Konoha.
After subduing Satori and the invading Grass ninja, Aoshi and a group of medical-nin began treating the wounded from the attack.
Thanks to Aoshi's reputation spreading quickly, every ninja he treated—regardless of rank—looked at him with a mix of awe and respect.
Even jonin were no exception. By now, he had truly become a household name.
"Aoshi-sama, thank you for your help!"
"Don't mention it. It's my duty."
This brief exchange had been repeated countless times throughout the day, but Aoshi never grew tired of it.
[Successfully treated Yamanaka Kazeya. Reward: 1 Gold Orb.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained Ninjutsu: Mind Body Transmission Technique.]
Yamanaka Kazeya was a jonin from the Yamanaka clan—the same one who had tried using the Mind Body Switch Technique against Satori and ended up injured as a result.
The newly rewarded technique, Mind Body Transmission, allowed direct mental communication, transmitting one's thoughts straight into another's mind.
In the original series, Yamanaka Inoichi used this jutsu during the Fourth Great Ninja War to relay strategic commands from the Allied Shinobi Forces' headquarters to the battlefield.
"Lord Aoshi, you're incredibly talented. If only my son Inoichi could be half as brilliant as you." As it turned out, Kazeya was none other than Yamanaka Inoichi's father.
Naturally, he wanted to stay on good terms with a rising star like Aoshi. The "Ino-Shika-Cho" clans had always been loyal supporters of the Hokage faction.
And the connection between Aoshi and Tsunade was no secret to the clan leaders.
Even though Tsunade hadn't formally taken Aoshi as a disciple, in the eyes of outsiders, their bond was as good as master and student.
"You flatter me, Kazeya-san. Under your guidance, I'm sure your son will one day become an outstanding jonin as well."
Aoshi wasn't merely being polite—he meant every word. Inoichi was still young, even younger than Aoshi himself.
But in the future, he would go on to become clan leader of the Yamanaka, as well as head of Konoha's Intelligence Division.
Alongside Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chōza, he would form the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho trio, known far and wide throughout the ninja world.
"I'll take that as a blessing," Kazeya said with a chuckle.
After a brief exchange, he took his leave, not wanting to delay Aoshi from treating more patients.
"Take care, Kazeya-san," Aoshi called after him.
He knew well that Kazeya was extending goodwill, and his attitude was a reflection of how the entire Ino-Shika-Cho alliance viewed Aoshi.
As one of the most influential ninja coalitions in Konoha, second only to the Uchiha and Hyuga, maintaining a positive relationship with them could only bring benefits.
Once Kazeya had left, Aoshi resumed his work.
Though the battle with Satori had been brief, the damage was considerable. Many had been injured. Some, unable to react in time, had been killed on the spot.
It wasn't until the sky had turned completely dark that Aoshi and the other medical-nin were finally able to rest.
Despite his exhaustion, Aoshi felt a rush of joy as he sat back in his office for a short break.
His chakra had finally surpassed 100,000 and reached B-rank.
[Chakra: B-Rank (100,240 / 1,000,000)]
While he couldn't quite claim chakra monster status yet, across the ninja world, very few shinobi could rival him in chakra reserves.
However, seeing the absurd requirement of one million chakra points for A-rank made Aoshi give a wry smile.
If he relied purely on the system's rewards, it might take ten years to reach that level. And that was just for A-rank.
S-rank would be exponentially harder. Realistically, most ninjas wouldn't achieve that even in a lifetime.
Still—he'd worry about that later. Right now, he was excited to open his new reward chest.
When he reached B-rank chakra, the system granted him a second treasure chest. He hadn't opened it yet.
The first chest had yielded a Copy Scroll, which let him copy the Rinnegan. Now, all he hoped was that the second chest wouldn't disappoint.
Taking a deep breath, Aoshi opened the second chest with great anticipation.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a Talent Scroll.]
Just like the Copy Scroll, the Talent Scroll was a one-time-use item. Upon activation, it would randomly max out one type of talent to its highest potential.
After reading the description, Aoshi was thrilled. Once again, the system hadn't let him down.
He already knew how game-changing maxed-out talent could be. His original Top-Tier Medical Talent had allowed him to become a fully qualified medical-nin in record time.
That was when he first began to truly enjoy the system's benefits.
Later, with his Top-Tier Water Release Talent, he'd not only learned water-style techniques with ease, but also mastered them to a proficient level, giving him a major edge in combat.
He could now perform any water-style jutsu one-handed, a decisive advantage in a real battle.
Without hesitation, Aoshi activated the Talent Scroll.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Top-Tier Sealing Jutsu Talent.]
Sealing jutsu?! As the name implies, Sealing Techniques were used to lock away a target's chakra, soul, or body through intricate procedures and symbols.
The Uzumaki Clan, to which Kushina once belonged, had been renowned for their mastery of sealing arts.
In the shinobi world, sealing jutsu was one of the most versatile and powerful techniques. There was virtually nothing it couldn't seal.
Even the final antagonist of Naruto, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, the so-called progenitor of chakra, was sealed away using these techniques.
"Aoshi, you haven't eaten dinner yet, right? I brought food, hurry and eat!" At that moment, Mikoto arrived with a lunchbox in hand.
She had seen how busy Aoshi had been healing others all day and hadn't had time to eat, so she went home and personally made dinner for him.
"I cooked all of this myself. I hope it suits your taste." As she opened the box, a delicious aroma filled the room, surprising Aoshi.
"That smells amazing! Mikoto, I didn't know your cooking was this good—you're like my dream wife!"
Hearing this, Mikoto's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. But deep down, she was delighted.
She picked up some food with her chopsticks and gently offered it to Aoshi. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and took a bite.
Even though it was just ordinary home-cooked food, Aoshi couldn't help but think it tasted better than anything he'd ever made himself—perhaps because of the "character bonus."
And so, with one arm wrapped around Mikoto's slender waist, he enjoyed being lovingly fed.
Before long, he was full.
"Mikoto, this is all your fault." His sudden tone of blame caught her off guard.
"Your food's just too good. Now I'll never be able to enjoy my own cooking again—I'll starve to death!"
"If you really like it, I'll cook for you from now on," she replied with a gentle smile.
Her already-beautiful features became even more enchanting—and Aoshi couldn't help but kiss her on the lips. Mikoto didn't resist. In fact, she eagerly returned his kiss.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Suddenly, a loud knock on the door interrupted their intimate moment.
"Aoshi, Granny Mito asked me to find you. She'd like to see you." It was Kushina who had come.