The morning sun filtered softly through the windows of the modest training room where Lady Tsunade had agreed to teach Izumi the fundamentals of Medical Ninjutsu. Izumi arrived bright and early, her eyes shining with eagerness and determination.
"Alright, Izumi," Tsunade began, her tone both firm and encouraging, "today we start with the basics. First, you must thoroughly understand the body's acupoints and meridians—those pathways that carry chakra throughout the body. But since you have the Sharingan, I trust you already have a good grasp of that, so I won't bore you with the basics again."
Izumi nodded confidently, her Sharingan faintly glowing with an inner light. "Yes, Lady Tsunade. I studied those intensively."
Tsunade continued, "Next, we move on to medical knowledge—anatomy, physiology, and the way injuries affect the body. This knowledge is the foundation of any great Medical Ninja."
Several days passed, during which Izumi absorbed the lessons like a sponge. Her natural aptitude astonished even the seasoned medical ninjas. One afternoon, Shizune stood silently watching as Izumi carefully performed surgery on a small, injured puppy.
The puppy had been brought to them with a deep wound in its abdomen. Izumi's hands moved steadily and precisely, carefully stitching the torn flesh. As soon as she finished, she gently channeled Medical Ninjutsu into the wound. The puppy's breathing steadied, its eyes brightened, and within moments, it was bouncing around energetically, tail wagging happily.
Shizune's eyes widened in shock. "No wonder Lady Tsunade holds her in such high regard. I thought it was already impressive that Izumi learned difficult Ninjutsu so fast, but I never expected her to master surgery this quickly."
She bent down, giving the lively puppy an affectionate pat. Then she turned to Izumi and said, "That was excellent. Now, you'll move on to human patients. Are you ready for that?"
Izumi straightened and nodded firmly. "Yes, I'm ready."
Suddenly, a flicker of concern crossed her face. "Um... Lady Shizune, what if I can't save them? Will that cause trouble for you?"
Shizune's expression softened as she smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. These are death row inmates. The Daimyo here owes Lady Tsunade a favor, so he allows her to use the prisoners for medical training. If anyone doesn't survive, it's not our fault. They're already condemned."
Hearing this, Izumi felt her worries ease. The stakes were still high, but at least these were people whose fates were already sealed.
---
Later, Izumi and Shizune journeyed to the Daimyo's territory. The two women entered the grim dungeon, its air heavy with despair and the scent of damp stone. Rows of prisoners lined the corridors, their gaunt faces lit by flickering torches.
As the inmates caught sight of Izumi, their eyes gleamed with a mix of curiosity and surprise. "Hey! A little lady!" one called out hoarsely. "Haven't seen a woman around here in ages."
Another leered, "You're pretty cute. Come on over."
The gruff voices echoed down the corridor. "She's barely grown up, but look at her! What will she be like when she's older? Hah!" Another inmate eyed Shizune. "And the older one? She's in her prime."
Shizune's expression darkened. "Enough," she said sharply, halting in front of one particularly coarse prisoner.
"Lonely, huh?" the man sneered. "Want some company? I just need out of here first..."
Shizune's cold smile deepened as she opened the cell door and stepped inside.
The prisoner's eyes narrowed. Seeing an opportunity, he lunged at her, attempting to overpower and escape.
But with a swift, fluid motion, Shizune waved her hand, releasing a glowing Chakra Scalpel that sliced a deep wound across his torso.
"Ahhh!" The man screamed, clutching the injury as he staggered backward.
The other inmates gasped and shouted, "Ninja! She's a ninja!"
Suddenly, the corridor grew silent, tension thick in the air.
Shizune turned to the guards and nodded. "This one," she said, grabbing the prisoner's foot and dragging him out.
As she dragged him along, she explained to Izumi, "I've cut into his body and some internal organs, but I controlled it precisely so he won't die immediately. Now I'm going to teach you how to repair internal organs with precision. This is delicate work that requires absolute focus."
Izumi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Yes! I'm ready!"
The prisoner, meanwhile, looked at the two women with growing dread. "What's wrong with you two? Aren't women supposed to be gentle?"
"No, no more freedom for you. Stop struggling."
The heavy cell door slammed shut behind them with a resounding "Boom!" The prisoners in the dungeon fell silent, each shrinking back into their corners, fearful of being next.
---
Days passed, and Izumi worked tirelessly, performing surgeries on the condemned inmates. Each time she and Shizune appeared, the prisoners would shrink back, heads bowed in fear.
They knew those taken away never returned.
