Tsunade

Yizhe looked over at the sound and only then noticed a pair of long, slender legs standing beside him. Above them, two enormous round masses blocked his view, preventing him from seeing her face.

That really is quite the size! Yizhe silently marveled.

"Kid, I'm asking you a question!" Tsunade bent down, glared into his eyes, and shouted.

Only then did Yizhe see her face clearly: golden hair, brown eyes, and willow-leaf brows. This time, Tsunade had not disguised her appearance. She looked as she had when Yizhe first met her—a mature woman in her thirties.

"Lady Tsunade, it's been a long time!" A familiar feeling welled up in his heart as Yizhe replied with a smile.

"Oh? You know me, but I don't remember you."

"Go on, then."

As she spoke, Tsunade straightened up, stepped back to the bed, crossed her long legs, and sat down. She curiously studied the boy on the floor, clearly intrigued.

"Two years ago, in Konoha..." Yizhe slowly recounted the past.

"So you're that little brat from back then!"

"Two years, and you've grown this much? Don't tell me you took the wrong medicine?" Tsunade asked in surprise.

After hearing his explanation, Tsunade finally knew who the boy on the floor was. But she had never imagined that in just over two years, the little brat from before would have changed so drastically.

"Heh, heh! My body training has paid off over the past two years, so I've developed much faster than kids my age!" Yizhe said confidently.

"Then what's going on with your eyes? I remember you're from the Hyuga Clan, aren't you?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"Oh, that?"

"Didn't I go out to train? You know how special the eyes of the Hyuga Clan are. People can recognize us easily, so it isn't convenient to hide my identity!"

"So I specifically went to an eyeglass shop and ordered two lenses that could directly cover my eyeballs. Then I had them tinted to hide my eye color!" Yizhe explained lightly.

"Couldn't tell it from looking at you, but you've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve, kid." Tsunade brushed back her long hair, then suddenly turned stern. "So what happened yesterday?"

"Yesterday?" Yizhe wore a bitter smile as he explained everything: how he needed treatment for his injuries, how he found the famous doctor Miyamoto, and how Miyamoto had demanded that he find someone.

"So you had no choice?" Tsunade questioned.

"Of course! Why else would I be willing to do something so utterly shameless?" he argued desperately.

If he had known Tsunade was here, why would Yizhe have gone to Miyamoto and agreed to do something so lowly for him?

He would have come straight to Tsunade and asked her to treat his injuries. If even Tsunade could not cure him, then probably no one in the entire Ninja World could help him.

"Lady Tsunade, the injuries on his hand really are severe!" Shizune, who had been observing from the side for some time, spoke up as well.

"You examined him too?"

"Yes. Last night, while I was making house calls on the street, I happened to run into him seeking treatment, so I gave him an examination," Shizune explained softly.

"Then I really should take a proper look!" Yizhe's injuries had piqued Tsunade's interest.

Shizune had studied medical ninjutsu at Tsunade's side for years. While she could not be called a master physician, she had achieved a fair degree of skill and was capable of standing on her own.

If even Shizune considered the injuries serious, then they truly were severe.

Tsunade crouched beside Yizhe, placing one hand on his chest as she began treating the injuries from last night. With her other hand, she gently untied the bandages around his hand and examined the wound.

Yizhe felt a warm current of chakra flow into his body through his chest. An indescribably gentle sensation spread throughout him, and he nearly cried out in pleasure.

He felt as though every bone in his body was growing! His torn muscles were healing!

What made him even more comfortable was having such a stunning beauty tending to him at his side. He could even smell a refreshing fragrance.

Yet Tsunade, so close at hand, had no idea that this little boy beside her harbored so many mischievous thoughts.

Before long, the treatment was complete, and Tsunade had nearly finished her examination. She stood, returned to the bed, and sat down with a grave expression, lost in thought.

Watching Tsunade's retreating figure, Yizhe felt a faint sense of regret.

It would have been nice if she had stayed a little longer!

"Your injuries should be fine now. Get up," Shizune reminded him.

"Yeah, they really are fine!" Yizhe flipped over and climbed to his feet. Aside from his hand, which remained the same as before, every other part of his body felt wonderfully comfortable.

"I just don't know whether Lady Tsunade can treat my hand..." The more Yizhe spoke, the less confidence he had.

At that, Shizune fell silent as well.

With the Byakugan, Yizhe had a clear understanding of the condition of his injuries.

Although Tsunade was known as the "Saint of Medical Ninjutsu," Yizhe truly did not know just how far her medical skills had reached.

He waited anxiously at the side for Tsunade's answer.

"Kid, your injury really isn't simple!"

Suddenly, Tsunade's familiar voice broke the silence in the room and startled both of them awake.

"Lady Tsunade, my injury..." Yizhe asked carefully.

He felt as though his heart was about to leap out of his chest. He was unbearably nervous.

After all, his hands were far too important to him.

"It can barely be treated," Tsunade said hesitantly.

Yizhe's eyes lit up, as though he had seen a glimmer of dawn.

"But..." Tsunade changed course, making Yizhe's heart sink with a terrible premonition.

"But I can no longer treat you myself!" Tsunade said with an apologetic expression, turning her head aside and unable to meet his eyes.

His head went hot. He hurried forward, grabbed Tsunade by the shoulders, turned her to face him, and shook her hard, heedless of her status or fiery temper. "Why? Just tell me!"

His reckless behavior left Tsunade stunned. In all her life, this was the first time anyone had treated her with such disrespect.

She did not know that, at this moment, Yizhe felt as though he had seized his final lifeline. There was no way he would let go.

He did not even have the mood to admire the waves swaying across Tsunade's chest.

"Yizhe, let go first!" Shizune hurried forward and pulled him away.

"Kid, you've got some nerve, haven't you!" Tsunade's beautiful eyes widened in fury.

Only after Shizune pulled Yizhe away did Tsunade come back to her senses. Anger immediately surged through her, making her stomp her feet in rage!

Tsunade's furious shout made Yizhe shudder. He finally came to his senses and said with a bitter smile, "Sorry, Lady Tsunade. I was too anxious!"

"Hmph!" Tsunade snorted coldly, her face full of anger as she turned away and ignored him.

"Big Sister Shizune, look..." Yizhe looked at her with a bitter smile.

"Honestly..." Shizune shook her head helplessly. "Why were you in such a hurry?"

"You could have talked it out properly!"

"Look how angry you made her!"

"I'm sorry! I just care too much about my hand!" Yizhe apologized repeatedly, then asked, "Why exactly can't Lady Tsunade treat my injury?"

"Lady Tsunade has hemophobia, and your injury will definitely require surgery to deal with it. So..." Shizune explained softly. Her meaning was already obvious.

Hearing that, Yizhe let out a long breath and said without concern, "I thought it was something serious. So it's just such a trivial matter!"