The next day, with no mission assigned, Shinichi headed out at 4:00 AM for his morning training as usual.
After finishing, he went to Konoha Hospital to begin another day of his internship.
His two months of study had been incredibly fruitful. Not only had he pushed his microscopic chakra control even further, but he had also successfully mastered the C-rank Hemostasis Jutsu and Healing Jutsu, as well as the B-rank Delicate Illness Extraction Jutsu.
This astonishing progress led the senior doctors at the hospital to constantly sigh in admiration, frequently calling him a "true genius."
After all, most people required two to three years of intense study to master these techniques. Shinichi's performance was exceptionally rare.
As for the higher-tier Mystical Palm Jutsu and Chakra Scalpel, Shinichi hadn't touched them yet. Very few people in the hospital had actually mastered them, as they belonged to the realm of advanced medical ninjutsu.
At noon, after finishing treating a few patients, Shinichi was just about to head out for lunch. From the other end of the hallway, a loud, unrestrained voice suddenly rang out:
"I heard the hospital recently took in an incredibly talented young kid! I was wondering who it was, and it turns out it's you!"
Shinichi turned at the sound. Standing a short distance away was a tall, imposing blonde woman with her arms crossed, eyeing him with interest. She wore a traditional tea-green blouse and dark pants under a light-colored haori. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a distinct, pale blue diamond mark sat prominently on her forehead.
Princess Tsunade!
"You're Shinichi Higashino, right?" Tsunade walked over, her tone straightforward, her gaze carrying a mix of scrutiny and curiosity. "That little brat Shizune won't stop chattering about you in my ear all day. 'Shinichi is so amazing,' 'Shinichi is a genius,' 'Shinichi developed an incredible ninjutsu'... My ears are practically growing calluses. I finally get to see the real deal today."
You're the one who rarely shows her face, Shinichi thought to himself.
He had been interning at the hospital for over two months. He initially assumed he would quickly cross paths with one of the legendary Sannin, but he hadn't run into her a single time.
Later, through the occasional gossip and sighs of the other doctors and nurses, he learned that Tsunade rarely came to the hospital these days. She only showed up when there was an incredibly critical, highly complex injury that absolutely no one else could handle.
And the moment she finished the surgery, she would leave in a massive hurry, acting as if there was something deeply repulsive about the hospital and she couldn't bear to stay a second longer than necessary.
Shinichi completely understood why. After suffering the tragic, consecutive deaths of her younger brother, Nawaki, and her lover, Dan Kato, Tsunade had developed severe hemophobia.
As time passed after the war, the memories of losing her loved ones and the visceral, blood-soaked scenes from the battlefield became an inescapable nightmare. They tormented her day and night, making it increasingly difficult for her to face illness, blood, and the fragile, unpredictable nature of life and death.
Consequently, she chose to distance herself from the hospital—the place most likely to trigger her traumatic memories. In a few more years, her internal agony and worsening hemophobia would eventually drive her to take Shizune and leave Konoha entirely, embarking on a long, aimless journey of wandering and escapism.
These thoughts flashed through his mind at lightning speed, but not a single trace of them showed on his face. Shinichi replied respectfully, but without being overly humble, "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Tsunade."
"You know who I am, kid?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
"Yes. My classmate, Shizune... mentions you quite often," Shinichi answered, his tone perfectly steady.
"Spit it out, then. What does Shizune say about me?"
"Well..."
Shinichi appropriately allowed a hint of awkwardness to cross his face, his eyes shifting slightly as if struggling to find the right words.
"Hah!" Tsunade snorted, her face displaying a 'I knew it' expression. "I bet that little brat didn't have many good things to say about me."
Shinichi simply offered a faint smile in response, choosing not to comment. Fortunately, Tsunade didn't genuinely dwell on the matter.
Her gaze returned to Shinichi, sweeping up and down as she evaluated him.
The boy standing before her undeniably possessed incredibly plain, unremarkable looks. Yet strangely, just standing there, he naturally exuded an aura of comfort and reliability.
