In the operating room, Uchiha Kagami had already woken up from the anesthesia. The first thing he saw was his intact, regenerated arm. Because it was regrown, the skin on the surface was as smooth as a newborn baby's, as if it would be damaged with a light touch.
Uchiha Kagami moved his arm slightly. Perhaps because he had lost it for a long time, it felt a bit stiff, but he could feel his blood flowing through this arm again. Unlike arms reattached by other means, this one was perfectly suited for him.
"Uncle Kagami, how do you feel?" Tsunade breathed a slight sigh of relief. Due to the extensive use of chakra, she had sweated quite a bit. "It might have been too rushed when the arm was severed, and the cut was messy in subtle places. It was really tiring to re-organize it."
"You really worked hard, Tsunade." Uchiha Kagami suppressed the joy in his heart and glanced at the other assisting medical ninjas. "And to all of you, thank you."
"No, it's our duty, Lord Kagami." A medical ninja nearby, though also very tired, couldn't help but smile upon hearing Uchiha Kagami's words.
The other medical ninjas felt the same way. They painstakingly regenerated an arm for someone else. Although it was their duty, receiving thanks from others undoubtedly filled them with pride, especially when the gratitude came from a high-ranking official of the village.
"Uncle Kagami, the newly regenerated arm is like a newborn's. It will take some time for it to reach the same condition as the rest of your body. You shouldn't be too eager; take it slow, and it will eventually be just like your original arm," Tsunade said.
"I understand." Uchiha Kagami nodded. They were professional medical ninjas, so if they said he needed to rehabilitate slowly, he would naturally listen. It wasn't easy to regenerate an arm, so he couldn't afford to have problems elsewhere.
After changing his clothes, Uchiha Kagami walked out of the operating room with the others. Fumori Masaki and the others waiting outside immediately saw the results of the surgery. If not for the slightly different skin tone on the surface, which appeared overly baby-white compared to other parts, it would be impossible to tell that this was a regenerated arm.
"Tsunade, your skills are getting better and better. There isn't a single flaw on the surface," Utatane Koharu remarked with a click of her tongue.
"It's not just the exterior; the interior is definitely flawless as well," Tsunade said with a smile, then turned to Uchiha Kagami. "Even so, Uncle Kagami, please get regular check-ups. This is our first time regenerating such a large organ, and there might be issues we're unaware of."
"Alright, I'll get regular check-ups," Uchiha Kagami readily agreed.
"You all worked hard. This surgery will be recorded in your evaluations," Fumori Masaki said to the medical ninjas present. "Your ratings will be assessed according to regulations."
The medical ninjas present were overjoyed. Not to mention the good impression they made on the Hokage, the Medical Department uses a merit system similar to military achievements. The evaluation criteria include a medical ninja's daily technical learning, work attitude, treatment results, and so on. The regeneration surgery for Uchiha Kagami would undoubtedly become an important highlight in their medical ninja careers.
"Alright, alright, you all should go rest. After this important surgery, you must be exhausted," Utatane Koharu said at this point. "Your scheduled work will temporarily be assigned to others. Tsunade, you're in charge of making those arrangements."
"Ah! Can't I just get some good rest?" Tsunade complained, but anyone familiar with her knew she was just saying it for show.
"Blabbermouth! Once you've made the arrangements, there's no problem with you resting," Utatane Koharu said with an amused smile. "In the future, you might have to take on even heavier responsibilities, so don't complain about this level of work."
"Huh?" Tsunade looked at Utatane Koharu with some surprise. With her current position, she was almost the second-in-command of the Medical Department. What responsibility could be heavier than that?
Could it be... Then, Tsunade understood the meaning in Utatane Koharu's eyes. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be happy or something else. If she could reach that position, it would naturally be the best, but at her current age, taking over the entire Medical Department seemed a bit too much.
At this moment, the elders were all leaving. As Fumori Masaki passed by Tsunade, he gently patted her shoulder. When she turned her head, he said to her, "Keep up the good work. I look forward to your performance in the future."
"Ah!" Tsunade hadn't expected even her teacher to say that. Watching Fumori Masaki's retreating figure, the medical ninjas nearby immediately gathered around her. They had also understood some meaning from Utatane Koharu's words, and although it wasn't confirmed yet, they all began to congratulate Tsunade.
