"This ninja world is changing so fast, I'm starting to feel unfamiliar with the village."
After parting ways with Kabuto and the others, Obito walked down the road, still feeling a bit dazed.
Was it because he focused too much energy and attention on Rin and Kakashi that he ignored many other things?
"Obito, what do you mean?" Rin looked at him with a smile, sensing his doubt about life.
"If you get the chance, you should visit the Land of Wind. I heard the changes there are even bigger."
"Hmph, what's interesting about a place full of sand?" Obito replied stubbornly. But then his attention quickly shifted to the sword on Kakashi's back.
"You're really sneaky, Kakashi! You actually lied to me, saying that this sword was left to you by your father! It's obviously made using the Technology Development Department's techniques!" Obito pointed at Kakashi, fuming.
"This sword really was left to me by my father. Haven't you seen it before?"
Both Rin and Kakashi stayed calm in response to Obito's usual nonsense, completely unaffected by his words.
"Technology Development Department just used this blade as a base to reforged and remade it. You can say it's a new sword, that's fine. But if you say it was left to Kakashi by his father, that's also true," Rin patiently explained to Obito.
"Damn it! Why does Kakashi get to have such a special ninja tool?" Obito said with some envy.
As a ninja, who wouldn't want to have a unique and powerful weapon?
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were famous because of their seven special swords.
Obito never cared much before, but now that he knew how special Kakashi's blade was, his competitive spirit suddenly flared up.
At least, what Kakashi has, Obito wants too!
"Actually, Konoha's hospital already has some healing devices with ninjutsu engraving being tested," Rin said softly after a pause.
"Can you say that?" Both Obito and Kakashi looked at Rin.
Obito was from the Police Force, and Kakashi was from the Anbu, so they were careful.
"It's fine, it's not a secret project. The tests are done, and they are starting to place them in the hospital widely," Rin waved her hand, signaling it was okay to talk. Since they were close friends, Rin felt a strong urge to share.
Seeing that Obito and Kakashi were interested and not impatient, Rin continued: "These devices lower the threshold for healing injured people.
Even someone who doesn't know much medical ninjutsu can operate the device to do simple treatments for wounded patients.
It can't replace a medical ninja, but it can free medical ninjas from some repetitive busy work.
If you get hurt again next time, Obito, and it's not too serious, and there's no medical ninja available at the hospital, you can try using those medical devices."
"I remember medical ninjutsu requires very high skill, right? Can machines really replace it?" Obito felt that what Rin said conflicted with what he knew.
As everyone knows, ninjutsu requires hand seals to perform, and medical ninjutsu demands extremely precise chakra nature and chakra control.
Obito found it hard to imagine any machine could replace a medical ninja.
"It's impossible to replace everything. Some complex surgeries and illnesses still need medical ninjas to handle personally. But if there are enough cases and the treatment process is standardized, then using medical machines for treatment is no problem.
As long as more cases and solutions keep being added to the machines, and they have good energy sources, these machines can free medical ninjas from repetitive, less demanding illnesses.
To quote Lady Tsunade, in the future there might be assistive machines specifically for surgeries. They might even help medical ninjas perform surgeries beyond their own abilities.
Under the right conditions and environment, even an excellent medical ninja might be able to reach the surgery standards that only Lady Tsunade can achieve," Rin explained to Obito.
"Is that really good? For medical ninjas?" Obito was a little confused. He instinctively sensed something unsettling but found it hard to put into words.
"Are you worried that machines will replace medical ninjas?" Rin quickly guessed what Obito wanted to say and asked to confirm.
Obito nodded strongly. That was exactly what he meant!
Kakashi, standing beside them, narrowed his eyes, seeming interested in Rin's answer as well.
"Someone once asked Lady Tsunade the same question!" Rin said with admiration.
"They asked, if these machines can do everything a medical ninja can do, then what's the purpose of medical ninjas? Are they just meant to be replaced by the machines?"
Lady Tsunade's answer at that time was: it will take a long time for machines to replace medical ninjas. More likely, they will develop a symbiotic relationship with them.
The machines can free medical ninjas from simple, repetitive tasks.
This gives the medical ninjas more time to learn how to use the machines and to study more medical knowledge, covering a wider range of medical fields.
These machines will lower the entry barrier for medical ninjas and also raise their potential ceiling.
If developed well, in the future, they could change the medical environment and truly make medical care widespread!
The number of medical ninjas is still too small, but these machines can help medical ninjas save more people in need of healing!
If someday medical ninjas are really replaced by machines, it will only be because all difficult diseases have been cured, and the world no longer needs them in person.
If that happens, as a medical ninja, Lady Tsunade said she would be very happy. She would have other things to do.
Kakashi and Obito were both hit hard by Rin's smile, falling into silence together.
They even thought about what would happen if one day the ninja profession itself was no longer needed by the world and got replaced — what would happen to them then?
"But this situation is hard to imagine now. Because the machines are still too bulky and can only do basic medical tasks. They can solve more problems than a Healing Tag, but compared to a skilled and excellent medical ninja, the gap is still big.
And diseases are endless. Maybe in the future, medical ninjas will only need to focus on gathering together to solve difficult problems, then hand over the healing methods to the machines.
That wouldn't be bad either. But thinking about that now is still too far away."
Rin spoke again.
"Yeah, it's too far away. These questions aren't something we should be thinking about right now. What I want to know is, can I go to the Technology Development Department to order a ninja tool with a ninjutsu engraving?" Obito nodded repeatedly, looking at Kakashi and Rin with hopeful eyes.
"Speaking of connections, shouldn't the Uchiha have a closer relationship with the Technology Development Department? I think someone inside the Uchiha clan must have already got a ninja tool from the ninjutsu engraving series, right?" Rin tilted her head and guessed.
****
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