With a month remaining before the graduation assessment, Tsunade stopped going to the Ninja Academy.
Instead, she took the three students she had selected for their talent in medical ninjutsu and brought them directly to Konoha Hospital for practical training.
As her assistant, Isamu naturally accompanied them.
Tsunade assigned him various odd jobs around the hospital to help her with her work.
But eventually, there were simply too many wounded patients.
With no other choice, Tsunade had Isamu use his “Secret Technique” to treat some ordinary civilians.
At this point, Tsunade still wasn’t comfortable letting Isamu treat injured shinobi.
Partly, this was a precaution.
But more importantly, it was also a form of protection for Isamu.
If the village ever discovered some hidden danger associated with Isamu’s Secret Technique, and Isamu had already used his suturing technique to treat wounded shinobi, it could potentially lead to unpredictable consequences.
Tsunade needed to prevent that possibility.
She wasn’t doing this only for Nawaki.
She was also thinking about Isamu’s future.
At night, Isamu’s sparring partner changed from Tsunade to Nawaki.
It had been Nawaki’s own suggestion.
Isamu’s technique was somewhat superior, but Nawaki had the advantage of age and was also physically stronger than Isamu.
In a pure Taijutsu match, the two could go back and forth.
No matter how many times Nawaki was knocked down, he silently got back to his feet and continued fighting Isamu.
Isamu did the same, throwing himself completely into the spar.
Tsunade watched the two of them from the sidelines, her heart filled with complicated emotions.
Nawaki was becoming quieter and quieter.
She didn’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Every day, he trained with Might Dai and didn’t return home until evening.
She had even asked ANBU shinobi to investigate.
All Nawaki did each day was follow Might Dai through various forms of physical training.
Taijutsu was naturally extremely important to a shinobi.
But ultimately, a shinobi’s talent still had to manifest itself through ninjutsu.
And Nawaki had now lost the ability to use chakra.
Tsunade couldn’t blame Isamu.
Even she couldn’t have done a better job than he had.
All she could do was hope that, once her medical skills advanced further, she would be able to repair Nawaki’s chakra pathways.
Or perhaps
Have Isamu do it.
Tsunade watched the two boys locked in combat and quietly sighed.
She had already asked a Konoha Genin to “protect” Nawaki and prevent him from leaving Konoha’s territory without permission.
As the assessment drew near, Tsunade gave Isamu three days off.
She didn’t tell him anything explicitly, but Isamu understood.
This time was clearly meant for him to prepare.
The assessment would take place in the Forest of Death, yet the students weren’t forbidden from entering the area beforehand.
It was obvious that they were being given an opportunity to gather relevant information.
According to Tsunade, the assessment would last seven days.
Among the supplies they were allowed to carry, they could only bring three days’ worth of food.
Even without Isamu, this would already qualify as an extremely difficult survival test.
Therefore, finding sources of water and food was essential.
Isamu didn’t have time to slowly search for these things after the assessment began.
During the assessment, he had to make use of every available moment and resource to accomplish his task of eliminating students.
The Forest of Death, officially known as Training Ground Forty-Four, had a diameter of more than twenty kilometers.
At its very center stood a tall tower from which the entire forest could be observed.
Isamu followed the river upstream from the entrance, recording the terrain along the way.
In wilderness survival, securing a water source came first.
But for Isamu, he was currently looking for any opportunity that could reduce the opposing side’s numbers.
Poisoning a water source was certainly an option.
In fact, it was his preferred method
A drug that could weaken their combat ability without being lethal shouldn’t attract much attention from the village’s higher-ups.
Besides, this was supposed to be an assessment designed to simulate “actual combat.”
Using poison shouldn’t be too excessive, right?
After spending almost an entire day, Isamu had gained a general understanding of the Forest of Death.
He had memorized every location that was convenient for making camp and every place where food could easily be found.
Then he continued upstream.
He eventually even left the boundaries of the Forest of Death.
After traveling another twenty-odd kilometers upstream, Isamu finally stopped.
The Forest of Death was merely the designated battlefield.
