Araki didn't go to eat; instead, he went straight to Tsunade's house, as she had specifically asked him to come over for a meal.
After a short while, Araki arrived at Tsunade's residence, following the route he remembered. Nobody paid any attention to him along the way, and he didn't deliberately conceal his whereabouts. These things would eventually be known to people, and he didn't feel the need to explicitly address them.
Tap, tap, tap...
Araki gently knocked on the door, still contemplating what the training of a medical ninja would be like. Based on his memories from watching Naruto, the most memorable medical ninjutsu was the Chakra Scalpel, which had a feeling similar to healing techniques depicted in martial arts novels.
Did medical ninjutsu require a strong amount of chakra? How could he control it properly? He couldn't appear too powerful, but he also couldn't reveal too much. He needed to display his potential while maintaining a certain level of strength, just like when facing Might Guy.
This was indeed a dilemma for him.
After all...
This was a small group class.
If he were in a medical class, like within the ninja school, he could have used other students' achievements as a reference. Now, as Tsunade's disciple, with Tsunade personally guiding him, the only benchmark he had was Nawaki. However, Araki doubted Nawaki's enthusiasm for learning medical ninjutsu.
That's what made it difficult for Araki to gauge his own progress.
Creak...
Just at that moment, the door opened, revealing Tsunade as the person who opened it.
"Come in."
Tsunade naturally nodded when she saw Araki. As she moved, the two large headlights in front of her also swayed. Araki immediately realized that the headlights were freely moving, indicating that they didn't have lampshades on.
There were two points he could verify.
Indeed, two points.
Araki subconsciously observed the subtle details, but he didn't dare to keep staring.
"I don't know what you like to eat, so I prepared two rice balls for you. Take a rest after you finish eating, and then we'll start the lesson."
Tsunade pointed casually at the table, giving him some instructions. Then she turned her back to Araki and walked toward the kitchen. The visible chaos there indicated that she had invested a lot of time and effort into preparing those rice balls.
"Alright."
Araki nodded and sat at the table, staring at the two rice balls that he didn't know the contents of, feeling a little uneasy.
Can you actually eat these things?
They look like they were made by Tsunade herself...
Can Tsunade's cooking really be eaten?
However...
Araki hesitated for a moment and then immediately started eating, taking big bites. The taste of the rice balls might have some issues, but they definitely weren't poisonous and wouldn't harm his body. After all, Tsunade was one of the top-notch medical ninjas in Konoha and even in the entire ninja world. It was impossible for them to be poisonous!
And even if there were any problems with the food...
He could receive immediate medical treatment on the spot.
"Tsunade-sensei, where is Nawaki?" Araki asked while eating. The rice balls were plain in taste and seemed to lack some ingredients, but they were enough to fill his stomach.
"I had Nawaki handle the procedures for transferring to the medical class," Tsunade's voice came from the kitchen, and she added, "I also had her handle your paperwork while at it."
"I see..."
Araki took a deep breath and quickly pondered. Although being alone with Tsunade at this moment was a dream for many otaku, his focus should be more on medical ninjutsu. He needed to prove himself through challenges.
What should he do next?
How should he demonstrate his abilities?
Should he control his performance?
Araki's mind was filled with numerous question marks, and his thoughts were a bit chaotic. He didn't even recognize half of the medical ninjas and had no idea about his own talent for learning medical ninjutsu.
What if his talent wasn't good enough? He might put in all his effort and still not be able to learn it. That would be embarrassing.
Lost in his thoughts, Araki mechanically ate the rice balls, not paying attention to his actions.
"Is it delicious?"
Suddenly, a voice broke Araki's train of thought and brought him back to reality.
The voice belonged to Tsunade.
At some point, Tsunade had already sat across from Araki. The two large headlights were conveniently placed on the table, as if to liven up the lunch.
"It's... it's delicious..." Araki couldn't help but swallow his saliva. Just a moment ago, he felt the rice balls were a bit dry, but now there was no problem at all.
"As long as it's delicious," Tsunade nodded in satisfaction. She then took away the empty plate that Araki had finished eating from and returned with a book, a notebook, and two pens in her hands.
"These are for you."
"Starting today, we will learn the basic theoretical knowledge of medicine."
"I estimate that this part will take about a year."
"Of course, that's a rough estimate. The specific time will depend on how quickly you can fully grasp it."
While Tsunade spoke, she handed the book to Araki.
The thickness of this book was incredibly exaggerated.
Thicker than Araki's spread-out palm.
It couldn't be held with just one hand.
When Araki received the book, he felt a sense of shock. He casually flipped through a few pages, filled with densely packed text and some illustrations.
"This is the foundation of medical theory. It provides detailed descriptions of various treatment methods for different illnesses. Before we become medical ninjas, we must first learn medical knowledge. Medical ninjutsu is just a means and method to practice that knowledge. Even if you master techniques like the Mystical Palm Technique and the Chakra Scalpel, if you don't have a rich understanding of medical knowledge, you won't be able to treat patients when faced with problems," Tsunade said in a deep voice. Her tone was serious, indicating the gravity she attached to the topic of medical ninjas.
"Yes... yes..." Araki's mouth twitched. He never expected that what awaited him would be such
an overwhelming amount of theoretical knowledge. He thought he could directly learn the Mystical Palm Technique.
He was young.
He was hasty.
He forgot about the hardships of being a medical student in his previous life.
Araki had never seen such a thick book in his entire life. It was thicker than all the textbooks in the ninja school combined. It would make his backpack bulge just by putting it inside.
Indeed, it confirmed the saying: "Persuading someone to study medicine is like calling down thunder."
Even medical ninjas in the ninja world had to learn so much theoretical knowledge and then spend countless years practicing that knowledge into their own experience. Not to mention the diligent medical students from his previous life.
It was too difficult!
Araki wasn't feeling too good about it.
He originally thought that attending Tsunade's class would be a relaxed and enjoyable experience, but he didn't expect it to be far more challenging than his time at the ninja school.
"This notebook is my manuscript. It provides detailed instructions on preparing poisons and antidotes. It's the only one in the entire ninja world, a set of notes I left behind after my confrontation with the poison expert Chiyo from the Hidden Sand Village," Tsunade continued her explanation. In her heart, she had already recognized Araki as her successor, so there was no need to keep secrets. She hoped that Araki would become an outstanding medical ninja and the best support for her aspiring younger brother, the future Hokage.