vncnus Chapter 111 Becoming Tsunade's Apprentice? The Situation
Chapter 111 Becoming Tsunade's Apprentice? The Situation
Chapter 111 Becoming Tsunade's Apprentice? The Situation
The battlefield where Konoha and Kumogakure clashed fiercely was filled with the stench of dust and blood.
When Genjiro Takuno crossed the cordon and stepped into the Konoha camp, Jiraiya, who was looking at a map, spotted him immediately. His furrowed brows relaxed instantly, and he strode forward to meet him.
"Takuno, kid!" Jiraiya's voice boomed, slapping Takuno heavily on the shoulder as he exclaimed, "Good! Good! Good! Hahaha, I knew you couldn't let go of things here, so you rushed back as fast as you could! How was your rest this time?"
His hearty laughter carried an indescribable sense of relief.
Gen Takuno nodded slightly, his words concise yet clear, "It's alright, I went to the Land of Hot Springs, and the hot springs there are indeed quite nice."
"The Land of Hot Springs?!" Jiraiya's eyes widened, and a look of intense envy immediately appeared on his face. He took a step closer and, lowering his voice with a mischievous glint in his eyes, pressed on, "Oh my! It's that hot spring paradise! Tell me, tell me, which bathhouse did you visit?"
After a brief silence, Gen Takuno uttered a single word without changing his expression: "—The kind for one person."
"What?!" Jiraiya seemed to have heard of some unbelievable atrocity, and jumped up exaggeratedly, pointing at him and shouting in anguish.
"Single?! My God! You idiot! What a waste! Going to the Land of Hot Springs and not experiencing the wonders of mixed bathing is a complete waste of time! Idiot! Fool! Big idiot!" Spit almost splashed onto Gen Takuno's face.
Yuan Tuoye remained expressionless, having already anticipated this response, his eyes revealing a helpless "I knew it" attitude.
He sighed softly, decisively ending the pointless conversation, his tone as usual but with an undeniable shift in tone, "Lord Jiraiya, I'm going to the medical room."
This simple statement was as if it had been muted.
Jiraiya's playful expression vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn and serious demeanor.
He suppressed all his frivolous expression, nodded vigorously, and his voice became steady, filled with trust and entrustment: "—Yes. Go ahead, I'm leaving everything to you!"
The pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with the heavy stench of blood is the constant theme in the medical tents on the battlefield.
Yuan Tuoye reappeared here. He calmly stepped into this area filled with painful groans and busy figures, without even frowning.
This smell and this scene were all too familiar to him, whether in his own special environments filled with experimental materials or even earlier.
His experience of daring to infiltrate the land of whirlpools, which had been turned into a hellish place by war, when he was only a little over 10 years old, and calmly "collecting" materials amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
The devastation at that time was far greater than anything that this frontline medical ward could compare to.
The return of Gen Takuno was like a shot in the arm, silently injecting strength into the hearts of all the exhausted medical ninjas.
Many tired faces lit up the moment they saw him, and their tense expressions relaxed.
Their captain, who is also the ninja with the highest medical skills, has returned!
Without any pleasantries or idle chatter, Yuan Tuoye quickly assessed the situation without even glancing around.
He washed his hands, put on medical gloves, and his movements were fluid and natural, allowing him to seamlessly integrate into the long line of rescue workers.
His gaze was focused and sharp, and his chakra precisely controlled the scalpel and healing techniques without the slightest hesitation or delay.
Several days passed by in exhaustion and tension.
Inside the medical tent, stretchers continued to bring in new wounded soldiers, their groans filling the air, creating a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.
However, compared to the overwhelming and almost hopeless scene when Gen Takuno first arrived, the situation is now much more organized, although it is still busy and urgent, and the wounded can receive treatment more promptly.
This visible change is almost entirely due to Yuan Tuoye's frighteningly efficient treatment pace.
His every movement was precise and swift, like a tireless healing machine, greatly relieving the pressure on the other medical ninjas.
