Chapter 43: A New Monetary Unit, Asuma
Hoshikawa's heart skipped a beat when he saw Tsunade holding the knife. Was she planning on using him as the subject of the jutsu?
He stared at her for a few seconds before gritting his teeth and extending his arm.
"Relax, this won't hurt," Tsunade said as she used the fruit knife to make a thin cut on the back of his hand.
A faint trickle of blood appeared.
It hurt a little, but not too much.
After all, she was the best medical ninja.
Hoshikawa suddenly recalled a news story from his previous life about a medical student who inflicted over twenty cuts on a patient, yet it was only a minor injury.
"Watch with your eyes, and feel with your heart." Tsunade held up her hand, and a pale green chakra emanated from her palm.
A vibrant and lively aura spread through the air.
The wound on Hoshikawa's hand slowly healed.
"How does it feel?" Tsunade asked.
"The wound is a little itchy," Hoshikawa answered honestly.
"That's because your cells are rapidly multiplying," Tsunade said, gently holding Hoshikawa's small hand. "It may seem no different than before, but you've already used up quite a few cells."
"I see," Hoshikawa nodded seriously.
"But cell division and proliferation have their limits," Tsunade's tone grew serious. "The more you use it, the faster you age."
Hoshikawa thought of her Yin Seal.
Once the Yin Seal was released and combined with the Creation Rebirth Technique, any injury she sustained would automatically regenerate and heal at high speed.
However, overuse would cause her to age.
In other words, a medical ninja had limits.
To break past those limits, you couldn't be a medical ninja, like the completely inhuman Hashirama Senju.
He could heal without hand signs or side effects, easily achieving the same effect as the Creation Rebirth Technique.
"Do you know the three rules of a medical ninja?" Tsunade changed the subject.
"I do," Hoshikawa explained. "The academy taught us."
The first rule was never to act on impulse and, more accurately, never to be on the front lines.
The second was never to give up on a patient unless you were sure they were dead.
The third was to protect yourself and be the last one standing.
Hoshikawa felt like these were the rules for a stealth player in a battle royale game.
"No matter what, you must survive," Tsunade said, reaching out and stroking his head.
Hoshikawa felt a little strange, as if she were saying the classic anime line, "Once you come back alive, we'll get married."
"Let's go. We're heading to the hospital," Tsunade said, withdrawing her hand.
"What are we going to do at the hospital?" Hoshikawa was a little taken aback.
"What? Are you willing to be the patient?" Tsunade chuckled. "If you're willing to sacrifice yourself, we can train at home."
"Let's go to the hospital instead," Hoshikawa quickly shook his head. "That would hurt too much."
"What do you mean?" Tsunade glared at him. "Did I hurt you just now?"
This isn't the time to be a stickler for details!
Hoshikawa coughed, changing the subject. "Will the patients at the hospital let me treat them?"
"If it were just you, of course not," Tsunade said with a smug look. "But with me there, they'll gladly volunteer as guinea... er, for treatment."
You were going to say guinea pigs, weren't you?
Hoshikawa followed her to the Konoha Hospital.
Just as she had said, when the patients heard that Tsunade would be treating them, they were overjoyed and became teaching materials for free.
The day passed quickly.
Hoshikawa finally understood the power of the C-rank entry 'Innate Full Chakra'.
With the Yin Release talent bonus, learning genjutsu took him only a few minutes.
But it took him a whole day to learn a medical ninjutsu.
Aside from medical ninjutsu being more difficult to learn, it was because he didn't have the Yang Release talent bonus.
But it didn't matter. He had plenty of time.
He just needed to learn three medical ninjutsu to synthesize the C-rank entry 'Monstrous Strength'.
"That's enough for today," Tsunade said, glancing at the sunset and then at the panting Hoshikawa, who was resting in a chair.
Chakra consumption meant physical exertion.
After a day of training, he was naturally exhausted.
"Can you still walk?" Tsunade subconsciously rubbed her fingers together.
She hadn't gambled all day, and her fingers were getting itchy.
"I need to rest for a bit," Hoshikawa waved his hand. "Teacher, you can go back first."
"No, you can't rest yet," Tsunade walked over and picked him up. "We're going to the casino."
That's... not surprising at all.
Hoshikawa buried his face in her chest, breathing in her strong scent and continuing to rest.
The gentle moments passed in a flash.
It was a new day.
Hoshikawa woke up early.
After running two laps around the streets, he made a turn and walked into the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore.
"Codename 9527, you did a great job!" Tsuchihashi was as excited as if he had just reunited with a long-lost family member.
Hoshikawa thought for a moment and realized the reason was Tsunade.
The news of him becoming Tsunade's student had spread to everyone over the past two days, and Tsuchihashi was no exception.
Besides, as a spy from Kumogakure planted in Konoha, he must have other sources of information.
"Tsuchihashi-ojisan," Hoshikawa didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Is there a reward?"
"Of course there is!" Tsuchihashi said excitedly. "Do you know? You're the highest-ranking spy in Kumogakure's history since the village was founded!"
Hoshikawa was stunned for a moment. Were the others really that incompetent?
But on second thought, it wasn't that they were incompetent; it was the system that was too powerful.
Other spies would definitely be caught by various sensory and intelligence ninjutsu.
The Yamanaka clan's mind-reading jutsu alone would be enough to cut off their path to promotion, not to mention infiltrating the upper echelons of Konoha.
Of course, there was another reason: a genius would never be sent to be a spy.
Oh, except for Danzō Shimura.
"I already sent a message back to Kumogakure yesterday. There should be news in a couple of days. Come back then," Tsuchihashi said, calming down. "Keep up the good work. The future is yours."
Hoshikawa was his subordinate. The higher he climbed, the more Tsuchihashi would benefit and receive rewards from Kumogakure.
"Alright," Hoshikawa said with a determined look. "For Kumogakure!"
"For Kumogakure!" Tsuchihashi echoed.
"Um... can I get the royalties for 'Taimanin' now?" Hoshikawa coughed slightly and asked.
"Of course," Tsuchihashi said with a smile, taking out a bankbook. "These are the royalties from when it was published until now."
Hoshikawa opened the bankbook with anticipation.
12 million ryo!
We're rich!
He hadn't expected the royalties to be worth a third of Asuma Sarutobi's head.
"I'm planning to release the middle volume of 'Taimanin' this week. You can look forward to next month's royalties," Tsuchihashi patted him on the shoulder and asked, "Does your... your friend have any other ideas?"
"I'll go back and ask," Hoshikawa said, putting away the bankbook. "I don't know right now."
This was the truth.
He still didn't have any ideas for the next book.
....
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