Chapter 74: A High-Level Game
Konoha Medical Department — Top Floor.
Inside one of the executive offices, two people in white lab coats stood by the window, watching the street below.
Their eyes followed Uchiha Asuka as he bid farewell to another member of the Uchiha clan.
After a long silence, one of them sighed.
"What a pity."
"After the Third Shinobi World War, Jonin Asuka withdrew from the ranks of medical ninja."
"Nowadays..."
"He only comes to the hospital occasionally to visit patients."
Hearing the faint note of regret, the elderly man beside her twitched his eyelids.
He glanced at the blonde woman wearing glasses and replied in his aged voice,
"You're only slightly better than he is."
He deliberately emphasized the words slightly.
The blonde woman merely smiled gently and said nothing.
She was different from Asuka.
She had never left the Medical Department.
Although she rarely came to the hospital these days, it was only because she held several jobs at once and spent most of her time earning money.
"Oh, right."
Watching Asuka wave goodbye to someone outside, curiosity flashed through her eyes.
"Did Jonin Asuka lose confidence in medical ninjutsu because he couldn't save one of his comrades?"
"Even when he resigned..."
"...Lady Tsunade personally went to visit him."
The old man folded his arms and chuckled.
"No."
"She had just lost all her money gambling."
"She simply stopped by to borrow some from him on the way home."
Then he proudly tapped his own forehead.
"Thanks to my wisdom..."
"...Asuka eventually became part of the Medical Department."
"...Wisdom?"
The blonde woman pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh.
The sunlight reflected brilliantly off the old man's bald head.
According to her research...
There was absolutely no connection between baldness and intelligence.
It was almost certainly hereditary.
Otherwise...
There was no way to explain why the old man's youngest son had already begun wearing a wig.
"It seems I made the right decision back then."
"I accepted his apprentice immediately."
"A truly wise choice."
The blonde woman smiled politely.
"Your remarkable wisdom is truly admirable."
"Under the Vice Director's leadership..."
"...the Medical Department will surely surpass even Lady Tsunade's era."
"Hahaha!"
"Oh, you're flattering me."
The old man waved his hand modestly.
"In my opinion..."
"Princess Tsunade was prejudiced against the Uchiha."
"She judged people through a crack in the door."
"How could someone as outstanding as Asuka have been rejected?"
The blonde woman's cheek twitched.
The Senju and Uchiha certainly had conflicts.
But Lady Tsunade had never discriminated against Uchiha simply because they were Uchiha.
If she remembered correctly...
The reason she refused him years ago...
Had nothing to do with his medical skill.
Instead—
Old memories resurfaced.
Looking down at Asuka standing below the hospital steps, she thought quietly,
It was because his reasons for studying medicine were... questionable.
He had devoted enormous effort to researching every possible method of human sterilization.
No normal medical student would choose that specialty.
Besides...
Because of a certain incident...
Lady Tsunade's impression of him had completely plummeted.
The blonde woman glanced at the Vice Director, whose expression remained complicated.
Thinking about the work she still needed him to approve...
She praised him against her own conscience.
"You're right."
"However..."
"We can't judge what happened back then."
"Lady Tsunade must have had her own reasons."
"Hmph."
The Vice Director snorted.
"She didn't have any reasons."
"She simply disliked me."
After saying that, he tapped the windowsill thoughtfully.
"I plan to promote Uzuki Yugao on a larger scale."
"Even if she doesn't know how to treat a case..."
"...there's still a top-class medical ninja standing behind her."
"If Yugao summons him..."
"The villagers will receive treatment from someone they normally wouldn't even dream of meeting."
The blonde woman nodded again.
"If the hospital directly asks Asuka to treat patients..."
"...we owe him a favor."
"But if his apprentice calls him..."
"...then it's simply a debt carried over from their teacher-student relationship."
"It has nothing to do with the hospital."
"The Vice Director's foresight truly surpasses ordinary people."
Hearing those words...
The old man's eyes narrowed into happy crescents.
His grin nearly reached his ears.
These compliments...
I can accept them.
"Oh, right."
"Nono Yakushi."
"What did you want to see me about today?"
Seeing that the Vice Director had finally remembered her, Nono adjusted her glasses.
A faint light flashed in her eyes.
"The orphanage has been a little short on funds lately."