Yuan Tuoye did not leave immediately after leaving a wooden clone. The casualties here were far greater than expected. However, the wooden clone could not bear the heavy burden that had piled up at the beginning. It would take some time before he could confidently hand it over to the wooden clone.
To further improve the efficiency and coverage of the treatment, a jet-black psychic raven appeared on the rope of the roof beam of the tent.
The crow's beak gleamed with an unusual metallic sheen, its sharp eyes calmly scanning every corner below.
Gen Takuno briefly communicated with it, its mission being to act as the most loyal "sentinel".
If a wounded soldier's condition suddenly deteriorates and he is on the verge of death, and there are no other medical ninjas nearby to provide assistance, an alarm will be immediately raised against him.
This silent black messenger quickly became a unique sight in the medical tent.
Thanks to its several accurate warnings, Yuan Tuoye successfully carried out timely rescues, pulling several people back from the brink of death.
As the news spread, the medical ninjas coming and going and the wounded receiving treatment all noticed the crow that always perched on the highest point of the tent and learned that it belonged to Gen Takuno.
"That must be Lord Minamoto no Takuno's summoning beast, right?"
"Hmm, it should be a crow. I heard it can help adults quickly find wounded people who need first aid—"
"I don't remember this happening before; it only happened after I came back from this break. Was it a contract made specifically for this period of time—Lord Minamoto Takuno is truly thoughtful!"
People naturally make the connection that this powerful medical genius must have anticipated the immense pressure brought about by the stalemate in the battle and the surge in wounded, which is why he specially contracted such a summoning beast.
Its sole purpose is to race against time to save as many lives as possible!
This silent, meticulous spirit of dedication deeply touched everyone who had been protected by this black figure on the edge of despair.
As for why medical ninjas don't summon medical-type beasts themselves?
The reason is simple: ninja beasts that can be used to directly assist in healing on the battlefield are as rare as top-tier medical ninjas in the entire ninja world.
They can't just sign a contract whenever they want.
At this moment, Jiraiya was sitting on a simple stool receiving stitches for the external injury in Minamoto Takuya's arm.
Since Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, personally went to the battlefield, his visits to the medical room have increased significantly.
His gaze, however, drifted to the black lookout post on the top of the tent, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
He watched as Minamoto Takuno's slender fingers steadily manipulated the chakra threads, with the precision of a most sophisticated instrument stitching up a wound. His effortless demeanor and exquisite control over chakra even reminded him of Tsunade's youthful charm.
An idea popped into Jiraiya's mind uncontrollably.
"Such control—if he could truly form a contract with that Living Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest—the resulting healing boost and strategic significance would be an immeasurable and enormous asset to Konoha!"
But the idea was fleeting.
Jiraiya immediately shook his head inwardly. He knew that if he told Tsunade about the importance of Minamoto no Takuya, she would definitely not hesitate to grant him the summoning contract.
But the key to the problem is that we need to find Tsunade first!
Thinking of Tsunade, who was always on the move and deliberately avoided the past and Konoha, Jiraiya felt helpless and heavy-hearted, and couldn't help but let out another low sigh.
"Takuno-kun," Jiraiya said, breaking the silence as he looked at Takuno, who was diligently tending to his wounds, "Have you ever heard of Tsunade?"
Without pausing his work or looking up, Minamoto Takuno replied with reverence, "Of course, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, the legendary medical master. No ninja who studies medical ninjutsu is unaware of Lady Tsunade's name."
He then raised his voice slightly, with a perfectly timed hint of doubt, "Why did Jiraiya-sama suddenly bring up Tsunade-sama?"
"Hmm," Jiraiya said with a rare seriousness in his eyes as he looked directly at Minamoto Takuno. "I'm thinking that, if possible, after this war ends, I'll try to find a way to get her to take you as her apprentice."
Yuan Tuoye paused almost imperceptibly in his stitching motion, so slight that no one but himself could notice.
He looked up at Jiraiya, his gaze calm, his voice equally even, "Someone like me, specializing in sealing techniques, probably—isn't suitable?"
