"Souma-senpai! I didn't expect to run into you here!"
"Ino, there's nothing surprising about it. Souma started studying here even earlier than you—and he was personally mentored by Captain Kitayama back then."
Hōshō chuckled as he spoke, completely unaware that a white-robed female ninja had appeared behind him. He paused mid-sentence and added,
"Although now, Souma-kun's medical knowledge is already extremely advanced and he no longer needs guidance, still—"
"Fengxiang, you seem quite free these days."
A ghostly voice drifted from behind him.
Fengxiang shuddered, stiffly turning his head to meet that all-too-familiar face.
He immediately bowed. "Captain! I'm very sorry! I know I was wrong!"
"Hmph. Since you seem to have nothing to do, Baicao is taking Kabuto on rounds—go make soldier pills. If you waste our precious materials with more than five defective batches, you know the consequences."
Kitayama Oki said coldly.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Fengxiang fled at once, completely forgetting about Ino.
Ino stared at Kitayama Oki in surprise.
So she was the squad leader of this medical unit?
Unbelievable.
She looked so young—probably not much older than Ino herself.
"Captain Kitayama, hello. I'm Yamanaka Ino, here to study."
"Asuma-senpai already told me."
Kitayama Oki took out a book.
It was unmistakably the same Introduction to Medical Knowledge that Souma had once studied.
Ino accepted it and flipped through a few pages, unable to hide her disappointment—
It wasn't a medical ninjutsu?
"Medical ninja are different from ordinary ninja. Knowledge is the foundation of medical techniques. If you don't understand medical theory, then even if you know the jutsu, you won't be able to treat patients accurately."
Souma explained with a smile from the side.
Ino immediately bowed. "I'll study it seriously. Thank you very much for your guidance, senpai."
"Go."
Kitayama Oki nodded coolly.
After she left, she brought Souma into the office and finally couldn't help complaining,
"These people are really getting more and more out of line."
"Oppressive work always needs some outlet—it's normal. Kitayama-sensei, try to be more open-minded."
"..."
Easy for you to say.
Right now, more and more people were whispering that she'd advanced so quickly only because of her disciple.
Though it was true, the truth often hurt more than lies.
After a brief silence, she asked, "Are you here to borrow books, or…?"
"No. I came to ask about Kimimaro's physical condition—the Shikotsumyaku user held by ANBU."
Souma said calmly.
Kitayama Oki thought for a moment. "That guy… his body has been severely damaged. If not for someone using extremely refined medical ninjutsu to patch him up, he'd likely already be dead."
"Could you explain in more detail?"
"You can take a look at this. These are my medical notes."
She took out a notebook and handed it to him.
Almost immediately, a faint blush appeared on her face.
Souma didn't think much of it. Although Kitayama Oki hadn't kept notes before, a dull pen is better than a sharp memory. Developing this habit while studying was perfectly normal.
Unfortunately—
Habits alone couldn't provide sufficient feedback for growth.
He flipped directly to the relevant section. The notes were meticulously illustrated and thoroughly explained.
After reading through them, Souma understood.
Kimimaro's condition further confirmed his hypothesis—
The so-called "bloodline illness" was related to the Curse Mark.
That wasn't hard to understand.
With a bit of thought, the reason became clear.
Shikotsumyaku was a weakened, extended derivative of the All-Killing Ash Bones bloodline. The skeletal enhancement and regeneration it granted were largely beneficial.
However—
Once Sage chakra entered the equation and pushed it a step further, the result was another matter entirely.
Ōtsutsuki Hamura had possessed a Sage Body and the Byakugan.
Kimimaro had neither.
Even a minor forced evolution could be fatal.
It seemed Hashirama's cells truly could save his life.
Souma closed the notebook. "Thank you, Kitayama-sensei."
"It's nothing."
She calmly put the notebook away, then added after a moment's thought,
"By the way, you should know our medical-nin trainee—Yakushi Kabuto?"
