The Hyuga Clan Leader's Wife Was in 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.

An ANBU operative.

"Lady Tsunade! An urgent assignment from the Hokage! It's really pressing!"

"An urgent assignment?"

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

"Not bad, old man! You've got a job for me already!"

"What kind of job?"

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

Mediating a dispute?

Supervising training?

Or organizing an event for women?

The voice behind the ANBU mask sounded anxious.

"I don't know the details, but it seems they need your medical ninjutsu. The Third Hokage asked you to see him first."

"A patient?"

Tsunade perked up at once.

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

That was the perfect opening!

Besides, she had spent this time cramming everything she could about medical ninjutsu.

Combined with her natural talent and the original Tsunade's memories...

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

But she was close.

"Wait here. I'll change! It'll only take a moment!"

"Lady Tsunade, please hurry! It's an emergency!"

The ANBU operative urged her on anxiously.

Tsunade ignored him and went back inside.

If she was heading into "battle," how could she not put on her "battle gear"?

Two minutes later, Tsunade came out.

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

Tsunade in a nurse's uniform~

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

Now she looked even 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 eagerly.

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

He took a drag on his pipe and said slowly:

"Hoshina Hyuga is in difficult labor. Her condition is critical."

"The Hyuga Clan's medical ninjas 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 froze for a moment as fragments of memory surfaced.

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

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

Tsunade also understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's concern.

If it had been an ordinary injury or illness, he might have simply ordered her to go.

But this was 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 did not dare send Tsunade into this lightly. He was sounding her out first.

Once Tsunade understood that, her spirits rose!

"No problem! I have experience with this! I'll go right now!"

For once, she was not lying.

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

Tsunade, who had been her male best friend then, had stayed with her throughout the birth.

She had learned a great deal about delivering babies online and delivered her friend's baby 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 watched Tsunade's eagerness, his frown deepening.

"Tsunade, think this through."

"If you stay out of it, no one can blame you. But if you take this on and fail..."

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 rushed out of the Hokage Building and raced toward the Hyuga Clan's compound.

Her thoughts were still spinning:

The original story never mentioned Tsunade's relationship with the Hyuga Clan, but they probably got along well enough, right?

Barring anything unexpected, this should go smoothly... shouldn't it?

And I don't remember anything bad happening with a birth like this.

Tsunade shook her head and stopped dwelling on it.

She would assess the situation first!

When she reached the Hyuga Clan's compound, anxious clan members had already packed the area outside.

Men and women, young and old, crowded around the main residence, worry written all over their faces.

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

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

The ANBU operative leading her called out.

The crowd immediately 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 has a chance!"

Excited voices rose one after another, full of hope and pleading.

Tsunade had not yet earned the title of one of the "Three Legendary Ninja."

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

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

Tsunade wasted no words. She nodded to the crowd and strode into the main residence.

Sōwa Hyuga was the leader of the Hyuga Clan.

A stern-faced middle-aged man whose eyes were now red-rimmed, he hurried to meet her.

"Tsunade, please!"

Even his voice trembled.

Tsunade nodded firmly.

"Leave it to me."

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

The moment she entered, the heavy smell of blood hit her.

Several female medical ninjas from the Hyuga Clan were working around the bed.

But every face was strained with anxiety and helplessness.

A woman lay on the bed.

It was Hoshina Hyuga.

She looked to be around thirty.

Her features must normally have been lovely.

But now her face was white as paper, and sweat covered her forehead.

Her damp hair clung to her face and neck.

She moaned in pain, her legs raised.

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

Several medical ninjas were trying to stop the bleeding with the Mystical Palm Technique, but it was barely helping.

Worse still...

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

The skin was stretched so tight that she could even make out the outline of the struggling baby inside.

But the baby's position was clearly wrong.

"Lady Tsunade!"

An older Hyuga medical ninja looked at Tsunade as though salvation had arrived.

"Lady Hoshina's baby is lying sideways! The baby's stuck!"

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

"She's losing too much blood. If this continues, both she and the baby will..."

She did not finish, but her meaning was clear.

Tsunade's heart sank.

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

What she sensed made her expression darken further.

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

Hoshina's uterus had weakened 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 too, but nowhere near this severe.

This was dancing on death's doorstep!

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

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

She feebly lifted a hand as though trying to grab hold of 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 stay calm.

Possible approaches flashed through her mind.

A C-section?

Did the Shinobi World even have the techniques for a C-section in this era?

Even if it did, the risk of infection with the medical resources available now was too high.

And Hoshina was hemorrhaging. She could not withstand abdominal surgery.

That left only one option—

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

Then 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 ninja.

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

"Yes!"

The medical ninja 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. She pressed both hands against Hoshina's abdomen again.

This time, her Chakra reached deeper, its control far more precise.

First, she had to locate the baby exactly. Then...

Turn it by hand!

It was an extremely dangerous procedure.

The slightest mistake could rupture the uterus completely or injure the baby.

Both mother and child could die.

That was why no one else had dared to try.

If they failed, the cost would be more than they could bear.

But now, Tsunade had no other choice.

"Whew..."

Tsunade closed her eyes and focused completely.

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

She had to keep the bleeding under control while correcting the baby's position.

That demanded an almost inhuman level of Chakra control.

"Here we go."

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