A few days later, inside the Hokage Office.
"...That concludes the full report and results of this mission."
As the report ended, a brief silence settled over the office.
Behind the desk, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen quietly listened to the detailed statements of the two people, revealing an extremely benevolent smile.
"You've worked hard. You performed exceptionally, far exceeding expectations." His voice was gentle and full of affirmation: "Based on the nature of this incident, the levels involved, and the final outcome, the mission evaluation committee has unanimously decided to officially upgrade your mission rank to A-rank."
An A-rank mission often means the incident itself has touched upon or could affect the balance of power and security stability between regions.
The exposure and thwarting of the conspiracy where a border lord colluded with an external cult to kidnap children of this nation for nefarious purposes certainly met the gravity required for this rank.
"Since the mission was successfully completed, you should both take some time to rest." The Third Hokage smiled, his tone relaxed, offering gentle advice like an elder caring for his juniors:
"Especially you, Shinichi, having gone through so many twists and turns on your very first mission, go back and relax properly to recover your spirits."
"Yes, thank you for your concern, Lord Third Hokage."
Shinichi responded respectfully. After a slight pause, he looked up and added, "Lord Third Hokage, I am personally very interested in medical ninjutsu. I wonder if I could request permission to go to the Konoha Hospital for basic studies during my downtime from missions?"
"Oh? Studying medical ninjutsu?" The Third Hokage put down his pipe with interest, his smile becoming even gentler: "Shinichi, why this sudden idea?"
"Reporting, Lord Third Hokage." Shinichi's tone was steady, clearly having thought this through beforehand:
"There are a few main reasons. First, you previously taught me that my chakra control is insufficient. I've heard that medical ninjutsu requires extremely high precision in chakra control, perhaps the highest among all ninjutsu branches."
"I believe that by practicing medical ninjutsu, I might greatly train and improve my ability to control chakra, which would be very beneficial for my overall growth in the future."
He paused slightly, then continued his clear explanation: "Secondly, compared to ninjutsu, I actually invest more in taijutsu, and my combat style leans more towards taijutsu. And medicine and taijutsu have been connected since ancient times."
"A deeper understanding of human anatomy, the chakra pathway system, muscle exertion, and even vital weak points will not only make my self-training more scientific and effective, reducing hidden injuries, but also allow me to more accurately grasp the timing, location, and force of attacks and defenses in actual combat, elevating the power and efficiency of taijutsu to a new level."
Finally, he added: "Furthermore, as a ninja, it is inevitable to encounter injuries or situations where teammates need aid during missions. Mastering some basic medical knowledge might provide an extra layer of security at critical moments, reducing unnecessary casualties."
After listening, the Third Hokage slowly nodded and smiled: "Hmm... Since you have this intention, and your reasoning is sound, there is no reason for me to refuse. How about this: I will notify the medical department shortly. If you have time in the next couple of days, go and report there."
"However, Shinichi, medical ninjutsu is vast and profound. It requires not only talent but also persistent patience and extraordinary meticulousness. You must remember to act within your capacity, never try to rush or grasp too much, and always proceed step by step."
"Yes, Lord Third Hokage!" Shinichi nodded seriously: "I will certainly remember your teachings and learn from the seniors at the hospital."
---
After the two bowed and withdrew, tranquility returned to the Hokage Office, leaving only the Third Hokage.
He picked up the still-fresh mission report on the desk again and slowly flipped to the final appendix, where the mission review and team member evaluations, personally written by Captain Maruboshi Kosuke, were located.
Exceptional talent, strong resilience; keen insight, sound analysis; decisive action, bold and composed... In the review, Maruboshi Kosuke gave Shinichi extremely high praise, emphasizing further down that he was a child with a strong sense of responsibility and deep empathy.
As the Third Hokage read, a smile unfolded on his face like a bright sunny morning.
---
Perhaps because Shinichi had left the village to execute a mission immediately after graduation, and the mission risks had sharply escalated, ultimately being designated A-rank, the Third Hokage felt somewhat apologetic, believing this young ninja ought to have a smoother transition period.
