C135

As soon as Haruto arrived at the hospital, he was quickly pulled into the routine of helping patients. His first case involved a Jonin with a torn ligament from a training accident. Using the Mystical Palm Technique, Haruto carefully mended the ligament, his chakra control allowing him to target the damaged tissues with precision. His blend of medical ninjutsu and old-world knowledge had become well-known around the hospital.

Next, Haruto treated a Chunin who had suffered burns from a Fire Release jutsu gone wrong. Haruto applied medical ninjutsu to promote skin regeneration and then used a salve to ease the pain. His methods, while unconventional to some, were undeniably effective. The older med-nin glanced curiously at him as he worked, but none dared question his results.

After that, Haruto helped a Genin who had a deep cut on his arm from a recent mission. He healed the wound quickly with the Mystical Palm Technique, using old-world wisdom to apply compression bandages for extra stability. The Genin left grateful, and Haruto moved on to his next task.

As he cleaned his hands, he overheard two med-nin nearby.

"One of the seals is malfunctioning," one of them said, frustration clear in their voice. "The patient's chakra is fluctuating uncontrollably. We need a specialist, but no one's available right now."

Haruto, hearing this, stepped forward. "I can take a look if you want."

The med-nin looked at him skeptically. "Haruto, this is a seal issue, and seals are delicate. It's not something you can just casually look at."

Haruto remained calm. "I've been studying seals. Let me at least see it. If it's within my ability, I'll help."

The med-nin hesitated, clearly unsure. Haruto was young, and seals were no small matter. But the med-nin knew that Haruto had been seen more and more with Tsunade, which meant he was rising in prominence—politically, it wouldn't be wise to refuse him outright. If Tsunade was paying attention to him, refusing his help could have consequences down the road.

Not wanting to offend the potential future star of the hospital, the med-nin sighed and nodded. "Alright, but if it's too much, we'll wait for a specialist."

Haruto nodded and approached the patient, a young shinobi whose chakra was flaring uncontrollably due to the malfunctioning seal on his arm. Haruto examined the seal carefully, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the issue. A small part of the seal was misaligned, causing the chakra to spike.

He couldn't rewrite the entire seal—his skills weren't at that level yet—but this specific section, the misaligned part, was within his ability to repair.

"I can fix this," Haruto said confidently. "It's just a misalignment. I'll realign this section, and the chakra should stabilize."

The med-nin watched him closely, still skeptical but unwilling to challenge him openly. "Alright, if you're sure."

Haruto placed his hands over the seal and channeled his chakra with precision, carefully guiding the markings back into alignment. Slowly but surely, the chakra spikes began to level out, and the patient's breathing returned to normal as the seal stabilized.

The med-nin blinked, clearly impressed but trying to remain composed. "How old are you again?"

"Eight," Haruto replied nonchalantly, as if it were nothing special.

The med-nin shook their head, still in disbelief. "Unbelievable."

Later, Haruto was summoned to Tsunade's office. When he arrived, she eyed him with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

"I hear you've been doing well," Tsunade said, folding her arms. "Your medical basics are solid, but I want to see if you're really up to snuff with something more specific." Her expression grew sharper as she leaned forward. "Let's talk about poisons."

Haruto blinked but quickly adjusted. He had read about poisons extensively when he first started at the hospital. Tsunade wasn't aware of his poison knowledge, but she was clearly testing him.

"For starters," Tsunade began, "name three common poisons that affect chakra pathways."

Haruto thought for a moment before answering. "There's Redroot Venom, which slows chakra circulation, Gorgon's Breath, which paralyzes the pathways entirely, and White Lotus Extract, which causes chakra blockages and leads to severe internal pain."

Tsunade nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Good. Now, how do you treat a case of White Lotus poisoning?"

Haruto responded confidently. "You need to administer an antidote within an hour. The best antidote is made from the bark of the Ironwood tree, combined with Water Release chakra to flush out the blockages. You'll also need to apply Mystical Palm to repair any damaged pathways once the poison is cleared."

Tsunade smirked slightly, testing him further. "And what about a slow-acting toxin, like Black Serpent's Blood?"

"Black Serpent's Blood can remain dormant for weeks," Haruto replied, "before it starts attacking the circulatory system and chakra network. The key is catching it early—administering a dose of Fire Sage Root in conjunction with a neutralizing agent like Honeydust can stop it from activating. Once active, though, the only cure is surgery to remove the infected areas of tissue."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, clearly impressed but still maintaining her tough demeanor. "Not bad. You've clearly studied the basics well enough."

She crossed her arms, her tone more approving now. "Alright. Since you're handling this so well, I'm giving you access to a more advanced set of materials. Study them when you have time—you'll need that knowledge when you're out in the field."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Haruto said, bowing slightly.

As Tsunade handed him the access, Haruto paused for a moment. "By the way, Lady Tsunade, where's Shizune?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her teasing smile widening. "Oh? Why, are you looking for her? Got a little crush, maybe? Planning to ask her on a date?"

Haruto, completely unbothered by the teasing, kept his face neutral. "No, just wanted to talk."

Tsunade blinked, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn't, she smirked. "Talk, huh? Sure, kid, sure. Well, she's working on some research right now. But I'm sure she'll make time for whatever important 'talking' you have planned."

Haruto nodded seriously, not letting her teasing phase him. "Thanks, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade chuckled as Haruto turned to leave. "No fun at all," she muttered, shaking her head, clearly amused.