Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Recommendation and Yang Release
"You're back, huh? Did you have fun?" Tsunade looked at Natsuro as he walked in, glanced at the time, and spoke in a cold, mocking tone.
There was no need to think about it; considering how long he'd been gone, this guy had definitely been slacking off again. Even though his efficiency was decent, Tsunade couldn't help but feel more and more annoyed as she thought about it.
What did an S-rank mission represent? Money! Not just Konoha's funds but also her own finances – completing it would help her pay off her debts. Yet here this guy was, slacking off!
It would've been fine normally, but seeing how long Natsuro had taken on the mission irritated Tsunade.
"I had a decent time, and the mission was pretty good," Natsuro replied, as unfazed as ever. He added, "So, with those two missions completed, I've essentially wrapped up four S-rank missions. Can I take a break now?"
"Do whatever you want," Tsunade sighed. If Natsuro didn't slack off, she'd even be willing to throw her pride aside to squeeze every last bit of value out of him.
But since he chose to slack off and she couldn't do anything about it, squeezing any more value out of him was pointless. She could push others just as hard and get similar results.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. One more thing, though," Natsuro suddenly said.
"What is it?" Tsunade put down the document in her hand and looked at him.
"It's about some members of the Konoha Twelve. They need someone to teach them medical ninjutsu," Natsuro said. "Ideally, you could occasionally give them personal instruction. They're quite talented."
"Them?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Hinata Hyuga, Sakura Haruno, and Ino Yamanaka all have talent in medical ninjutsu, and not just average talent," Natsuro said earnestly.
"Do they have your talent?"
Natsuro fell silent for a moment before replying, "Compared to me, no one can match my level."
Reflecting on his current strength, he realized that if age was the only factor, he had virtually no rivals.
"Tsk, tsk. You really are confident," Tsunade chuckled but didn't contradict him. She also thought about it and was surprised to find that, in terms of sheer potential, no one his age came to mind who could defeat him—not even the Fourth Hokage at that age.
Natsuro found it a bit strange. He had expected Sakura to have started learning medical ninjutsu from Tsunade by now, but it hadn't happened…
After some thought, he realized that Tsunade hadn't had a chance to demonstrate her medical skills in front of Sakura.
With Natsuro's intervention, the wounds inflicted by Itachi on Sasuke and Kakashi had long healed, and Lee's leg hadn't shattered. So, Sakura and Tsunade were still practically strangers at this point.
This left him feeling a bit uneasy. He had come to this world, and while he wasn't making everyone around him better, he certainly didn't want them to be worse off.
"Tell me, what's special about them? Since you're recommending them, I assume you've evaluated them?" Tsunade asked, intrigued. She knew Natsuro would have insights beyond what the files said, which would help her better understand these potential assets.
Natsuro nodded, gathered his thoughts, and began to explain.
"Sakura Haruno is a standard genjutsu and medical-type ninja. Her chakra reserves are low, but her chakra control talent is extremely high, comparable to yours, Lady Tsunade. This makes her well-suited to learning genjutsu and medical ninjutsu."
"Oh?" Tsunade and Shizune were both surprised. Tsunade stretched out her hand, and Shizune handed her Sakura's file. Tsunade reviewed it.
"Yes, it does mention those traits. But is that chakra control talent for real?"
Tsunade knew Natsuro wouldn't lie about something like this, so she couldn't help but feel interested. Although Sakura's low chakra reserves were an issue, it wasn't insurmountable.
Although that technique is hard to learn and takes a long time to store up enough chakra for it to be used in battle, having a last-resort measure is valuable for a medical ninja.
After all, who would send a medical ninja to the front lines?
"Of course it's real."
"And what about the others?" Tsunade couldn't resist asking. Even though she knew none of them could match Natsuro's talent, she was still intrigued. After all, she wasn't planning to let her legacy just disappear.
"Hinata Hyuga possesses the Byakugan, a powerful bloodline limit with exceptional sensory abilities. Although her chakra control isn't as good as Sakura's, it's still outstanding."
"Mm." Tsunade nodded without much reaction, thinking it was typical for the Hyuga clan, not particularly impressive.
"Don't underestimate Hinata Hyuga. Her Byakugan not only lacks blind spots, but her ocular purity is the highest, allowing her to observe more precisely than an average Byakugan. If she combines this with medical ninjutsu, her potential could surpass even yours, Lady Tsunade."
"If what you say is true, that's possible," Tsunade conceded. She wasn't overly familiar with the Byakugan's capabilities.
But if the eyes could see directly, then there were many things she couldn't observe that might become apparent, potentially leading to new methods of treatment.
Natsuro then explained to Tsunade the potential of combining the Chakra Scalpel technique with the Byakugan.
