Chapter 8: Being a Shinobi is Just a Job, Raising Deer is Life!
After a burst of chaotic energy, the small room finally returned to peace.
Tsunade sat comfortably on the bed.
Yakushi Nono'o deftly cleared the food from the dining table.
Nara Keisuke was "glug, glug, glug"-ing water, desperately trying to calm his agitated mood.
"Keisuke, come on over. The food is ready."
Yakushi Nono'o placed three small stools at the dining table, first waving to Nara Keisuke, then bowing slightly to Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, time was limited. Please forgive the poor hospitality."
"Not at all! I'm the one who imposed on you."
Tsunade nodded in response, her attitude very polite and courteous, a far cry from her earlier demeanor.
After a few pleasantries, the three of them sat around the small table together. The atmosphere had an indescribable sense of harmony.
"Time to eat!"
Nara Keisuke was the first to pick up his chopsticks, stuffing a large mouthful of food into his mouth. The panel refreshed with new information.
[Eating... Your [Stamina] attribute has slightly increased...]
'It wasn't a hallucination! I've found a way to increase my [Stamina]!'
Nara Keisuke's heart leaped with joy, and he automatically increased the frequency and speed at which he picked up food.
'Eating increases physical energy! This is reasonable, this is so very reasonable!'
Seeing Nara Keisuke actively devouring his meal, Tsunade also moved her chopsticks a few times, and her beautiful eyes instantly lit up.
"Nono'o! This is delicious! Your cooking skills are amazing!"
"You praise me too much, Lady Tsunade. It's just some simple home cooking."
Yakushi Nono'o smiled gently and placed some more food into Nara Keisuke's bowl, then asked as if by chance, "By the way, Lady Tsunade, what were you doing just now?"
"I was planning to give Nara a physical examination."
Tsunade put another mouthful of food into her mouth, the rich and delicious taste causing the corners of her eyebrows to curve up unconsciously.
"Didn't he just graduate from the Ninja Academy? For a Genin, 12 years old is a bit too old!"
Decades ago, during the chaotic Warring States Period, ninja children indeed went to the battlefield at a very early age. After the founding of Konoha, this terrible situation improved to some extent. For example, Tsunade graduated from the Ninja Academy and officially became a Genin at the age of 6.
As of today, in Konoha Year 48, although there are still some "child geniuses" who can graduate early from the academy, the stipulated graduation age is 9. In the future, this standard graduation age would be further postponed to 12. But for Nara Keisuke to graduate at 12, coupled with the "physical weakness" nonsense he had been spouting earlier... Tsunade was genuinely interested in "examining Nara Keisuke's body." This could also be seen as her way of repaying him for his earlier actions.
"I see..."
Yakushi Nono'o felt a sense of relief in her heart, and the dangerous image from before was wiped clean from her mind.
"So, did you find anything, Lady Tsunade?"
It wasn't that Yakushi Nono'o was unaware of Nara Keisuke's physical weakness. As an elite medical-nin, she had also been troubled by this problem but had never found a solution. As Konoha's foremost medical-nin, perhaps Lady Tsunade would have some other discovery? Yakushi Nono'o was hopeful.
"Nara, give me your hand!"
Tsunade put down her chopsticks and gave the order.
Although Nara Keisuke was engrossed in his meal, he wasn't as completely absorbed as before. Hearing this, he once again held out his left hand.
Tsunade grabbed Nara Keisuke's palm, and a Yang Release chakra full of life force was released from her palm, flowing into his body to conduct a detailed internal examination.
'As a member of the Nara clan, Nara's physical fitness and cellular strength are not at all at the level a child his age should have. It's almost like a five or six-year-old child who has just entered the academy!'
As the examination deepened, Tsunade's brows furrowed more and more.
'His chakra reserves are also ridiculously low! How did Nara deal with that Jōnin spy earlier? That's right, the Nara clan's shadow secret arts! The special Yin Release secret arts don't seem to require the support or consumption of conventional chakra...'
Tsunade silently released Nara Keisuke's small hand, falling into deep thought.
To be honest, Nara Keisuke's physical problem wasn't complicated. It was indeed a very simple case of "physical weakness," which could also be described as a "lack of physical energy." Tsunade could provide a detailed and comprehensive conditioning plan in minutes.
However, conditioning the body required not only the doctor's initiative but also the cooperation of the "patient" and the "environment." The most basic point of any conditioning plan Tsunade could give would require Nara Keisuke to temporarily cease all use of ninjutsu to prevent further consumption of physical energy.
But this was simply unrealistic!
The Third Great Shinobi War was about to break out. As a student who had just graduated from the academy and a reserve Genin of Konoha, it was almost a certainty that Nara Keisuke would be sent to the battlefield. Under these circumstances, how could he possibly stop using ninjutsu?
