"What? They let a child lead the surgery? What were they thinking?"
Outside the operating room, Koharu Utatane was fuming.
"Don't get worked up," the Third Hokage said, pausing to take a drag of his pipe. "There isn't a better option right now, is there? We could treat him directly, but he was injured while trying to retrieve enemy intel. If possible, we should at least ensure his daily life won't be affected."
"But still—"
"He's a genius."
The Third's tone was decisive. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a scroll sliding across the table.
Koharu caught it, unrolled it, and after a single glance, her eyes widened in disbelief.
She had once been a medical-nin herself. Though she'd long since focused on more "official" duties and rarely involved herself with the hospital or Medical Department, her understanding of the field was far from rusty.
This jutsu—without a doubt—was an advanced evolution of the Chakra Scalpel.
It could handle surgical procedures of far greater delicacy.
Unfortunately—
An A+ learning difficulty was enough to deter nearly every medic-nin currently in the division. Koharu believed she could master it, but she was also aware that she hadn't been on an operating table in years.
And more importantly—
She was old.
A jutsu this precise demanded both chakra and stamina. Even if she could perform it correctly, she'd collapse from exhaustion before the operation was half over.
If only Tsunade were here…
The thought came unbidden, and she quickly shook her head. If it were Tsunade, the operation would've succeeded even without this new technique. Comparing that child to Tsunade was unfair to both of them.
Forget it. When the boy wakes, she'd better treat him kindly. After all, he was only forced to step up because no one else could.
Just then, the rear door of the operating room swung open.
Kitayama Xu emerged, carrying Chiba on her back. Seeing the Hokage and Koharu waiting outside, she froze for a second, then hastily bowed.
"Lord Hokage, Advisor Ut—"
"How is he?"
The Third interrupted before she could finish. Formalities meant little compared to a talent like Chiba.
"His chakra's completely depleted. He's physically exhausted—he took a soldier pill, but that can't restore mental strength."
Kitayama Xu lowered her voice. "To be honest, this operation… we were only assistants. He's the one who reattached the fragments piece by piece. If we'd known that technique, it wouldn't have been nearly as difficult."
"So, you're saying this 'Chakra Needle' is worth promoting?"
"Yes. It has great potential—not just for bone reconstruction. It could be valuable in other medical procedures too, especially when used alongside the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique."
That idea had come to her after watching Chiba's performance. The Needle could pierce and remove debris with precision—so why not use it to puncture and draw out impurities from internal organs as well?
Koharu listened silently, lost in thought.
After a few more questions, the Third Hokage glanced at Chiba—fast asleep from exhaustion—and waved them off. "Take him to rest."
Once they were gone, he turned to Koharu. "Well?"
Koharu frowned slightly. "Hiruzen, his talent is extraordinary. I can almost see shades of both Tsunade and Orochimaru in him… but I'm worried."
"Perhaps," Hiruzen murmured, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "But I'm old. I don't have many chances left. I want to try one more time."
…
"Come in."
"Chiba-kun! I heard you fainted—are you alright?"
Tenten burst into the room, out of breath.
Behind her, Lee peeked in cautiously, then quickly ducked back out when Chiba's gaze fell on him.
Chiba chuckled. "Of course I'm fine. I just ran out of chakra. A bit of rest and I'm good as new. How are your classes going lately?"
"Pretty good! Ever since they said we might graduate early, everyone's been working harder. Even those chronic class-skippers in the lower grades have started showing up."
Tenten tilted her head, then added with a sigh, "Oh—except for UzuBaki Naruto. He's skipping even more now."
At that moment, Lee poked his head back in.
"Tenten got second in the class! Only Neji beat her. Haha! I'm off to train!"
"Hey! Who told you to say that!?"
Tenten roared, but Lee had already vanished.
Chiba smiled helplessly and got up from the bed. From his desk, he pulled out his notebook and opened to a specific page, handing it to her.
Tenten blinked in confusion.
"Chakra Thread," Chiba explained. "A byproduct from my jutsu research. We don't know Puppet Techniques, but this could be used to manipulate kunai, shuriken, and other projectiles."
"This is too valuable—I can't take it!"
Tenten understood immediately. Its difficulty level was at least B-rank. Many chūnin would never have a chance to learn such a thing.
"Jutsu exist to make people stronger," Chiba said seriously. "If they just stay in notebooks, they're meaningless. You're skilled with weapons, but limited to projectiles. st certain opponents, that won't be enough."
"How could you say that! Don't underestimate me! My weapons aren't just for the academy's training targets!"
Tenten pouted, clearly dissatisfied. She was convinced that the school's curriculum capped her full potential—if there were more advanced training, she'd be unmatched for years.
"What about st a Wind Release user?" Chiba asked mildly.
"Ordinary wind techniques couldn't—ugh, fine. I get your point. But still, I can't just take something like this for nothing."
Chiba thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Your family runs a weapon shop, right? I've been meaning to start sword training. How about you help me pick a good blade?"
"Deal! In that case, thanks. And if you need sword training, come to me."
Tenten began to study the notebook more closely.
She was the type who didn't like to owe favors—and who refused to be underestimated. In that way, she was far more determined than Sakura, who always said she wanted to rely on herself but ran to Naruto the moment things got tough.
As for Haruno Sakura…
Chiba didn't care if she lived or died.
After reading, Tenten fell into deep thought. "According to your notes, you're trying to condense chakra into weapons—and even control multiple at once?"
"Not exactly 'weapons,'" Chiba corrected. "Needles that I can fully manipulate. I want them to take any shape I wish, formed instantly during combat—no hand seals required."
"That's my true goal."
Tenten nodded slowly. Now she understood why he'd joined the Medical Department.
When it came to chakra control, no one surpassed medical-nin.
Still, she sensed there was more to it. That so-called 'needle' likely had far more terrifying applications than he was letting on. But she didn't pry further. Instead, she carefully copied the notes, determined to study them in her own time—
Not everyone learned at Chiba's ridiculous pace.
In truth, Chiba's reasoning wasn't as complex as it seemed.
He'd chosen "needles" partly because they were sharp and chakra-efficient—but also because they could integrate with many other jutsu, like Chaotic Body Surge.
And another reason he'd joined the hospital was to study pressure points.
Without a Byakugan, he couldn't see them, but through repeated surgeries and anatomical observation, he could learn them.
Once he mastered that, the Chakra Needle's purpose would extend far beyond mere healing.
Closing his eyes, Chiba focused on the Bodhi Seed within his consciousness.
It had changed—slightly.
Its surface now bore three thin grooves like flowing patterns—
The first, deep and long;
The second, short;
The third, long but faint.
If not for his mental connection to it, he might not have noticed at all.
"Three lines…" he murmured. "Do they correspond to the two jutsu I've passed on—and the soldier pill?"
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