Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he sighed. Managing Konoha was never simple, but Tsunade's progress had added new dimensions to his responsibilities. She was brilliant, enhancing the village's reputation as one of the legendary Sannin and a disciple of the Third Hokage.
"Lord Hokage." A group of figures appeared in the office.
"Minato? Mission completed?" Hiruzen's face brightened at the sight of Minato, Choza, and their team.
"Yes," Minato said. "The pursuit mission was completed successfully, and we finished the village clean-up operation."
"Good, good." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
"But, Hokage-sama, we have a request." Minato handed him a scroll.
"Oh?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow as he opened it. "You want to apply for a medical ninja?"
"Yes," Minato said seriously. "During our last mission, Nozuki was severely injured. She's being treated by Lady Tsunade, with Reiki assisting. I checked, and Reiki doesn't have any missions lined up. I'd like to request him to join my team as our dedicated medical ninja."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned contemplative. Having a medical ninja on a team could be a game changer, providing immediate treatment during missions. However, many medical ninjas struggled in direct combat…
"Go to Tsunade tomorrow and discuss Reiki's schedule. If she approves, Reiki can join your team for a trial period," Hiruzen finally said.
Minato's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. We'll take our leave now. Please rest well."
With a nod, Hiruzen watched them leave and returned to reviewing the extensive plan Tsunade had submitted for integrating medical ninjas into combat units. It was detailed—surprisingly so for someone with Tsunade's usual temperament. Calling an ANBU operative, he issued orders to expedite the implementation.
---
The next morning, an ANBU ninja arrived at the hospital. "Tsunade-sama, Lord Hokage requests your presence. The application for medical ninjas to join combat units has been approved."
Before he could finish, Tsunade had already vanished.
"It passed?" Reiki, who had just returned from morning training and overheard the conversation, felt relieved. "Looks like Sensei won't have to shoulder everything alone anymore. I'd better check on things at the hospital."
Reiki's arrival revealed a full taskbar of accumulated duties. "So many…" he muttered, diving straight into work. Most cases involved injured ninjas returning from missions. By noon, he'd cleared the backlog and headed to the training grounds.
A group of medical ninjas were training intensely, making up nearly 80% of the department. They were mostly young, clearly inspired by Tsunade. But Reiki felt a twinge of concern. This kind of frenzy was not a good sign.
"Everyone, stop training for a moment," Reiki called out, raising his voice.
"Reiki?"
"Roy Medical Ninja?"
"Does Tsunade-sama have new instructions?"
The group gathered around, curious.
"What is the purpose of your combat training?" Reiki asked pointedly.
"To become stronger and prove that medical ninjas can stand with combat units!" one replied confidently.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama said we should show that we are as capable as any combat ninja," another added.
Reiki nodded but continued, "And yet, even if we are integrated into combat orders, what is our primary role?"
The crowd hesitated. "We're medical ninjas," someone finally muttered.
"Exactly. Even Lady Tsunade, as skilled a fighter as she is, prioritizes her medical duties. Why is she called the Legendary Sannin and the Medical Sage of Konoha? It's because of her unparalleled medical ninjutsu."
Reiki's words hung in the air. The medical ninjas began shifting uneasily, realization dawning on some.
During this time, Tsunade's ambition had pushed everyone hard. Mistakes would be easy to make under such pressure, and this was a vulnerability that needed to be addressed before it became an issue. If the team became too combat-focused, their primary responsibilities would suffer, potentially leading to dire consequences on missions. And if mistakes were made, Tsunade, as the main advocate, would bear the brunt of the blame, shaking trust in the village.
"We've been spending a lot of time on combat training lately," said Qiu, a seasoned medical Jounin who had seen battle in the Second Ninja War. "Is it realistic to expect us to manage medical duties as well?"
Qiu was a staunch supporter of Tsunade and followed her orders without question. But hearing Reiki speak now, he felt a mix of confusion and skepticism. Was this young genius losing sight of his role?
Several others nodded in agreement.
Reiki met their eyes with unwavering determination. "If you focus so much on combat that you neglect your true job, you're no longer fit to call yourself a medical ninja."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. His words struck deep, challenging their current mindset.
"Yes, we should be strong, but not at the cost of what makes us invaluable," Reiki continued. "If we don't balance our roles, we won't be assets in the field. We'll be the weak link."
The group fell silent, absorbing his message. Some looked troubled, others thoughtful.
"Remember, our strength comes from being able to save lives, not just take them," Reiki concluded.
The training ground was still. For a moment, Qiu's stern face softened, and a hint of respect glimmered in his eyes.
Perhaps this young prodigy knew more about what it meant to be a medical ninja than they'd given him credit for.
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