Sarutobi Biwako

"Medical Corps selection?"

"Yeah, didn't they hand out application forms for everyone to fill in last week? The selection started yesterday."

"How come I never got the news?" Hyuga Seisen asked.

"You didn't hear about it?" Chiba Yuzu looked thoroughly puzzled.

"I was wondering why you weren't taking part."

Then, seeming to remember something, she added:

"Right, I remember now. Only full-fledged doctors are eligible for the Medical Corps selection."

She looked at Hyuga Seisen with admiration.

"Seisen, you're too amazing. I almost forgot you're still an intern."

"Only full-fledged doctors?" Hyuga Seisen hurriedly asked, "Where is the Medical Corps selection being held?"

Now that he knew they were holding selections, he had to go take a look no matter what.

If they really required full-fledged doctors, then he would show them what he could do.

He had a good grasp of the hospital doctors' standards.

With the Stone Gate, there were not many people in the hospital who surpassed his current medical skills.

Besides, it was not as though they were assessing a ranking of strength.

The Medical Corps certainly needed plenty of people. There was no reason their standards should be so high.

Chiba Yuzu pressed a finger to her chin and recalled, "I think it's in the hospital's administrative offices, the building by the river."

"Are you going over? It might already be over by now..."

Hyuga Seisen did not even listen to the rest of Chiba Yuzu's words.

He sprang to his feet, said "Sorry" to the doctor presiding over the meeting—

Then, amid the man's stunned, utterly bewildered expression, he leaped straight out of the nearby window.

Hyuga Seisen was extremely anxious.

He had not expected the Medical Corps training to have been going on right under his nose for so long.

Compared to the hospital, the Medical Corps had to go to dangerous places on the front lines.

But that made it more suitable for him instead.

The favor Stone Gate granted for battles fought on the front lines was clearly greater than what it granted in the rear.

This was the contradiction he faced: on one hand, he was weak and wanted to play it safe; on the other, he could not simply play it safe all the time.

The moment he reached the ground floor, he ran straight toward the administrative area.

Konoha Hospital did not look very large from the outside, but its interior grounds were quite extensive.

After finally reaching the cluster of buildings by the river—

He saw team leader Hattori Yoshiko and deputy team leader Ishida Yuki walking toward him, chatting and laughing.

They were both puzzled when they saw Hyuga Seisen rushing over in a panic.

"Seisen, what's wrong?" Hattori Yoshiko asked with concern.

"Where is the Medical Corps selection being held?"

"The Medical Corps selection?"

Hattori Yoshiko froze for a moment, then realized that Hyuga Seisen had come to participate in the Medical Corps selection.

She immediately scolded him, "Why are you so late? The selection is already over. The two of us were the last ones."

Ishida Yuki also spoke up from the side.

"We were wondering why we hadn't seen you. We thought maybe you were young and didn't want to go to the front lines."

"I only found out about this this morning!" Hyuga Seisen said grimly.

"Impossible!" Hattori Yoshiko cried.

"Lady Biwako called me over to fill out the form last week."

"Yeah, a few days ago, I also..."

Halfway through speaking, Ishida Yuki suddenly remembered something and poked Hattori Yoshiko.

"Team leader, only full-fledged doctors can join the Medical Corps. Seisen is still just an intern."

"Oh, right. I forgot about that."

Hattori Yoshiko slapped her forehead, then smiled and said in playful reproach:

"It's all because you're so capable, Seisen. What kind of intern can do everything like you?"

"Your medical knowledge is even more solid than mine as team leader. I instinctively think of you as an experienced doctor."

"Seisen is exceptionally gifted." Ishida Yuki laughed as well.

"Someone like me spent a full year as an intern, then spent another five years learning under senior doctors after becoming official."

"By the time I gradually became independent, ten years had passed."

Ishida Yuki wore a wistful expression.

"What took me ten years to accomplish, Seisen completed in two months—and he's even more well-rounded than I am. Just thinking about it is infuriating."

Ishida Yuki's words also stirred up Hattori Yoshiko's memories. "Then you had it much better than I did. Back then, I..."

Seeing that Hattori Yoshiko was about to start recounting her own bitter journey, Hyuga Seisen quickly interrupted her.

"Where is Lady Biwako's office?"

Hattori Yoshiko was not angry at being interrupted. Smiling, she pointed in a direction.

"On the top floor of the building farthest inside."

"Got it. Thanks!"

After saying that, Hyuga Seisen headed straight for the building Hattori Yoshiko had indicated.

Hattori Yoshiko watched his retreating figure and shook her head.

"He could have waited until next year..."

"Yeah. At his age, with that kind of talent, I have no idea what urgent matter he's rushing toward."

Ishida Yuki sighed as well.

"Maybe he has other considerations. It would be wonderful if my son were as outstanding as him."

"Hahaha, jealous? I'm jealous too... but that doesn't mean he'll pass."

Hattori Yoshiko nodded. "His medical skills definitely won't be a problem. In some respects, even we can't compare to him in that area."

"But this selection is testing far more than medical skill..."

The director's office.

Mountains of documents were piled atop the desk.

Sarutobi Biwako sat amid walls of paperwork, bent over her desk.

The pen in her hand flew across document after document as she approved them.

Suddenly.

She stopped writing. A smile appeared on her face as she said:

"What brought you here today?"

The curtains moved without wind.

"I finally had some time off, so I came to see you."

Sarutobi Biwako straightened up and leaned back in her chair, looking past the files blocking her view.

Sure enough!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting openly on the sofa, holding a pipe in one hand and watching her with a beaming smile.

"No smoking in the hospital!" Sarutobi Biwako snapped, her brows rising.

Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly put it away and defended himself. "It's not lit. I just have a habit of holding it."

"As if I don't know how addicted you are to smoking."

Sarutobi Biwako stood up, poured a cup of tea beside the desk, and handed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Since you finally have time off, you should go out and relax properly. Why come here?"

"I just came to see you."

Sarutobi Biwako poured herself a cup of tea as well and took a sip. "Cut it out. Go on, what do you need from me?"

"Listen to you. Can't I come show some concern for my own wife when I don't need anything?"

"You won't say? Fine, then I'll get back to work."

As she spoke, she pointed at the mountain of documents piled at the foot of the desk.

"Look at all this work I still have. I don't have time to entertain you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi followed her finger and saw stacks upon stacks of documents on the floor besides those on the desk.

His tone softened. "My dear, you've worked hard."

"Hmph! If you really felt bad for me, you'd get Tsunade back here already."

Sarutobi Biwako looked deeply displeased.

"That young woman ran off to drink and gamble, leaving this old lady here to toil away. It's outrageous."

Seeing the resentment written all over Sarutobi Biwako's face, Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly stood, helped her sit down by the shoulders, and said with a smile:

"How are you old? In my eyes, you'll always be so young."

"When I saw your back as you worked at your desk just now, I thought they'd transferred some young girl here to be the director."