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 Qingchuan asked.

"You didn't receive it?" Chiba Yuzu found that very strange.

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

Then she seemed to remember something and added:

"I remember now. Only full-fledged doctors are allowed to take part in the Medical Corps selection."

She looked at Hyuga Qingchuan with admiration.

"Qingchuan, you're amazing. I almost forgot you're only an intern."

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

Now that he knew there was a selection, he had to go take a look no matter what.

If they truly only accepted full-fledged doctors, then he would have to show them what he could do.

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

With Stone Gate, not many people in the hospital were better than him medically.

Besides, this was not an assessment to rank their abilities.

The Medical Corps surely needed plenty of people. There was no reason for the requirements to be so high.

Chiba Yuzu pressed a finger to her chin as she recalled. "I think it's in the hospital's administrative office area, in that building by the river."

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

Hyuga Qingchuan did not even wait for Chiba Yuzu to finish.

He sprang to his feet, said "Sorry" to the doctor chairing the meeting, then—

To the man's wide-eyed, utterly bewildered stare, he jumped straight out of the nearby window.

Hyuga Qingchuan was 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 suited him even better.

Stone Gate's favor was clearly greater when he fought on the front lines than when he stayed in the rear.

That was the contradiction he faced: he was weak and wanted stability, but he could not blindly seek safety either.

The moment he got downstairs, he ran straight toward the office area.

Konoha Hospital did not look very large from the outside, but the grounds inside 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.

When they saw the anxious Hyuga Qingchuan running over, they were both puzzled.

"Qingchuan, 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 Hyuga Qingchuan had come to take part 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 spoke up as well.

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

"I only found out about this this morning!" Hyuga Qingchuan said darkly.

"That's 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, Ishida Yuki suddenly remembered something and poked Hattori Yoshiko.

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

"Oh, right. I forgot about that."

Hattori Yoshiko slapped her forehead, then smiled and said teasingly:

"It's all because you're too capable, Qingchuan. What kind of intern is this versatile?"

"Your medical knowledge is even more solid than mine as the team leader's. I instinctively treated you like an experienced doctor."

"Qingchuan is exceptionally gifted," Ishida Yuki said with a laugh.

"Back when I was an intern, it took me a whole year. After becoming a full-fledged doctor, I spent another five years learning under senior doctors."

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

Ishida Yuki looked deeply moved.

"It took me ten years to accomplish what Qingchuan did in two months, and he's even more well-rounded than I am. It's truly maddening when you think about it."

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

Seeing that Hattori Yoshiko was about to recount her own bitter journey, Hyuga Qingchuan quickly interrupted her.

"Where is Lady Biwako's office?"

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

"It's on the top floor of the innermost building."

"Got it. Thanks!"

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

Hattori Yoshiko watched his departing 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. If only my son were as outstanding as he is."

"Hahaha, jealous? I'm jealous too... but he might not necessarily pass."

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

"But this selection is testing more than just medical skills..."

The director's office.

Documents were piled high as mountains on the desk.

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

The pen in her hand swiftly marked approval after approval across the documents.

Suddenly—

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

"What brings you here today?"

The curtains stirred despite the absence of wind.

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

Sarutobi Biwako sat up straight and leaned back against her chair, looking past the files blocking her view.

Sure enough!

Sarutobi Hiruzen was already sitting openly on the sofa, a pipe in one hand as he smiled at her.

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

Sarutobi Hiruzen 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 tobacco."

Sarutobi Biwako stood, poured a cup of tea at the side table, and handed it to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Since you finally have some free time, go out and relax properly. What are you doing here?"

"I just came to see you."

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

"Listen to you. Can't I come check on my own wife without needing something?"

"You won't tell me? Fine. Then I'm going back to work."

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

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

Sarutobi Hiruzen followed her finger and saw stacks of documents on the floor as well as on the desk.

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

"Hmph! If you really cared about me, you'd make Tsunade come back already."

Sarutobi Biwako looked extremely dissatisfied.

"The young ones run off to drink and gamble, leaving this old woman here to work herself to the bone. It's outrageous."

Seeing the resentment all over Sarutobi Biwako's face, Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly stood and guided her down by the shoulders.

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

"When I saw your back just now as you worked at your desk, I thought some young girl had been transferred here to become the hospital director."