Chapter 34: Medical Ninja Reform

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"I propose that all three-member ninja squads be restructured into four-member squads, with the additional member serving as a medical ninja. Furthermore, all combat strategies should be organized around the medical ninja. I believe this arrangement will greatly enhance the battlefield survival rate of every ninja squad. Based on this strategy, I propose the following three principles:

A medical ninja must never abandon treatment before a teammate's death.

A medical ninja must never stand on the front lines of battle.

A medical ninja must never die before any other member of their squad.

These are the main points of my proposal. The detailed content is in the report in front of you. I hope the committee members will consider adopting this plan."

After finishing her speech, Tsunade plopped herself onto the chair at the hearing table, crossed her legs, and took a sip of tea. A confident smile played on her lips as she awaited the questions from the committee.

When it came to personnel appointments, Jinghang, the Third Kazekage, was undeniably bold. Whether it was Maki overseeing the Moon Lake District, Karuke leading the Construction Corps, or Rasa and Yura managing the Hourglass Group, all were young, promising jōnin. For a critical role like the medical unit, Jinghang went even further, entrusting it to an "outsider"—Tsunade. Not only that, but he also elevated the medical unit to the status of a full-fledged medical department. To appease the village elders, he nominally appointed Chiyo as the "Head of the Medical Department." However, everyone knew that Chiyo was primarily preoccupied with the Intelligence Division and the ANBU, leaving the real authority in the hands of the deputy head and hospital director, Tsunade.

Faced with opposition, Jinghang dismissed the criticisms with disdain. "Outsider? Insider? The key is to use the right talent. I went to great lengths to invite Tsunade from Konoha. If you object, fine—can you find someone as capable as her? Can you find someone better suited for this role? If not, then shut up. Besides, the talents Tsunade nurtures here in the Sand Village will stay in the Sand Village, won't they? The benefits remain ours. What's there to argue about? Stop your noise and get out of my sight!"

Tsunade did not disappoint Jinghang's trust. In Konoha, despite her prestigious lineage (after all, she was the granddaughter of the First Hokage), her ideas and suggestions often went unacknowledged due to her relatively junior status. But in the Sand Village, it was different. Jinghang gave her absolute trust and authority. With a blank slate, she could paint the most beautiful picture. In just six months, she had transformed the Sand Village's medical landscape: building hospitals, training medical ninjas, creating laboratories, and even establishing medicinal herb gardens on the outskirts of the village and in Moon Lake District. Her sweeping reforms earned her recognition from all factions within the Sand Village.

In fact, Tsunade had proposed similar ideas in Konoha before, but they were rejected by the Third Hokage due to a lack of personnel and technology at the time. She was simply trying her luck by reintroducing these ideas in the Sand Village.

The hearing committee was a new concept, derived from the Elder Advisory Council established by the Second Kazekage. It was part of Jinghang's efforts to reform the political system. By deliberately delegating some power to the elders and representatives of various clans, he garnered support from the upper echelons of the Sand Village. Every new policy proposal had to pass through the hearing committee for consultation and questioning, ensuring feasibility and reducing resistance to implementation. This policy also allowed different factions in the Sand Village to participate in decision-making, preventing Jinghang from becoming a dictator. (In truth, Jinghang was simply lazy and didn't want to handle every matter personally, so he gave the elders something to do.)

However, from the outset, Jinghang set the tone for the committee: decisions would be based solely on merit and practicality, without bias or factionalism. Constructive criticism was welcome, but shouting matches and manipulative tactics were not. This made the hearing committee a pragmatic, efficient, and focused body.

"I have a question. I hope Deputy Minister Tsunade can clarify it for me," said Elder Kusakusa, the head of the Personnel Department, raising his hand.

"Please go ahead," Tsunade replied with a composed smile, gesturing for him to speak.

"The traditional three-member combat squad will indeed gain survival advantages by adding a medical ninja to form a four-member squad. However, won't this reduce the squad's combat effectiveness?"

"I don't believe it will," Tsunade replied confidently. "Please turn to page three of my report. It clearly states that the medical ninja in a combat squad is not solely a healer; they are also combat-capable and can engage in battle. However, the primary role of the medical ninja is not to fight but to provide medical support to other combatants, thereby enhancing the squad's overall endurance and effectiveness."

"I see. I have no further questions," Elder Kusakusa said after carefully reviewing the relevant section.

"I have a question," Elder Chiyo interjected, raising her hand.

"Please go ahead," Tsunade said.

"According to your plan, all tactical squads in the Sand Village will need to be reorganized. This involves over 3,000 combat squads, nearly 10,000 individuals. However, based on my rough calculations, the Sand Village doesn't seem to have enough medical ninjas to meet this requirement. How do you plan to address this issue?"

After a moment of thought, Tsunade replied, "Elder Chiyo, your question touches on another topic: the training of medical ninjas. While I haven't fully fleshed out all the details, I do have some preliminary ideas. Since the Kazekage and other representatives are present, I'd like to share them briefly."

She took a sip of tea, and an attendant immediately refilled her cup.

"Reorganization is indeed necessary, but we can't simply dismantle and rebuild a 10,000-strong force overnight. Naturally, there will be a shortage of medical ninjas in the current squads. My plan involves three steps:

Resource Integration: First, we'll create a comprehensive registry of existing medical ninjas and allocate them efficiently. For example, if Squad A already has a member who can serve as a medical ninja, we only need to add another combatant. Squad B, however, might lack a medical ninja entirely, so we'll assign one to them. All medical ninjas will undergo standardized training to ensure they meet the new requirements.

Targeted Training: For current squad members who show potential and interest in becoming medical ninjas, we will provide specialized training to address the shortfall.

Institutional Development: The Ninja Academy will establish a dedicated medical division to train future medical ninjas. Once this becomes a tradition, the problem will naturally resolve itself."

The room fell silent as the committee members digested Tsunade's explanation.

"That sounds expensive," remarked Elder Kaminarikawa, the Minister of Finance. "Reorganization costs, training expenses, and funding for the academy—this could easily exceed fifty million ryō."

"I have something to say," Jinghang finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"My stance is simple: as long as it enhances our ninjas' combat effectiveness, the costs are justified. We can't afford to be penny-wise and pound-foolish." He paused, pointing at Tsunade.

"I have a feeling that Deputy Minister Tsunade's proposal represents the future of warfare in the ninja world. This reform aligns with objective reality. Let me remind everyone: the earlier we implement such changes, the lower the costs and the better the results. Enough talk—let's vote!"

Jinghang raised the green voting card in his hand. According to the committee's rules, green indicated approval, red indicated opposition, and white signified abstention. A proposal required a majority to pass.

"Out of 25 votes, 17 in favor, 3 abstentions, and 5 against. I declare Proposal No. 97 approved," announced the vote counter. Applause filled the room.

"I now announce the follow-up policies for this proposal. Elder Kusakusa and Elder Kaminarikawa, please draft the reorganization plan and budget immediately."

"Understood."

"Elder Ebizō, the Ninja Academy must also prepare a plan to establish a medical division."

"Understood."

Flipping through his calendar, Jinghang said, "Today is March 10th. Can all these plans be completed within two days?"

"The Finance Department has no issues!"

"The Personnel Department has no issues!"

"The Education Department has no issues!"

"Good. If there are no objections, this meeting is adjourned. Dismissed."

"Wait a moment—I have one last thing," Elder Chiyo said, raising her hand with a sly smile.

"What is it?" Jinghang asked, puzzled.

With a snap of her fingers, Pakura wheeled in a three-tiered cream cake.

"Happy birthday, Kazekage-sama!"