Tsunade

Yizhe looked over at the sound and only then noticed a pair of long, shapely legs beside him. Above them, two enormous round masses blocked his view, leaving him unable to see her face.

That was quite a scale! Yizhe silently marveled.

"Kid, I'm asking you a question!" Tsunade bent down, glaring into his eyes as she barked.

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 just as she had when Yizhe first met her—a mature woman in her thirties.

"Lady Tsunade, long time no see!" A familiar feeling welled up in his heart, and 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 bedside, crossed her long legs, and sat down. She studied the boy on the floor with curious interest.

"Two years ago, in Konoha..." Yizhe slowly recounted what had happened.

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

"It's only been two years, and you've grown this much? Did you take the wrong medicine or something?" Tsunade asked in surprise.

After hearing his account, Tsunade finally realized who the boy on the floor was. Still, she had never expected that in just over two years, the little brat from before would have changed so much.

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

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

"Oh, that?"

"I went out to train, remember? You know how distinctive the Hyuga Clan's eyes are. They make it easy for people to recognize us, so hiding my identity was inconvenient!"

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

"Couldn't tell it at all. You've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve, kid." Tsunade brushed back her long hair, then suddenly changed expression and demanded, "Then what was yesterday about?"

"Yesterday?" Yizhe wore a bitter smile as he explained everything: how he needed treatment, found the renowned doctor Miyamoto, and was asked to find someone for him.

"So you were forced into it?" Tsunade asked skeptically.

"Of course! Otherwise, why would I ever want to do something so shameless?" he argued desperately.

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

He would have come straight to Tsunade and begged her to treat his injury. If even Tsunade could not heal him, then probably no one in the entire Ninja World could.

"Lady Tsunade, the injury to his hand really is severe!" Shizune, who had been observing from the side for a long while, added at that moment.

"You examined him too?"

"Yes. Last night, while I was treating patients on the street, I happened to run into him seeking medical help, so I examined him." Shizune explained quietly.

"Then I'd better take a good look!" Yizhe's injury had piqued Tsunade's interest.

Shizune had studied medical ninjutsu at Tsunade's side for years. Though she could not be called exceptionally skilled, she had achieved a fair amount and was capable of handling matters on her own.

If even Shizune thought the injury was serious, then it truly was serious enough.

Tsunade crouched beside Yizhe, placing one hand on his chest to treat the injuries from the night before. With her other hand, she gently untied the bandages around his hand and examined the wound.

Yizhe only felt a warm stream of chakra flow from his chest into his body. An indescribably gentle sensation spread through him, and he almost moaned in comfort!

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

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

Yet Tsunade, standing so close to him, had no idea that this little boy beside her had so many mischievous thoughts.

Before long, the treatment was finished, and Tsunade's examination was nearly complete. She stood up, returned to the bed, and sat down, her face solemn as she fell into thought.

As Yizhe watched Tsunade's retreating figure, a faint sense of regret rose in his heart.

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

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

"Yeah, I really am fine!" Yizhe flipped himself up. Aside from his hand still being the same, the rest of his body felt incomparably comfortable.

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

At his words, Shizune also fell silent.

With the Byakugan observing, Yizhe understood his own condition very clearly.

Although Tsunade was known as the "Holy Hand of Medicine," 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 startled the two silent people in the room awake.

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

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 at once, as though he had seen a ray of dawn.

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

"But I can't treat you anymore!" Tsunade said with an apologetic expression, turning her head aside and not daring to meet his eyes.

His head went hot at once. He rushed forward, seized 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 stunned Tsunade. In all her life, this was the first time anyone had treated her with such disrespect.

She did not know that, at that moment, Yizhe felt as though he had grasped his final lifeline. No matter what, he would not let go.

He did not even have the mood to admire the rippling waves before Tsunade's chest.

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

"Kid, you've got some nerve, haven't you?!" Tsunade glared with furious eyes, her anger flaring skyward.

Only after Shizune pulled Yizhe away did Tsunade come back to her senses. Anger surged into her heart at once, making her stomp her feet in rage!

Tsunade's furious roar made Yizhe's heart shudder, finally bringing him back to his senses. He smiled bitterly. "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.

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

"You could have talked things out properly!"

"Look how angry you made her!"

"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 a fear of blood, and your injury will definitely require surgery to handle. So..." Shizune explained gently, her meaning already clear.

Hearing that, Yizhe let out a long breath and said unconcernedly, "I thought it was something serious. So it's just that little problem!"