“Teacher.”
After knocking, Tsunade stepped into the Hokage’s office.
“You came at just the right time.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up a scroll and said, “This contains the specific details for establishing the medical ninja training class.
Take a look and see if there’s anything wrong with it.”
Tsunade nodded, walked over, and took the scroll.
She opened it and read through it.
“Your arrangements are very thorough, Teacher.
I don’t have any objections.”
After finishing, Tsunade gave her answer.
“Since you agree, then the medical ninja training class will officially begin next month.”
Hiruzen tapped his pipe and said, “That just so happens to line up with the start of the new term at the Ninja Academy.”
“That works.”
Tsunade paused, then added, “Natsuki asked for the Sword of the Thunder God.
His talent with the sword is pretty good, so I already gave it to him.”
“That’s an unexpected bonus.”
Hiruzen froze for a moment, then laughed.
He knew Tsunade’s judgment well.
If she said Natsuki had good talent with the sword, then that meant he was truly outstanding.
In other words, Konoha had gained yet another genius.
“After he graduates, I’ll find him a team leader who specializes in swordsmanship.”
Hiruzen said it thoughtfully.
Hearing that, Tsunade thought of Nawaki.
Even though he still had three years left before graduation, it was already possible to start thinking about who should become his instructor.
She personally leaned more toward one of her two teammates, Orochimaru or Jiraiya.
“Tsunade, there’s one more thing.”
Hiruzen continued, “The Uzumaki clan has agreed to send over a jinchuriki candidate after the new year.
When the time comes, you go and bring her back.”
The Uzumaki clan was Konoha’s ally, but more precisely, they were allies of the Senju clan.
And among the Senju, the most famous ninja now was naturally Tsunade.
On top of that, she was the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito, so she was the most suitable person for the job.
“Does Grandma Mito know?”
Tsunade nodded, then asked.
“I only just received the news.
She doesn’t know yet, so I’ll have to trouble you to inform her.”
Hiruzen answered.
At the same time, at the training ground near the Konoha Orphanage—
Natsuki stared at a wooden post in front of him, his body slightly lowered, his right hand gripping the Sword of the Thunder God before him.
One-Sword Style Iaijutsu: Lion’s Song!
In an instant, Natsuki felt all the chakra in his body gather into the Sword of the Thunder God.
In the next second, Natsuki vanished from where he stood.
He and the Sword of the Thunder God turned into a streak of lightning that flashed past the wooden post.
When Natsuki reappeared, he was already three meters beyond it.
He turned to look back.
The wooden post had been cut cleanly in two.
The cut was so smooth it looked polished, and faint lightning still flickered along the edges.
Natsuki nodded in satisfaction, but the fatigue hit him immediately afterward.
With his current strength, using One-Sword Style Iaijutsu: Lion’s Song was still beyond what he could comfortably handle.
At best, he could only use it once in a short span of time.
But Natsuki was already very satisfied.
Judging by the speed and power Lion’s Song had displayed, most genin and even chunin would have trouble reacting to it.
After resting for a bit, Natsuki started practicing Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu again.
Time quickly passed into September.
The first day of the new school term arrived as scheduled.
“Everyone, look at me.
I have an announcement.”
Before class even started, Ishida Yuu hurried into Class 1-A.
The students immediately quieted down and looked at him curiously.
“Konoha’s medical ninja training class has officially been established.
Any student who wants to become a medical ninja can apply through me.”
Ishida Yuu got straight to the point.
“A medical ninja?”
“Are you going to apply?”
“What kind of normal person wants to be a medical ninja?
Hmph.
I’m going to become a combat ninja, crush the ninja world, and become the strongest Hokage!”
As soon as Ishida Yuu finished speaking, a number of students began discussing it among themselves.
“Nono, go apply.”
After a brief thought, Natsuki said.
His idea was to keep Yakushi Nono as low-key as possible so Shimura Danzo wouldn’t notice her right away.
If people found out she had already been specially approved by Tsunade to join the medical ninja training class early, her reputation would skyrocket.
Following the normal process would at least help conceal that a little and buy them some time.
Although Yakushi Nono didn’t fully understand, she obediently nodded anyway.
After hesitating for a moment, she looked at Natsuki and asked expectantly, “Are you going to apply too?”
Natsuki shook his head.
“I don’t have your level of talent, so there’s no point wasting time in the medical ninja training class.”
Yakushi Nono immediately looked disappointed.
“You need to study hard.
If I get hurt in the future, I’ll be relying on you.”
“Mm!”
Hearing that, Yakushi Nono immediately perked up.
“I definitely won’t let you get hurt!”
Her mood recovered, and she stood up, walked over to Ishida Yuu, and picked up an application form.
When she returned, Natsuki instinctively glanced over it.
The form was divided into two sections.
The upper half was for the applicant’s personal information.
The lower half explained the medical ninja training class in detail.
First, students would still have to take the Ninja Academy’s regular theory classes, such as Will of Fire.
Second, all resources involved in studying at the medical ninja training class would be fully covered by Konoha.
Third, after graduation, they would be given priority for assignment to powerful ninja teams.
None of that surprised Natsuki.
After all, the number of medical ninja was simply too low.
The idea he—or rather Tsunade—had proposed, of assigning one medical ninja to every ninja team, was completely unrealistic in practice.
Not just now.
Even thirty years later, when Naruto Uzumaki and his generation graduated, it still wouldn’t be possible.
Natsuki withdrew his gaze and looked toward Ishida Yuu.
Other than Yakushi Nono, seven more students had applied.
Neither Minato Namikaze nor Onodera was among them.
Medical ninja might be important, but to children, fighting was far more appealing than support work.
And applying didn’t mean you could actually join the medical ninja training class.
You still had to possess Yang affinity.
Things turned out exactly as Natsuki had predicted.
By the next day, only three students from Class 1-A were missing.
The others who had applied had been rejected because their talent was insufficient.
Winter passed, spring returned, and time flowed on.
At the end of February, Class 1-A迎来了 its final exam, which was also the year-end exam.
This time, the contents of the test changed drastically.
The physical fitness test, ninja tool throwing, and Substitution Jutsu assessment were removed, and true combat was added.
The reason was simple: real combat naturally involved physical fitness, ninja tool throwing, and Substitution Jutsu anyway.
It was a comprehensive test.
[Congratulations, Host.
Zoro Template Ability Three unlocked: One-Sword Style: Demon Bear.]
Natsuki let out a long breath of relief.
After more than half a year of effort, he had finally mastered the D-rank Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu.
“In the end, my talent really is just too poor.”
Natsuki shook his head and sighed.
If it had been Hatake Kakashi, he probably would have learned a D-rank Earth Release technique in less than three days.
Fortunately, he had a cheat.
Learning ninjutsu the normal way had never really been the point for him.