Tsunade began her lesson by tracing the origins of medical ninjutsu, then its history, and finally its role on the battlefield—vividly describing lifesaving feats that captivated the students.
Only Amahara Tsukiki remained unmoved.
Tsunade noticed but didn't react. Having been a student herself, she understood what young minds cared about—Jiraiya had been the same back in the day.
Soon, though, she found Tsukiki tolerable—once class started, he took notes diligently, just like the other girls.
Perhaps it was her first time teaching, or maybe she was pressed for time or too eager—but Tsunade lectured straight through the afternoon. Everyone struggled to keep up, even Tsukiki.
At first, he followed easily thanks to his prior knowledge. But as the content advanced, it felt like listening to a foreign language—these were concepts he'd never encountered.
He fell back on an old saying: "The palest ink is better than the best memory." He scribbled down every key point Tsunade highlighted. Honestly, medical ninjutsu class was tougher than ninja training.
When class finally ended, Tsukiki wiped cold sweat from his brow. Focusing that intensely had drained him physically.
If not for his daily intense training, he wouldn't have lasted—he might've collapsed halfway.
After class, Tsunade left immediately. Students gathered in small groups, discussing the lesson and asking each other if they'd understood anything. Tsukiki realized he'd grasped the most—the others were utterly lost, which hit them hard.
To Tsukiki, this was normal. None had prior exposure to medical ninjutsu. Even among Konoha's major clans, this knowledge wasn't accessible to ordinary members.
Packing his things, Tsukiki left the classroom. Back in his homeroom, he found it empty—no scheduled class. It was free period, so he headed home.
Elsewhere, Tsunade returned to her office and reviewed the student roster from her class, focusing on Tsukiki.
As a Senju princess, she'd received the clan's strictest training and had seen how ordinary members practiced. Without her innate talent, she might not have surpassed her peers.
She could tell Tsukiki came from a ninja clan with rigorous training—his demeanor stood out starkly from the civilian-born students.
"Bring me all files on Amahara Tsukiki."
"Right away, Tsunade-sama."
Her assistant quickly retrieved Tsukiki's academy records based on his registered class and handed them over.
"A branch family member of the Uchiha, trained harshly by the clan for five years… No wonder his foundation is so solid. Though his talent is average among the Uchiha—a clan full of geniuses—he's far superior to civilian ninjas."
As a medical ninja, Tsunade could assess talent through behavior. Tsukiki's level was common in Konoha—mid-tier, neither high nor low.
With hard work, he might become a jonin one day, or at least a chunin. Standing out would be difficult.
Logically, Tsunade found his talent unremarkable. Yet he ranked top in a class filled with clan kids—proof of his relentless effort.
As the Third Hokage's student, she knew the academy well. Most students above fourth year were clan-trained—branch family members or affiliates.
So, nearly all senior students were genin-level—ready for early graduation and deployment to the battlefield.
Having been on the frontlines, Tsunade knew genin were cannon fodder—they had the highest death rates, often sent on suicide missions. She hated it but was powerless—the front needed support, and large numbers of genin did help jonin handle many issues.
"Uchiha aren't suited to be medical ninjas… but that doesn't mean they can't. On the battlefield, he might better protect himself and save his teammates."
Meanwhile, back home, Tsukiki began his daily training: unwavering physical drills, then sword basics—now his main self-defense skill aside from ninjutsu and throwing.
Though now a branch member, he inherited the Uchiha's natural resistance to genjutsu. He'd only learned one genjutsu—the Hell View Technique—and couldn't master any advanced ones from the scrolls.
He trained to his limit, then soaked in a medicinal bath prepared by his shadow clone. As a former clan member, he had resources civilian ninjas lacked—things not involving core secrets.
The Sharingan awakening he'd hoped for never came. His eyes had ached for a month—longer than clan records indicated. It might be a problem, so he'd given up on awakening it.
Honestly, the Uchiha treated their branch families well—thanks to the conservative elders, Warring States survivors who valued clan above all, even secret techniques.
If not for the reform faction's opposition, their support would've been even greater. The core conflict was clan vs. name: conservatives focused on people; reformers on the Uchiha prestige.
After the bath, Tsukiki washed away his fatigue, had dinner, meditated, and refined chakra—leaving no chance to improve unused.
The next day, he again filled his schedule—but made sure to rest periodically. Balance was key; exhausted training brought no progress.
The morning's Will of Fire class was vague and contradictory—enough to忽悠 kids. Bored, Tsukiki pulled out Fundamentals of Medical Ninjasto review.
Worried the book might be recalled, he'd taken notes separately. Since many classmates were slacking off, he openly studied medical ninjutsu without worry.
Hyuga Rin noticed and was fascinated—why would an ex-Uchiha care about medical ninjutsu? Shouldn't he focus on combat?
But Tsukiki had no time for her. Rereading the material, he found he now understood it—yesterday's confusion turned to clarity. He saw what Tsunade had meant.
Time flew as he immersed himself in study—until the bell rang and growing noise interrupted him. He put his book away and relaxed.
"Tsukiki-kun, is medical ninjutsu really that amazing? You seem so absorbed. And isn't the teacher Lady Tsunade herself—one of the Sannin?"
Tsukiki turned to his scheming deskmate. Her curiosity seemed genuine, but he stayed cautious. He simply nodded in reply.
Rin was strong—top of their cannon fodder class. Last time they sparred, her Byakugan and Gentle Fist combo gave him trouble—a package few could handle.
Compared to Nara Shikaku, she was like a spiked turtle shell—defensive yet aggressive, and deeply cunning. One misstep meant disaster.
Without his edge in stamina and chakra, he'd have lost that day. So Hyuga Rin was someone Tsukiki really didn't want to provoke.