The Hyuga Clan Leader's Wife Was Having a Difficult Labor

Three days later.

Tsunade had just finished her grueling morning training and was wiping away her sweat.

A figure suddenly appeared in the courtyard.

It was an ANBU operative.

"Lady Tsunade! An urgent assignment from the Hokage! It's an emergency!"

"An urgent assignment?"

Tsunade's eyes lit up, and she tossed the towel over her shoulder.

"Not bad, old man! You found something for me already!"

"What's the assignment?"

As she asked, she wondered what kind of "special assignment" it might be.

Mediating a dispute?

Overseeing training?

Or organizing an event for women?

The voice behind the ANBU mask sounded anxious.

"I don't know the details, but it seems your Medical Ninjutsu is needed. The Third Hokage wants you to see him first."

"A patient?"

Tsunade immediately perked up.

As a medical ninja, treating a woman from one of the shinobi clans...

What better way to get her foot in the door?

Besides, she had spent the past few days cramming everything she could about Medical Ninjutsu.

Combined with her natural talent and the memories of this body's former owner...

She might not be quite as skilled as the original Tsunade.

But she wasn't far off.

"Wait here. I'll change. I won't be long!"

"Lady Tsunade, please hurry! It's truly urgent!"

The ANBU operative pressed her anxiously.

Tsunade ignored him and went inside.

If she was heading into "battle," she needed her "battle gear."

Two minutes later, Tsunade emerged.

She wore a standard dark-blue medical ninja uniform with white trim.

Nurse Tsunade~

After a moment's thought, she went back inside and pulled on a white coat.

Much more professional!

"Let's go!"

The two hurried toward the Hokage Building.

When they reached the Hokage's office,

Tsunade barged in with another bang.

"Old man, what's the assignment?" she asked excitedly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed the ANBU operative and shut the door. His expression was unusually grave.

He took a drag on his pipe and said slowly,

"Hoshina Hyuga is having a difficult labor. Her condition is critical."

"The Hyuga Clan's medical ninja have done all they can, but... the baby is stuck. Both mother and child are in danger."

He looked at Tsunade, his gaze solemn.

"Can you handle this?"

"Hoshina Hyuga? The Hyuga clan leader's wife?"

Tsunade paused as fragments of memory surfaced.

Hoshina Hyuga was the wife of the Hyuga Clan's current leader.

Gentle and gracious, she was well regarded among the women of Konoha.

Tsunade also understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's concerns.

If this were an ordinary injury or illness, he might have simply ordered her to go.

But this was a difficult labor!

If she succeeded, everyone would be happy.

Tsunade would earn the Hyuga Clan's friendship.

If she failed, both mother and child could die!

That friendship would turn straight into hatred!

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't send Tsunade into such a mess lightly. He was sounding out her confidence first.

Once Tsunade understood that, she sprang into action!

"No problem! I've done this before! I'll go right now!"

She wasn't lying about that.

In her previous life, a close female friend had gotten pregnant in secret and had been afraid to go to the hospital.

Tsunade, then her male friend, had stayed with her throughout the delivery.

She had learned a great deal about delivering babies online and had delivered her friend's child herself.

The labor had been difficult, but in the end, mother and child had both been safe.

And now she had this body's innate talent for Medical Ninjutsu.

She was confident!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's frown deepened at the eager look on Tsunade's face.

"Tsunade, think carefully."

"If you don't get involved, no one can blame you. But if you step in and it goes wrong..."

He left the rest unsaid, but his meaning was clear.

Tsunade nodded firmly.

"Don't worry, old man. I know what I'm doing."

With that, she turned and ran.

She raced out of the Hokage Building toward the Hyuga Clan compound.

Her thoughts kept churning as she ran.

The original story never mentioned Tsunade's relationship with the Hyuga Clan, but it should be decent, right?

Barring any surprises, this should go smoothly?

And I don't remember anything bad happening between them over this.

Tsunade shook her head and stopped dwelling on it.

First, she needed to see the situation for herself!

By the time she reached the Hyuga Clan compound, anxious clan members had crowded outside.

Men and women, young and old, surrounded the main residence, their faces full of worry.

Cries of pain drifted out from within, wrenching at everyone's hearts.

"Make way! Make way! Lady Tsunade is here!"

The ANBU operative guiding her shouted.

The crowd instantly parted.

