Boarding Shizune's Ship

"Ding—"

At that, Shizune's hand trembled, and the spoon lightly struck the rim of the bowl with a soft clink.

"Lady Tsunade, you already knew?" Shizune murmured.

"You smell of unfamiliar medicinal herbs, mixed with bone powder and ice thistle. That stuff is only produced in the Land of Lightning. Pharmacies in Tanzaku Town wouldn't even stock it."

"And..."

Tsunade set down her chopsticks and leaned back against her chair. "You never intended to hide it from me in the first place, did you?"

Under Tsunade's scrutinizing gaze, Shizune lowered her head. Her fingers unconsciously stroked Tonton's back, and the little pig let out a contented snort.

"He... Sōji did come looking for me."

Shizune's voice was quiet but clear. "At Yamada Pharmacy, Number Seven South Street."

"He didn't force me. He just explained his condition and what he wanted again, then gave me some things."

"Money?" Tsunade scoffed.

"Not just money."

Shizune raised her head, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "He has a theory about hemophobia..."

"No, he called it severe post-traumatic stress disorder accompanied by a situation-specific, trigger-induced somatic response syndrome."

"He said it wasn't simple fainting at the sight of blood. It was a protective but misdirected association formed by the brain after extreme trauma, binding blood to some ultimate pain and triggering a physiological rejection response."

"At the same time, he mentioned a combined approach of exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, and medication-assisted desensitization. It was only a rough framework, but the treatment angle was very novel."

Tsunade listened in silence, her fingers lightly tapping the tabletop. The cicadas outside the window seemed to grow louder.

"Go on."

"Also, during treatment, he and his caravan will cover all our food and lodging expenses. We can choose the location freely—anywhere in Tanzaku Town or a quiet town nearby."

As she spoke, Shizune quickened her pace. "And regardless of whether the treatment succeeds, he'll pay two million ryō as compensation for you and me."

"If we can develop ways to alleviate his condition, he'll add another five hundred thousand ryō for every major symptom relieved."

"He's genuinely sincere!"

Two million ryō.

It was enough for an ordinary family to live extravagantly for over a decade, and enough for Tsunade to keep losing at the gambling tables for quite some time.

"And there's more..."

Shizune took the glass medicine bottle from her robe and gently placed it on the table. "This is an analgesic ointment he compounded himself after studying pharmacology."

"I examined it. The ingredients are exquisitely balanced, and it may be even more effective at soothing bone pain than the formula I had in mind."

Just then, Tonton suddenly jumped out of Shizune's arms. Her little legs clung to the edge of the table as she leaned close to sniff the medicine bottle, then sneezed softly.

Tsunade, meanwhile, stared at the bottle for a long time.

For a while, the room held only quiet breathing and the distant bustle of the town outside the window.

"His analysis of hemophobia..."

After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice slightly hoarse. "Postwar trauma psychology? Where did he learn that stuff? He's a twelve-year-old brat."

"He didn't say, but those ideas didn't sound like something he made up out of thin air."

Hearing that, Shizune carefully tried to persuade her. "Lady Tsunade, I know you're worried he'll be trouble."

"But I can tell he just wants to live. He said his dōjutsu lets him clearly see his body breaking down. That fear of death..."

She did not finish, but Tsunade understood.

For a medical ninja, nothing was more agonizing than clearly foreseeing death while being powerless to stop it. That child was watching his own bones crumble away, bit by bit.

"And..."

Shizune added, "He's willing to be the case study."

Tsunade suddenly laughed, with a hint of mockery and helplessness. "That little brat sure knows how to talk."

"He flatters you, then hooks me with money and a difficult case. And he even understands psychology. What a damn monster."

"Shizune!"

"Yes."

"You want to cure him?" Tsunade asked in a low voice.

Shizune did not deny it. She only looked at her earnestly. "Can I try?"

"You don't need to do it yourself. Just help me review the plan whenever I'm unsure, like when you took me to see my first severely injured patient."

At that, Tsunade did not answer. She merely turned to look out the window.

Under the blazing sun, the rooftops of Tanzaku Town stretched into the distance. Farther away stood the bare white rock peak of Tanzaku Mountain, glaring beneath the intense light.

She remembered the blindfolded boy in the alley last night, standing perfectly straight, his voice calm, yet with the words I want to live written plainly across his face.

Trouble!

And big trouble at that. An orphan of the Kaguya Clan—one wrong move could easily spark an international incident.

But Shizune's eyes were shining. It was the look a healer wore only when facing a challenge. Tsunade had not seen that light on Shizune's face in a long time.

All these years, Shizune had followed her from place to place, cleaning up the messes from her gambling debts and watching her drink herself into oblivion. It had worn Shizune down until she seemed somewhat dull and gray.

And those analyses of psychological trauma... Though she hated to admit it, that brat had indeed touched a corner of her heart she had refused to revisit for years.

"Tonton!" Tsunade suddenly called.

The pink little pig had been secretly licking a grain of rice that had fallen onto the table. At the sound, she looked up, her black bean eyes blank and bewildered.

"What do you think?"

Tonton: "Puyo?"

Tsunade laughed and reached out, vigorously rubbing the little pig's head until she swayed from side to side.

"Fine."

She withdrew her hand, picked up her chopsticks again, and stuffed the now-cold piece of grilled fish into her mouth. After chewing a few times, she swallowed. "You take the job. I won't interfere."

Shizune's eyes widened at once. "Lady Tsunade... I..."

"But I have conditions."

Tsunade raised one finger. "First, the treatment location can't be too far from me. I need to be able to check on it whenever I want."

"Second, every medication and treatment plan must be reviewed by me. I won't do the work, but I need to know what you're doing."

"Third, tell that little brat that half of the two million ryō is to be paid in advance and deposited into my account. The rest can wait until after the treatment."

She looked at Shizune's instantly brightened face and snorted again.

"Don't get happy too soon, though."

"That brat's bloodline disease is terminal. Even I can't guarantee I can do anything about it."

"And one more thing—listen to whatever psychology theories he has, but don't start thinking you're some trauma treatment expert. I'm not that fragile, damn it."

Shizune nodded vigorously, though the corners of her mouth still curled upward. "Yes! Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"What are you thanking me for? You're the one who took the job."

Tsunade lowered her head and shoveled rice into her mouth, speaking indistinctly. "Go collect the advance this afternoon."

"And tell that brat while you're at it—if he wants treatment, he'd better cooperate honestly. If I find out he's playing tricks, or that someone who shouldn't be here comes knocking..."

A cold glint flashed in her eyes. "I'll personally tear apart every bone in his body."

"I'll pass that along," Shizune replied with a smile.