Consequently, for the next two months, most of the missions Shinichi and Maruboshi Kosuke received were D-rank, generally taking place within Konoha Village boundaries.
The furthest they traveled was just to a village near the main village, where they helped local villagers drive out and eliminate two brown bears that had woken from hibernation and were harassing homes.
Outside of missions, Shinichi did not relax in the slightest. On one hand, he continued to study under Maruboshi Kosuke.
The old ninja's techniques, which deeply integrated his exquisite swordsmanship with practical ninja combat experience, greatly benefited Shinichi.
Furthermore, although Maruboshi Kosuke excelled in water release, he also had solid accomplishments in fire release, and his guidance similarly allowed Shinichi to make progress in the application of fire release chakra.
Although they were teammates in name, most of the time, Maruboshi Kosuke acted more like an instructor who held nothing back.
On the other hand, thanks to the Third Hokage's advance notice, Shinichi smoothly entered Konoha Hospital and began learning the specialized knowledge of medical ninjas.
Although students learned basic pharmacology and human anatomy at the Ninja Academy, compared to the depth and precision of knowledge required by a truly qualified medical ninja, that was merely the basics of the basics.
Becoming a qualified medical ninja is extremely difficult, usually requiring several years of systematic training and rigorous practice, demanding very high levels of talent and temperament.
However, Shinichi, bolstered by traits like [Genius] and others, had learning efficiency far surpassing ordinary people.
---
"Going home, Shinichi?" That day, after finishing his studies at the hospital, an acquaintance doctor saw him packing his things and greeted him with a smile.
"Yes, senpai, see you tomorrow." Shinichi nodded in response.
As he walked down the corridor, several nurses also smiled and waved at him:
"Little Shinichi, see you tomorrow!"
"Be careful on the way."
It was clear that even after only two months, he had decent popularity here.
Shinichi responded politely to each person and left the hospital with steady steps.
Returning home, after a quick wash, he walked to his bed and lay down flat on his back.
His consciousness quieted, and the personal panel silently appeared.
In the talent section, one entry had already changed:
[Charisma (Green): You possess extremely strong personal charm. Your words and actions naturally exude approachability and credibility, making people unconsciously develop favorable impressions and recognition, and making them more susceptible to your emotions and attitude.]
This was an upgrade from the original white entry [Friendly]. Although he hadn't actively pursued it, through continuous accumulation, it eventually solidified into the deeper "Charisma" in the perception of others.
His gaze swept past [Charisma] and landed on another newly generated white entry:
[Medical Fundamentals (White): You possess excellent memory and comprehension of human anatomy and pharmacological knowledge, appearing precise and highly efficient in the learning and application of medical knowledge and basic treatment techniques.]
This was a direct feedback from his recent studies at the hospital. However, looking at this entry, Shinichi had already confirmed a fact in his heart.
Just as he had previously speculated—
[Medical Fundamentals] belongs to a subdivision of the "ninja class talent" category.
Its generation precisely indicates that the identity of "medical ninja" is not considered an independent "class" in the panel's judgment logic.
It is more like a specialized branch within the ninja system, an applied derivative combining ninja and medical knowledge, rather than an independent, fully inherited extraordinary class system.
So, what is?
Ninja, needless to say, is the undisputed dominant field of study in the current ninja world.
And swordsman... Shinichi's thoughts quickly traced back through the clues he knew. Various hints in the original work suggested that before Ōtsutsuki Kaguya arrived and chakra became widespread.
Numerous extraordinary creatures already existed in this world, yet humanity was still able to establish mainstream civilizations and stable nations.
This meant that before chakra became the mainstream power, humans must have possessed other means capable of contending with the extraordinary.
Samurai, or rather, swordsmen, were one such means. It was only after chakra, a more efficient and versatile form of energy, became widespread that their internal energy was replaced by chakra.
Even the samurai of the Land of Iron, who verbally adhere to the samurai tradition, are already utilizing chakra in practice.
Besides the swordsman class, what else is there?
Shinichi's eyes narrowed, and two nouns surfaced in his mind:
Priestess!
Monk!