"Have you considered fighting blindfolded?"
Jingyi suggested calmly.
"Blindfolded? But I can still feel it!"
Tsunade froze in surprise.
This kid... is a genius, or completely crazy.
Her fear of blood wasn't rational, she knew that. It was trauma, deeply rooted. Even if she didn't see the blood, she'd still know it was there. Would that really help?
"You can try using genjutsu... deceive your senses, block the sight, or alter it entirely."
Jingyi continued, his tone serious.
Tsunade frowned. His words sounded absurd, yet... they carried a certain logic.
Closing her eyes, relying on genjutsu or external methods to trick her mind... unconventional, but maybe workable.
At least it would stop her from freezing entirely at the sight of blood.
But the bigger issue was treatment.
Combat was one thing she could avoid seeing blood, fight on instinct or with illusions.
But what about surgeries? What about treating patients, seeing the wounds up close?
She shook her head. Konoha was in chaos right now. She couldn't afford to hide away in the village and let others do all the work.
If she stopped treating wounded ninjas, what would the others think? That Senju Tsunade the Sannin, the best medical ninja was scared of blood?
That would crush the morale of the entire army.
"For battlefield treatment, you can delegate visual inspections to others," jingyi suggested. "Have assistants describe the injuries, report vital signs. You can operate based on feel and feedback alone."
"...Is that even possible?"
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly.
Jingyi's methods were unusual, but... the more she thought about it, the more it seemed posssible. She had trained medical teams extensively. Their reports and descriptions could serve as her 'eyes.'
She thought for a while, then smiled bitterly.
"You really do have the talent for teaching, jingyi... How do you come up with these things?"
Her phobia wasn't cured, but at least she saw a path forward now.
Of course, the hardest part would still be self-hypnosis.
That, she had to figure out herself.
Annoying.
"Ugh, let's just drink already! I didn't get to enjoy myself last time. This time, I'll drink to my heart's content! And gamble afterward.I saved up enough for a big win tonight!"
"Sure, we'll join you," jingyi replied with a grin.
Shizune, ever the responsible one, looked puzzled.
Didn't Master jingyi hate gambling?
But with both him and Tsunade going, he had no choice but to tag along.
They drank deep into the night, but the casino visit afterward ended in disaster for Tsunade.
"Boring!" she grumbled as she left the casino, broke.
Gambling used to be her one escape... but now, with two ridiculously lucky companions by her side, it was nothing but frustration.
They were too lucky it was unnatural!
---
The next day.
Jingyi and Tsunade arrived early at Konoha Hospital.
Currently, it was peacetime, and few ninja needed treatment.
"Tsunade-sama, could these children observe today's surgery? It's rare they get a chance to see you in action,"
Sarutobi Biwako Hiruzen's wife asked politely.
By her side stood several eager young ninja, including Nohara Rin and Yūhi Kurenai.
Normally, Tsunade would have refused.
But... this time, the lead surgeon was Jingyi.
"I'm just assisting today. Jingyi's in charge," she said, smiling faintly.
"What? Sensei is the lead surgeon?"
Kurenai's eyes widened in awe.
She knew Jingyi as a teacher of medical ninjutsu, but to think he'd take lead even with Tsunade present...
No one understood the full picture.
Even Biwako looked surprised.
But she quickly supported the idea. "It's a valuable opportunity for them to learn. Please, let them watch."
Tsunade looked at Jingyi.
"Your call."
"Of course. It's a simple procedure, they can observe," jingyi replied confidently.
It was his first major operation in public, but he had to stay calm for the patient, and the students.
"Moonlight Hayate, relax. Minor surgery. Trust me and Tsunade-sama."
"Yes, Sensei!"
Hayate nodded bravely.
The operating room filled with onlookers.
Jingyi took the lead at the center, Tsunade and the rest at the sides.
"Scalpel chakra blade ready."
With a seal, the glowing chakra scalpel formed in his hand.
Precise. Clean.
With a single motion, he made the incision.
Tsunade watched his hand carefully.
Stable.
Perfectly steady.
She relaxed. This surgery was routine, as long as the surgeon didn't panic. She prepared to guide him through the next steps...
But as the procedure progressed, she realized
She didn't need to.
Jingyi located the lesion, carefully extracted the toxins, performed the necessary seals.
Step by step, perfectly.
He even had the composure to explain his actions aloud for the students.
"If you slip here, you risk damaging healthy tissue. Always aim to remove the toxin cleanly. If necessary, cut only as a last resort."
Tsunade found herself at a loss for words.
She had nothing to correct.
"All done!" Jingyi finally said, signaling the assistants to handle the aftercare.
Tsunade smiled wryly.
"No mistakes. You even did my part."
She admitted it openly.
Jingyi had far surpassed her expectations. His skill, precision, and ability to explain mid-surgery were signs of a natural-born teacher.
She turned to the students.
"What you saw just now don't think you can copy that yet. Jingyi skipped many steps because he's skilled enough to locate the problem immediately. You all must follow procedures carefully."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!"
The young ninjas nodded earnestly.
Biwako smiled as well.
"Jingyi, our medical library is open to you anytime. With your skills and the Slug contract... you're a rare treasure for Konoha."
Two medical ninja with battlefield-wide healing abilities...
Biwako couldn't help but get excited.