"I was hoping to bring the children to the Medical Department to do odd jobs."
"At least they could earn a meal."
"Oh?"
The Vice Director waved dismissively.
"I thought it was something serious."
"Don't wait until tomorrow."
"Start today."
"Thank you very much."
Nono smiled gratefully.
She turned to leave and planned to personally share the good news with the children.
"No need."
"Have someone else notify them."
The Vice Director waved her back.
Indeed...
Talking with someone who knew how to praise others...
Was an entirely different experience from speaking with someone who didn't.
Nono's compliments were genuinely pleasant to hear.
Then—
Bang!
The office door burst open.
The Vice Director's eyelids twitched.
Before he could even react—
A familiar voice echoed through the room.
"Old man."
"I was outside seeing someone off just now."
"Then I suddenly looked up."
"And there it was."
"A brilliant, intelligent head shining under the sunlight."
"Among everyone in this hospital..."
"...only you stand out so magnificently."
Smack!
The Vice Director slapped his forehead.
His palm slowly slid down his face as he struggled to erase his stiff expression.
It was technically praise...
Yet somehow...
Listening to it made him profoundly uncomfortable.
"Asuka."
The old man turned around and spoke seriously.
"I do enjoy compliments."
"But you don't need to force them."
"It only makes you look like a sycophant..."
"...and makes me seem fake."
"Just be yourself."
"That alone is the greatest compliment you can give me."
Heh.
Ungrateful old man.
I've been praising you for over ten years.
I've already run out of new vocabulary.
---
Medical Office No. 002.
Yugao collapsed across her desk, sounding utterly defeated.
"I can't believe..."
"I ruined my very first case."
"It's alright."
Anko stepped forward to comfort her.
"According to every case study in the medical books..."
"...that boy wasn't sick."
"So none of this is your fault."
Yugao smacked her lips.
Something about that logic felt strange...
Yet she couldn't explain why.
The textbooks clearly said there was no illness.
But...
If she encountered another case like this...
Would she have to summon her teacher every single time?
Anko gently patted her head.
Remembering how quickly Asuka had rushed over after receiving the message, she smiled.
"But your teacher is wonderful."
"The moment he heard..."
"...he came immediately."
"We both ended up with good teachers."
Yugao puffed out her cheeks.
"He came that fast..."
"...because he was afraid I'd ruin his reputation as a teacher."
"...Eh?"
Anko froze.
Looking at Yugao's depressed expression, she pursed her lips before suddenly saying,
"Then..."
"Why don't you examine me?"
"You aren't sick."
"No."
Anko shook her head confidently.
"I am."
"My neck has been bothering me recently."
As she spoke, she pulled down her collar and pointed at the black mark on her neck.
"Take a look."
"What is that?"
Yugao stood up and leaned closer.
She stared at the dark circular mark...
And the three tomoe-like symbols inside it.
Her brows gradually knitted together.
"...This doesn't look like an illness."
Anko hesitated before answering,
"Lord Orochimaru placed it there."
"It doesn't seriously damage my body..."
"But every so often..."
"...it causes unbearable pain."
"The kind that makes you feel like you're dying."
"...Then what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Dummy."
"See if there's any way to relieve the pain."
"Oh..."
"I understand."
Yugao nodded.
Then, right in front of Anko...
She calmly pulled out another enormous medical textbook and began searching through the case studies.
Thirty minutes later—
After resting comfortably in the Vice Director's office, Asuka noticed it was almost lunchtime.
He headed downstairs toward his apprentice's office.
Knocking on the door, he called out,
"Yugao."
"I'll treat you to barbecue."
The moment his voice faded...
A choked sob came from inside.
"...Teacher."
Bang!
Asuka pushed the door open.
His eyes immediately landed on the examination bed.
Yugao sat beside it with swollen red eyes, cold sweat continuously dripping down her face.
Lying on the bed was Mitarashi Anko.
Her entire body was burning with fever.
Asuka frowned.
"What happened here?"
"...Nothing."
"I trust her."
Anko's weak voice answered first.
One hand rested gently on Yugao's knee.
Her face was filled with determination and encouragement.
"Tsk..."
Asuka strode to the bedside.
He placed a hand against Anko's burning forehead.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the black curse mark on her neck.
Then he shook his head.
"...Yugao."
"You've really done your teacher..."
"...a tremendous favor."