"What were they thinking... letting a child lead the surgery?!"
Outside the operating room, Koharu Utatane was visibly furious.
"Calm down," Sarutobi said, exhaling smoke from his pipe. "We didn't have any better options. And this wasn't a typical case. He was injured during an intelligence-gathering mission. It's vital we do everything we can to preserve his ability to function in daily life."
"But still...!"
"He's a genius," the Hokage cut in firmly.
Without another word, he unfurled a scroll and handed it to her.
Koharu took it skeptically, but as her eyes scanned the contents, her expression shifted to astonishment.
She had once been a skilled medical ninja herself. Though she'd stepped back in recent years to focus on administrative work, her understanding of medical techniques hadn't dulled.
This jutsu... what Toji had created... was clearly an advanced evolution of the Chakra Scalpel.
It had more precision and flexibility.
But the problem was obvious.
The difficulty rating was A+.
Most of the current medical team wouldn't even attempt to learn something like this. Koharu herself could probably do it, but she hadn't stepped onto an operating floor in years.
And frankly... she was old.
Even with the skill, surgeries like this drained chakra and stamina. She might be able to handle half the operation before fatigue forces her out.
'If only Tsunade were here...'
But that thought was pointless. Tsunade wouldn't need this jutsu to complete the surgery. And comparing Toji to her felt inherently unfair.
She sighed inwardly.
'Still... I should probably change my tone when I meet him. He didn't step in for glory. He stepped in because no one else could.'
Just then, the rear door of the operating room swung open.
Suki emerged, carrying Toji on her back. She froze for a second when she spotted Sarutobi and Koharu, then quickly bowed.
"Lord Hokage, Elder..."
"How is he?" Sarutobi asked, waving his hand. His attention was focused solely on Toji.
"His chakra is completely depleted. He took a military ration pill to hold out longer, but there's only so much that can do. He passed out from exhaustion."
Suki's voice lowered with guilt.
"To be honest... the rest of us were just assistants. He's the one who reassembled the shattered bone fragments piece by piece. If we had all learned that new jutsu, things wouldn't have been so difficult."
"So," Sarutobi said, "you believe the Chakra Needle is worth spreading?"
"Absolutely," she replied without hesitation. "Not just for today's operation. I think it could be used in other specialties too, especially in combination with extraction-based jutsu. Its precision could help remove embedded debris from internal organs."
It was a thought inspired by Toji himself.
The Needle's precision and minimal impact meant it could pair with chakra suction techniques for highly invasive surgeries—something current methods struggled with.
Koharu listened quietly, no longer interrupting.
After a few more questions, Sarutobi saw Toji's exhausted face and waved them off. "Take him to rest."
Once they were gone, he turned to Koharu.
"Well?"
Koharu exhaled slowly. "He's remarkable. There's a bit of Tsunade in him... and even a shade of Orochimaru."
Her brows creased with unease. "But that worries me too."
"Maybe so," Sarutobi said softly. "But I'm old now. I won't get many more chances. I want to support this one... one last time."
***
"Come in!"
Toji looked up as someone knocked on the restroom door.
"Toji-kun! I heard you fainted. Are you okay?"
Tenten burst in, panting slightly from running. Behind her, Lee peeked in before quickly ducking out of sight again.
Toji couldn't help but smile. "I'm fine. Just overdid it a bit. A short rest and I'm good as new. How are your classes going?"
"Pretty good! Ever since word got around that early graduation is possible, everyone's been working way harder. Even the usual slackers have been showing up."
She paused, then held up a finger with a grin. "Except Naruto Uzumaki. If anything, he skips class even more now."
At that moment, Lee peeked in again.
"Tenten came in second in the class rankings! Only behind Neji! Hehe, I'm off to train!"
"Lee!" she shouted, cheeks flushed. But he was already gone.
Still chuckling, Toji sat up on the bed and pulled out a notebook, flipping it open to a page and handing it to her.
Tenten tilted her head in confusion.
"Chakra Thread," Toji explained.
"A byproduct of another jutsu I've been researching."
"We don't use puppet techniques, but it works surprisingly well for manipulating shuriken and kunai."
Tenten's eyes widened. "This is... way too valuable. I can't accept this!"
She knew what she was holding.
A B-rank technique, something even many chunin never got the chance to study.
"Ninjutsu should exist to help others grow stronger," Toji said seriously. "Otherwise, it's meaningless. You're talented with tools, but raw skill only gets you so far. Against certain enemies, you'll need more."
"Hah! You're underestimating me," she huffed. "My accuracy isn't just academy-level, you know. If the academy actually challenged us more, I wouldn't be tied for first all the time."
"What if you faced a strong Wind Release user?"
Toji remembered how useless she was in the grand war. She was just cannon fodder; that was why he was trying to help her.
As long as it wouldn't have any negative impact on him, Toji wouldn't mind lending a hand to his friends. Though, he wouldn't be a licker just because they were the main cast. He decides whether to help or not.
"...Okay, I see your point," she admitted reluctantly. "But still, I can't take this for free."
Toji thought for a second. "Your family runs a weapon shop, right? I'm looking for a good short sword. How about you help me pick one?"
"Deal. Thanks! And if you need help with sword work, come find me."
She sat down and began studying the notebook in earnest.
Tenten was the type who refused to be outdone. Unlike Sakura, who talked about independence but still relied on Naruto for help, she had real grit.
Tenten suddenly furrowed her brow. "So let me get this straight. You want to compress chakra into weapons? Not just one, but multiple controllable ones?"
"Not just weapons," Toji corrected. "I want perfect control. Needles that can shift form instantly, summoned without seals. Formed on will."
"That's the ultimate goal."
Tenten nodded slowly. She finally understood why Toji had chosen the medical path.
When it came to chakra control, the medical division was unmatched.
Still, she had a feeling there was more to his plan. A lot more. He wasn't just building needles. He was probably building a new class of technique. She could feel it.
But she didn't press him. Instead, she carefully copied the technique into her own notes. It would take her time to learn. She wasn't Toji, after all.
Not everyone could learn as absurdly fast as he did.
For Toji, it wasn't just about the Needle itself.
He chose the needle shape for two reasons:
Its efficiency and precision.
And the fact that it could be easily combined with other jutsu. There was another reason he was studying at the hospital, too.
He wanted to learn about pressure points.
Without a Byakugan, he couldn't see pressure points. But he could learn to recognize and locate them through training and constant observation.
Once he mapped out enough of them, those Chakra Needles would become far more than just a healing tool.
"I'll be the bane of close combat Shinobi!"