After reading the list, Kaida had a doubtful expression on his face.
"I'm sorry, Sensei, but can I ask you something?" Kaida asked.
"Of course, you can," Mitsuru replied.
"Even though these jutsu seem important, they are less effective than the Healing Palm you taught me yesterday. So why should I learn the 1st and 3rd jutsu?" Kaida asked.
"Because normally, when someone starts their journey as a medical ninja, they begin here. It was just a ridiculous test I set up so no one could pass, and I wouldn't have to waste my time. But you passed it, so I can't stay lazy and focus on my comfort. You have monstrous potential in this field.
Maybe a little less than Lady Tsunade, but still enough to be the chief medical ninja in this hospital in five years. You could become the youngest chief medical ninja in Konoha's history," Mitsuru said.
"I'm sorry, Sensei, but I plan on becoming an elite jonin in the future, not a medical ninja," Kaida said. Though he aimed for kage-level strength, he knew saying it out loud might make people think he was mad.
"Why would you want to do that? Even a specialist doctor here earns more than an elite jonin, without risking their life. Plus, the respect you'll get as a chief medical ninja is incomparable," Mitsuru said, unable to comprehend why someone would choose such a difficult path over an easier, more successful one.
"But if a specialist somehow offends an elite jonin and has to leave the village, they won't even know how they died if they were lucky," Kaida said.
Mitsuru was shocked, thinking, *'Why is the world so cruel that children have to mature this early?'* Even though what Kaida said was true, she decided to keep persuading him to become a medical ninja—he was too talented to do something else.
"Haha, so you think medical ninjas aren't powerful? Want to have a friendly spar with me?" Mitsuru asked.
"I'm sorry, Sensei, I didn't mean it that way. Medical ninjas are certainly more powerful than normal ones. But what I meant is that they can't compare to combat-focused ninjas of the same rank. A specialist might be stronger than a normal chunin, but they're no match for an experienced jonin or elite jonin," Kaida explained, knowing that his statement, though harsh, was true.
"And what about a chief medical ninja?" Mitsuru asked, still not offended.
"I don't know much about them, since there wasn't a lot of information in the library. But from what my brother told me, they have a similar level of respect to any clan head, right?" Kaida asked.
Mitsuru nodded, though she knew they often held more respect than some smaller clan heads.
"Then, Sensei, can you name any chief medical ninja stronger than our clan head, Fugaku Uchiha?" Kaida asked.
Mitsuru was stunned by the question.
"Haha, you've got a silver tongue, boy. No, there isn't a chief medical ninja more powerful than the great Fugaku Uchiha. In fact, some of them are so engrossed in medical jutsu that they might be weaker than Konoha's elite jonin," Mitsuru admitted.
Kaida smiled back in response.
"So, are you saying you want strength over prestige and reputation?" Mitsuru asked.
"No, ma'am. I'm saying that in the ninja world, reputation can't be maintained without strength," Kaida responded.
"What you're saying is true in wartime, but we're in peacetime now. You don't have to worry about that," Mitsuru said.
"Sensei, I'm sure you know peace is a myth in the ninja world. It's either direct war or indirect conflict between villages, but war is always happening," Kaida said.
"You know far too much for your age," Mitsuru sighed.
Kaida realized he was talking as if his previous knowledge was common, but luckily, he hadn't said anything too dangerous yet.
'How could I let my guard down so easily?' Kaida thought.
"So, you're not going to be a medical ninja?" Mitsuru asked one last time, deciding she wouldn't bring it up again after this.
"Ma'am, I just said I want to be an elite jonin first. After that, I'll pursue this field," Kaida said.
"Alright, that's good enough for now. You've got about two years to learn the basics and become a decent medical ninja. Now, enough chit-chat. Get ready; we're starting these jutsu. They're necessary for building your foundation."
"Sensei, are these jutsu chakra exhausting?" Kaida asked.
"No, they're designed to use very little chakra so even genin can perform them. But your chakra control must be excellent, which you already have. So don't worry," Mitsuru said, assuming Kaida was concerned about his chakra reserves.
"Then, can you show me all of these jutsu at the same time?" Kaida asked.
Mitsuru was surprised by the request but decided to see why he wanted to watch all the jutsu at once.
She took out a scroll from her special bracelet and channeled her chakra into it. Various items appeared: bandages, water, grass, leaves, soil, sand, and a fake hand. Kaida had already activated his Sharingan.
"The first jutsu is simple, you just do this," Mitsuru said, making a series of hand signs.
All the elements present began to transform, becoming suitable to use as bandages. Soil and sand combined with water to form a clay-like substance, while leaves and grass became strong enough to tie around wounds. The bandages, of course, didn't change much.
"Do you want to see it again, or try it yourself?" Mitsuru asked.
"I'd like to try it," Kaida said.
Mitsuru nodded and reset the materials.
Kaida followed the hand signs, which he easily copied with his Sharingan. Thanks to his enhanced mental ability, he remembered the sequence completely. After he finished, the materials did change, but not as dramatically as when Mitsuru had done it—they still couldn't be used as bandages.
"Good job. Just practice some more and you'll master it," Mitsuru said.
"Thanks, Sensei," Kaida said, stepping aside to learn the next jutsu.
Since Mitsuru had agreed to show them all at once, she pulled out another scroll. This time, a mouse with a small cut on its paw appeared, unconscious.
"I'll show you the next two jutsu together," she said.
First, she made the hand signs for *Blood Coagulation* and held her hand over the cut. The blood soon clotted and stopped flowing. Then she made another set of hand signs, placing her hands on the mouse again. After a moment, the mouse's heart and lungs were massaged by her chakra, and it regained consciousness.
She had performed *Oxygen Supply* and *Blood Coagulation* together.
"Want to see it again?"
"Yes, Sensei," Kaida replied. Since it involved a life, he didn't want to fail—it would be devastating to accidentally harm someone while trying to heal them.
Mitsuru showed him the process again. Kaida mimicked the hand signs without using the jutsu on the mouse. After a few moments, he said, "I'm ready."
Mitsuru nodded, bringing out another mouse.
Kaida performed *Blood Coagulation* without any issue. But when he used *Oxygen Supply*, he accidentally pushed too much chakra into the heart and lungs, causing the mouse to jolt awake.
Kaida quickly stopped the jutsu, looking nervously at the mouse.
"Don't worry, it's alive—just startled," Mitsuru assured him.
Kaida nodded, and they moved on to the last jutsu.
"This one's tricky. It doesn't have any hand signs. You have to use your chakra to sense and extract as much poison as you can from the body," Mitsuru explained.