Mikoto wouldn't ask Aoshi why he wanted to wait a few more years before marrying her. Nor did she care whether the wedding would be grand or simple.
All she needed was his promise—and that alone was enough.
Feeling the sincerity and affection in Mikoto's words, Aoshi said nothing further. He merely lowered his head and kissed her soft lips.
At the same time, the arm wrapped around Mikoto tightened unconsciously, as though he didn't want to be separated from her for even a single moment.
Sensing Aoshi's passion, Mikoto responded just as intensely.
After they parted, she spoke once more.
"Today, when I went grocery shopping, I ran into Ruon. She said that she and the clan head have set their wedding for a year from now, and she asked you to be sure to attend."
That was the real reason she had brought up the topic of marriage today.
Aoshi hadn't met this Ruon Mikoto mentioned, but he knew who she was—Uchiha Fugaku's girlfriend.
He had heard about her from Mikoto before. He simply hadn't expected that they had already decided on a wedding date.
"Alright. Just remind me in advance when the time comes," Aoshi replied calmly.
He agreed without hesitation. After all, it was Mikoto's maternal clan, and proper respect had to be shown.
Then, Aoshi's thoughts drifted further. Since Uchiha Fugaku was getting married, the birth of Uchiha Itachi couldn't be far off.
That person was a true heavyweight. A genius—an unquestionable genius.
Yet he had been burdened with a father like Uchiha Fugaku, someone who simply didn't know how to raise a child.
What kind of person would take a four-year-old son to the battlefield?
It was no wonder Uchiha Itachi later became so extreme.
Even within the Uchiha clan, a group already prone to extremism, he had been the most extreme of all.
One could only say that every result had its cause.
However, with Aoshi's presence and influence now, the Uchiha clan would definitely not meet the fate of annihilation.
Thinking this far, Aoshi stopped dwelling on it. After all, it didn't really have much to do with him.
After covering Mikoto with the blanket, he wrapped his arms around her and slowly fell asleep…
---
Ninja Academy.
Special Medical Training Class.
Aoshi stood on the podium, holding a stack of test papers in his hands.
"Alright, the last class is over. Does anyone have any questions? You can ask them now."
"If not, then the test will begin immediately. Only those who pass will move on to the final stage of teaching."
According to Aoshi's original plan, the third stage—focused on in-depth theoretical instruction and originally meant to last around two and a half years—had now officially concluded.
Yes. More than two years had passed once again.
[Chakra: B-rank (604,860 / 1,000,000)]
Aoshi's chakra had already surpassed 600,000.
He could now confidently say that he was a true "Chakra Monster" ninja.
Aside from Jinchūriki and those with special bloodline physiques, there was no one in the entire ninja world whose chakra reserves exceeded Aoshi's.
Even so, there was still a considerable gap before reaching the one million chakra required for A-rank.
But Aoshi believed—As long as he persevered, he would eventually reach it.
As soon as Aoshi finished speaking, a student immediately raised their hand.
"Teacher Aoshi, there's still something I don't understand."
The twenty-three people who had endured until this point were all genuinely determined to become medical ninjas.
Their enthusiasm for learning was exceptionally high.
Aoshi smiled gently and said, "Which part don't you understand?"
Soon after, the question-and-answer session ended, and the final test officially began.
"It's the same as before. The exam duration is one hour. Everyone, hurry up!"
An hour was neither long nor short. After the exam ended, Aoshi quickly finished grading all twenty-three test papers.
To his relief, every single one of them had passed.
All twenty-three could advance to the fourth—and final—stage of teaching.
From this stage onward, they would truly begin learning medical ninjutsu.
According to the current regulations of Konoha Hospital, as long as one could proficiently master the D-rank medical ninjutsu Healing Jutsu and the C-rank medical ninjutsu Hemostasis Jutsu—two foundational techniques—they could be considered a qualified medical ninja.
As for higher-level B-rank and A-rank medical ninjutsu, the learning difficulty was simply too great.
It was impossible to require every medical ninja to master them. Otherwise, Konoha Hospital would be unable to function normally.
Only medical ninjas with exceptional talent and outstanding performance would later be granted access to higher-level medical ninjutsu as rewards.
Back then, Aoshi himself had learned Healing Jutsu, Mystical Palm Technique, and Chakra Scalpel in exactly this manner.
In the blink of an eye, another week passed.
It was time for the special medical training class once again.
"First, I want to congratulate all of you."
"Starting today, you have entered the final teaching stage of the medical special training class. No one here will be eliminated anymore."
The moment those words fell, everyone's expressions brightened with joy.
After all, they had struggled and endured for so long. Being eliminated at the final stage would have been extremely hard to accept.
In truth, aside from considering everyone's feelings, Aoshi set this rule because anyone who could pass the first three stages would undoubtedly be capable of learning medical ninjutsu.
The only difference lay in how much time it would take, depending on individual talent.
"Of course, if anyone no longer wishes to continue on the path of a medical ninja, you may choose to withdraw."
"If you ever have such thoughts, you can come talk to me at any time."
"Now then, let's begin today's lesson—learning the D-rank medical ninjutsu, Healing Jutsu."
As usual, Aoshi took out an injured fish and demonstrated the technique once for everyone.
The students stepped forward, gathering closer.
They watched as Aoshi gathered chakra in his palms, a faint green glow slowly emanating from his hands.
Then, he gently placed his palms on the fish's body and began the healing process.
"When using Healing Jutsu, it's crucial to maintain a stable chakra output," Aoshi explained.
"Too little chakra won't have any effect, while too much will disrupt the normal circulatory system within the patient's body."
Even while explaining, Aoshi's chakra output remained perfectly stable, showing no signs of fluctuation.
Soon, the fish that had been on the brink of death gradually regained its vitality under his treatment.
"So amazing!"
Seeing medical ninjutsu with their own eyes for the first time, everyone gazed at him with admiration.
They were no longer complete novices who understood nothing. They fully grasped the significance of being able to heal while simultaneously instructing others.
Taking in their reactions, Aoshi smiled faintly and continued.
"Alright, everyone may begin your individual practice now."
"If you encounter any problems, just raise your hand."
"Yes!" Everyone returned to their respective positions.
They took out the fish Aoshi had prepared for them in advance and began practicing Healing Jutsu.
Before long, the classroom was filled with a faint green glow. At the beginning, without exception, everyone failed.
Aoshi promptly stepped in to help them identify and resolve their issues. Soon after, the differences in talent began to show.
While most were still struggling, Rin and Shizune had already succeeded in learning Healing Jutsu.
Kurenai followed closely behind them, only a single step slower.