"Heh," Jiraiya chuckled confidently, "Quite the opposite! Takuya, you are absolutely the most suitable person I've ever seen to inherit that girl's mantle! Without a doubt!"
His tone was resolute, filled with unquestionable confidence.
Yuan Tuoye lowered his eyes, focusing on the stitching in his hands. He remained silent for a moment, and when he looked up again, his eyes were shining with just the right amount of longing and sincerity. "If Lady Tsunade doesn't mind, it would be wonderful if I could become her disciple."
In his heart, Gen Takuno's thoughts were completely different. Becoming Tsunade's apprentice would not be of much use to him. Unfortunately, he seemed to have no reason to refuse. Even if he refused on the grounds of sealing techniques, it would not work. Becoming Tsunade's apprentice did not mean that he could not study sealing techniques.
However, there are two ninjutsu that Tsunade is somewhat concerned about: the Yin Seal, which allows chakra to accumulate continuously and then explode instantly, and the forbidden technique, Creation Rebirth: Hundred Healings Technique, which allows her to control this massive amount of chakra and achieve super-fast regeneration!
Although it's often joked that the combined effect of these two S-rank ninjutsu is barely comparable to the permanent passive recovery ability inherent in the Sage Mode body of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
But this is by no means a denial of their inherent value.
Once you successfully master and utilize this combination of ninjutsu, your combat power will instantly leap to the level of Kage!
Moreover, these two ninjutsu might even be able to combine to form a Sage Body, although the marginal benefit might not be that high.
In addition, obtaining a spirit contract with Shikkotsu Forest would certainly be very good.
"Haha! It's settled then!" Jiraiya felt much better when he saw that Minamoto Takuno had agreed, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope. He laughed heartily.
"Once this damned war is over, I'll go talk to Tsunade about this. Don't worry, Tsunade definitely won't refuse me!"
Yuan Tuoye seriously doubted the authenticity of this statement, but still replied.
"Yes, thank you very much."
The brief moment of relaxation that had been eased by the conversation about master and apprentice was shattered by the sudden intrusion of an undercover agent!
The newcomer, enveloped in a gust of wind, breathed rapidly, his voice carrying an undeniable urgency, and reported loudly: "Lord Jiraiya! Urgent report! The main force of Iwagakure has suddenly crossed the border and is launching a massive invasion from the northwest of the Land of Fire! The front lines are in dire need of attention! Currently, the Fourth Hokage has personally led troops to rush to the aid of the northwest border!"
This sudden battle report was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding violently in the noisy medical tent.
The sound wasn't quiet; it carried clearly throughout the busy area.
"Wh-what?!" Jiraiya jumped to his feet, his eyes widening instantly, his face filled with extreme shock.
The previous ease vanished, replaced by intense worry.
A tremendous chill descended, and one wave of coldness followed another!
With the threat from Kumogakure already looming large, and now Iwagakure launching an attack at this critical juncture?!
The wounded and medical ninjas around them immediately stopped what they were doing or groaned.
The noise stopped abruptly, and a deathly silence descended, followed by suppressed panicked chatter and gasps of shock.
"Iwagakure has attacked too?!" "Northwest—good heavens, two fronts—"
The battlefield here is already littered with corpses, the pressure from Kumogakure continues to mount, Konoha's ninja casualties are severe, and now a deadly new front has been opened up?!
Despair and panic, like a tangible dark cloud, weighed heavily on everyone's heart.
The already heavy atmosphere, as if frozen in time, instantly plummeted to freezing point, making even breathing difficult.
"Summon all Jonin and above to the command post immediately!" Jiraiya disregarded everything else, his shock quickly transforming into the decisiveness and composure befitting a frontline commander.
He gave the order in a deep voice, as cold as the north wind in winter, and then strode out of the medical room without hesitation, his figure heavy with worry.
"Yes!" The secret service dared not delay for a moment and immediately disappeared to carry out the order.
The medical room, already oppressively heavy with the cries of the wounded and the somber atmosphere, was now enveloped in an even more chilling and somber ambiance.
