"Of course, that's just my rough estimate. The exact time depends on when you can fully master it."
As Tsunade spoke, she pushed the book in her hands toward Araki.
The book was ridiculously thick.
It was thicker than the span of Araki's outstretched hand.
The kind he couldn't possibly grip with one hand.
Araki felt a little shaken as he took the book. He flipped through a few pages at random, finding densely packed text accompanied by some illustrations.
"This is basic medical theory. It details treatments for all kinds of illnesses. Before we become medical-nin, we must first learn medicine. Medical Ninjutsu is merely a means of putting medical knowledge into practice. Without extensive medical knowledge of your own, even if you master Medical Ninjutsu like the Chakra Scalpel and Mystical Palm Technique, you still won't be able to treat illnesses and save lives when a problem arises."
Tsunade spoke in a low voice, her tone extremely serious. The gravity in her expression was plain to see. When it came to medical-nin, she was extremely rigorous.
"Y-yes..."
The corner of Araki's mouth twitched hard. He had never imagined that such an outrageous amount of theoretical knowledge awaited him. He had thought he could start learning the Mystical Palm Technique right away.
Too naive.
Too hasty.
I'd forgotten those poor medical students from my previous life.
Araki had never seen such a thick book in this life. It was thicker than all his Ninja Academy textbooks combined, the sort that would bulge out his schoolbag if he put it inside.
It really proved that saying true.
Urge someone to study medicine, and may lightning strike you down!
Even medical-nin in the ninja world had to study this much theory, then spend who knew how many years turning it into practical experience, let alone those diligent medical students from his previous life.
This is too hard!
Araki wasn't feeling so good.
He had thought attending Tsunade's lessons would be easy and pleasant, but it turned out to be far more demanding than his time at the Ninja Academy.
"This notebook is my handwritten manuscript. It contains detailed records of how to prepare poisons and antidotes. It's the only copy in the entire ninja world, the notes I left after facing Chiyo, Sunagakure's poison expert."
Tsunade continued her introduction. In her heart, she had already accepted Araki as her successor, so there was no need to hold anything back. She hoped he could become a medical-nin capable of standing on his own in the future, the best support for her younger brother, who aspired to become Hokage.
Chapter 5: Charging
Poisons!
Antidotes!
Araki's eyes immediately lit up at those words. Now this was the good stuff!
In his mind, poisons took priority over Medical Ninjutsu. Plenty of people could use Medical Ninjutsu, but poison experts were few and far between.
If I could prepare enough powerful poisons...
They'd be perfect for killing people and taking their goods!
This is what makes Teacher Tsunade truly valuable!
Araki wasn't all that interested in Ninjutsu meant for head-on clashes, like [Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique], which continuously used chakra to regenerate the body's cells, fighting enemies in a way that practically gambled one's life.
Without a chance of success greater than ninety-nine percent, Araki wouldn't fight an enemy head-on.
Araki wasn't a one-track-minded person.
If I found that an opponent was too strong to beat...
I'd run!
But with these poisons and their unusual effects, he would have many more ways to fight when he encountered enemies in the future.
"Thank you, Teacher Tsunade!"
Araki immediately bowed to Tsunade, thanking her from the bottom of his heart. He knew perfectly well that she didn't have to bring out this handwritten notebook. It truly showed how highly she regarded him.
"Araki, don't celebrate too soon. This medical knowledge isn't easy to learn. You'll have to put in a lot of hard work. If your progress is too slow, my methods can be very harsh!"
Tsunade spoke coldly.
As she spoke, her body rose and fell along with the cadence of her voice.
The sight left Araki a little distracted.
You really can't blame me for this!
Who could withstand that?!
"Good, as long as you understand how difficult studying medicine is. I'll give you another three minutes to rest, and then we'll begin."
Tsunade didn't give it much thought. She assumed Araki's silence was due to her stern words, never imagining he might be thinking about anything else.
