Outside a small teahouse, Tenten stood with her arms crossed, tapping her foot in irritation as she glared at the figure strolling casually toward her.
"You're late!" She called out to the unhurried Mamoru.
"Am I?" Mamoru answered, sounding genuinely unaware, his tone utterly relaxed.
"Honestly, who keeps a girl waiting?"
Yet, seeing his laid-back manner, her annoyance melted into resignation.
"Whatever… Never mind."
Tenten leaned in, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Don't you ever go to class? You skip so often, aren't you afraid of flunking out?"
"Shadow Clone's covering it." Mamoru replied, glancing away as though it were nothing.
"Sh-Shadow Clone!?" Tenten's eyes went wide. "You can use it for that?"
The fact that the boy before her had already learned Shadow Clone Jutsu didn't shock her. It was the way he used it that left her stunned.
"Of course." Mamoru said, spreading his hands. "Shadow Clone is the greatest Ninjutsu in the world."
"Isn't that stretching it?" Tenten sounded skeptical, then remembered their real errand. "Come on, we'd better hurry or we'll keep them waiting."
Without another word, she spun on her heel and marched off.
"Not exaggerating at all." Mamoru laced his fingers behind his head and followed.
He'd been ready to list every advantage—training, intel, even everyday convenience—then decided it sounded like bragging.
"Besides, my Shadow Clone is the strongest, period."
"Hah, ego freak."
Tenten hesitated, then asked hopefully, "So… any tricks? Like, an easy way to pick up Ninjutsu?"
Mamoru rubbed his chin in mock thought. "Sure."
"Really?!" Her eyes lit up.
She grabbed his sleeve. "Tell me!"
"A smart brain." He tapped his temple, dead serious.
"Ugh, fine. Keep your secrets, cheapskate." Tenten let go, cheeks puffed in annoyance.
"Dummy, if such a shortcut existed, I'd want it too." Mamoru said, palms open.
"Stop calling me dummy!"
"Big dummy, then?" He offered, tilting his head.
"…"
Tenten answered with an eye-roll.
Still bickering, they arrived at an old-looking building. Its gray-white walls were mottled by time. Above the porch, the Konoha crest declared the place's identity—Konoha Hospital.
Pushing open the heavy doors, they caught the faint scent of antiseptic. Inside, soft light illuminated a quiet waiting area while white-clad staff hurried past.
At the reception desk, Tenten stepped forward and explained their business to the medical ninja on duty. Moments later, a figure in the standard white coat and mask strode toward them.
He scanned the pair and asked, "Genin of Guy's squad?"
"Yes." Tenten stepped up. "Guy-sensei sent us for Medical Ninjutsu training."
The man pulled off his mask, revealing a friendly young face. "Guy already told me. Welcome."
"Thank you for having us." Tenten bowed.
Straightening, she pointed to herself. "I'm Tenten," then to Mamoru, "and this is Uchiha Mamoru."
"Uchiha…?"
Surprise flickered in the youth's eyes as he studied Mamoru a moment longer.
"Problem?" Mamoru met his gaze, voice calm but edged.
"No… just unexpected." The medic said quickly. "Didn't think I'd meet an Uchiha here."
"Only two of us left." Mamoru answered with a wry half-smile. "Hardly worth the fuss."
"…"
The medic hesitated, a fleeting complexity in his eyes, then nodded. "My apologies."
"Um... sorry." Tenten jumped in, bowing low. "He's terrible with words, please don't mind him."
"It's fine. I was rude too." The medic waved it off, calm again.
"I'm Ishii. Wait here while I hand over my shift, then I'll show you around."
"Understood, thank you." Tenten replied politely.
With a small bow, Ishii left.
Soon, he returned to guide them through the ward. Antiseptic hung in the air as white-clad medical ninjas moved briskly, murmuring case notes in a hushed, efficient atmosphere.
Next, they entered a spacious hall floored in marble, four pillars supporting a high ceiling. Along one wall stood neat shelves of medical scrolls and texts, silent witnesses to decades of study.
Ishii began, "Chakra control is the foundation of Medical Ninjutsu. It demands not just minute manipulation but the stamina to sustain it…"
Half an hour later, he concluded, "…It may look modest, yet Medical Ninjutsu is profound. Enough theory, let's practice."
"Yes, sir." Tenten answered, bursting with excitement.
Watching her bright-eyed enthusiasm, Mamoru thought, 'Did she really absorb all that jargon?'
In the center, a long table bore an open scroll. Atop it lay two dying fish, gills labouring.
Tenten stepped up, inhaled, and hovered her clasped hands over one fish. Soft green Chakra blossomed from her palms, bathing the carp in healing light.
"Medical Ninjutsu channels Chakra for healing." Ishii explained, standing by.
Eyes focused, Tenten fought to keep the flow steady.
Ishii continued instructing, "Use your own Chakra to stimulate the target's Chakra pathways. Promote cellular activity, thereby triggering their self-healing ability to heal injuries."
