Kyōen's entire arm was soaked in blood.
He hadn't expected this at all.
The entry-level version of this jutsu consumed such an enormous amount of chakra — and the backlash on his arm was far more severe than he could have imagined. By the end, he couldn't even muster the strength to retreat.
Shizune checked his injuries and exclaimed urgently, "We have to get you to the hospital!"
"No!" Kyōen gritted his teeth through the pain. "If I go to the hospital, Lady Tsunade's situation will be exposed. Just treat me here — heal the surface wounds for now."
"This..." Shizune hesitated. But after a moment, she nodded in agreement.
Nearby, Tsunade remained frozen in fear.
Clenching her teeth, Shizune said, "Alright! Leave it to me!"
However…
Her forehead was already drenched in cold sweat.
While Shizune had studied a good deal of medical ninjutsu, her chakra reserves were limited, and she lacked practical experience.
This kind of emergency treatment was pushing her to her limits.
"I studied the basics of medical ninjutsu for over half a month," Kurenai offered. "I might be able to help."
"You can?!" Shizune was visibly relieved.
Kakashi remained silent on the side.
He hadn't trained in medical ninjutsu — he wouldn't be of help here.
Shizune quickly explained how to proceed with the treatment and how Kurenai should assist.
She didn't need much from Kurenai — just enough to help stimulate cell regeneration using medical chakra and share some of the burden.
Time ticked by slowly.
The wounds on Kyōen's arm began to heal gradually.
Meanwhile...
Shizune's forehead was soaked in sweat.
After a long while—
"Kakashi, I need a hand."
"What is it?"
Kakashi stepped forward.
Kyōen raised his uninjured hand and formed half of the Tiger hand seal.
Kakashi understood immediately.
He gathered his chakra and completed the other half of the seal.
Then—
Ox… Hare…
Water Style: Wild Water Wave!
The joint casting was unstable, and only a small stream of water gushed out — far from a complete jutsu.
But that was enough.
Kyōen simply wanted to wash the blood off his hand.
The blood washed away, and the wound on his arm had mostly closed.
"Let's move to a different spot."
"Got it."
Shizune understood his intention and, with Kurenai, helped support Tsunade as they moved her to a cleaner area.
Some time later—
Tsunade finally recovered her composure. Her face was pale, but she began treating the internal damage to Kyōen's arm.
Then silence fell.
After a long pause, she finally spoke. "As you all saw… I couldn't even perform basic treatment just now."
No one said a word.
Tsunade's condition was clearly a severe case of post-traumatic stress, likely stemming from past losses — and something only she herself could work through.
As for counseling...
Someone like her wasn't going to be healed by a few comforting words. If it were that easy, Jiraiya and the others would've succeeded long ago.
Kyōen, watching from the side, could only sigh inwardly.
Tsunade, however, seemed to have snapped back.
Or rather — she had recovered earlier. She wouldn't have been able to heal Kyōen otherwise. Her silence just now was due to Kyōen's injuries triggering old memories.
She shook her head and asked solemnly, "Let's not dwell on that. Kyōen, how did you learn that technique earlier?"
"Your power wasn't something I could match directly," Kyōen explained. "But I kept watching closely — I realized it was a burst of chakra that amplified physical strength. I couldn't actually force you out of the ring, but if I created enough of a distraction, I could use an Explosive Tag to make it look that way."
After explaining, he lowered his head, looking ashamed.
Even Kakashi, behind his mask, couldn't hide his surprise.
He just watched—
And figured it out?
No, more accurately, Kyōen had taken a wild shot — if it failed, he'd still use the blast as a distraction. The real key was the Explosive Tag.
There had been an explosion, after all.
Tsunade listened, then said, "Your thinking was good — but way too reckless. Jutsu that concentrate chakra at high speeds are extremely dangerous. If it had failed, the consequences could've been dire. You can't learn or imitate those at will. You got lucky this time."
Of course I only used it because I already mastered it, Kyōen thought silently.
But outwardly, he kept a humble face.
"I was wrong!"
Tsunade shot him a glare but didn't scold him further.