Had this disciple already graduated from the Ninja Academy, she would have been a little more mindful. After all, he would have grown up by then.
But Araki was clearly still young!
What did a child know?
She might as well do whatever felt comfortable.
She hadn't made any particular effort to pay attention to such things.
"Mm-hm, okay."
Araki nodded and involuntarily swallowed. All he felt now was how hard he had it. Studying medicine was already difficult enough, yet things like this kept distracting him.
Three minutes later.
Tsunade's lesson began.
Araki focused his attention and began listening seriously. He discovered that this seemingly easygoing kunoichi was extremely rigorous when explaining medicine. She walked him through everything bit by bit, starting from the very basics, without the slightest impatience.
Gradually.
Araki felt as though he had plunged into an ocean of knowledge.
Before transmigrating, he had been an ordinary person who had never encountered medical knowledge and knew nothing about these theories. He didn't dare slack off at all while studying.
Time passed, second by second.
Even Araki didn't know how long he had studied in that state. He only felt his head growing groggy as the lesson went deeper.
Click!
Suddenly, the lock sounded, and the door opened. The person who entered was Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki.
"I'm back."
Nawaki muttered listlessly, then began changing his shoes by the entrance. He looked as though he hadn't fully woken up, completely lacking his usual enthusiasm.
"All the paperwork's done."
Nawaki reported to Tsunade, feeling utterly helpless. He was now officially a member of the Medical Team. However, before starting his internship at Konoha Hospital, he had to study under Tsunade first, which gave him a year of time to use freely.
During that time, he wouldn't need to go on missions, avoiding the danger of dying in the line of duty. It was a compromise with fate.
This left Nawaki with an intense sense of helplessness. He felt the main reason he was in such a passive position was that he wasn't strong enough.
If only I were stronger.
Maybe I could handle danger with greater composure.
"Nawaki, come over for your lesson."
A faint trace of tenderness seeped into Tsunade's icy tone. That tenderness was for her younger brother, while the coldness and severity were for medicine.
"Yes..."
Nawaki nodded listlessly. He didn't like Medical Ninjutsu at all, nor did he want to study it. Being made to do something he disliked felt utterly awful.
Nawaki walked over to the large dining table and sat directly beside Araki. Their home did have a study filled with medical books, but the desk there was too small for Tsunade to teach at.
After sitting down, Nawaki still had a blank look in his eyes. He looked almost as though he'd had his heart broken.
"Araki, sorry for the trouble, but could you take another look? Is Nawaki out of danger?"
Tsunade immediately looked toward Araki, anxiety flickering in her eyes. He was her only younger brother, and she would protect him at any cost.
She had suffered several nightmares in succession the night before.
They had all been about Nawaki's death.
She didn't want to wait until Nawaki actually died before being consumed by regret. By then, nothing would be of any use.
"Yes!"
Araki had been waiting for just such a moment, and he had already worked out what to say. Nawaki was his long-term power bank now. He couldn't let him get away.
In an instant.
Araki raised his hand and reached for the First Hokage's Necklace.
Hum!
The moment Araki's fingers touched the First Hokage's Necklace, he once again felt that sensation of their chakra connecting.
Streams of green chakra energy rapidly surged into Araki's body, circulating through the chakra pathways throughout his body before accumulating in his heart after making circuit after circuit.
The process suddenly brought a strange thought to Araki's mind.
It was as though his heart were a battery, while the chakra crystal on the First Hokage's Necklace was a power source. Once his hand touched the chakra crystal, the charging process began.
He just didn't know how long it would take to charge fully.
For now, he would keep touching it as long as he could. Neither Tsunade nor Nawaki knew what he was seeing anyway.
With that thought...
Araki slowly closed his eyes, as though immersed in that state. The green glow constantly rippling from the chakra crystal shone on his face, making him look as though he were connecting to souls in the Pure Land.
For a moment.
Both Tsunade and Nawaki focused their gazes on Araki.
Neither of them spoke.
They didn't dare disturb Araki.