It really was huge

The entire room fell dead silent for three seconds.

Everyone stared at the honest Genin who had forcibly whitewashed a shameful fifty-percent mortality rate into twenty-five percent, their brains collectively crashing.

The medical ninja's mouths twitched uncontrollably, while the other onlookers stared blankly. Even the air was absurdly still.

Everyone had thought the guy was about to deliver some grand argument. Instead, he had stepped up and taken one massive dump.

They could have weathered the embarrassment before. Now they had thoroughly humiliated themselves!

The Genin still looked utterly serious and determined, convinced he had perfectly refuted Miki Yūya, his face brimming with righteousness.

The awkwardness reached its peak.

After all that commotion, Miki Yūya had completely worn down the medical ninja's tempers. They had no fight left in them.

The middle-aged medical Jonin leading them felt utterly drained. He heaved a long sigh and gave up entirely.

"Enough. Stop arguing."

He looked at Miki Yūya, his head throbbing.

"I admit my Medical Ninjutsu isn't proficient enough."

"With our abilities, we can't detect any injuries in you."

Miki Yūya immediately widened his eyes:

"If you can't detect them, you're trash! Quacks!"

[Ding! Conqueror's Haki +1]

The medical Jonin felt his chest tighten at the retort. Suppressing his anger, he continued:

"The Third Hokage just killed himself out of guilt. The village currently has no Hokage, and the leadership is in turmoil."

"Lady Tsunade, one of the Sannin, is currently traveling outside the village and staying temporarily in a nearby town. The Konoha High Command has decided to have Lady Tsunade take over as Hokage."

"She is the finest medical ninja in the shinobi world. Her mastery of Medical Ninjutsu far exceeds ours."

"You suffered a serious ninjutsu attack, feel unwell, and may have hidden injuries."

"In that case, go to Lady Tsunade and have her examine you personally."

With that, he turned and took out a sealed letter covered in the encrypted code used exclusively by the Konoha High Command.

The writing was densely packed and the symbols bizarre. An ordinary person couldn't understand a single word.

This was an internal cipher used by Konoha ninja, reserved for communicating with senior officials, reporting medical conditions, and recording special cases.

To an ordinary person, it was pure gibberish.

Miki Yūya glanced at it and drew a complete blank. He couldn't understand a single symbol.

He thought to himself:

Pretty professional. Looks like a proper diagnostic letter. The handwriting looks just like what the doctors wrote when I went to the hospital before transmigrating. It's obviously writing, but I can't understand any of it.

Konoha really is Konoha. Even ordinary medical ninja aren't useless!

What he didn't know was that the letter read-

Patient: Miki Yūya

Caught in Water Release Ninjutsu and subjected to impact. No injuries to the body's surface, chakra pathways, or internal organs. No physical trauma of any kind.

Suspected severe mental abnormality and brain damage.

Symptoms: extremely unstable emotions, easily enraged, unreasonable behavior, and deliberate provocation.

Extremely verbally aggressive. Maliciously slanders the village, desecrates past heroes, and possesses a severely warped worldview.

Poor moral character, extremely rebellious, hostile toward the ninja system, and incites the villagers' emotions.

The letter did list symptoms, but specifics such as poor moral character... most likely had nothing to do with any illness. This medical ninja had included them anyway.

After finishing the letter, the medical Jonin handed it to Miki Yūya.

"Take this and go to Lady Tsunade for a follow-up examination."

"You were indeed caught in a rogue ninja's ninjutsu attack. That falls under the village's failure to maintain security."

"Despite the current turmoil, the previous compensation rules remain in effect."

"As long as Lady Tsunade provides a diagnosis confirming hidden injuries, internal injuries, or psychological damage."

"All your treatment and examination costs can be fully reimbursed at Konoha Hospital, and you can apply for compensation from the village."

At those words, Miki Yūya's eyes instantly lit up.

Free medical care!

And compensation on top of it!

What a steal!