Because—
Just by watching, he could figure out the mechanics of a jutsu and successfully replicate it. That kind of talent was absurd!
This kid had extraordinary natural aptitude.
In Tsunade's memory, only one person had ever matched that level—
Orochimaru.
She fell into a moment of nostalgia.
Kakashi was also reflecting on the earlier battle.
Sometimes, he really wondered if he was the rookie genin, and not Kyōen.
The air grew still.
"Kyōen-kun is amazing. I couldn't do that even if I tried," Shizune said with admiration.
Tsunade replied, "Your body is too weak, and you're not particularly gifted with chakra control. If you tried to force it, you'd end up worse than him."
Shizune stuck out her tongue playfully.
Tsunade gave her a small lecture.
Everyone wanted to learn powerful techniques like that — but the threshold was too high. It wasn't something ordinary shinobi could pick up.
Finally, Tsunade turned to Kurenai.
"Do you want to try?"
"I'm sorry, my strength is far from enough... but I'd be grateful for your guidance, Lady Tsunade."
Kurenai bowed.
Tsunade nodded. "One more won't make a difference."
She then drew a ring on the ground.
Kurenai first tried using genjutsu, but Tsunade broke through it with ease. Then she used a combination of Clone Jutsu, genjutsu, and Explosive Tags to disrupt Tsunade's senses.
But each time, Tsunade was able to accurately identify and counter her tactics.
Kurenai eventually conceded defeat.
"Alright, let's go one by one," Tsunade said as she sat cross-legged.
After the intense battle, the shock from earlier had completely worn off. She'd returned to her usual confident self.
"Kakashi — your peak speed is faster than Kyōen's, but he's better at controlling and leveraging his speed. That's where you need to improve."
Tsunade paused slightly before continuing, "If you're taking the route of assassination or one-hit takedowns, I suggest learning a jutsu with strong single-target destructive power."
"Yes. Thank you, Lady Tsunade."
Kakashi bowed respectfully.
Tsunade looked at Kyōen, her expression turning stern.
"Kid, you've got talent and ideas, but many jutsu carry serious risks in learning and development. You need to solidify your fundamentals and broaden your knowledge base."
"I will. I'll do my best," Kyōen replied.
Knowledge was precious. Many clans treated it as confidential, like secret techniques — he couldn't just learn whatever he wanted on a whim.
Tsunade nodded and moved on.
She looked at Kurenai, her tone softening.
"Kurenai, like Shizune, your physical foundation is weak. But your chakra control is better. If you're serious about becoming a medical ninja, you need to catch up on the basics."
Medical ninja couldn't just know a few jutsu and call it a day.
"I've been studying recently," Kurenai said.
"Good. I'll have Shizune share her notes with you. You two can learn together."
Then Tsunade stretched with a yawn.
"Haven't moved like this in ages. Sparring with you brats really wore me out."
"I'm off. Keep training."
With that, she vanished in a Body Flicker.
A short while later, at the Hokage's office—
Tsunade kicked open the door to Hiruzen Sarutobi's room.
"Tsunade?" Hiruzen was slightly startled, but quickly regained his composure and smiled. "Come in, have a seat."
Tsunade slammed the desk with no politeness whatsoever — like she was here to collect a debt.
"Old man, what happened to my granduncle's notes? Don't tell me you lot took them all!"
"Well..." Hiruzen's mouth twitched. He gave a light cough. "Those materials were sealed away."
"I understand sealing away the forbidden ones — but what about the normal notes? Where'd those go? Sealed too? Or did someone 'borrow' them and treat them like their own property?"
Tsunade didn't mince words. She didn't name Hiruzen directly, but clearly aimed her accusation at Danzō.
Hiruzen was at a loss for words.
Though both he and Danzō had been Tobirama's students, Tsunade — as the Second Hokage's grandniece — had more rightful claim to those materials.
"There's no such thing. Danzō just thought the Second's writings were valuable and stored them securely in the ANBU archives. If you need them, I'll tell him to bring them out. What parts are you looking for?"
"The foundational stuff — all of it. It's not like you're putting it to any use."
Tsunade was blunt.
Hiruzen nodded. He already understood who she wanted them for.
That boy.