Seeing Tsunade's expression, Reiki knew his previous efforts had paid off. Sarutobi Hiruzen now owed Tsunade a favor. But given Tsunade's nature, she would never leverage this to threaten Hiruzen. Instead, it had become a minor, indirect advantage.
In this context, the stance of her disciple, Reiki, held particular significance. Additionally, with Shisui joining the Anbu and Nozuki following Minato, all three of Tsunade's disciples now appeared to lean toward the Third Hokage's camp. Under such circumstances, if the Third Hokage continued to stir up trouble, it would be unwise.
"Congratulations, Sensei," Reiki said warmly. "By the way, Sensei, I won't be included in this combat order, right?" He suddenly remembered something critical.
After all, his performance as a medical ninja had gained widespread recognition. There was a high possibility that he would be chosen…
"Of course, you're included!" Tsunade said proudly. "I know you've wanted to go on missions for a while now. I was thinking of keeping you here to train a bit longer, but both the Hokage and I agree you're ready. So don't worry; this spot is definitely for you."
"Uh…" Reiki started, hesitating. "Actually, Sensei, I…"
"Why, aren't you happy?" Tsunade looked puzzled.
"No, no, I'm thrilled," Reiki said, covering his face, hiding his mixed feelings. The truth was, he wanted to stay in the village. The world outside the village was fraught with dangers. Other villages still harbored animosity toward Konoha due to the recent war. And there was also that shadowy figure, Black Zetsu, working behind the scenes. According to the timeline, even Uchiha Madara wasn't entirely gone yet.
And if external dangers weren't enough, there were internal threats too. If he left the village, the Root Organization would likely act against him. The thought made his head ache.
"Don't worry, we'll set you up with a solid team," Tsunade reassured him, giving him a gentle nudge. "And you won't be sent on dull missions."
"Alright, understood, Sensei." Reiki left the room with a faint, almost melancholic smile. Dinner plans were now forgotten.
"Sensei, isn't Senior Brother Reiki coming to dinner with us?" Shizune asked curiously.
"He needs to rest; let's leave him be tonight," Tsunade replied with a smile. She felt Reiki was too excited to be disturbed.
Early the next morning, Reiki hurried through breakfast and dashed out.
"Wait for me, Brother Reiki!" Shizune called, finishing her meal hastily before following him. Today, however, Reiki didn't wait for Shizune as usual. After his solo physical training, he sought out Asuma.
"Reiki? You…you're here again? Don't hit me! I…I've got a new training mission today…" Asuma stammered. But his protests were drowned out by Reiki's persistence.
Amid Asuma's dramatic groans, they completed their daily sparring. Watching from the sidelines, their teacher, Jigu, could hardly believe what he was seeing.
"Asuma, are you alright?" Jigu asked, eyes twitching.
"I'm fine, Sensei," Asuma said weakly. "But… can we postpone today's training?"
Physically, he was intact, but his spirit was scarred. Reiki's combat training was the real deal, with no holds barred.
Later, Reiki headed to the hospital, accepting all tasks posted on the board. He quickly changed into his medical attire and started his rounds.
"Nothing left to do?" the medical ninjas murmured around the task board, surprised. The task board, usually filled, was empty. Shrugging, they decided to take a rare break.
That afternoon, a few injured patients arrived, and new requests for treatment were posted. But, as if on cue, a shadow darted past, and the tasks vanished from the board.
"What was that blur?" someone asked.
"I think it was Reiki," a medical ninja whispered. Suddenly, the other medical staff remembered something and decided to check on him.
Opening the door to Reiki's office, they found Shizune organizing a to-do list, which had already been completed.
"Where's Reiki?" one of them asked.
"Senior Brother Reiki's on a treatment mission," Shizune replied, smiling sweetly.
The medical ninjas exchanged glances and quietly left his office. "Let him have it," one said with a sigh. "There haven't been many tasks lately anyway."
"Yeah, and I'm not about to compete with him over missions. His punches hurt!" another added, rubbing their arm at the thought.
For the next three days, Reiki repeated this routine. Poor Asuma had been through four sparring sessions, each one more intense than the last. He had no idea why Reiki had suddenly become so eager to train with him.
On the fifth day, Tsunade marched into the hospital and practically dragged Reiki out, carrying him back to the yard.
"You have a mission tomorrow, and you're not going anywhere today!" Tsunade announced, her face showing slight frustration. At first, she thought Reiki was preparing for the upcoming mission by taking on extra hospital tasks. But this had gone too far. For four days, he had exhausted himself on every task he could find. Eventually, someone lodged a complaint with Tsunade, leading to this intervention.
>>>>>
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