Mamoru stood silently to the side, watching the fish slowly arch under Tenten's Chakra until it bent to an unnerving angle. He finally couldn't help asking, "Why are you torturing it?"
Hearing this, Tenten clenched her teeth and suddenly poured more Chakra into it. A few seconds later, she released every last bit of Chakra in a perfect illustration of 'brute force produces miracles.'
Under the trio's gaze, the 'brute force' was evident but no 'miracle' appeared.
The fish first thrashed energetically, then stiffened and went still. Its eyes turned cloudy gray at a speed visible to the naked eye, declaring the fish officially dead.
A heavy silence descended.
"You... might have..." Ishii weighed his words, searching for a tactful phrasing.
"Pfft!" Mamoru couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
"You're laughing at me again!" Tenten snapped, cheeks crimson, pounding his shoulder with her fists.
"Sorry, couldn't help it." Mamoru tilted his head, letting the girl vent, it hardly hurt.
"But your Chakra control is seriously clumsy."
"So what if it's clumsy? Ugh, you're infuriating." Tenten huffed, folded her arms, and turned away.
"My turn."
Mamoru stepped forward and casually rested his right hand above another fish on the table.
The Six Eyes quietly activated, his dark irises turning pale blue.
Soft green Chakra wrapped the fish. Within seconds, the half-dead fish thrashed wildly, its tail slapping the table with loud cracks, brimming with life.
"No way... that fast!?" Tenten stared, slack-jawed.
Ishii rushed up, first disbelievingly checked the flapping tail and moist eyes, then spun toward Mamoru, eyes blazing. "Exquisite Chakra control. This isn't just talent... interested in joining our medical ninja squad?"
Mamoru caught the fish before it hit the floor and tossed it back onto the scroll. "Not interested."
He had already grasped the fundamentals of the Mystical Palm Technique through observation and practice, mastery was only a matter of time.
"..."
Ishii was momentarily speechless.
"You blockhead, that's so rude!" Tenten smacked Mamoru's back.
Then she hurriedly apologized to Ishii, "Sorry, he's just like this. Please don't mind him."
"It's fine."
Ishii truly didn't mind. In his experience, capable ninjas often came with quirks. As the two left the medical ward, Mamoru carried two bags: one holding the lively fish that still wriggled now and then, the other containing the lifeless one with cloudy eyes.
"Whyyyy!?" Tenten wailed, dragging the word out, crushed by failure.
"Stop howling." Mamoru had to free a hand to plug an ear. "You're deafening me."
"What exactly happened?" Tenten braked, spun around, and grabbed his collar. "You learned it just like that? There's a trick you haven't told me, spill it."
"Let go." Mamoru peeled her fingers off his shirt. "There's no trick, quit the silly talk."
Tenten sighed, shoulders sagging, "Then you're a born genius and I'm just... ordinary."
"Hey!" Mamoru suddenly flicked her forehead.
"Ow!" Tenten yelped, clutching the red spot, glaring resentfully.
Ignoring her look, Mamoru said, "Don't lump me with others. In my eyes, everyone is merely human."
"Huh?" Tenten shot back, voice jumping an octave. "That's arrogant! Not even Hokage-sama matters to you?"
Mamoru answered flatly, absolute certainty in his tone, "Time will prove it. I'll become the strongest."
Tenten studied the boy as he uttered those wildly arrogant words in such an offhand manner. That stance of looking down on all from a lofty height was pure conceit.
Her gaze dimmed and she lowered her head. Mamoru was too dazzling, a mirror that made her own shadows feel deeper. She unconsciously clenched her sleeve.
As if reading her mind, Mamoru glanced at her tightly clenched hand, noticing the unspeakable loss and her slightly pursed lips.
He suddenly asked, "Does it feel like no matter how hard you train, your strength stalls or improves too slowly? And as time passes, do you feel more and more lost?"
"Ah?"
Surprised, Tenten looked up and nodded repeatedly.
Mamoru continued, "Talent isn't the only path to strength, effort is another. But you need the right direction, or it's wasted time."
He knew, though, that while the gifted have higher upper limits, effort at least sets a person's lower limit.
If you admit your talent is limited yet refuse to work hard or work in the wrong direction, you'll truly end up with nothing.
Besides, how many genuine prodiguses exist in this world?
"Direction..." Tenten murmured, visibly moved.
"You show real talent for ninja tools." Mamoru suggested, recalling that Tenten in the original had unique skill in manipulating them.
"Really?" Tenten brightened, secretly pleased.
Praise from Mamoru was rare. Maybe she did have talent after all.
"Still nowhere near mine." Mamoru couldn't resist adding.
"Jerk."
Tenten's budding gratitude vanished, replaced by exasperation. "You can't even compliment someone. The world would love you more if you just kept your mouth shut."
She shot him a fierce glare, spun on her heel, and stomped away, each step seeming to stomp on his annoying face, leaving only her fuming back for him to watch.