"No way! Absolutely not!"
"But if she moves during the surgery, even slightly, it could completely disrupt the operation — and the results might be irreversible!"
"Still, no way!"
"So you're just giving up then?"
Down the corridor, a middle-aged woman was arguing fiercely with a group of nurses.
"Can someone tell me what's going on here?"
A clear, cold voice came from the side. The young nurses turned around and let out delighted gasps.
"Tsunade-sama!"
Hearing the nurses call out the name of the newcomer, the middle-aged woman faltered for a moment, but quickly pushed forward regardless.
"Tsunade-sama, please, you have to save my daughter!"
"Calm down," Tsunade said, raising a hand to soothe her. Then she turned to the nurses and asked, "Can someone explain exactly what's happening?"
"It's like this," one nurse replied. "This lady's daughter needs surgery, but she's far too young. We need some kind of anesthesia — otherwise, the operation might not go smoothly at all." As she spoke, the nurse cast a sympathetic glance toward the little girl inside the ward.
Tsunade followed her gaze to the nearby room. Inside sat a teary-eyed little girl no more than two or three years old, hunched in a chair. Beside her, an older boy gently tried to comfort her.
Tsunade frowned. "If we can't keep her still," she said grimly, "then going ahead with the surgery would be extremely risky."
The nurse nodded. "That's exactly why we suggested using anesthesia."
The mother exploded. "You call that anesthesia? That's basically murder!"
The nurse hesitated, speaking cautiously. "Actually, we do have a lighter dose..."
Under the woman's murderous glare, the nurse fell silent.
"I could use the Chakra Scalpel to temporarily cut her sensory nerves," Tsunade mused thoughtfully. "But considering how young she is, it might affect her life later on." Then she remembered Nonou's earlier suggestion. "Have you tried using genjutsu?"
"We did try, but the girl woke up shortly after," the nurse replied helplessly. "Also, the ninja who are experts in genjutsu are currently all away on missions."
Tsunade gave a slight shake of her head. She knew the nurse likely hadn't considered that particular clan.
After all, that clan was famously arrogant, and their role as the village's police force kept most people at a distance.
"The Uchiha clan..." Tsunade hesitated inwardly. She had little connection with them. Her status as the "princess" of the Senju clan might even provoke a negative reaction.
Just then, a small figure standing at the doorway broke the tension.
"Actually, Anko is ready for surgery now."
"Seiki, what do you mean?" Nonou's eyes lit up. She understood better than anyone the training and trials Seiki had gone through over the past two months.
"Is that Seiki Shimaseki?"
Tsunade finally realized that the young boy in the ward earlier wasn't actually the girl's older brother.
Seiki gave a small nod, "I've already cast a genjutsu on Young Miss Anko. We should be able to proceed with the surgery now."
Before anyone nearby could voice their doubts, Nonou stepped into the ward first. She looked at the sweet little girl sleeping soundly, then carefully placed her right hand on her.
Soon after, Nonou came out wearing a delighted expression, "Tsunade-sama, please come take a look."
Witnessing this scene, several young nurses couldn't help but exchange doubtful glances: "Could it really have worked? Even Chunin ninja couldn't pull off something like this!"
Anko's mother looked at Tsunade with great expectation, "Tsunade-sama..."
Tsunade entered the ward and saw the girl sleeping soundly, showing a trace of surprise in her eyes, "It indeed worked successfully. However, we still need to test it further."
As she spoke, Tsunade suddenly clenched her right fist tightly.
Bang!
The sonic boom caused by her clenched fist made everyone instinctively flinch. However, the little girl sitting on the chair merely licked her lips — her breathing remained steady and undisturbed.
"This level of immersion... Did you construct an entire realistic world?" Tsunade gave Seiki a long, thoughtful look. "Maybe a genjutsu specialist path suits you better after all," she said, half in admiration.
"Whether it's Medical Ninjutsu or genjutsu, any jutsu that can help others, I'll do my absolute best to master!" Seiki clenched his fist like Tsunade and declared firmly.
Then he suddenly shifted tone, "Actually though, this illusion doesn't require much realism at all."
"Why do you say that?" Tsunade asked with interest.
"It's because we're kids. Honestly, when you're a child, who even cares if the world feels real?" Seiki replied naturally.
Tsunade appeared momentarily stunned, realizing it might actually be true — for children, a wild and fantastical world might better match their imagination.
Seiki continued, "Also, I talked with Anko-chan for quite a while earlier. I learned what she truly longs for deep inside."
"Is it about family or friends?" Tsunade softly asked.
Seiki shook his head, "Not exactly. Actually, Anko-chan's wish is very simple. She just wants to eat red bean soup again."
"Because sweets bring happiness," Anko's mother said while patting her gently rounded midsection with slight embarrassment, "However, prices became extremely high after the war..."
"Therefore, I specially created a genjutsu realm where the entire world is filled with red bean soup." Seiki spread his arms wide open, as if earnestly depicting that red bean soup world.
"That's quite an impressive Illusion Realm," Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle softly, then sighed, "And yet, such a simple one—no one even thought of it."
"Kid, you're really something!"
With a slightly embarrassed smile, Seiki replied, "I guess I just listened a little more closely and understood better than others did."
Tsunade murmured, half to herself, half questioning, "Listening? Understanding?"
Seiki nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I think doctors should do more than just heal physical wounds. People's inner turmoil and emotional pain also need our support. It's only by really listening and understanding their true feelings that we can find the best treatment for each patient."
"Learning to listen... learning to understand a patient's true feelings?" Tsunade was deeply moved. For the first time, she looked at Seiki as an equal, thinking to herself, "What sets him apart from other Medical Ninjas isn't just talent or hard work—it's his attitude and sense of duty as a doctor!"
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Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!