This specific temperament contrasted sharply with his youthful appearance, and it bizarrely made Tsunade—someone who normally couldn't care less about the outside world—find him inexplicably... agreeable to look at.
She then shifted to the main topic, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry. "You're quite the famous genius now. Why aren't you using your post-mission time to train? Why run to the hospital and rack your brains studying medical ninjutsu?"
"You flatter me, Lady Tsunade," Shinichi replied, maintaining his composed, unyielding yet respectful demeanor. His answer was clear and logical: "In my eyes, studying medical ninjutsu is an exceptional form of training in itself. Its stringent demands for microscopic chakra control make it the perfect method to temper my own control."
"Furthermore, gaining a profound understanding of human anatomy, meridian flow, and physiological responses is immensely beneficial to my taijutsu and ninjutsu training. And, of course, as a shinobi, mastering basic medical knowledge might just provide my comrades with an extra chance of survival in critical moments. That is also a major consideration."
"Sounds like you've thought this through," Tsunade nodded noncommittally. She pressed further, "So tell me, what exactly have you learned over these past two months?"
"Regarding medical theory and diagnosis, I've followed the seniors and learned basic pathology identification, standard treatment protocols for common injuries, and the preliminary application of various medical instruments," Shinichi listed off, his tone highly pragmatic. "As for medical ninjutsu itself, I'm still just a beginner. I've only managed to learn the Hemostasis Jutsu, Healing Jutsu, and the Delicate Illness Extraction Jutsu."
"You've already mastered the Delicate Illness Extraction Jutsu?" Tsunade's eyes flashed with genuine surprise, and she couldn't help but take a second look at him.
This B-rank medical ninjutsu demanded an exceptionally high degree of precision and stability in chakra control. It was absolutely not something that could be mastered in a short period.
"Looks like Shizune wasn't entirely talking nonsense when she kept calling you a genius. Not bad. Keep working hard, kid."
With that, she seemed to lose interest in continuing the conversation. She casually reached out and patted Shinichi heavily on the shoulder before turning around cleanly and striding away. The entire interaction felt incredibly spontaneous, as if she had truly just spoken to him on a sudden whim while passing by.
In truth, even Tsunade herself didn't entirely understand why she had proactively initiated a conversation with this boy she had only heard about from Shizune.
Perhaps Shizune had simply mentioned him far too many times, sparking a tiny sliver of curiosity.
Or perhaps, it was simply because when she first laid eyes on him, this remarkably plain-looking boy was unexpectedly pleasing to the eye.
Just then, a young nurse named Izumi hurried over down the hallway, clutching a clipboard. Her face was flushed with obvious curiosity and excitement.
"Was that... Lady Tsunade just now? Did she actually initiate a conversation with you?!" Izumi lowered her voice, her eyes sparkling with absolute, unrestrained gossip.
"Yeah," Shinichi nodded, his tone completely normal. "Lady Tsunade asked me a few questions about my studies at the hospital."
"Look at you, little Shinichi!" Izumi gently nudged him with her elbow, her smile carrying a familiar, teasing warmth. "As expected of the man I fancy! Even Lady Tsunade is paying attention to you."
Shinichi could only offer a helpless, wry smile and shake his head, completely refusing to take the bait.
He knew Izumi had a bubbly, highly playful personality and loved to joke around. The best response right now was to just let her say whatever she wanted.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing," Izumi reigned it in, her expression turning slightly more serious, though the laughter never left her eyes. "But honestly, having Lady Tsunade ask about you is a huge deal. Even though she rarely comes around these days, her eye for talent is unmatched. Keep it up, future grand doctor!"
She smilingly patted Shinichi on the shoulder, then spun around lightly, hugging her clipboard as she hummed an off-key tune and went back to work.
Silence returned to the hallway. Shinichi looked in the direction Tsunade had disappeared. A moment later, he withdrew his gaze and headed toward the cafeteria.
The brief conversation they just shared was like a pebble tossed into a tranquil lake—it created a few gentle ripples before slowly returning to absolute stillness.