The primary responsibility of the medical department is to train medical ninjas and conduct research on medical ninjutsu. To maintain the confidentiality of medical ninjutsu, general medical treatments are not performed in the medical department. Only those with severe injuries or special medical conditions are treated there. For most cases, medical care is provided at Konoha Hospital.
New recruits trained by the medical department go to Konoha Hospital for internships to gain experience. If they lack excellent medical skills and benefits, these doctors do not remain in the medical department but are instead assigned to Konoha Hospital, where they serve as senior doctors or in management roles.
Simply put, the medical department is a place for elite medical ninjas, while Konoha Hospital employs the ordinary medical staff.
Though Konoha Hospital is a new institution, with no prior equivalent, the experience gained by medical ninjas in the First Ninja War, along with the systematization proposed by Fumori Masaki, has allowed the hospital to develop a solid foundation. Although still somewhat immature, it is fully functional and will only need gradual expansion in the future.
For the civilians of Konoha, this hospital is a novel and impressive place. Many have never encountered a real healer before. In the past, those who lived in towns with doctors were fortunate, but those in remote mountain villages often had to rely on luck. Now, Konoha Hospital offers medical care far beyond anything they've imagined. What seemed like terminal illnesses are easily treated by medical ninjas, leaving many civilians awestruck. Though there are some more complicated cases, the medical department has already survived the diseases that plagued the Land of Rain—what could they possibly fear now?
The experience in the Land of Rain was invaluable for Konoha's medical ninjas. The region is known for frequent outbreaks of diseases. The medical ninjas who went there endured much hardship to contain the spread of illness. The civilians of the Land of Rain were immensely grateful to Konoha at that time.
During the First Ninja World War, the Hidden Rain Village harbored suspicions about the medical ninjas Konoha had sent. Despite these misgivings, they still allowed them to operate. But once the war ended, the leader of Hidden Rain grew more hostile, suspecting that Konoha intended to gather intelligence on their village to gain an advantage over them in the future.
Konoha's aid to the Land of Rain was not purely altruistic. The Land of Rain is strategically located between three major nations, making it an important transportation hub. Its rainy climate hampers agriculture, so it relies heavily on imports from other countries. By assisting the Land of Rain, Konoha aimed to gather medical data for research while strengthening its relationship with the Rain, which could eventually grant them control over the vital transport routes.
The leader of Amegakure either failed to recognize Konoha's intentions or refused to acknowledge them. He remained hostile toward the larger nations, as he had risen from humble beginnings. Although the Hidden Rain Village didn't dare provoke Konoha directly, they placed more and more restrictions on Konoha's medical ninjas. This led to the medics growing cold, but thankfully, Hanzo of the Salamander, a leader in the Rain, managed the situation.
Hidden Rain Village is structured with a rigid hierarchy. Even though Hanzō was powerful, he couldn't disobey the village's orders without attempting to usurp power. As a result, Hanzō sympathized with Konoha's medical ninjas, and when they could no longer tolerate the restrictions and planned to leave, he didn't try to stop them, knowing that the orders came from the village leadership.
Before leaving, Konoha's medical ninjas received a letter from Hanzō expressing his regret and gratitude, addressed to Masaki and the Second Hokage. Hanzō's support for Konoha, however, worsened his standing within Hidden Rain, and he faced growing opposition from the village leader. If not for Hanzō's formidable strength, the leader would have acted against him long ago.
After learning about this, Masaki considered whether to support Hanzō's rise to power. A pro-Konoha leader in the Rain would bring advantages, especially with the looming possibility of the Second Ninja War. However, the Five Kage Agreement stipulated a ten-year peace, during which no country could interfere in the affairs of another. Thus, the idea was temporarily shelved.
Masaki wondered if Hanzō would eventually claim leadership of Hidden Rain within the ten-year peace period. In the original timeline, Hanzō had taken control without external interference, so it seemed likely that history would repeat itself.
Entering Konoha Hospital, Masaki noticed civilians and ninjas seeking treatment. To encourage civilians to become ninjas, Konoha Hospital and the Ninja Academy offered excellent benefits, making healthcare affordable for most civilians. The families of heroes who died for Konoha also received special treatment.
As Masaki walked through the hospital, he thought about Tsunade's studies. Despite her exceptional medical talent, she was still a child and needed to gain experience. Thus, she was sent to the hospital for an internship, working under the guidance of senior medical ninjas.
At six years old, Tsunade was one of the youngest interns. Other newcomers were still in training or were over ten years old.
"Huh?" Masaki paused. He heard Tsunade's voice and the voice of a boy growing louder.
"White hair! Stop right there!" Tsunade's frustrated voice echoed down the hallway.
A white-haired boy suddenly darted around the corner, sticking his tongue out in defiance. "Who's stopping? Not me!" he called out as he ran.
Tsunade, panting, appeared moments later. Seeing Masaki, she brightened and yelled, "Oji Sensei, help me stop him!"
The white-haired boy's expression fell when he saw the adult in front of him. Realizing the girl knew him, he sprinted forward, hoping to escape. But Masaki calmly stepped forward and caught him by the collar with one hand.
"Let me go!" the boy struggled, attempting to use a substitution jutsu, but Masaki's grip was firm.
"Don't bother," Masaki said. "You're trying to use the substitution technique, but it's useless when the gap in skill is this large."
The boy grumbled in disbelief as he struggled, but Masaki's words held true. A substitution jutsu only works effectively when there's a significant gap in awareness, and Masaki easily countered it.
"You're as strong as Sarutobi-sensei!" the boy exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.
At this, Tsunade caught up, grinning as she thanked Masaki, "Thanks, Oji-sensei!" Then she turned toward the boy with clenched fists, looking dangerous.
"What happened here?" Masaki asked.
"This brat insulted me! He's here for treatment, but he said I'll never be a proper medicnin in the future. Can you believe that?" Tsunade glared at the boy.
"Well, you laughed at me first!" the boy protested.
Masaki chuckled, quickly realizing the situation. "Alright, alright. It seems both of you were at fault. How about you apologize to each other and call it even?"
Before Tsunade could protest, the boy quickly apologized, catching her off guard. Grumbling, Tsunade mumbled her own apology, clearly reluctant but compliant.
With that settled, Masaki asked, "What's your name, boy? Is your teacher Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
"Yeah, do you know him?" the boy asked, adjusting his clothes and then smirking at Tsunade. "My name's Jiraiya."