"Honestly, Hokage-sama is being way too generous," sighed Hayama Suki, one of the senior instructors in the medical training division, flipping through Toji's files with a bemused expression.
Early graduation was rare enough.
But a personal recommendation from the Hokage was unheard of.
She rubbed her forehead and glanced at the boy standing upright.
"Alright, what field do you want to study?"
"Medical knowledge," Toji replied without hesitation.
"Good answer," Kitayama smiled approvingly.
If he'd asked to assist in surgeries like some delusional fools, Suki would probably have filed an official complaint to the Hokage about recommending a reckless brat.
"The Hokage already recommended you to me, so I'll do my best to help you. Now, follow me."
She stood up and led Toji to a medium-sized library in the medical department.
"Many medical ninja come here sometimes to gain new knowledge or try to create special medicines based on the notes Lady Tsunade left."
Suki gestured for him to take a seat while she started selecting a few books.
"Since you know absolutely nothing about being a medic, we'll start with the basics."
Toji knew being a medic was extremely difficult, or else there wouldn't be so few of them, so he was mentally prepared for the hardship.
But he couldn't help gulping at the thickness of the books. Suki noticed his expression and smiled.
"These books will help you gain a basic understanding of medical jutsu."
Suki picked up a thick book and slammed it onto the desk.
"You will start with this book, 'History of Medical Ninjutsu.' This will help you understand the history of medical ninjutsu, its origin, necessity, and importance in the shinobi world."
Suki lifted another book and slammed it on the table. The table creaked even more, bending beneath the book's weight.
"This is 'Encyclopedia of Herbs and Medicines.' Memorize the details of every herb and medicine written in this book."
Suki picked yet another thick book and slapped it on the table. The legs of the table spread outward, almost collapsing from the weight.
"This is 'Compendium of Deadly Herbs and Poison.' These are categorized separately from other herbs because poisons are biological weapons that can take lives. Just by utilizing poison, the puppet master Chiyo of Sand became formidable during the 'Second Shinobi War.' This book contains information on some common poisons and their antidotes."
She picked up yet another book and slammed it on the table.
"This is 'Essentials of Shinobi Anatomy and Physiology.' It contains detailed information about the anatomy of a shinobi: the various organs, meridians, and pathways of the human body. Hammer all this information into your brain."
Suki picked yet another book. At this moment, Toji's expression had turned from ugly to pale as he looked in horror at all the books Suki still held.
"This is 'Compendium of Diseases and Deformities.' This book records all the diseases discovered in Shinobi to this date. Make sure to read this thoroughly. You can't treat your patient if you aren't aware of their ailments."
Suki didn't show mercy just because he was newly graduated and kept piling books. That made Toji suspect that she just wanted to keep him busy and not bother her.
"You have to finish this batch of books in a week. After that, I will put your knowledge to the test and will grade your abilities accordingly. After this batch is completed, you have to memorize another batch of books to further increase your knowledge."
Suki pointed at another stack of books beside her, making Toji reconsider whether he made the right choice.
"Can I give up?!" he asked hopefully.
He only wanted to learn medical knowledge and apply it to his Taijutsu.
"Nope, don't even think about quitting now." Suki shook her head. "The Hokage himself recommended you. How does his reputation suffer if people knew the student he had high hopes for is a quitter?"
'I don't give a damn about his reputation.' Toji wanted to shout, but he swallowed his words and picked the smallest book.
"You can take a few books with you if you want. Just make sure to return them, okay? Good luck." With an encouraging wave, Suki bolted out of the library.
"Yeah, she definitely doesn't want to babysit me." Toji sighed and flipped through the pages.
Aside from his enhanced physical strength and chakra control, he also had a near-perfect memory, which was the reason behind his top-class record.
So, even though the heavenly restriction took away his ability to use nature transformation, it gave him enough skills to compensate for it.
****
After reading for hours, Toji stretched his arms and noticed the evening glow in the window.
"It's enough for today."
He took away the 'Compendium of Deadly Herbs and Poison' and left the library. He wouldn't return until he finished this book.
Along the way, he curiously flipped through the pages and noticed that the author was Tsunade.
After reading for a while, he couldn't help smiling.
"It looks like Chiyo gave Tsunade a hard time during the war."
Even though the book was filled with knowledge, Tsunade still managed to sneak in a few curses toward the poisonous old hag.
Finally finding some entertainment, Toji became engrossed in reading.
It was not boring in the slightest. If only a few authors adopted this writing model, books wouldn't be boring.
Turning a corner too fast, Toji accidentally crashed into someone.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" Toji apologized, taking steps back.
The figure he collided with stood calmly, hands in pockets, a silver-haired ninja with his headband tilted to one side and a mask covering half his face. His one visible eye curved in faint amusement.
"You alright, kid? What's got you so distracted?" Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow.
Toji hurriedly held up the book. "This! It's amazing! The way Lady Tsunade explains everything, it's entertaining…oh, I meant incredible!"
Kakashi leaned over to glimpse the cover, curious. When he saw it, his one eye widened in disbelief.
'...Seriously? This kid was entranced by medical knowledge?'
At first, Kakashi had thought maybe the boy was sneaking a peek at something less appropriate, like a certain orange-covered book he kept hidden away, but no.
Instead, there was a genuine bookworm, lost in medical texts mid-street.
Weirdo,' Kakashi mused, covering his amusement with a lazy nod.
"Good job, kid. Keep it up, and you might just become a legendary ninja someday. But next time, maybe watch where you're running, yeah?"
"Yes, sir!" Toji saluted and walked away. He didn't feel the need to talk with the current Kakashi, who still kept a wall up to anyone approaching him. Besides, there was nothing he could learn from him, so there was no need to glaze him or become a licker.
Kakashi watched him go and shook his head.
"Yo! Kakashi!" called a loud, energetic voice from down the street. "Care for a youthful, passionate spar?!"
"Busy studying. Maybe next time," Kakashi deadpanned with a flat tone.
Guy scowled and noticed the book Kakashi casually held.
"Studying? With Icha Icha Paradise in your hands?!" He barked, feeling appalled. "Kakashi, you're wasting the springtime of your youth! Come fight me instead!"