you went to Konoha Hospital last night. What happened?"

His tone carried the flavor of an interrogation, clearly treating Uchiha Ling's actions as something that "damaged the dignity of the Uchiha." In the eyes of some radical Uchiha clansmen, Uchiha ninja—especially those who had awakened the Sharingan—should be perfect. Being easily injured or sick was a sign of weakness.

Uchiha Ling stopped and looked at him calmly. "A small problem from training. It's already been resolved."

"A small problem?" Uchiha Shu sneered. "Looks to me like you're just too weak. I heard your performance at school has been pretty good, but it seems you're all show and no substance. The power of our Uchiha Clan lies in the Sharingan, not in burying our heads in taijutsu and shuriken training like those commoners!"

Uchiha Ling had long understood this narrow-minded clan mentality from the memories of his previous life. He did not want to argue with him, merely saying flatly, "There is more than one form of strength. If there's nothing else, I'm going to train."

With that, he turned sideways, preparing to walk around Uchiha Shu.

"Stop!" Uchiha Shu seemed angered by his attitude and reached out to grab Uchiha Ling's shoulder. "Did I say you could leave? As a clansman, I have a duty to remind you not to disgrace the Uchiha!"

The instant his hand was about to touch Uchiha Ling's shoulder, Uchiha Ling shifted his steps, his body avoiding the grab by the barest margin. At the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning and accurately clamped onto Uchiha Shu's wrist!

The effect of Strength +5 showed itself at that moment! Uchiha Shu only felt his wrist tighten as a force far beyond his expectations surged over, leaving him unable to break free!

"You!" Uchiha Shu was both shocked and furious. He tried to exert strength, only to discover that the other party's hand was like an iron hoop.

Uchiha Ling's gaze was calm and waveless as he looked at the other boy's face, which was somewhat twisted with anger. He slowly said, "My way of training does not need your finger-pointing. The glory of the Uchiha is not maintained by bullying fellow clansmen, either."

His voice was not loud, but it carried a chill that made Uchiha Shu inexplicably feel a trace of fear.

Just then, another voice sounded.

"Shu, stop."

A black-haired boy walked out from the alley beside them. It was Itachi Uchiha. He still had that calm look about him, his gaze sweeping over the two people at a standstill before finally landing on Uchiha Ling's hand gripping Shu's wrist. A nearly imperceptible trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

"Big Brother Itachi!" When Uchiha Shu saw Itachi, it was as if he had found his backbone, but he was also somewhat afraid and hurriedly explained, "I was just reminding him..."

"I heard everything." Itachi interrupted him, his tone calm yet carrying unquestionable authority. "Ling has his own path of training. The unity of the clan is not maintained through methods like this. Go back, Shu."

Uchiha Shu gritted his teeth and glared fiercely at Uchiha Ling. In the end, he did not dare disobey Itachi's words. He resentfully shook off his hand—in reality, Ling had released him voluntarily—and turned to leave.

Only Uchiha Ling and Itachi Uchiha remained in the area.

Itachi looked at Uchiha Ling, his gaze carrying a hint of probing. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for stepping in." Uchiha Ling nodded slightly in thanks. He could feel that Itachi's gaze seemed to contain something more than when he had watched from afar last time. Perhaps curiosity, or perhaps... an extremely faint trace of recognition?

"The path of training is long. Finding the way that suits you is very important," Itachi said meaningfully. Then he said no more and turned to leave.

Watching Itachi's departing back, Uchiha Ling's gaze flickered slightly.

The undercurrents within the clan seemed to have already begun stirring. And he himself, because of his steadily rising strength and somewhat unusual actions, was beginning to enter some people's field of vision.

This was pressure, but also motivation.

He clenched his fist, feeling the abundant strength within his body and the newly added knowledge in his mind, and his eyes became even more determined.

On the road ahead, he had to walk more carefully—and faster.