He didn't suspect a thing. In fact, he even snarked inwardly:

Tsunade? That hopeless gambler famous throughout the shinobi world?

She spends all year wandering around dodging creditors, free of any official duties. She's ridiculously money-hungry, loses every bet, and lights up at the sight of cash.

Now that the Third has just died and the village is a complete mess, there's even less chance of anyone keeping her in check.

If I take this letter to her for an examination, she'll jump at the chance to slap a bunch of conditions on me and fleece Konoha while it's in turmoil!

Then she profits, I profit-nothing but gains!

Perfect!

Miki Yūya happily accepted the secret letter, tucked it into his clothes, and waved a hand.

"Fine, I'll go find Tsunade."

"You quacks aren't up to the job. I'll have to see what the Sannin can do. Just look at Orochimaru-he can even bring the dead back to life. Now look at you!

"Each generation really is worse than the last."

Fuck!!

After being berated by a youngster like Miki Yūya, the medical ninja all gritted their teeth.

After making his way along the route, Miki Yūya headed straight for the nearby town in the direction the ninja had given him.

The situation at that moment was extremely delicate-

The Third Hokage had just died in battle, leaving Konoha leaderless and a power vacuum in the village. Tsunade had yet to be recalled, much less taken office as the Fifth Hokage.

Right now, she was simply a retired elite ninja wandering far from home, buried in debt and addicted to gambling. She had no position, no responsibilities, and nothing tying her down, making her outrageously bold when it came to grabbing money.

Inside a tavern in the small town.

Tsunade, with her long blonde hair, voluptuous figure, and lazy yet domineering air, was slumped over a table. Worthless betting slips covered the surface before her, and her expression was utterly foul.

She had just lost everything in a single round of gambling.

Her pockets were completely empty, without a penny to her name. Desperately short of cash and itching to make some, she was in an irritable mood where everyone looked like an ATM.

Beside her, Shizune held her forehead and sighed. No amount of persuasion worked anymore.

Just as Tsunade grew so frustrated that she wanted to flip the table and flee her debts.

A figure appeared in the doorway, and Miki Yūya swaggered inside.

"You're Tsunade of the legendary Sannin?"

Tsunade looked up, too lazy even to sit upright. Her brows lifted slightly, her head resting on the ⊙⊙ cushioned against the table, and her tone was casual and cold:

"Kid? What do you want with me? I don't remember owing you any money."

Miki Yūya couldn't be bothered with small talk. He simply took out the letter and handed it over.

"Konoha Hospital sent me here for a follow-up examination."

"A ninja attacked me with Water Release, but they couldn't detect the hidden injuries inside me."

"This is the hospital's letter."

Tsunade took the envelope. This was a low-level Konoha cipher that even ordinary ninja could read.

Her eyes quickly swept over line after line.

The more she read, the stranger her expression and gaze became.

No physical injuries.

Suspected mental illness and brain abnormalities.

Foul-mouthed and rebellious, slanders past heroes, incites emotions, behaves unreasonably-isn't that just having no manners? That's not an illness.

Tsunade looked up and examined the boy before her again-

His complexion was healthy, his posture straight, and his gaze brazenly arrogant. He walked with swagger and was bursting with energy.

Tsunade understood everything in an instant.

Who cares whether he's sick or not!

Then an incredibly shrewd gleam suddenly blazed in her eyes!

An opportunity!

An enormous opportunity!

Konoha sent this case straight to me, and Konoha promised reimbursement!

This isn't extortion. These are perfectly reasonable medical fees!

A sucker falling right into my lap!

Gambling money falling from the sky!

Tsunade instantly wiped away every trace of amusement. Her face darkened, and she sat upright, immediately assuming the grave, imposing demeanor of the shinobi world's greatest physician.

Her expression was serious, her brows tightly furrowed, and her voice exceedingly solemn.

She stared intently at Miki Yūya and slowly said:

"Kid... after reading your medical record."

"Your problem is very big."

"Huh? Thanks for the compliment, Lady Tsunade. Yours are pretty big too..."