Within the Senju compound—
A young girl sat quietly, holding a thick book in her hands.
On the cover—
A detailed diagram of the human body.
One of the Senju clan's treasured medical texts.
She read intently.
Line by line.
Without pause.
In Konoha—
Knowledge was monopolized.
By the great bloodline clans.
Civilian shinobi, after graduating from the academy, were given only the basics:
Transformation Technique.
Clone Technique.
Substitution Technique.
If they wanted more—
There were only a few paths.
Sell themselves to a clan.
Earn merit on the battlefield.
Or—
If they were lucky—
A jōnin instructor might teach them a technique or two.
But that—
Was rare.
Most jōnin came from clans.
And clans had rules.
No sharing of clan techniques.
Self-created jutsu—
Were the only exception.
Medical ninjutsu—
Was even more restricted.
Only the great clans could access such knowledge.
—
Mito Uzumaki sat by the doorway.
Basking in the sunlight.
Warm.
Comforting.
At her age—
Nearly fifty—
This kind of quiet warmth was something she cherished.
In the shinobi world—
That was already considered old.
She watched the girl in silence.
And smiled.
Because the girl—
Tsunade—
Had recovered from her grief far faster than expected.
As expected of her granddaughter.
Still—
Mito was puzzled.
Tsunade had never shown interest in medical ninjutsu before.
She preferred destructive techniques.
Powerful ones.
Yet now—
She was completely absorbed in it.
But Mito didn't press.
As long as Tsunade was happy—
That was enough.
Besides—
The Senju and Uzumaki clans possessed enormous chakra reserves.
Descended from the legacy of the Sage of Six Paths.
Naturally suited for medical ninjutsu.
Their archives—
Were the richest in such knowledge.
Mito had once tried to teach Tsunade when she was younger.
But she hadn't cared.
Now—
Things had changed.
And if Tsunade was willing—
Mito was confident.
She could train her—
Into the strongest medical ninja in the world.
—
Tsunade frowned at the page.
Dense text.
Complex terminology.
Concepts she couldn't grasp.
Her brow twitched.
She almost wanted to tear the book apart.
…Trouble.
Mito saw it immediately.
Tsunade's frustration was rising.
She stood.
Walked over.
"This part troubling you?"
She glanced at the page.
Yang Release.
Human anatomy.
Far beyond Tsunade's current foundation.
"Grandma, there are so many terms I don't understand… and here—why does chakra…?"
Tsunade asked without hesitation.
Not knowing—
So she asked.
That was a good habit.
And in front of her—
Was one of the best.
"Yang Release is…"
Mito began explaining.
Patiently.
Step by step.
At key moments—
She paused deliberately.
Testing Tsunade.
Guiding her thinking.
And Tsunade—
Answered.
Naturally.
Fluently.
Even drawing further conclusions.
Mito's eyes softened.
Relief.
Pride.
Her successor—
Had appeared.
—
"I will become the strongest medical ninja in Konoha!"
Tsunade declared confidently.
Mito blinked slightly.
Curious.
Because Tsunade's previous dream—
Had been different.
To become Konoha's first female Hokage.
"…Tsunade."
"Tell me—what changed your mind?"
For a moment—
Tsunade's smile faltered.
A trace of sadness flickered.
But she still smiled.
"I saw the hospital."
"Wounded shinobi… brought back from the front."
"They were all in pain."
"Some… died."
Her voice softened.
"If I were a good medical ninja…"
"I could save them."
A pause.
Then—
"Maybe… if I had been better…"
"If I had gone with Second Granduncle…"
"I could have treated him."
"…Maybe he wouldn't have died."
The innocence—
Cut deeper than any blade.
Mito's heart ached.
Tsunade had never seen the battlefield.
She didn't understand.
The kind of enemy that could kill Tobirama Senju—
Was not something a single medical ninja could change.
The room grew quiet.
Heavy.
Mito quickly shifted the topic.
Continuing her lesson.
—
At that moment—
Outside the Senju compound—
A young man arrived.
Senju Toma.
The gates—
Closed.
Unusual.
His unease deepened.
"Open the door!"
He knocked.
A guard peeked out—
Then quickly opened it.
"Young master, you've returned."
"Why are the gates closed?"
Toma frowned.
"In the middle of the day?"
The guard hesitated.
Then replied:
"Lady Mito's orders. She's waiting for you inside."
He said nothing more.
Better—
To let Mito explain.
Toma nodded.
And hurried inside.
Soon—
He reached the room.
"Mother, I'm back."
Mito turned.
Her expression softened instantly.
"My child… you've grown."
"Stronger. Darker."
The battlefield had changed him.
No longer the boy he once was.
"Tsunade is here too."
Toma smiled.
"Have you been behaving? Not sneaking off to gamble again, right?"
"I didn't!"
Tsunade protested—
Then threw herself into his arms.
She hadn't seen him in a long time.
"Mother…"
Toma's tone shifted.
"Why did you call me back so urgently?"
"Did something happen in the village?"
"…Come with me."
Mito's expression dimmed slightly.
She reached for him.
Planning to speak elsewhere.
Then—
Toma spoke casually.
"By the way… where's Second Uncle?"
"Haven't seen him in a while."
"Is he still at the Hokage office?"
Silence.
Then—
Tsunade froze.
And broke.
"He… he's dead!!"
Tears burst forth instantly.
"Waaah!!"
Mito closed her eyes briefly.
Helpless.
She had tried to avoid this.
Tried to spare Tsunade the pain—
Even changing rooms.
But now—
It was unavoidable.
"…Now I have to comfort her again."
She sighed inwardly.
And stepped forward.
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