Tsunade wasn't mentally prepared yet, and with everyone around her saying such things, she suddenly felt flustered. Waving her hand, she said, "If you still have energy, go do some work. Nothing is set in stone yet."
"But, with Lady Tsunade's strength, she can definitely handle important responsibilities," one of the female medical ninjas said excitedly.
"Who knows? You can only tell what it feels like once you've reached that position," Tsunade frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "Forget it, I won't think about it now. You all come with me; I'll arrange your rest times. Sigh, if only Uncle Kagami had come at the scheduled time."
At this moment, Fumori Masaki and the others left the Medical Department. Uchiha Kagami was still slowly moving his arm, opening and closing his hand, gradually adapting to the feeling of having an arm again.
"What was it like to lose an arm that makes you so excited?" Utatane Koharu asked curiously, seeing this scene.
"At first, I seemed to still retain the previous sensation on my body, always feeling that my arm was still there. This déjà vu bothered me for a long time," Uchiha Kagami recalled when Utatane Koharu asked. "Later, I slowly adapted to the feeling of not having an arm, and that psychological pain never recurred. Now, having an arm again gives me an unreal feeling. It's truly wondrous."
"These medical matters are inherently complex. Only by delving deep into research can one understand how the human body operates. Even now, the Medical Department hasn't uncovered all the mysteries," Utatane Koharu said.
"Perhaps, but I don't understand much either. For me, being able to have an arm again is the best news," Uchiha Kagami said.
"It will just take some time to adapt. You must be used to fighting with one arm, right? If you need rehabilitation, you can practice with me. I guarantee I can help you quickly recall your past combat methods," Fumori Masaki said.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely get it back quickly," Uchiha Kagami smiled, looking at his newly regained arm, feeling deeply moved.
"Rehabilitation can be considered slowly, Kagami. You reported to Masaki and then immediately came for surgery, but we haven't thoroughly discussed the issues in the Hokage Cabinet yet," Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses and said, "How are you feeling now? If you're a bit tired, we can talk tomorrow."
"Why not? I can do it right away," Uchiha Kagami declared that he wasn't tired at all. He was now very energetic due to the joy of his regenerated arm.
"That's good. We can't delay. There's too much work to do after the war," Mitokado Homura couldn't help but glance at Fumori Masaki. "Our Hokage-sama has placed quite a few issues on the table. Just now in the Medical Department, he brought up some issues that need discussion."
Fumori Masaki let out a hearty laugh.
"What issues?" Uchiha Kagami asked curiously.
Mitokado Homura then explained Fumori Masaki's plans to suppress non-allied nobles during the post-war period, purchase land, and reorganize the samurai. Uchiha Kagami was very surprised. This was undoubtedly an attempt to expand the influence of Konoha Village. He could understand the first two points, but the latter left him puzzled. Why incorporate samurai, who were completely different from ninjas, into the ninja village? Would it still be called a ninja village then?
Seeing this, Fumori Masaki didn't answer immediately. Instead, he returned to the Hokage Building with the others, and it was in their private office that he finally explained the reasons.
"After Konoha Village's territory expands, traditional ninjas alone will be unable to bear the responsibility of protection," Fumori Masaki said. "Training ninjas is very troublesome. Although their individual strength is formidable, it takes a longer time. Even by concentrating the entire village's power, it's difficult to cultivate a large ninja force. Twenty years of effort, with our village's financial resources, can only support a ninja force of ten thousand, a huge disparity compared to samurai armies."
The other three remained silent. This was also the limitation of the ninja profession. To ensure the strength of a single ninja, a large amount of time must be invested in training, often starting from a young age. In the past, when ninja clans were fragmented, many clans, due to the difficulty of cultivation, suffered from low population and eventually perished.
"Honestly, you should also understand my intentions. The current Daimyo has become a practical impediment, preventing Konoha Village from acting freely. Every time I try to persuade the Daimyo, I have to exert considerable effort, and the Daimyo doesn't appreciate it. He's definitely trying to suppress us," Fumori Masaki said.
