"You're talking about Aoshi-kun? When it comes to medical ninjutsu, he's undeniably a genius. In just one year, he's already qualified as a medical ninja."
"And to encourage him, I even rewarded him with the Delicate IllnessExtraction Technique. With his talent, I imagine he's already mastered it."
"Oh, and yesterday, he completed ten medical treatment tasks—seven of which he handled entirely on his own."
Hearing Minako's glowing evaluation of Hirakawa Aoshi, Tsunade was genuinely surprised. She hadn't expected Kushina's words to be true. This guy... was actually a genius in medical ninjutsu.
Tch. What a pain.
She had assumed today would just be a formality—but now it looked like she'd have to actually put in the effort to guide him properly.
Honestly, she'd much rather be gambling.
[You have completed treatment for Sasakura Hiroaki. Reward: 1 Blue Orb.
Congratulations! You've received an Explosive Tag.]
Sasakura Hiroaki was just a regular chunin, and Aoshi had expected to earn around 100 chakra points for the procedure. Instead, to his surprise, he received an Explosive Tag.
Explosive tags were classified as ninja tools—thin sheets of paper inscribed with sealing formulas, often attached to kunai or hidden as traps.
Despite their simple appearance, they were incredibly destructive. One of the most infamous examples was how Tsunade's younger brother Nawaki was killed by one.
And who could forget that legendary moment when Konan fought Obito and turned the sea into a storm of six hundred billion explosive tags?
Still, for most ordinary ninja, explosive tags are not tools that can be used casually.
Why? Because they're ridiculously expensive. All things considered, this reward wasn't bad at all.
Sometimes, just one explosive tag could turn the tide of battle—especially when chakra was running low.
"Looks like blue orbs are different from white ones... They don't just give chakra."
Thinking that, Aoshi had a sudden realization. If a blue orb could give him an explosive tag, then it could probably produce other ninja tools, too.
Sure, ninja earned good money, but their expenses were just as high. And one of the biggest expenses? Buying ninja tools.
But now, he didn't need to spend a single ryo on them anymore.
In fact, if he ever ran low on cash, he could sell the extra tools the system gave him. Since they cost him nothing, selling them even below market price would still be pure profit.
"When you think about it that way, this isn't just decent—it's a jackpot."
Don't forget, the process of getting these tools—healing—also earns him money. While he was thinking this through, a nurse suddenly knocked on his office door.
"Aoshi-sama, Tsunade-sama has asked for you in her office."
He thought it was just another patient needing treatment, but it turned out Tsunade wanted to see him.
Wait, when did Tsunade even arrive at Konoha Hospital? And why would she want to meet with him all of a sudden?
Aoshi found this puzzling. Ever since the end of the Second Great Ninja War, he hadn't seen Tsunade again.
After all, he didn't visit the Senju compound, nor did he frequent places like casinos or bars—things strictly prohibited for ninjas.
The only place their paths could cross was Konoha Hospital. But ever since he started learning medical ninjutsu, he had never once seen Tsunade show up.
It had to be Kushina's doing. With that thought, Aoshi got up and made his way to Tsunade's office.
"Lady Tsunade, I'm Hirakawa Aoshi."
"Come in."
At the sound of her voice, Aoshi pushed the door open—and was instantly met with the sight of two Heavenly Orbs. Hiss— So this was the legendary size... terrifying!
"Lady Tsunade, you called for me?"
"Kushina told me yesterday that you're a genius in medical ninjutsu, so she asked me to give you a little guidance." Tsunade didn't beat around the bush. She directly told him it was Kushina who asked her to help.
Just as he thought. It was Kushina behind this. Aoshi immediately put on a look of sincere gratitude.
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you, Lady Tsunade?"
"It's fine. With your level of talent, you've more than earned it."
Even though she really wanted to go gamble, Tsunade didn't slack off in the slightest.
"So, what do you want me to teach you?"
"Then... Lady Tsunade, could you teach me the Chakra Scalpel?"
After some consideration, Aoshi decided to seize this opportunity to learn this A-rank medical ninjutsu. He chose the Chakra Scalpel because it allows for internal cutting without leaving external wounds.
In other words, it can also be used in combat. In the original story, Kabuto used this technique against Tsunade.
Tsunade didn't refuse his request. She simply pulled out a ninjutsu scroll and handed it to him. "Take a look. Ask me if anything's unclear."
Very quickly, Aoshi finished reading through the scroll for the Chakra Scalpel.
"How do you feel about it?"
"It's a bit tricky, but not too bad."
Hearing this, Tsunade couldn't help but roll her eyes. Clearly, she thought Aoshi was being arrogant. After all, this was an A-rank medical ninjutsu. Even she had taken several days to master it back then.
"If you're so confident, how long do you think it'll take you to learn it?"
"Three days at most," Aoshi answered without hesitation.
"That fast? Kid, you sure talk big."
Tsunade was intrigued by his confidence. "How about we make a bet? If you can learn the Chakra Scalpel in three days, I'll teach you the Strength of a Hundred Seal."
"But if you fail, you owe me ten million ryo."
Wait, there's a deal this good? Aoshi agreed without hesitation.
Betting with Tsunade? No second thoughts—he has the advantage!
"This is ten million, not a thousand. You'd be working off that debt for years if you lose."
Konoha Hospital's salary was 100,000 ryo per month.
Seeing how easily Aoshi accepted the bet, Tsunade assumed he must've misheard the amount.
But Aoshi quickly clarified he understood perfectly.
"If you're that eager to give me money, then out of kindness, I'll make sure to take this seriously." Seeing how serious he was, Tsunade didn't argue. She simply decided that if he failed, she'd only take 100,000 ryo.
After all, he was Kushina's friend—she couldn't be too harsh.
Yep, Tsunade was already sure she'd win.
Hearing her say that, Aoshi's mouth twitched. 'Where was she getting this confidence from? Did she have zero awareness of her legendary bad luck?'
Next, Aoshi bombarded her with questions, one after another, and Tsunade answered them all without holding back.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Once all his doubts were cleared, Aoshi didn't linger.
But as he stepped out of the office, a nurse approached.
"Lord Hirakawa, there's an injured person who needs emergency surgery."