"Hmm? Wasn't he only studying in the medical unit before?"
Souma was slightly surprised.
Kabuto should have had his own squad—and if he remembered correctly, that squad consisted entirely of Orochimaru's spies. How had he become an official medical ninja?
Kitayama Oki sighed. "A few days ago, his teammates were escorting a prisoner when a riot broke out. The prisoner killed them. He was the only one left, so he naturally transferred into the medical division."
"..."
Souma froze for a moment—then instantly understood everything.
Kabuto wanted to go legitimate, become a proper medical ninja, without exposing his identity as a spy.
So he'd worked with Orochimaru to stage the incident.
Mizuki's unstable mental state wasn't just due to drugs—genjutsu guidance had also played a role.
One move, three gains: eliminate Mizuki and the two teammates, secure a new cover identity, and test the drug's effectiveness.
Orochimaru was as ruthless as ever.
Souma sighed inwardly, then looked at Kitayama Oki.
"An unfortunate incident—but that's the life of a ninja. As long as missions are involved, even jōnin can die unexpectedly, let alone ordinary shinobi."
"That's true. That said, the child seems quite talented in medical ninjutsu. Recently, he even improved the Chakra Scalpel and said he hoped you could give him some guidance."
Kitayama Oki said.
Souma smiled slightly. "Of course. I'd be happy to help."
Hearing this, she led him out of the office.
After waiting a short while—
Baicao returned from rounds with Kabuto.
"Captain Kitayama."
"Souma happened to come by, so I'd like Kabuto to talk with him for a bit."
"Yes!"
Baicao understood and withdrew.
After exchanging formal greetings, Yakushi Kabuto spoke excitedly,
"Souma-kun, I never thought you'd actually be willing to guide me!"
"I heard from Kitayama-sensei that you improved the Chakra Scalpel. Could you show me?"
Souma smiled.
Kabuto nodded, quickly forming hand seals. Blue chakra light surfaced around his hands.
"I learned the Chakra Scalpel last month, and then I realized—it isn't limited to surgery. With hand seals and technique adjustments, it can be used in combat as well."
"Targeting arteries and blood vessels—certainly an effective idea."
Souma nodded with a smile.
Hold it together.
If I laugh, Kabuto will definitely get suspicious.
"As expected of you—you saw through my thoughts at a glance."
Kabuto grew even more respectful.
From the side, Kitayama Oki spoke up for him. "His chakra control isn't outstanding, but his learning ability is strong, and he's genuinely interested in medical ninjutsu."
"Sensei, I'd like to talk with him alone."
Souma said.
"Alright."
Kitayama Oki nodded and left the lab.
Only Souma and Kabuto remained.
"Kabuto-senpai, I heard about your teammates. My condolences."
"Sigh… accidents happen to all ninja. But what happened to them shook me. That's why I want to focus on being a medical ninja—or research."
Kabuto sighed heavily, then brightened. "I didn't expect to have some talent in these fields."
"Congratulations. But actually, it's not just the Chakra Scalpel that can be used in combat. Other medical ninjutsu can too—for example, the Mystical Palm Technique. With precise dosage control, it can become a combat technique."
Souma knew Kabuto already understood this—but he still needed to say it first, to secure the intellectual copyright.
Kabuto nodded repeatedly, delighted.
Souma doesn't suspect a thing!
"And I have another idea."
"Please, instruct me."
"It's not instruction—just mutual exchange. I don't have much time lately, and since Kitayama-sensei says you're talented in this area, I'll let you research it."
Souma explained the principles of Body Pathway Derangement in detail.
Kabuto's eyes lit up.
Disrupting neural signals with chakra to induce movement disorder?
What an incredible concept!
Souma-kun truly was a creative genius among ninja.
He was filled with admiration.
"Well? Interested?"
"Absolutely! I'm very interested!"
Kabuto replied loudly.
Souma smiled. "Good. I'll be looking forward to the day you complete it."
