Chapter 40: The First to Master an A-Rank Medical Ninjutsu
In the woods, two chunin from Konoha, one ahead of the other, shared some gossip.
"Tsk, tsk. Do you know why that Uchiha kid is rarely seen around here?"
"Why's that, Brother Ideta? I mean, the Uchiha clan is so proud. Can it really be something embarrassing?"
"Hmph, Little Turtle Saburo, since you're new, I'll let you in on a secret. All the rumors are true."
"No way!"
The younger chunin, around sixteen or seventeen, stared in shock at the older, more seasoned one beside him.
"The pride of the Uchiha clan is legendary!"
"Bah!" The rugged chunin scoffed, sneering. "So-called proud Uchiha? Tsunade-sama has them all trained like little puppies. Everyone whispers about it."
"Our commander, Lady Tsunade, has turned that Uchiha pup into a loyal lapdog. You wouldn't believe how obedient he is, always hovering around her, helping her with supply reports. But we all know what's really going on."
The chunin's jealousy was clear, his eyes red with envy.
"You see how the other Uchiha here all keep to themselves? It's because they're ashamed."
Meanwhile, Tsunade, overhearing this from near the waterfall, was about to explode with anger. Just as she was about to scold them, a hand covered her mouth. An arm wrapped around her waist as Uchiha Yosuke wordlessly whisked her away into the forest.
"Kid, you…!"
Though she didn't resist, Tsunade couldn't help but feel surprised. Once they were deep enough in the woods, Yosuke gave her a calm, slightly amused smile and shook his head.
"It's just gossip. Tsunade-taicho, you're not really planning to punish those ninjas over a trivial matter, are you?"
Yosuke's knowing smile gave Tsunade pause. She wasn't moved, but rather, felt a pang of guilt.
Maybe she hadn't considered how her actions might affect him. The proud Uchiha, with the weight of clan expectations on his shoulders, now faced even more rumors and gossip!
Back then, all she wanted was to send a signal to the village through the Uchiha, and the clan got the chance it sought to reconcile with Konoha's families. It seemed like a win-win for everyone—except for the kid standing before her, who bore all the consequences of their choices.
"Kid, I…"
Just as she was about to apologize, Yosuke smiled and stopped her.
"Tsunade-taicho, I've been given more than I ever dreamed of. In the clan, I have access to all the training resources, privileges that match those with the three-tomoe Sharingan, even while I'm still at the one-tomoe stage."
"The clan covers all my medical expenses for my Kekkei Genkai disease. I've been granted every jutsu, every secret technique the clan possesses. And I've even earned a certain status."
As Yosuke continued, Tsunade felt a tug at her heart.
"So, there's no need for you to worry about me, Taicho. In fact, let me share a little secret with you." He leaned closer with a sly but sincere smile, teasingly adding, "I volunteered for all of this. Besides, you're not only the princess of Konoha but of the Land of Fire, too."
Hearing this playful jab, Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her expression playful. "Oh, is that so? You volunteered, huh?"
Did she believe him? Yosuke merely smiled without answering.
People always believe what they see and assume it's the truth, even if you tell them otherwise. The real goal is to keep that hint of apology and guilt simmering in Tsunade's heart, knowing that, one day, it might all come to fruition.
No one understood the world of shinobi better than him.
At that moment, two ninjas emerged from the distant forest, the very ones who had been gossiping.
"Why are there clothes here by the waterfall?"
The newer chunin stared in shock, seeing a Konoha flak jacket and an Uchiha clan-marked uniform hanging over a kunai lodged in the rocks.
"Let's get out of here!" The more experienced chunin, realizing something, quickly pulled him away.
"What's wrong?"
"Just shut up! Think about it. Clothes by the waterfall? And they said Tsunade-taicho was headed to the back hills. Use your brain! They must be… you know, underwater!"
From afar, the sound of their hasty retreat echoed through the forest. Tsunade's expression turned furious.
"Idiots!"
Just as she'd calmed down, those fools reignited her rage.
What did they mean, 'whenever she went to the back hills, she was looking for Yosuke'? Underwater? Underwater for what?
Yosuke was equally shocked. He'd left his clothes and kunai to mark his training ground. But those idiots had wildly misinterpreted it!
"Kid, you…!"
Though her anger flared, Tsunade took one look at Yosuke's young, innocent face and sighed, swallowing her frustration. This boy was already under enough pressure.
"Back to camp. I'll be checking your physical condition, and your training in summoning and medical ninjutsu!" she demanded, glaring at him with a mix of annoyance and concern. "The first A-rank jutsu you learned wasn't even medical ninjutsu!"
In response to her frustration, Yosuke raised his left hand, allowing a gentle, green glow of medical chakra to form in his palm.
"The first A-rank jutsu I mastered was actually the Healing Palm Technique, the medical ninjutsu you taught me, Taicho."
A sincere smile spread across Yosuke's youthful face, and Tsunade's eyes widened as she gazed at him. Memories surfaced of the first time this young Uchiha had come to her, passionately vowing to master medical ninjutsu to save the shinobi world.
In that moment, she realized that the boy standing before her hadn't changed at all. He had always stayed true to his heart.
"Tch! All Uchiha have screws loose," Tsunade muttered with a wry smile, but even she didn't notice that the words "kid" and "little brat" no longer came as easily.
To her, he was no longer just a young, stubborn Uchiha chasing a naïve dream. This boy had carried the burdens placed on him by the village and his clan, keeping that dream alive all along.
*(End of Chapter)*
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