One day, Shizune approached a man who had once been loud and vulgar but now sat silently. With a swift kick, she cracked his leg.
"Ahh!" he cried, clutching his injured limb.
Shizune explained, "Today, I'll teach you how to repair severe and troublesome bone injuries. We can usually heal regular fractures with Medical Ninjutsu, but this one is more complicated. When I kicked his leg, several small bone fragments broke off. You need to carefully remove every fragment and restore his leg perfectly. If you succeed, you'll be a top-tier Medical Ninja."
"Understood!" Izumi replied eagerly.
Hours later, Izumi wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed, "I failed."
Tsunade smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry, I haven't mastered this technique either."
She patted Izumi's shoulder. "With practice, you'll get there. When you do, you'll rival even me."
Izumi looked determined. "I want to try again, Senior Sister Shizune."
Shizune chuckled. "Alright, but don't hurt him too badly."
Suddenly, she lifted her foot and stomped on the prisoner's other leg.
"Crack!"
"Ahhh!" the man screamed again.
---
"Failed again!"
A few days later, after relentless practice and study, Izumi's hands trembled as she high-fived Shizune.
"I did it! I finally did it! Yay!"
"That's fantastic, Izumi!" Shizune grinned. "Keep this up, and surgeries like this will be second nature to you."
Izumi smiled, beaming with pride. "Thank you, Senior Sister! I'll keep practicing!"
Tsunade, watching from the side, raised an eyebrow. "This is exhausting. Aren't you going to rest?"
Izumi laughed lightly. "I'm from the Senju Clan—I have plenty of energy!"
Tsunade shook her head with a smile. "Alright then, you handle it yourself. I'm going to rest."
Izumi approached the prisoner, who looked terrified. Suddenly, she smiled innocently.
"Hiss! No—"
Before he could react, Izumi lightly stomped on his arm.
"Ah!"
---
"Ah! Failed again!"
That night, Izumi lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, exhausted.
"This is so difficult!" she muttered.
Her mind raced as she recalled a technique she had seen in a story called Hunter x Hunter—something involving chakra threads.
"Chakra Thread Stitching!" she whispered to herself. "Maybe I can try that."
---
A few days later, Tsunade watched with a mix of shock and admiration as Izumi manipulated ultra-fine Chakra threads with incredible precision in her palm, stitching up the prisoner's wound.
"How is this possible?" Tsunade thought, stunned. "This requires incredible skill—connecting muscles and even tiny nerves... It's amazing."
Shizune added, "Look at her—she's using these fine Chakra threads not just to stitch but also to remove debris and tiny bone fragments from vital organs. The calculations and precision this demands are unbelievable."
Tsunade nodded slowly. "The same Ninjutsu, when wielded by different people, can produce completely different results."
After the surgery, Tsunade smiled warmly and said to Izumi, "You can graduate now. Congratulations."
Izumi's face lit up. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade!"
To celebrate, Izumi treated Tsunade, Shizune, and the others to a large feast every day for a week. Though some were a little embarrassed by her generosity, Izumi assured them she had plenty of resources, encouraging everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.
---
One evening, as Izumi chatted happily, Shizune suddenly covered her head and groaned. "Izumi, if you leave, I'm going to get Lady Tsunade again!"
Tsunade snorted, arms crossed. "Hmph, talkative."
Turning serious, she told Izumi, "You're the most talented student I've ever had. As a member of my clan, the honor of revitalizing the Senju Clan rests on your shoulders."
Izumi bowed deeply. "Yes, Lady Tsunade! I will revive both the Uchiha and Senju Clans, and I will make Konoha the strongest ninja village in the world!"
Tsunade smiled approvingly.
---
After Izumi left, Tsunade and Shizune watched her retreating figure.
Shizune sighed admiringly, "So young, so talented, and hardworking... and beautiful too. I'm truly envious."
Tsunade's expression darkened slightly. "If she stays on the right path, revitalizing Konoha will be no problem. But if she strays, she could become a terrifying enemy to the entire ninja world. Remember, she is from the Uchiha Clan—a clan known for extremes."
Shizune looked confused. "Then why did you teach her?"
Tsunade smiled mysteriously. "I couldn't resist. I want to see what kind of person she will become. Besides, she has Senju blood as well—and she paid her tuition. I had no reason to refuse."
Shizune glanced toward where Izumi had disappeared and then suddenly noticed Tsunade slipping away, carrying the money box.
"Ah! Lady Tsunade! Let me hold the money!" Shizune called, chasing after her.
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