Tsunade’s lessons continued.
She wasn’t merely selecting promising students who might become medical-nin.
More importantly, she was passing on her own philosophy of medical ninjutsu.
Whether or not these students ultimately chose the path of medical ninjutsu, simply learning some basic first-aid techniques might one day save their lives.
As for Isamu, after Tsunade finished teaching each day, he continued giving the various students a chance to “experience medical ninjutsu.”
Seeing all those children glaring at him with gritted teeth, Isamu understood their feelings perfectly well.
As far as Tsunade was concerned, he had saved Nawaki, so he had earned her guidance and could be considered half a disciple.
But to Konoha and to the Hokage himself this wasn’t such a great debt.
Tsunade couldn’t remain in the village forever.
And Isamu couldn’t spend his entire life hiding behind her.
If he wanted to establish himself properly in this village, he inevitably had to demonstrate his own value.
As a whetstone, his purpose was to give these little brats, who had yet to experience the harsh side of the shinobi world, a proper taste of reality.
That was his role.
Training.
Teaching the students.
Being taught by Tsunade.
Reflecting on the gains and losses of each day.
This routine continued for several weeks.
[Based on your performance during this operation]
[Your chakra amount +1]
[You have obtained: Mystical Palm Technique (Basic)]
One afternoon, while Isamu was observing Tsunade treating a patient, he received an unexpected reward.
Normally, whenever he spent Action Points observing Tsunade treating others, he could only gain some insights into medical ninjutsu.
Occasionally, he would also gain a small increase in his chakra.
But this time, he had actually managed to “take” a skill directly from Tsunade.
Isamu was no longer the ignorant novice he had once been.
He naturally understood just how demanding medical ninjutsu was for a shinobi.
A newly graduated Genin from the Ninja Academy would often need another year or two just to master the most basic healing techniques, even with sufficient talent.
After that, several more years of training were required before they could potentially master an advanced technique like the Mystical Palm Technique.
With just this Mystical Palm Technique alone, Isamu could probably serve as a squad leader in Konoha’s medical corps.
On the front lines, his value would be no lower than that of an ordinary Jōnin.
He would be a prized asset.
Within a month, Tsunade had already found several promising candidates for medical ninjutsu.
Isamu didn’t need to be mentioned.
The Stitching Secret Technique he had mastered was simply absurd.
What surprised her were two girls and one boy from the graduating class.
All three came from civilian backgrounds.
Medical ninjutsu was a form of chakra manipulation involving Yang Release, and these three students had quite impressive talent in chakra control.
They also possessed the corresponding chakra nature.
Tsunade planned to take them to Konoha’s medical facilities for further training.
There was also Kushina, who had displayed considerable talent.
But Tsunade was hesitant.
As one of the village’s senior leaders, she naturally knew what the village had planned for Kushina
She was going to become Konoha’s future jinchūriki.
Having a walking weapon of mass destruction learn how to save people was, in a way, rather ironic.
“Over the past month, I’ve been very disappointed with your performance.”
As class was about to end, Tsunade addressed the senior students.
“You’re all older than Isamu, yet your abilities are inferior to his in almost every respect.”
“It’s been an entire month, and not one of you has managed to defeat him.”
Tsunade swept her gaze across the room.
The students lowered their heads one after another.
Shame was written all over their faces.
A month ago, they might still have stubbornly argued that Isamu had only won through underhanded tactics.
But now, no one said such a thing.
Quite a few of them had gone home and sought additional training from their Jōnin-level fathers.
They had even started attending private tutoring sessions.
Every day, they trained with the goal of defeating Isamu.
Their teachers and parents all acknowledged that they had made tremendous progress over the past month.
Some students had even mastered C-rank jutsu.
And yet Isamu still defeated them with nothing more than a short blade and Taijutsu.
Only a very small number had managed to force him to use ninjutsu.
No one could understand why the gap between them and Isamu seemed to be getting wider and wider.
They simply couldn’t figure it out.
None of them was a match for this despicable outsider.
“With this level of strength, you’d only be cannon fodder if you went to the battlefield.”
“So, after discussing it with the Third Hokage, I’ve decided that you’re going to have a different kind of graduation assessment.”
In the past, the Ninja Academy’s graduation assessment consisted of tests involving the Three Basic Techniques and similar skills.
But this time would be different.
Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to throw Isamu and all the graduating students into the Forest of Death for a hunting game.
When they entered the Forest of Death, every graduating student would be issued a Konoha forehead protector.
But only those who still possessed their forehead protectors when the assessment ended would officially graduate.
Their task was simple:
Protect their forehead protectors while being hunted by Isamu.
The passing rate for this assessment would be only twenty percent.
In other words, only twenty percent of the students would pass the assessment and become Genin.
When Tsunade publicly announced the graduation assessment that would take place a month later, both the students and instructors were stunned.
Eighty percent elimination?
Did that mean those who failed would have to return and continue studying for another year?
Amid the uproar, Isamu followed Tsunade out of the Ninja Academy.
“Sensei, about this can I refuse?”
On the way home, Isamu asked with a dark expression.
What kind of job had he gotten himself into?
Tsunade glanced at him without saying anything.
It wasn’t until they returned home that she finally explained in an unhurried voice,
“Teacher Hiruzen doesn’t want you getting too close to the other clans.”
This assessment wasn’t going to be a spar.
Accidental injuries were inevitable.
More importantly, Isamu was going to make enemies.
Just imagine it.
A child from some major clan failed to graduate because of Isamu and had to return to the Academy for another year.
That kind of public humiliation would naturally create a great deal of resentment.
Yet the Third Hokage specifically wanted Isamu to become that person.
If Isamu offended every major faction in the village, then who would he be able to rely on?
Wouldn’t he have only Tsunade left?
And Tsunade belonged to the Hokage’s faction.
The Hokage wanted Isamu to become completely dependent on their side.
Isamu could guess Hiruzen Sarutobi’s intentions as well.
Although he wasn’t willing to do it, there wasn’t much he could do.
At least, from the Third Hokage’s perspective, Isamu clearly had some value worth utilizing.
Of course, Isamu was ultimately Tsunade’s disciple.
If the Third Hokage wanted him to do something like this, Tsunade naturally had to negotiate some benefits for him.
“I negotiated with him.
If you can meet the required target during this assessment together with what you contributed through the Shadow Clone Technique, you’ll be allowed to choose one A-rank jutsu or something of equivalent value.”
“A-rank?”
Isamu was tempted.
Compared to the panel, whose usefulness he couldn’t predict and might not be able to exploit at any particular moment, a jutsu or an item of equivalent value that he could choose for himself was extremely attractive.
The B-rank Shadow Clone Technique alone had already benefited Isamu enormously.
Even for Konoha shinobi, obtaining an A-rank jutsu required a considerable amount of merit to exchange with the village.
As for the required target, naturally, it meant reducing the number of students to twenty percent or fewer.
That was no easy task.
It might look as though Isamu could defeat all the students by himself, but once the assessment began, they would certainly band together.
That would increase the difficulty of obtaining their forehead protectors several times over.
Not to mention that quite a few of them were already fairly strong.
Isamu was already thinking about how he could accomplish this.
Beside him, however, Tsunade was secretly snickering.
Kid, you’re still too young.
For Isamu, the reward for meeting the elimination target was an A-rank jutsu.
But the reward for any student who managed to defeat Isamu was exactly the same.
This game still hadn’t revealed who was the prey and who was the hunter.