After another day of training, Team Ten wrapped up their session at the training ground.
"Alright." Before dismissing them, Tsunade clapped her hands, drawing the three's attention and getting straight to the point. "I'll briefly go over the arrangements for your upcoming training."
She first looked at Shizune and Kurenai, her tone crisp and direct: "I've already coordinated with the Medical Department and the hospital. Starting next week, the two of you will go to the Konoha Hospital on a regular basis for systematic study and internship—covering theory, anatomy, pharmacology, and clinical practice. Step by step, you'll learn everything. For a long period ahead, your goal is to develop into professional, mature medical-nin."
"Yes, Tsunade-sensei!" Shizune responded almost immediately, her eyes lighting up.
Becoming a great medical-nin had always been her dream. Hearing this arrangement now filled her with nothing but anticipation and excitement.
Kurenai's reaction, however, was slightly different. A trace of hesitation flickered through her crimson eyes. Becoming a professional medical-nin was not her dream.
What she truly longed for was to combine her clan's genjutsu with her own swordsmanship, forging a unique path as a kunoichi.
But Tsunade's earlier words, along with Shinichi's viewpoint, surfaced in her mind.
The core of medical ninjutsu lay in the utmost precision of chakra control, as well as a deep understanding of the human body—its pathways, organs, and chakra circulation system.
For her—someone who needed to weave chakra with precision into genjutsu and seamlessly integrate it with sword techniques—this level of control and perception was precisely the most fundamental and crucial foundation.
Whether or not she would ultimately specialize in medical ninjutsu, this period of studying in the hospital—directly facing various injuries and cases—would be of irreplaceable value. It would refine her chakra control and deepen her understanding of the human body as both a combat target and a medium for genjutsu.
It might even determine whether she could become a true powerhouse in the future.
Thinking this through, the hesitation in Kurenai's eyes gradually faded. She nodded seriously to Tsunade.
"I understand, Tsunade-sensei. I'll study properly."
Tsunade seemed to have expected her response. She gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
At that moment, Shizune suddenly seemed to recall something. Blinking, she asked, "Tsunade-sensei, what about Shinichi? Isn't he going to the hospital with us?"
Hearing this, Tsunade's expression remained unchanged. She replied calmly, "Hasn't that kid already been staying at the hospital? He's not just learning anymore—he can already handle quite a number of cases independently. In fact, he's doing better than many full-time medical-nin who've been at it for years."
"Alright. I'll give you the detailed schedule and contacts later." Tsunade seemed unwilling to elaborate further. She waved her hand and ended the topic. "That's all for today. Dismissed."
...
Bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, Konoha's streets were dyed in warm hues. Shinichi walked home at an unhurried pace, but his mind kept replaying his earlier conversation with Orochimaru.
To become Orochimaru's experimental assistant?
The proposal itself was undeniably tempting.
Orochimaru's talent, knowledge, and depth of exploration into ninjutsu and the essence of life ranked among the very top in the entire shinobi world.
If he could learn under him, the benefits in medical knowledge, biology, and even deeper chakra research would be immeasurable.
More importantly, Orochimaru was very likely already cooperating with Shimura Danzō, meaning he might have access to the First Hokage's cells.
As for those legendary First Hokage cells—Shinichi had coveted them for a long time.
After all, they were top-tier, almost mythical materials. For exploring physical enhancement or bloodline fusion, they provided invaluable templates and data.
Moreover, Orochimaru at this point was still a hero of Konoha—one of the Sannin who had achieved great merit in the Ninja War, a trusted disciple of the Third Hokage, and a core figure within the Hokage faction.
Studying under him would not damage Shinichi's current image in the slightest. If anything, it would add another layer of prestige.
But—not now.
Shinichi knew very clearly that although Orochimaru had not yet completely fallen into obsessive madness in his pursuit of immortality, the brutal experience of the previous Ninja War—especially witnessing the accidental death of Nawaki, Tsunade's younger brother and his own disciple—
had already affected his mental state. He had become dangerous.
Come to think of it, after that war, all three Sannin had developed psychological issues, each taking a different path of escape or obsession.
Jiraiya appeared carefree and unrestrained, but in truth, he had placed his hopes in vague and illusory prophecies, wandering outside the village year-round.
Tsunade developed hemophobia, numbing herself with alcohol and gambling, falling into a period of deep decline and withdrawal.
As for Orochimaru, he turned toward extreme exploration of the essence of life and a nihilistic questioning of existence itself.
