"Tsunade, can you find a universally applicable form of medical chakra?"
Hiruzen opened his eyes and asked.
"That won't be a problem. I've already considered it. If it's to be used for military purposes, then we need medical scrolls with broad-spectrum effects—hemostasis, healing, sterilization, and the like. Further specialization into narrower fields doesn't seem realistic at the moment…"
"The relevant techniques have already been fully developed."
"Ever since you said you would support my medical work, sensei, I haven't slept much these past few months. I've been immersed in all kinds of medical texts," Tsunade said seriously.
"I can guarantee that these techniques are sufficiently mature. Orochimaru and I have tested them together."
Orochimaru nodded lightly. "Her drive really has exceeded my expectations…"
Hiruzen was somewhat moved.
Even though, in his heart, he truly felt that Tsunade's 'gambling nature' was too strong, making her unsuitable to become Hokage,
her love for the village was genuine.
Tsunade was not lacking in money, nor did she have any interest in the position of Hokage.
What sustained her through such intense, high-pressure work could only be her pure love for Konohagakure, and her desire to make amends for the regrets of losing her loved ones…
Thus, after achieving a technical breakthrough, it was understandable for her to be somewhat impatient.
This was her long-cherished wish.
'One who holds the public good in their heart will naturally shine brightly, earning sincere admiration,' Hiruzen reflected inwardly, then said to her earnestly, "You've worked hard, Tsunade. On behalf of all the village's shinobi, I thank you!"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned. A sudden sourness welled up in her chest, and she said softly, "You've worked hard as well, sensei."
"Then if this kind of chakra is used in extremely small quantities and fixed onto objects, could it achieve an effect that is beneficial and harmless to healthy individuals?"
Medical chakra, as the name implies, is chakra produced by medical ninjutsu.
Once it enters the human body, it isn't the case that the more there is—just because it carries the word 'medical'—the better…
Even milk can kill someone if there's too much of it.
"It is possible…"
"But then its effect would be similar to that of Sage Region Pills, and it would have no significance for warfare."
Tsunade hesitated before continuing, "Sensei, I was a bit rushed just now—too excited."
"Although I simplified the difficulty of the techniques, the complex structure inherent to medical ninjutsu is still there. There's a gap before it can be truly applied, and it requires a large amount of repetitive practice to master."
Having calmed down, Tsunade once again demonstrated professional thinking when discussing the work.
What does it mean for a ninjutsu to be considered mastered?
Take the Fire Release: Fireball Technique, for example—whether one spits out a small flame or unleashes a world-destroying sea of fire, both can be called casting the technique.
Medical ninjutsu is the same. Quite a few shinobi can, in fact, manage to release a small amount, but the scale is so tiny that, in practical combat terms, it is almost meaningless.
It makes no difference whether they can do it or not.
"So you mean that as long as they do repetitive training, they can master it, and the effect can also be matched to Sage Region Pills…"
After receiving Tsunade's confirmation, Hiruzen's eyes lit up. "Very good!"
"I was still thinking about how to adjust the industrial shinobi responsible for producing military medical scrolls going forward."
"Now the problem is solved…"
Hiruzen explained to the puzzled Tsunade: "Add a small amount of controllable medical chakra into Sage Region Pills—train through work!"
"This fifteen-person production team, based on the dosage Orochimaru designed, and factoring in the defective-rate loss, will need to produce an average of about fifteen pills per person per day. And that's only the beginning."
"These health products we use to harvest the nobility will be their training ground…"
Hiruzen smiled slightly. "Besides, it isn't really 'harvesting'—it's already, for them, something that is more than worth the price, a rigid necessity they must pursue!"
Jiraiya nodded unconsciously.
He seemed to see gold coins raining down from the sky—nobles scrambling over each other, even fighting among themselves, just to obtain a purchase quota.
Money—so much money…
"Once the industrial shinobi use this to become proficient and truly master medical ninjutsu, we'll have them 'veterans teach the new,' and train a new batch of recruits. Those experienced hands can then free themselves up to research and produce medical scrolls with higher production difficulty."
The shinobi world is a unique world, saturated by chakra.
Politically, it is a hybrid of feudal lordship and an oligarchy of extraordinary force; the daimyō, shinobi villages, and nobles form a fragile balance.
Its social economy is rooted in agriculture, ornamented by chakra-driven products that resemble industry, giving the appearance of an industrialization prototype.
But in truth, from ninja tools and weapons to future medical scrolls, and from war supplies to research materials, most are extraordinary handicraft goods produced through cooperation between shinobi and artisans—chakra ninja blades, explosive tags, and so on…
Therefore, even with the technology in hand, manufacturing must keep up—otherwise it is a castle in the air.
Training skilled handicraft workers was something Hiruzen, as Hokage, had always been considering.
Tsunade's thinking quickly caught up; there seemed to be light flickering in her eyes.
She wanted to agree to Hiruzen's plan immediately, but thinking back to the earlier question, she ran it through her mind again and again, verifying all kinds of possibilities.
"No problem, sensei!"
"I'll go implement it right away. I can have everything settled in less than two weeks!" She seemed to see a future where Konoha's shinobi would not die so easily on the battlefield—where even if they were gravely wounded, there would still be hope…
Tsunade could not help but want to return to her post immediately.
"I'll leave all matters related to medical development entirely to you!"
"But take care of your health, Tsunade. Working for the village is a long-term endeavor…"
"When the scrolls are developed, remember to give them a good name," Hiruzen said.
Tsunade was taken aback.
A name? Wouldn't calling them medical scrolls be enough…
"How about calling them Nawaki-style Scrolls?"
Orochimaru spoke quietly, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes. "That foolish disciple of mine was always saying that he wanted to become Hokage in the future and protect everyone in the village."
"He even said he wanted to protect me, his sensei…"
"Saving those gravely wounded shinobi—wouldn't that be something he'd want to see as well?"
The atmosphere grew somewhat somber.
"In that case… that works."
"Thank you, sensei!" Tsunade let out a long breath. There seemed to be a faint shimmer of moisture in her eyes. "You think more thoroughly than I do. From now on, I won't be so hasty with you…"
"You do have a rather impatient temperament, but if you weren't like that, you wouldn't be Tsunade," Hiruzen chuckled. "I'm already used to it—so are you two, right?"
Jiraiya and Orochimaru nodded in deep agreement, perfectly in sync.
Tsunade rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, yet an inexplicable warmth welled up in her heart.
She wasn't alone after all—there were still people who cared about her like family…
Not bound by blood, yet closer than blood.
And at this moment, while Hiruzen and his students continued to hammer out the details,
his youngest son, Asuma, stuffed a book into his pants, covered it with his shirt, and tiptoed along the wall, sneaking about like a little mouse stealing food and afraid of being caught…
'Don't see me, don't see me…'
'I need to take the essentials of Fire Release to my companions…'
'I have to do this— as the leader, I can't back out now!' Asuma prayed silently in his heart.
What was amusing was this: Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Hiruzen were so engrossed in their discussion that they only vaguely noticed Asuma getting up, without looking closely.
But Jiraiya, who wasn't very involved and was busy devouring breakfast with gusto, spotted the guilty sneak at a glance.
Their eyes met.
Asuma's gaze was pleading, clearly saying, Jiraiya, don't say anything!
But Jiraiya broke into a wicked grin and shouted loudly, "Hey, kid—what are you sneaking around for?!"
Asuma's vision went black.
Could it be… that the gang leader was about to be in serious trouble today?
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