There was nothing saying Isamu’s methods had to be confined to the forest itself.
If he wanted to poison the students, doing it outside the designated area would be the most silent and inconspicuous method.
Isamu began searching for a suitable place to introduce poison into the river.
Suddenly, a rich aroma drifted toward him.
As Isamu saw the glow of a fire through the deepening night, he took a couple more steps forward.
Even with his Intermediate Cooking skill, Isamu found the aroma unusually distinctive.
On the gravel of the riverbank, three figures sat around a pot of hot soup simmering over a fire.
They appeared to be chatting about something.
One of them was Nawaki, whom Isamu recognized.
Beside him was a man in a green jumpsuit.
Isamu recognized him too.
The third person wore coarse linen clothes and was holding a ladle while tending the soup.
“Isamu?”
Nawaki looked toward the voice and saw Isamu emerge from the shadows.
He looked rather confused.
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
The two of them asked the question simultaneously.
“I’m training with these two seniors,” Nawaki answered.
Isamu glanced at the two men beside him.
Why haven’t you figured it out yet?
If you want to train, why not just train with your sister?
Why follow these two
Of course, as always, there were some things better left unsaid for the sake of harmony.
“I’m looking for a place to poison the water.”
Isamu was remarkably straightforward and made no attempt to conceal his purpose.
“Huh?”
The three stared at Isamu, completely failing to process what they had just heard.
“The assessment is in three days, isn’t it?
I’m trying to think of a way to reduce their numbers”
He paused.
“Of course, I don’t even have the poison yet.”
This graduation assessment was a major event, and everyone in the village knew about it by now.
Still
He didn’t even have poison in his hands yet, and he was already planning to poison people?
Was that really appropriate?
“We’re already outside the Forest of Death!”
Nawaki tried to remind him.
“Hmm?
Does the rule say we aren’t allowed to poison people outside the designated area?”
Isamu’s question left the three of them speechless.
The official announcement merely stated that participants would operate within the Forest of Death.
It never explicitly said they couldn’t poison the water outside it.
Isamu sat down beside Nawaki.
He looked at the several fish beside the fire, then took out his secret barbecue seasoning and looked toward the middle-aged shinobi opposite him, seemingly asking for permission.
“I’m Kosuke Maruboshi.
Help yourself, Isamu.”
The man introduced himself.
The green-clad, big-headed man beside him gave a thumbs-up.
“My name is Might Dai.
Thank you for saving Nawaki!”
Konoha had concealed some of the details.
The official story was simply that Isamu had saved Nawaki, and Tsunade had accepted Isamu as her disciple in return for this favor.
Isamu had been an experienced office worker in his previous life, so he naturally knew how to converse with people.
After only a few words, he was already getting along with the two men.
He even traded his secret barbecue seasoning recipe to Kosuke Maruboshi in exchange for the man’s secret bone-broth recipe.
After eating his fill and chatting for a while, Isamu learned more about Kosuke Maruboshi.
An old Genin.
Just like Might Dai.
No.
He was even older than Might Dai.
Isamu glanced at Nawaki.
I thought you didn’t suffer any brain damage back then.
What exactly can you learn from two Genin?
Of course, his expression remained unchanged.
Instead, using the upcoming assessment as an excuse, he asked the two men to give him some pointers.
Once I beat these two, you’ll finally know to turn back, right?
Since they were his teacher’s younger brother’s instructors, Isamu might as well help him out.
“Might Dai-senpai, please don’t hold back.”
“All right.”
Seeing how serious Isamu was, Might Dai’s expression became solemn, and he nodded seriously.
Once I effortlessly defeat him
“Isamu, be careful!”
“Gate of Life, open!”
What the hell?!
Isamu couldn’t even stop himself from blurting out a Chinese curse.
Might Dai’s entire aura suddenly changed.
A blue-green energy seemed to surge around his body.
His entire body flushed red with blood as he charged toward Isamu like a savage beast.
One second, he had looked like an utterly ordinary Genin.
The next, he had transformed into a green beast hunting its prey.
What the hell happened to the art style?!