The next day, Shinichi, who had no mission, went out for his morning exercise at four in the morning as usual.
After it was over, he went to Konoha Hospital as usual to begin another day of internship.
He gained a great deal from more than two months of study. Not only did he further improve his precise control over chakra, but he also mastered two C-rank medical Ninjutsu, namely the Hemostasis Technique and the Healing Technique, as well as the B-rank Poison Extraction Jutsu.
Such progress has led the hospital's senior staff to exclaim, "He's a genius!"
It's worth noting that many people need two or three years to master these skills, so Shinichi's performance is truly exceptional.
As for the more advanced Mystical Palm Technique and Chakra Scalpel, Shinichi has not yet come into contact with them; these two techniques are rarely mastered even in the hospital, and they belong to the advanced category.
At noon, after treating the injuries of several patients, Shinichi was about to go for lunch when a loud, boisterous voice suddenly came from the other end of the corridor: "I heard a young boy with extraordinary talent recently came to the hospital! Who could it be? So, it's you!"
Shinichi turned around at the sound of the voice and saw a tall, blonde woman with a striking presence standing not far away, arms crossed, sizing him up. She was tall and wore a traditional tea-green top and dark trousers, with a light-colored jacket over it. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a light blue diamond-shaped mark was prominently displayed on her forehead.
Tsunade!
"You must be Shinichi Higashino?"
Tsunade walked over, her tone straightforward, her eyes filled with scrutiny and curiosity. "That brat, Shizune, keeps talking about you all the time, saying things like Shinichi is amazing, Shinichi is a genius, and Shinichi developed some amazing Ninjutsu. I'm so tired of hearing it. Today I finally got to meet you in person."
You're the one who rarely shows up and was walking a dark path to true suicide.
He had been studying at the hospital for more than two months, and he thought he would soon meet one of the legendary Sannin, but he didn't even run into her once.
Later, from the occasional chatter and sighs of other doctors and nurses, he learned that Tsunade had rarely come to the hospital in recent years, unless they encountered an extremely difficult and serious injury that no one else could handle.
After finishing, she would leave in a hurry, as if there was something in the hospital that she found extremely disgusting and didn't want to stay a moment longer.
Shinichi understood this perfectly. After experiencing the tragic deaths of her younger brother, Nawaki, and her lover, Dan Kato, Tsunade had already developed hemophobia.
As time passed after the war, the images of losing loved ones and the bloody scenes tormented her day and night like an inescapable nightmare, making it increasingly difficult for her to face illness, bloodshed, and the unpredictability of life and death.
Therefore, she chose to stay away from the hospital, the place most likely to trigger painful memories. In a few years, the deepening of her inner trauma and hemophobia will drive her to leave Konoha with Shizune and begin a long and confused wandering and escape.
His thoughts raced, but his face remained impassive.
Shinichi replied respectfully but not excessively humbly, "Greetings, Lady Tsunade."
"You know me, kid?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"Yes, Shizune-kun... often mentions you too."
Shinichi replied.
"Tell me, what did Shizune say about me?"
"This... ."
Shinichi's face showed a hint of difficulty at the right moment, and his eyes shifted slightly, as if he was choosing his words.
"Heh!"
Tsunade snorted lightly, her face showing an expression of, I knew it: "That brat definitely didn't say a good word about me."
Shinichi simply smiled slightly and didn't reply. Fortunately, Tsunade wasn't really bothered by it either.
Her gaze returned to Shinichi, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
The boy in front of her was indeed unremarkable in appearance, but strangely, when he stood there, he naturally exuded a kind of aura that made people feel comfortable and convinced.
This temperament was so different from his youthful appearance that even Tsunade, who was usually indifferent to others, found it inexplicably... pleasing to the eye.
Then, she returned to the main topic, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry: "You, a genius with quite a reputation, instead of using the time to train after the mission is over, why are you here at the hospital, burying yourself in learning these medical Ninjutsu?"
"Lady Tsunade, you flatter me."
Shinichi spoke with his usual humble yet assertive attitude: "In my opinion, studying medical Ninjutsu is an excellent form of training. Its requirements for the precision of chakra manipulation are extremely demanding, making it an excellent way to hone one's control."
"Furthermore, a deeper understanding of human anatomy, meridian circulation, and functional responses is also of great benefit to my training in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. Of course, as a ninja, mastering certain medical knowledge may provide an extra chance of survival for my comrades in critical moments, which is also an important consideration."
"That sounds like you've thought things through quite thoroughly."
Tsunade nodded noncommittally, then pressed, "So tell me, what exactly have you learned in the past two months?"
"In terms of medical theory and diagnosis, I have learned basic pathological identification, common injury treatment procedures, and the preliminary application of various medical instruments from my seniors."
Shinichi listed them one by one. "As for medical Ninjutsu itself, I am only at the beginner stage at present. I have temporarily learned Hemostasis, Healing, and Poison Extraction Jutsu."
"You've even mastered the Poison Extraction Jutsu?" Tsunade's eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing this, and she couldn't help but look at him again.
This B-rank medical Ninjutsu requires an extremely high degree of precision and stability in chakra control, and cannot be mastered in a short time.
"It seems that Shizune's constant praise of you being a genius isn't entirely unfounded. Good job, kid, keep up the good work."
After saying that, she seemed to lose interest in continuing the conversation. She casually raised her hand and patted Shinichi's shoulder with considerable force, then turned around decisively and strode away.
The whole process seemed very impromptu, as if she had just happened to be passing by and struck up a conversation.
In fact, even Tsunade herself didn't quite understand why she would take the initiative to talk to this boy whom she had only heard about from Shizune.
Perhaps it was because Shizune had been repeating it so many times that she became a little curious; or perhaps, it was simply that at first glance, this young genius, who was quite famous in the village, was unexpectedly pleasing to the eye.
At that moment, a young nurse named Izumi, carrying a clipboard, walked quickly down the corridor with obvious curiosity and a smile on her face.
"Was that... Lady Tsunade? She actually spoke to you on her own initiative?"
Izumi lowered her voice, her eyes sparkling with gossip.
"Hmm."
Shinichi nodded slightly, his tone casual: "Lady Tsunade asked me about my studies at the hospital."
"Not bad, Shinichi!"
Izumi nudged him lightly with her elbow, her smile carrying a familiar teasing tone: "As expected of the man I like, even Lady Tsunade is concerned about you."
In response, Shinichi could only give a helpless, bitter smile, shake his head, and not respond to the question.
He knew that Izumi was lively and liked to joke, so the best response at this moment was to let her say whatever she wanted.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore."
Izumi stopped when she saw the situation was going well, and then became serious, but the smile in her eyes didn't fade: "But it's really a good thing to be asked about by Lady Tsunade. Although she hasn't come much these past few years, her judgment is top-notch. Good luck, future great doctor!"
She smiled, patted Shinichi on the shoulder, turned around lightly with her clipboard in her arms, and continued to work while humming an off-key tune.
The corridor returned to silence. Shinichi glanced in the direction Tsunade had left, then looked away and headed towards the cafeteria.
The brief conversation they just had was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples that then slowly subsided.