Yuan Tuoye clearly felt this almost suffocating pressure.
His hands continued treating patients without pause, his gaze sweeping steadily over his medical colleagues who were bewildered by the bad news from the front lines. His voice, though not loud, was exceptionally clear and powerful, breaking the deathly silence.
"We are medical ninjas. Our mission right now is to protect this place and save everyone in front of us! As for the Iwagakure front—" He paused, his tone instilling a reassuring certainty.
"Don't forget, the Hokage himself is there. The Yellow Flash's reputation is more than just a legend!"
These words were like a shot in the arm.
After finishing speaking, Yuan Tuoye ignored the pervasive worry and calmly continued to treat the next patient's injuries, as steady as a rock.
His focused figure, unmoved by external influences, exuded an intangible calming power.
The surrounding medical ninjas, witnessing this scene, gritted their teeth, temporarily suppressing the anxiety surging in their chests and their concern for the front lines, and forced themselves to throw themselves back into the urgent rescue work at hand.
In fact, Yuan Tuoye was not entirely unmoved.
Minato Namikaze will personally go to the battlefield in Iwagakure? He had expected this long ago.
From the moment Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, appeared on the battlefield of Kumogakure, he knew that the Fourth Hokage, who had intimidated the ninja world with his Flying Thunder God Technique, would inevitably take action.
Minato Namikaze deeply loved his family, but his sense of responsibility to Konoha Village and its people was equally profound.
Between protecting his family and fulfilling his duties as Hokage, painful choices are inevitable, but Minato Namikaze will ultimately have to make that choice.
However, Iwagakure's decision to declare war on Konoha at this moment was truly unexpected.
According to what he knew of the original work, Iwagakure did indeed take advantage of the situation when Konoha and Kumogakure were locked in a stalemate.
But the key point is that after the devastating Third Shinobi World War, Iwagakure suffered extremely heavy losses. A large number of elites were killed in the battle to besiege the Third Raikage, and they also suffered a great loss due to Minato Namikaze's unpredictable Flying Thunder God Technique.
This is why, even in the original timeline, after the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself in the Nine-Tails' attack, the benefits that Iwagakure gained at the end of the war were far less than those that Kumogakure took advantage of the situation.
Gen Takuno couldn't understand how Onoki, the "Two Scales," with his cunning and extremely cautious nature, would dare to launch a large-scale attack on Konoha while the "Yellow Flash" was still alive.
Yuan Tuoye frowned and pondered.
A possible explanation gradually emerged: Minato Namikaze's long-term absence from the front lines of Kumogakure gave Onoki a fatal misconception!
He may have mistakenly judged that Minato was held back by something or even encountered an accident, leaving the Land of Fire wide open.
"If I were Onoki, and I discovered that Konoha's strongest fighter, Minato Namikaze, was unable to deploy," Minamoto Takuno thought to himself. "I saw Konoha being held back by the formidable Kumogakure, paying a huge price to maintain their advantage but unable to win in a short time."
Being content with the paltry gains from competing for mission resources is far too conservative. Seizing the opportunity to tear off a large, lucrative piece of the pie is the logic of power, and the most reasonable ambition imaginable.
Unfortunately, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure completely miscalculated.
Minato Namikaze's fighting strength was not only intact, but was also unleashed at the crucial moment!
However, Minato Namikaze's appearance on the battlefield of Iwagakure is not entirely a good thing, as it will inevitably trigger a chain reaction.
The most direct impact occurred right before their eyes on the Hidden Cloud Battlefield. The Fourth Raikage, A, no longer had any worries and could personally go to the front lines!
At that time, the Hidden Cloud Village will assemble a terrifying "AB combination" lineup, including the Fourth Raikage himself, Yugito the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, and Killer Bee the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.
Each of them is a top-tier fighter capable of single-handedly changing the course of a battle.
Even more problematic is that, in order to reinforce the Iwagakure front, Konoha may have to further divide its forces from the already strained forces on the Kumogakure battlefield.