..
Tsunade was momentarily speechless and said, "Only you would think about using medical ninjutsu in combat."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but think of that figure who had once fought her—the guy named Kabuto Yakushi, who also used the Chakra Scalpel in combat.
If, as Natsuro suggested, that young girl could truly combine the Chakra Scalpel with the Byakugan, she might even be more suited to it than Kabuto. After all, her Byakugan really was a bit of a cheat in this regard.
"So, what about the last one? Your little girlfriend?" Tsunade asked with some anticipation. The previous two had already surprised her.
"Ino, from the Yamanaka clan, already has high chakra control due to her clan's secret techniques, so learning medical ninjutsu would complement them well," Natsuro said. He had been watching Ino's progress, and she had nearly mastered her clan's secret techniques, meaning she could fully dedicate herself to medical ninjutsu. Higher chakra control would also enhance her clan's techniques.
"That's it?" Tsunade asked when Natsuro suddenly stopped speaking.
"That's it."
"I thought there'd be another surprise," Tsunade said.
"It's not that easy. Their innate talents are already quite good, so that's why they show such promise," Natsuro said with a bit of sarcasm. "And you don't have to worry about Ino falling behind—I'm here."
"Mm. What about the other three from their group?" Tsunade thought that if she were going to teach, it might be more convenient to teach everyone together.
"Oh, them." Natsuro knew Tsunade was referring to the Taijutsu squad and said, "Actually, there's one more who could learn medical ninjutsu."
"Who?"
"Neji Hyuga."
As Natsuro said his name, the room fell silent.
After a long pause, Tsunade sighed and said, "If it's him, learning medical ninjutsu would indeed be a waste."
"That's why I didn't mention him."
"Alright, I'll make time for the three of them to come over. I'll check to see if what you said is true," Tsunade said, giving Natsuro a glare. "Not only do you slack off instead of helping me out, but you also find more work for me."
"I'm just finding you a successor, right? If one of the Sannin, Lady Tsunade, had her medical ninjutsu lost, it would be a great loss for the entire ninja world," Natsuro said, half flattering and half serious.
He knew Shizune was there, but it was evident that Shizune couldn't fully inherit Tsunade's medical expertise.
Even Shizune nodded from the side. She was less of a disciple and more like family to Tsunade, and she, too, hoped Tsunade would have a perfect successor.
"That's true." Tsunade didn't deny it. Her medical skills were second to none in the entire ninja world.
"One more thing," Natsuro said after some thought.
"Go on."
"I'd like to ask about something regarding medical ninjutsu."
"Oh? Even you have questions about this?" Tsunade was surprised.
"Of course, there are things I don't know," Natsuro said helplessly.
"Alright, speak up!" Tsunade waved her hand, looking pleased.
Natsuro then explained an issue he'd encountered before. He could transfer medical chakra within his body to an injured area to aid recovery.
The principle was essentially stimulating the body's energy at the site of the injury, speeding up recovery. So, why couldn't he skip that process and directly transfer the body's energy to the wound?
Natsuro had been experimenting but failed every time. Now that he had the chance to ask Tsunade, he brought it up.
After hearing his question, Tsunade fell silent, while Shizune, listening from the side, was baffled. Was this really medical ninjutsu she'd learned? She couldn't understand it at all!
After a long silence, Tsunade sighed and finally spoke.
"As expected, the questions you ask aren't easy to answer. Natsuro, do you know about Yang Release?"
"I've heard of it, but I rarely come across it. Medical ninjutsu and the Akimichi clan's secret techniques seem to involve it," Natsuro replied. He'd considered this possibility long ago but still didn't fully understand it.
"I can't answer your question either. But if you want to learn more, I suggest visiting the Akimichi clan. Perhaps you'll find the answers there," Tsunade said, feeling a bit defeated. She finally had a question from him, yet she couldn't answer it.
But what could she do? Natsuro's question had clearly gone beyond the scope of medical ninjutsu, touching upon a higher-level concept, perhaps closer to the legendary Yang Release that could breathe life into form. She hadn't researched that deeply.
"I see, the Akimichi clan's secret technique, the Multi-Size Technique? It seems to utilize the nature transformation of Yang…" Natsuro thought about the connection, thinking he might indeed gain some insight from it.
The problem, though, was how he'd obtain the Multi-Size Technique from the Akimichi clan. He had a decent relationship with Choji Akimichi, but that didn't mean Choji would share his clan's secrets with him.
Still, as the future Sixth Hokage, he stood a chance of gaining access.
"Anything else?" Tsunade said, seeing Natsuro still in thought. She reminded him that if he wanted to think, he should do it elsewhere and not linger here.
"Oh, there's one more thing."
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