The others had long understood this. They were all from the same school and often discussed the village's development direction in the Hokage Cabinet. Initially, they disagreed with direct conflict with the nobility, something that even Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju were unwilling to do. However, through Fumori Masaki's various measures, Konoha Village had now become the most powerful local lord in the Land of Fire.
Under these circumstances, with the thriving commerce of the ninja village, political needs, and military expansion, Konoha Village could not return to its past state as merely a mercenary organization. Konoha Village was now slowly embarking on the path of becoming the dominant force in the country. Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Uchiha Kagami felt a bit uneasy. As traditional ninjas, they were still somewhat hesitant about suppressing the nobility. However, due to new ideas and the village's current development, they also did not want to bow to the nobility. They were ninjas, after all, not people of the same path as the nobility.
"I never intended to eliminate the Daimyo family. After all, they were our former patrons, and it would destabilize the entire country. My goal is simply to make Konoha Village the undisputed lord of the Land of Fire. But in that scenario, our village's indirect sphere of influence would also expand to the entire country. To ensure the village's influence and national defense, relying solely on ninjas certainly won't suffice. Therefore, the strength of the samurai must be incorporated," Fumori Masaki said.
"But samurai's individual combat capabilities aren't as good as ninjas'. It would also be far from easy to teach them nature transformation or shape transformation," Uchiha Kagami said.
"There's no need for them to learn nature transformation or shape transformation. Future ninja wars will become even more complex and increasingly rely on the use of ninja tools. Do you think explosion tags are the end? That's just the beginning," Fumori Masaki smiled.
With the development of new ninja tools like the explosion tag series, the requirements for users will become lower and lower. Even samurai who cannot use ninjutsu but can simply use chakra will undoubtedly be able to unleash combat power comparable to mid-level ninjas by relying on new ninja tools with different functions.
The most important point is that samurai are inherently good at frontal combat. If they can replace ninjas in frontal combat using ninja tools, it can better leverage the advantage of ninjas' individual infiltration capabilities. In Fumori Masaki's mind, having some ninjas operate explosion tags and such is a waste of manpower, yet it's something that has to be done.
After the widespread adoption of new ninja tools, to ensure efficiency, it will certainly be necessary to introduce ordinary people who can operate them. If that's the case, aren't samurai the best choice?
"If it were the ninja villages of the First or Second Hokage's era, integrating samurai might cause significant conflicts. But now, more and more ninjas who aren't particularly strong but can contribute in other areas are serving in the village. Do you think those people can truly be called ninjas?" Fumori Masaki asked.
The others shook their heads. If considered solely by traditional ninja standards, those who lack ninja abilities but excel in other areas truly cannot be called ninjas. The reason they are still called ninjas is simply because this is a ninja village, and those educated here are naturally ninjas.
But in reality, in Konoha Village now, apart from those who specifically receive traditional ninja education, can other "ninjas" who use chakra truly be called ninjas? One can only say they are people who can use chakra.
"From this perspective, the gap between samurai and ninjas doesn't seem so large after all. Because in our village, there are indeed many people who can't truly be called ninjas. This issue caused a lot of controversy back then, but now people are slowly adapting. Adding samurai shouldn't cause too much of a reaction. Of course, the specific measures still need to be carefully discussed," Fumori Masaki said.
"What you're saying makes some sense," Uchiha Kagami nodded. "If the village's territory grows larger and larger in the future, facing a shortage of personnel, they will likely have to introduce a certain amount of manpower even if they don't want to. Just like my Security Force, originally, clan members didn't allow outsiders to enter, but because there are more and more areas to patrol and manage, our Uchiha clan alone can no longer handle it all. If we don't want to neglect our duties, we have to bring in more people, and since the clan can't produce more people all at once, we can only recruit from others."
"Yes. This is actually a matter of general trend. If one is unwilling to accept it, one must bear the consequences. I believe there are still more wise people in the village. If there are unwise people…" Fumori Masaki paused here, "Then we can only see what the consequences will be. If they are severe, alas."
The others all understood the implication in Fumori Masaki's words and sighed softly. To avoid such situations, their Hokage Cabinet needed to consider things carefully. After all, they were all people of the village; if there was a way to give them a path to survival, they should.