An Understanding Tsunade, Taking a Leave from School?

She looked at the genius disciple she had taken on less than a day ago, who had already given her such a great surprise.

Her expression turned serious, and she said in a low voice, "If I'm not mistaken, even if you're injured, you can heal yourself directly without making Hand Seals, can't you?"

"What? He can heal his own injuries without making Hand Seals?"

Shizune froze where she stood.

She could hardly believe her ears.

She looked at Rikuto in disbelief, then turned to Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade, that's impossible, isn't it?"

"Oink~~~ Oink~~~"

The little pink pig beside her was squealing too.

"Yes!"

Chiya Rikuto nodded with a smile. "Ordinary injuries heal on their own in the blink of an eye!"

With that, he continued.

He suppressed the elementalization power of the Woods-Woods Fruit.

He picked up a fruit knife from the table beside him. "Like this!"

Seeing this, Tsunade instinctively turned her head away.

She had a fear of blood and couldn't bear the sight of it at all, or she would start trembling uncontrollably.

Then Chiya Rikuto cut his own arm.

"Pssh..."

Bright red blood had only just begun to well up.

Before Shizune's shocked eyes,

The bloody cut, deep enough to expose bone, which normally might not have healed even in ten days or two weeks without direct treatment with Medical Ninjutsu,

Was already closing at a speed visible to the naked eye, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

It didn't even leave a scar.

"Incredible... the wound really disappeared!"

Shizune stepped forward and wiped the blood off Rikuto.

She checked repeatedly and found that there wasn't even a scar.

She was so shocked that she was almost speechless.

She stared blankly at her young and handsome junior.

What kind of monster was he?

Then she hurriedly called to Tsunade, who had deliberately turned away for fear of seeing blood. "Lady Tsunade, it's all right now!"

"Just as I thought..."

Tsunade turned back around.

She folded her arms and nodded.

She wasn't particularly surprised.

Her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, had been able to heal his own wounds in an instant, restoring himself completely without making Hand Seals.

So after sensing the immense vitality in Chiya Rikuto's Chakra,

She had guessed that he could probably do the same.

But what Tsunade didn't know was that

Hashirama Senju's ability to heal without Hand Seals wasn't because of Wood Release.

As the reincarnation of the Chakra of Asura, the Sage of Six Paths' second son, he had effectively inherited the Sage Body that came from the Sage of Six Paths, giving him powerful Yang Release.

But Chiya Rikuto was different.

Even without the power of the Woods-Woods Fruit,

He possessed a perfect Senju bloodline and would even have a strong chance of awakening Wood Release in the future. He simply lacked Yang Release as powerful as that of Asura Chakra, so he couldn't reach the same heights as the First Hokage.

Just like his cousin Moegi Kazamatsuri.

She would awaken the power of Wood Release in the future, but she was too weak herself.

Wood Release at that level wasn't even as good as that of "Tenzo" of the Anbu, the sole surviving test subject from Orochimaru's Hashirama Cells experiments on dozens of infants and young children.

And the reason he could now heal without Hand Seals

Was that gaining the Woods-Woods Fruit's power had effectively activated the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai latent within him.

Moreover, his inborn, immense Chakra as a member of the Senju Clan, his rare Kekkei Genkai, Wood Release, and the power of the Logia Woods-Woods Fruit had fused perfectly, with the three producing a mutated result.

In effect, he had naturally acquired perfect Yang Release.

As his strength grew, this special power would only become stronger.

Chapter 18: An Understanding Tsunade, Taking a Leave from School?

"All right, there's no need to see us out!"

Time passed.

Tsunade and Shizune, who had been completely won over by the monster that was Chiya Rikuto and had nothing more to say,

Declined Rikuto's invitation to stay and went downstairs.

Tsunade, who was in an excellent mood,

Had originally wanted to take her new disciple to a barbecue restaurant.

But Rikuto had already made plans with Kurenai Yuhi that morning. She would be coming over shortly with groceries to cook.

So he could only politely decline his new teacher's kind offer.

"It's rare for us to come back, so Shizune and I will be staying in Konoha for a few days..."

Tsunade smiled and patted Rikuto on the head.

She held out two scrolls to him and said with a smile, "These contain some of my insights into basic Medical Ninjutsu, along with some relevant cases and how to handle them. Take them and study them first..."

"If there's anything you don't understand, you can come and ask me anytime!"

"In a couple of days, I'll take you to Konoha Hospital for some practical experience!"

Now that she had taken on such a genius disciple,

She would have something to boast about the next time she saw Jiraiya.

Back then, that guy had trained Minato Namikaze

And boasted about it in front of her and Orochimaru every few days.

His smug manner had made her itch with irritation, and several times she had wanted to beat him up.

Unfortunately, things had long since changed.

She hadn't wanted to stay in Konoha any longer.

But she knew very well how bad Chiya Nao's condition was.

She had only been holding on thanks to the powerful vitality in Chiya Rikuto's Chakra, determined to wait for Tsunade, one of the "Sannin," to return so she could make some arrangements for her grandson.

Now that her wish had been fulfilled, her hold had relaxed.

She probably only had a few days left.

Tsunade had to let her disciple spend the old woman's final days with her.

Once he had taken care of the arrangements afterward and had nothing left to worry about,

She would take him away from Konoha.

"Thank you, Sister Tsunade..."

Rikuto was delighted.

He accepted the scrolls and nodded.

He wasn't disappointed that the two scrolls didn't contain advanced Ninjutsu or other Medical Ninjutsu.

He wasn't that shallow, much less so impatient.

Even the tallest building rose from the ground.

So far, he had learned all his Medical Ninjutsu through his own experimentation.

He had long since memorized the relevant insights his late parents had left behind.

Aside from treating small animals and occasionally treating external injuries for Rock Lee or his other classmates, he had relied on the special properties of his Chakra and the Mystical Palm Technique to nourish and regulate his grandmother's body.

In particular, because he had deliberately kept a low profile, he had very little clinical experience.

He needed opportunities for this kind of practice most of all.

Now he had become the disciple of Princess Tsunade, one of the legendary "Sannin."

With someone like her backing him,

As long as he didn't expose his Wood Release,

Even if he displayed monstrous talent and attracted the higher-ups' attention,

Regardless of whether he drew certain people's apprehension,

He was no longer afraid.

"Mm!"

Tsunade watched Rikuto's reaction.

Seeing not the slightest trace of disappointment on his face, only genuine delight,

She became even more pleased.

Such a temperament was rare and precious.

He wasn't restless and impatient like others his age.

After finding a renowned teacher, they would set their sights too high.

They always wanted to jump straight into learning advanced Ninjutsu or powerful forbidden techniques.

They dreamed of reaching the top in a single step.

Yet they didn't realize that the fundamentals were the most important thing.

Medical Ninjutsu in particular differed from other mainstream Ninjutsu.

It required not only time and energy spent on tireless study, but also extensive clinical practice, applying what one learned and gradually accumulating experience.

The valuable experience and insights accumulated by predecessors over long years could greatly shorten that process.

They allowed those who came after them to improve their medical skills quickly.

Of course,

Given Rikuto's astonishing talent,

He certainly wouldn't be limited to being a mere medical-nin in the future.

But she believed that this foundation would definitely help him go further.

His outstanding talent was more than enough for him to study Medical Ninjutsu alongside other mainstream Ninjutsu.

He could develop in every area.

"Junior Rikuto, we'll be going now!"

Looking at her handsome junior,

Shizune held Tonton and waved with a smile.

As for suddenly gaining such a genius junior...