Chương 15: Medical Ninjutsu and the Flower's Guardian

Around noon, Dongye Zhen set aside the scroll in his hand and began preparing his lunch. Not long ago, Dongye Hui finally relented to her son's request, no longer laboring early each morning to prepare a full day's meals before heading to work. For one, Zhen did not wish to see his mother so overworked; for another, reheated food simply lacked the flavor of a fresh meal.

Having been granted a second life, Zhen's philosophy was simple: he trained relentlessly to ensure he could enjoy the wonders of the Shinobi World without being casually eliminated, seeking a life different from his previous one. However, he refused to live as an ascetic, denying himself the small comforts and pleasures of daily existence. Today, he planned to have steamed fish. Zhen retrieved a live fish from the kitchen bucket and slammed it hard against the floor.

The once-thumping creature immediately suffered a fatal blow, feeling the cold summons of the reaper. Placing the fish on the cutting board, Zhen did not begin butchering it immediately. Instead, he hovered his right hand over its body, and a soft green chakra began to glow. This was the basic Mystical Technique, the precursor to the A-rank Medical Ninjutsu: Palm Sage Jutsu.

Green chakra is the legendary medical chakra; it acts as energy to stimulate the regeneration of tissue cells in wounded areas, achieving the goal of healing. However, not all chakra can perform medical feats; only chakra with a strong Yang affinity can produce healing effects. Achieving this level of mastery brings one back to the precise control of chakra.

It is well known that chakra is the energy produced by combining physical energy, extracted from the body's cells, and spiritual energy in roughly equal proportions. If the ratio is off, refinement fails; the two energies simply will not fuse. This is the standard procedure. But to elevate one's chakra to a medical grade capable of healing, one must precisely modulate that ratio.

To become a medical ninja, one must increase the proportion of physical energy and decrease the spiritual energy during refinement, ensuring the resulting fusion is brimming with vitality. This is the most fundamental form of Yang-attribute cultivation. The higher the physical energy ratio, the stronger the life force, and the better the healing effect. Herein lies the paradox: reducing the spiritual energy ratio naturally weakens a ninja's control over their chakra.

Yet, medical ninjutsu demands absolute precision. This "damned if you do, damned if you don't" requirement is exactly why high-level medical ninja are so rare. Conversely, flipping the ratio so that spiritual energy takes the lead results in a Yin-attribute focus, suitable for Genjutsu and various secret techniques. Thus, both Genjutsu specialists and medical ninja require extraordinary chakra control.

They must be able to refine chakra even when the physical and spiritual energies are out of balance, and then exert even tighter control over the result. This isn't a game for the average person; it requires immense patience. Of course, this applies to ordinary ninja; those with superior genetics are the exceptions. For instance, the Uchiha clan is born with a natural affinity for the Yin attribute, while the Senju and Uzumaki clans possess an innate, overwhelming Yang attribute.

Tsunade's status as the world's greatest medical ninja isn't due to some superficial trait; it is rooted in her heritage and skill. In the Shinobi World, chakra control training aims for perfection. The deeper the control, the less chakra is wasted during a jutsu, the faster a technique is learned, and the greater its power. This is the first stage, where the vast majority of ninja spend their entire lives.

The second stage involves the ability to stably refine chakra while intentionally altering the ratio of physical and spiritual energy. The greater the disparity in the ratio, the deeper the development of the Yin or Yang attributes. Dongye Zhen was currently at this second stage. Knowledge regarding these Yin-Yang attributes is difficult to find in Konoha's public records; most ninja lack the concept entirely.

Zhen had pieced this together using data and insights from the "Naruto" world he remembered from his previous life. As for the third stage, he already had hypotheses, but those were far off. Merely mastering the second stage was a long-term endeavor. On the cutting board, there was no auxiliary scroll beneath the fish. When Sakura Haruno studied under Tsunade, she used a scroll inscribed with special seals to help a novice refine and stabilize medical chakra.

Zhen had used one when he first started, but he no longer needed such crutches. Under Zhen's treatment, the fish returned to life, flopping about happily as if it felt it had been given a second chance at glory. Then, it was promptly dispatched with a single blow to the head. The fish: "???" Seriously, man? Is this fun? Could you not just give me a quick end? The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits who had previously enjoyed similar "hospitality" at the Dongye residence: Fish brother, you're telling the truth. After his meal, Dongye Zhen headed out. Using his mother's library card, he dove into the Konoha Library. The books at home were limited; the library was far richer. Recently, Zhen spent his afternoons here studying the deeper principles of chakra.

Konoha's library held these records, including the characteristics of various elemental chakra natures and the operational theories behind Genjutsu. These were the distilled experiences of predecessors. When the wealthy Tenten was trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, she had consulted theoretical books on Genjutsu here. Even if it was a dream world, the fact that Tenten knew to go to the library for research suggests the library exists and functions similarly in reality.

