After carefully reading Garou's handwritten notes and trying the technique herself, Koharu was stunned.
It actually worked.
She blinked in disbelief. 'Is this kid for real?'
"Garou, how... how exactly did you manage to do this?" Hanpo asked, baffled.
Garou scratched the back of his head, shrugging nonchalantly. "Nothing special. I've got a pretty sharp sense when it comes to chakra."
"So, I experimented with each hand seal, noted how each affected the technique, then grouped and matched them accordingly."
Hanpo stared, completely lost. 'Sense? He could feel that through chakra?'
Koharu's brows lifted slightly. "You can sense chakra like that?"
"It's not that impressive," Garou replied casually. "The range is short, and I can barely feel anyone else's chakra. But I can sense my own clearly."
What he didn't say was, within about half a step's distance, he could roughly perceive the chakra's flow. Earlier, he had sensed how Koharu's chakra flowed through her meridians while she was performing hand signs. If he wanted, he could've jabbed a condensed chakra needle directly into her chakra points.
But honestly, that was inefficient.
If he were that close, stabbing someone with a kunai would be faster.
Koharu fell silent. 'Not impressive, he said?'
Chakra sensing wasn't something you picked up at the corner store.
'What a ridiculously humble brag.'
Koharu ran through the hand signs a few more times.
Some failed, most succeeded. The technique was clearly replicable and that excited her.
"Kid, you're a genius. Ever considered working at the hospital full-time?"
Garou shook his head. "Thanks, but I still want to be a ninja. I came to learn about the human body and medical chakra, not to become a medical ninja."
Hanpo sighed in disappointment. He exchanged a glance with Koharu, both clearly thinking the same thing.
Truthfully, Garou not knowing healing jutsu was a big limitation. But just based on his skill with chakra scalpels and needles alone, forcing him to stay as a medical ninja would've been a waste, especially in the battlefield-oriented world of Naruto.
"Even with the added hand seals, your version of the technique is still A-rank," Koharu noted. "And even among the medical division, barely anyone has your level of control."
"How about this? Why not take on the role of a Special Consultant?" Hanpo suggested with a gentle smile. "It's a flexible position. You'll have access to resources, and it'll give you more freedom to pursue whatever you want."
"We'll also provide compensation, half of what a regular medical ninja makes. You'll get it whether you're present or not," Koharu added.
"Thank you, Lord Hanpo and Elder," Garou replied, trying not to grin.
Money talk sure woke him up.
Sure, the Bodhi Seed boosted his talent. But as a war orphan without official ninja status, his only income came from village stipends.
That was enough to get by, barely, but not nearly enough for tools, ingredients, or experimental jutsu components.
He had no idea how much exactly they'd pay him, but whatever it was, it beat empty promises.
Once the talk of jutsu was over, Koharu launched into a speech about potential and duty, her throat drying out before she finally let Garou go. For the sake of that paycheck, Garou endured.
After leaving the office, Garou made his way to see Kitayama.
As expected, she'd been secretly trying to learn the chakra needle technique herself.
When she saw Garou, she flushed, probably a little embarrassed for swiping her student's jutsu.
Garou didn't call her out. Instead, he traded a refined version of the technique for a scroll.
"Delicate Illness Extraction Technique"
The Third Hokage's earlier advice echoed in his mind.
Even if he couldn't master the jutsu completely, the concepts could be adapted. The extraction technique might be used to pull poison or illness from the body, but maybe, he could borrow its absorption function, to extract blood, chakra, or even other internal forces.
Still, that was only an idea for now. A lot of trial and error lay ahead.
With no assignments scheduled, Garou wandered the medical division with a book in hand, occasionally flipping pages as he strolled around. Things were oddly calm today.
By afternoon, a surgery came up, and he followed the team to observe. Being a Special Consultant didn't come with authority. He still didn't have a headband, meaning he wasn't technically a ninja. He'd likely have to pass the Academy's exam eventually, but since he didn't plan on staying in the hospital long-term, it didn't really matter.
The new title, however, let him participate in follow-up surgeries and case studies without restriction.
Soon enough, a new item slipped into Garou's daily routine.
Kenjutsu.
Previously, he'd traded his chakra thread techniques with Tenten's family in exchange for a sword. True to her word, Tenten had gone home, told her dad everything, and he delivered the sword personally, along with a promise to train Garou.
Their style wasn't particularly advanced, mostly foundational swordwork.
But foundations were exactly what Garou needed.
In the weeks that followed, the buzz over Garou's 12-year-old surgeon act began to die down. He became a familiar face in the medical division, no longer swarmed by curious onlookers.
This gave him breathing room to absorb medical knowledge and deepen his understanding of human anatomy, musculature, and chakra pathways. He'd even started experimenting with medicinal tonics to boost physical vitality.
But…his mixtures always felt just slightly off.
After some digging, he found a lead through Kitayama.
Apparently, the Nara Clan were unmatched in pharmaceutical knowledge. Much of Konoha's early medicinal practices stemmed from their research.
As luck would have it, Garou had once saved Shikamaru's cousin, Takeshi. He'd also met Shikaku and Shikamaru himself, though his relationship with the latter was... strained.
---
"Shikamaru."
"Hm?"
"You've got just over a year before graduation. Ever thought about pushing yourself a bit? Maybe finish early and move to another department?" Shikaku asked during one of their rare father-son talks.
Shikamaru rested his cheek in his palm, face full of boredom.
He didn't answer immediately. After a long pause, he sighed. "I used to."
"You've got the brains for it. You'd easily qualify."
"Yeah, but it sounds like too much of a hassle," Shikamaru groaned. "Early graduation sounds cool and all, but it just leads to more homework, evaluations, and missions. Honestly? I'd rather stay in class."
"…"
Shikaku was speechless.
Most kids saw early graduation as a badge of honor, a free pass to real-world fun. Only his son could see through the illusion and recognize the grind waiting beyond the finish line.
Too smart for his own good.
He was just about to say something else when he suddenly sensed a familiar chakra signature.
With a faint smile, he added, "You were asking about Garou, weren't you?"
"Huh?" Shikamaru blinked.
He had only asked about the guy once, after Garou had hijacked his body and dragged him back to class.
"Well," Shikaku said with a grin, "you might just get your chance to meet him again today."
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