Although the current battle situation has brought new pressure, from the overall perspective, Konoha's fundamental advantage has not been completely overturned.
Although Konoha suffered considerable casualties in the battle against Kumogakure, the overall cost to Kumogakure was undoubtedly far greater.
Although Konoha has fewer elite combatants than Kumogakure, with only Jiraiya, it still possesses a significant number of them.
However, it still possesses a considerable number of powerful ninjas, and its core advantage lies in its comprehensive medical system, which far surpasses that of the Hidden Cloud Village.
This means that once the war enters a stalemate, Konoha's logistical support capabilities will play a decisive role.
The accumulating casualties will act like a heavy weight, eventually forcing the Cloud Village, with its limited manpower replenishment capabilities, to consider strategic contraction, or even eventual retreat.
Therefore, Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, did not fundamentally reverse the balance of power between the two sides.
With its combined advantages, especially its potential for a protracted war, Konoha still holds a significant advantage.
Even if the Fourth Raikage himself personally went into battle, and Konoha divided its forces to deal with the pressure on the Iwagakure battlefield, it would only be a devaluation from a clear strategic advantage to a more protracted strategic balance.
Considering the continuous supply from the Land of Fire's vast resources, if the war becomes a stalemate, the final victor will most likely still be Konoha.
While the Fourth Raikage's direct impact was strong, his overall impact on the battlefield was not as great as that of Killer Bee (the Eight-Tails).
In another crucial battleground, in the direction of Iwagakure, Konoha possesses "Yellow Flash" Minato Namikaze.
His unpredictable Flying Thunder God Technique is a strategic weapon on the battlefield, capable of restraining or even suppressing the Iwagakure's offensive.
However, Minato also had his insurmountable limitations. The constraint of his total chakra limit made it impossible for him to use the Flying Thunder God Technique alone to completely sweep away the entire Iwagakure battlefield.
Moreover, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Onoki, known as "Two Scales," is no mere figurehead. His Dust Release Kekkei Tota possesses terrifying destructive power, and Iwagakure itself may also be sending Jinchuriki to participate in the battle.
Furthermore, the team that Minato Namikaze led consisted of the remaining forces from various factions and was not particularly strong.
All of this foreshadows a protracted stalemate for the Iwagakure front.
Taking into account both battlefields, Gen Takuno realized that even with the presence of an outstanding fighter like Minato Namikaze, Konoha would pay an extremely heavy price and suffer a bloody and tearful "pyrrhic victory" in this war ignited by three powerful enemies.
This prospect made him doubtful.
In the original story, after Konoha Village suffered such a devastating attack by the Nine-Tails and was severely weakened, how exactly did it manage to survive the wars against Kumogakure and Iwagakure?
Or rather, how much did Konoha ultimately pay in exchange for an alliance with Kumogakure?
The death of the Hyuga clan chief may only be the tip of the iceberg of this enormous sacrifice.
Besides the ceasefire agreement reached with Iwagakure, how many unknown compromises and sacrifices were involved?
These questions are shrouded in mystery; the only known clue is that the Third Hokage's eldest son may have perished on the battlefield of Iwagakure.
Yuan Tuoye sat in his office and rubbed his head; this was one of the few times he could get some rest.
It seems that the war he started is far more brutal than he imagined.
Moreover, he cannot be entirely blamed for this war.
Even without Minamoto no Takuya, Orochimaru's experiments would inevitably have been exposed a few months later, as the Anbu had already noticed the disappearance of ninjas in the village.
It was only a matter of time before Orochimaru's experiments were discovered; he simply accelerated the process.
As for the news of Orochimaru's defection, it will eventually be revealed by Orochimaru himself.
Even if it's delayed by a few months, this sudden war is unlikely to bring about any substantial change for Konoha.
Yuan Tuoye shook his head; he had already gained enough from this war.
It seems this war will likely continue for a long time.
But what does all this have to do with him?
Gen Takuno stretched; he was just a medical ninja from Konoha.
This applies not only to three-way wars, but also to five-way wars.
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