'They're all a handful, every single one of them.'
Shinichi shook his head slightly, suppressing his thoughts for the moment.
'I'll wait until I advance to jōnin and obtain a purple Entry before revisiting this.'
So far, he still hadn't acquired a purple-quality Entry.
Originally, he had thought that as the manga Number One Chef swept across the Land of Fire, with new dishes constantly causing a sensation, his blue-quality Entry [Gourmet] would naturally upgrade to purple—but that hadn't happened.
Based on his past experience, the simplest way to generate and upgrade blue Entries was within the core regions of the shinobi world—
such as the capitals of the Five Great Nations or the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
In those places, as long as one demonstrated widely recognized excellence in a given field and gained acknowledgment from influential core figures, one could generate or upgrade Entries.
Of course, it wasn't strictly limited to those places. It was just that those locations carried more weight. In other regions, the scope would need to be broader and the time longer.
So what about purple?
If even something that swept the entire Land of Fire wasn't enough, then perhaps what was required was recognition across multiple nations—or even the entire shinobi world.
Perhaps this step represented the transition from genius to master, from elite to powerhouse—becoming the representative figure people thought of when a certain field was mentioned.
Just like in today's shinobi world: when people mentioned medical ninjutsu, they thought of Tsunade; poison techniques brought to mind Chiyo and Hanzō; swordsmanship called to mind the White Fang, Hanzō, and Mifune.
They were the acknowledged representatives of their respective fields.
It could only be said that the difficulty of upgrading to a purple Entry was far greater than he had imagined.
But that also meant the boost it would grant would be equally beyond his expectations.
Becoming a recognized representative in a field across the shinobi world was still quite difficult for Shinichi at this stage.
However, he had his own shortcut.
Once he advanced to jōnin and gained the corresponding recognition, he would unlock the Entry bonuses tied to the [Jōnin] profession, granting him the chance to draw a purple Entry—and his strength would step onto an entirely new level.
At that point, leveraging one step to climb higher would become much easier.
And only after obtaining [Jōnin] status and a new purple Entry would Shinichi have enough confidence to stand before Orochimaru as an equal—participating as a collaborator, or even a leading party.
With that thought, Shinichi glanced at the sky. The sun had mostly set, leaving only a dim red glow on the horizon.
He quickened his pace toward home.
For now, the most important thing was still to make full use of this final period before the war—solidifying his foundation and strengthening himself.
Orochimaru's invitation, the temptation of the First Hokage's cells—those would have to be set aside for now.
Only when he was strong enough, with sufficient leverage and confidence, could those opportunities and dangers hidden in the shadows truly be controlled—and turned into stepping stones forward.
...
At the same time, in Kumogakure, inside the Raikage's office.
"It seems that the disappearance—and likely death—of the Third Kazekage has basically been confirmed."
The Third Raikage's voice was deep and resonant, like rolling thunder.
"The Land of Wind must be in chaos right now. Sunagakure is leaderless—this is when their strength is at its weakest and their defenses at their most fragile. I've decided to personally lead an elite squad to take a look!"
He turned, his sharp, hawk-like gaze sweeping across the core aides in the room before settling on his most trusted advisor, Dodai.
"Dodai, you'll handle the support and follow-up arrangements!"
Looking at the Raikage, who had once again come up with a "brilliant" idea, Dodai let out a deep sigh in his heart.
Do you realize how far the Land of Wind is from the Land of Lightning?
Do you know how many countries we'd have to cross?
Worse still, we'd pass near the territories of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. Wouldn't that be like marching into someone else's backyard with a flag raised high?
And even if we defeat Sunagakure—what would we gain? Just a display of military strength?
But those thoughts only lingered in his mind.
Dodai knew the Raikage too well. With overwhelming strength and a bold, unyielding personality, once he set his sights on something, no one could dissuade him.
When he entered that state of "I think this will work," any argument based on logic, geography, or political calculation became useless.
…Fine.
Dodai shook his head inwardly, then replied respectfully, "Understood, Raikage-sama. I'll immediately prepare a list of the most reliable elites—those best suited for covert operations and long-distance missions—for your review. But please proceed with caution and prioritize reconnaissance."
"Mm. I'll leave it to you." The Third Raikage nodded in satisfaction at Dodai's efficiency. Waving his hand, he said with rising battle intent, "Move fast. We can't let that old fox Ōnoki—or that old monkey Hiruzen—beat us to it!"
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