And sending a child with such an extreme lack of physical energy and severely insufficient chakra reserves to the battlefield was basically sending him to his death... Tsunade seriously doubted whether Nara Keisuke could even use the most basic Three Academy Techniques smoothly, let alone his Nara clan's [Shadow Secret Arts].
Is she going to have to watch another boy she knows sacrifice his life in vain on the battlefield...?
Tsunade's heart suddenly grew cold.
Nara Keisuke was too engrossed in his meal to notice Tsunade's expression. But Yakushi Nono'o had been paying close attention to the face of this medical authority who stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world's medical-nin. Seeing Tsunade frown in silence, Yakushi Nono'o's heart couldn't help but sink.
'Even Lady Tsunade doesn't know how to solve Keisuke's physical problem?'
Yakushi Nono'o turned her face to look at Nara Keisuke, who had almost cleared half the food on the table, and forced a smile.
"Keisuke, I forgot to ask earlier, which ninja squad were you assigned to?"
If the squad's leading sensei was someone she knew, Yakushi Nono'o was determined to pay them a visit...
"A ninja squad? I graduated today. Team assignments are tomorrow's business."
Hearing Nono'o's familiar voice, Nara Keisuke managed to tear his attention away from his food.
"But it's fine to tell you in advance, Sister Nono'o... I won't be assigned to any specific ninja squad."
"Hmm? Why?"
Yakushi Nono'o was both relieved and surprised. Tsunade, at the side, also cast a look of astonishment.
Normally, reserve Genin who graduated from the academy would be directly assigned to a fixed squad. Under the guidance of a Jōnin or Chūnin squad leader, they would become experienced and qualified Genin as quickly as possible. Even if this Genin was later promoted to "Chūnin," this type of squad arrangement wouldn't change, but would instead shift from the original "mentorship model" to the more conventional "multi-person squad model." Only in special circumstances, such as the accidental death of teammates leaving a sole survivor, would a ninja not be assigned to a specific squad, instead joining a specialized ninja unit or continuing to work as a "temporary member."
"The formation of ninja squads is roughly based on each person's abilities and characteristics to achieve the highest efficiency with the least cost, for example, the 'Ino-Shika-Chō'."
Nara Keisuke calmly put a piece of food into his mouth.
"It's not just you; the academy teachers are also aware of my physical problems. Naturally, they wouldn't assign me to a fixed squad. If they did, with my physical condition being no different from an ordinary person's, I would first become a burden to the squad, seriously affecting the mission capabilities of the other members. Secondly, my own life couldn't be guaranteed."
As a major shinobi village, Konoha didn't place much importance on the safety of low-level ninja. However, Konoha wouldn't knowingly send an under-qualified reserve Genin to their death for no reason! In comparison, the neighboring "Village of the Bloody Mist," where you couldn't graduate and become a ninja without killing your classmates, was simply infamous...
Yakushi Nono'o hesitated, "So..."
"So, upon my own request, the academy teachers have assigned me to the Medical Department."
Nara Keisuke put down his chopsticks and extended his right hand to Yakushi Nono'o.
"Sister Nono'o, from now on, we are colleagues."
Yakushi Nono'o subconsciously took Nara Keisuke's right hand, but the astonishment on her oval face was undeniable.
"A medical-nin? But Keisuke, your medical ninjutsu..."
"With your chakra level, how could you possibly be a medical-nin!"
Tsunade once again grabbed Nara Keisuke's left hand, kneading it roughly.
"Medical ninjutsu is a proper Yang Release ninjutsu!"
"I wasn't assigned to the Medical Emergency Team or the Corpse Disposal Unit."
Nara Keisuke winced, pulling his poor little left hand back from Tsunade's demonic clutches.
"Let me reintroduce myself: Medical Department, Beast Rearing and Therapy Class, Reserve Genin."
"A veterinarian?"
The big sucker's pretty face was filled with speechlessness.
"Your family doesn't raise cats, dogs, or insects—oh, that's right. Your family raises deer!"
The Nara clan has raised deer for generations, while also being responsible for maintaining the normal operation of the entire Konoha medical system. But as everyone knows, for the members of the Nara clan, being a shinobi is just a job; raising deer is life.
Nara Keisuke's mother in this life was also a member of the Beast Rearing and Therapy Class before she retired, specializing in raising deer. His joining the class could be roughly seen as "passing on the torch and continuing the watch."
Yakushi Nono'o let go of her worries. Among Konoha's many ninja units, the Medical Department's Beast Rearing and Therapy Class was basically the most "leisurely" place, so leisurely that even she, an elite Jōnin from the same department, had barely heard of it...
Tsunade looked at Nara Keisuke, who was still actively eating, and gently pinched her chin. She seemed to have found a strategy to solve his physical problem.
'A little intern in the Medical Department...'
(End of Chapter)