Every Hyuga clan member turned to look at Tsunade.

"Tsunade's here!"

"Lady Tsunade! Please save Lady Hoshina!"

"We're begging you!"

"Lady Tsunade is here! Hoshina can be saved!"

Voices rose all around her, excited, hopeful, and pleading.

Tsunade had yet to earn the title of one of the "Three Sannin."

But she was widely recognized as Konoha's finest medical ninja.

The moment she appeared, everyone seemed to find something to hold on to.

Tsunade said nothing. She only nodded to them and strode into the main residence.

Sōwa Hyuga was the leader of the Hyuga Clan.

The stern-faced middle-aged man hurried over, his eyes red.

"Tsunade, please!"

Even his voice trembled.

Tsunade nodded firmly.

"Leave it to me."

Then she pushed open the delivery room door and went inside.

The heavy smell of blood hit her at once.

Several female Hyuga medical ninja were working around the bed.

But every face showed the same anxiety and helplessness.

A woman lay on the bed.

It was Hoshina Hyuga.

She looked to be around thirty.

Her face would normally have been lovely.

Now it was white as paper and drenched in sweat.

Wet hair clung to her face and neck.

She moaned in pain, her legs propped up.

Blood had soaked a large patch of the sheet beneath her.

Several medical ninja were trying to stop the bleeding with the Mystical Palm Technique, but it was having almost no effect.

Worse still...

Tsunade's gaze fell on Hoshina's swollen belly.

The skin was stretched taut. She could even see the outline of the struggling baby beneath it.

But the baby's position was clearly wrong.

"Lady Tsunade!"

An older Hyuga medical ninja looked at Tsunade as though she were their savior.

"Lady Hoshina's baby is in the wrong position. It's lying sideways and is stuck!"

"We've tried several times, but we can't turn it."

"The bleeding is too severe. If this goes on, both Lady Hoshina and the baby will..."

She didn't finish, but her meaning was clear.

Tsunade's heart sank.

She hurried to the bedside, pressed a hand to Hoshina's belly, and slowly sent Chakra into her.

What she sensed made her expression darken further.

The baby was indeed lying sideways, with the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck.

Hoshina's uterus had grown weak from the prolonged contractions.

It was already showing signs of rupture.

She was bleeding from more than one place.

The situation was far worse than Tsunade had expected!

"Damn it..."

Tsunade cursed under her breath.

Her friend's labor in her previous life had been difficult, but nowhere near this bad.

This was a dance on death's doorstep!

"Tsunade... save my baby..."

Hoshina weakly opened her eyes and looked at Tsunade, pleading with her.

She feebly raised a hand, as if trying to grasp something.

Tsunade caught it and said firmly,

"Don't talk. Save your strength."

"I'll do everything I can."

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

Possible approaches raced through her mind.

A cesarean section?

Did the Shinobi World even have the means to perform one?

Even if it did, the risk of infection under current medical conditions was too high.

And with Hoshina bleeding this heavily, she couldn't withstand abdominal surgery.

That left only one option—

Reach in by hand and force the baby into the right position!

Then she would use Medical Ninjutsu to force the bleeding to stop and help deliver the baby!

"All of you, step back."

Tsunade spoke to the Hyuga medical ninjas.

"Keep the Mystical Palm Technique going. Don't let the bleeding get worse."

"Yes!"

The medical ninjas hurried to comply.

Tsunade rolled up her sleeves and quickly disinfected her hands with alcohol.

Then she looked at Hoshina.

"Lady Hoshina, this is going to hurt. You'll have to bear it."

Hoshina nodded with difficulty.

Tsunade hesitated no longer and pressed both hands against Hoshina's abdomen again.

This time, she guided her Chakra with greater precision, deeper into Hoshina's body.

She had to locate the baby first, and then...

Turn the baby with her hands!

The procedure was extremely dangerous.

One wrong move could rupture the uterus completely or injure the baby.

Mother and child could both die.

That was why no one else had dared to try.

If they failed, the cost was more than they could bear.

But now, Tsunade had no other choice.

"Haa..."

Tsunade closed her eyes and focused completely.

The green glow of the Mystical Palm Technique flowed across her palms.

She had to stop the bleeding while correcting the baby's position.

It demanded an almost impossible level of Chakra control.

"Here we go."

She spoke softly, then began to apply pressure with both hands...