"I will!"
Kabuto was visibly excited, but soon a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.
Souma understood.
He wanted to join the research institute.
Was that Orochimaru's goal?
Souma narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled. "Kabuto-senpai, if you have any requests, you can say them."
"Yes… to be honest, I know my abilities are still shallow and not enough to join your institute yet. But I want to try anyway. May I ask—what are your standards?"
Kabuto asked, gritting his teeth.
"There aren't any strict standards. As long as someone has creativity and talent, I'm willing to accept them."
"Then…"
"If you complete the research on this technique, I can consider submitting your profile for public review."
"Yes! Thank you very much!"
Kabuto displayed perfectly timed excitement.
Souma nodded, chatted a bit more, then left the lab.
After he left, Kabuto sat down and began writing notes—
At Kitayama Oki's request.
As he wrote, he pondered—and finally smiled.
The plan is going very smoothly.
Outside the hospital, Ino hurried after Souma.
"Souma-senpai!"
"Ino, running off without reading—aren't you afraid of Kitayama-sensei punishing you?"
"Yes—sorry!"
Ino apologized quickly, then said, "But I have an idea. I was wondering if you could give me some guidance."
"Let's hear it."
"You taught me to first master sensory synchronization. I've learned that, and then I started wondering—could I synchronize that sensing onto a ninja tool, so it becomes more intuitive?"
Ino explained earnestly. "In battle, there isn't much time to verbally report intel one by one, right?"
Souma looked surprised—then smiled.
"Ino, you really surprised me."
"R-Really?"
She grew nervous. "How so?"
"When I first met you, your eyes were filled only with Sasuke. You even showed some disdain for your teammates. But now, I don't see that anymore—and you've started thinking seriously."
Souma said with genuine satisfaction. "Congratulations. You've truly become a ninja."
"N-No, you flatter me. I still have a long way to go!"
Ino blushed.
"Alright, let's put that aside. As for your idea—it's very good, and indeed practical in combat. I have a proposal you can reference."
As he spoke, Souma took out a notebook and pen and began scribbling.
Ino desperately wanted to peek.
But she feared appearing rude and held back her curiosity.
After writing for a while, Souma tore off a page.
"This is the solution I came up with. You can use it as reference. If you think it's viable, you can work backward from the result and analyze the technique."
"Is this… an assignment?"
Ino asked excitedly.
She knew her father had used connections to recommend her to the research institute.
In a sense, she could participate in projects.
Souma thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. Your idea is good—you just lack sufficient accumulated knowledge to complete it. If you want to solve it yourself, you can even tear this up and start from scratch."
"N-No… if it were me, it might take a year or more. And I still need to learn medical ninjutsu and train…"
Ino was very clear about her current limits.
Researching a technique consumed huge amounts of time.
She simply didn't have that luxury.
"Very good. You've learned to think like Shikamaru—but don't imitate his laziness."
"Yes!"
Ino answered loudly.
Souma smiled and turned to leave.
After he disappeared from sight—
Ino clenched the paper and jumped excitedly, twisting her shoulders left and right against the wall, completely losing composure.
"Hey, Ino-pig! What are you doing here? Too weak to walk, or thinking something indecent?"
"Pah, Forehead! I wasn't!"
Ino snapped back, then noticed the concern hidden in Sakura's eyes. She smiled.
"Sakura, let's make up. I'm not interested in Sasuke anymore."
"What?"
Sakura froze.
Not interested anymore?
What did that mean?
"Sasuke is amazing. I used to be obsessed—but lately, I've realized how childish I was."
Ino explained calmly. "We barely have enough time to train and study. Where would we get time for that nonsense?"
"Ino…"
Sakura stood stunned.
"Forehead, you need to pull yourself together too. Stop staring only at him. Otherwise, you'll always just be looking at his back—and one day, you might not even be able to keep up with Naruto."
Ino smiled brightly. "I've got things to do. See you later."
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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