The materials here were basic theoretical knowledge—no actual Ninjutsu or Genjutsu formulas for cultivation were to be found. One should not expect this to be the Sutra Library of the Shaolin Temple, where a copy of the Lankavatara Sutra might hide the Nine Yang Manual. Any specific training method for Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Taijutsu is a secret held by clans or the village. To obtain them, one must trade for merit or become the disciple of a powerful master.

Most ninja believe that simply learning a powerful jutsu makes one a great shinobi, ignoring these fundamental theories. This is especially true for the brats dreaming of becoming Hokage, who think that mastering a few flashy moves is the only requirement for the office. Zhen, however, felt that this theoretical knowledge was the most precious asset; the specific "Jutsu" were merely the fruit growing from the branches of this knowledge.

Time vanished as Zhen instinctively practiced his second-stage chakra control while reading. Soon, the sky grew dark. Instead of going home, he downed several large bowls of ramen and headed for Konoha Hospital to attend class. For a long time now, his mother, Dongye Hui, had worked late several nights a week. This was because, beyond her daytime duties treating patients, she taught evening classes to train "freshman" Genin who aspired to become medical ninja.

The Academy provided basic medical knowledge, but those wishing to specialize after graduation had to enroll at the hospital to learn through practice—a method originally proposed by Tsunade. Build the foundation at school; master the craft at the hospital under senior guidance. The classroom was a conference room within the hospital, specially renovated for teaching. It was similar to an Academy classroom but more compact. Currently, about a dozen students were present, mostly girls.

The room wasn't full, proving that talent for medical ninjutsu is rare. The students were clustered in the front; no one came here to slack off in the back row by the window. These students were generally young but wore Konoha headbands, having graduated a year or two prior. They were surprised by Zhen's age when he entered, but no one protested. His presence implied hospital permission. Zhen scanned the room and noticed a three-person desk in the front row on the left. Only two people were there: a boy and a girl.

The girl sat in the middle, and the boy sat on the aisle. Without hesitation, Zhen hopped into the empty seat on the inside.

"Hey, kid. This seat is taken." Zhen looked at the speaker and paused. He was a boy about ten years old with short black hair. Besides the headband, he wore a pair of goggles on his face. No way... Zhen thought to himself. He leaned back slightly and, sure enough, saw the large fan crest on the back of the boy's clothes. With that look, there was no mistaking it: Uchiha Obito. Looking at the girl in the middle, he saw the familiar brown hair, just like his mother's, with purple markings on her cheeks.

She was pure and adorable. It was Nohara Rin. Where there was Rin, there was Obito—a truly loyal, lovesick "simp." Obito, learning medical ninjutsu? Give me a break. He was only there because he was terrified his goddess might be swept away by someone else.

"Now, now, Obito, don't be so mean. He's just a junior student," Rin said gently, stopping her companion's rudeness. But Zhen wasn't about to cater to him.

"Am I not a person? Am I really not a person?"

"Kid, you've got some nerve. You haven't even started at the Academy yet, have you? Coming here so young... do you even know what medical ninjutsu is?" Obito, seeing that Zhen wasn't intimidated, tried to expose him as an interloper from a professional angle.

"And do you?" Zhen countered.

"Do you know how many types of blood vessels there are in the human body? Can you distinguish the different characteristics of bleeding, or the specific ways to stop each type? Do you know how to properly clean a wound where a kunai has pierced through a palm, and what the key precautions are when using a healing jutsu after cleaning?"

"Uh... wha—??" Obito was a total academic failure; he knew nothing of this. But that didn't stop him. He quickly found a new angle: "So what if you know that? You're too young. Who gave you permission to come to this lecture?"

"My mom gave me permission."

"Your mom? Don't make me laugh! Who's your mom? Since when does she run Konoha Hospital?"

"My mom is the teacher for this class. Her name is Dongye Hui. My name is Dongye Zhen."

"Oh..." Obito finally choked. He couldn't say another word. If he offended the teacher and cost Rin her chance to learn, what would he do? Whenever Rin was involved, Obito became paralyzed by hesitation.

"Oh! So you're Hui-sensei's son? Now that I look at you, you really do look like her," Rin said, curiously observing this junior who seemed quite knowledgeable in basic medicine.

"Yes, Senpai. My name is Dongye Zhen. Please look after me."

"I'm Nohara Rin, and this is my teammate, Uchiha Obito. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I hope we can progress together and become excellent medical ninja." As Zhen spoke, he pointedly raised an eyebrow at Obito.

"..." Obito was beyond furious. This kid not only dared to chat familiarly with his Rin but had the audacity to taunt him. He wanted to give the kid a thrashing. But he only thought it; he wouldn't actually strike a child. Before he fell into darkness, Uchiha Obito was actually a very warm and kind-hearted boy. He just had a bit of a difficult personality.