Chapter 20: Old Man, Where Are My Granduncle’s Books?

Words : 1456 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

His entire arm was stained with blood. Kyohiko had never expected that the beginner level of this technique would consume so much energy and cause such severe backlash to his arm. By the end, he didn’t even have the strength to escape. Shizune quickly examined his injuries and said urgently, "We need to get him to the hospital immediately!" "No, we can’t go to the hospital!" Kyohiko gritted his teeth through the pain. "If we go to the hospital, Lady Tsunade’s situation will be exposed. You treat me first and heal the surface wounds." "This..." Shizune hesitated for a moment but then agreed. Beside them, Tsunade was still in a state of fear. Shizune clenched her teeth and said, "Alright, I’ll do it!" However, beads of sweat were already forming on her forehead. Shizune had indeed learned a lot of medical knowledge and techniques, but her chakra reserves were limited, and she lacked practical experience. Performing such a procedure was extremely challenging for her. Yuhi Kurenai said, "I’ve studied medical techniques for over half a month and know some basics. Can I help?" "Yes!" Shizune was relieved. Kakashi stood silently to the side. He hadn’t practiced medical techniques, so he couldn’t be of much help. Shizune then explained how to proceed with the treatment and how Kurenai could assist. She didn’t need Kurenai to do too much—just use medical chakra to stimulate cell activity and help share some of the burden. Time passed slowly. The wounds on Kyohiko’s arm gradually began to heal. However, Shizune’s forehead was now drenched in sweat. After a while, Kyohiko said, "Kakashi, lend me a hand." "What?" Kakashi immediately stepped forward. Kyohiko extended his uninjured hand and formed half of the Dragon seal. Kakashi understood. He gathered chakra and completed the other half of the seal. Then... Boar, Rabbit. Water Release: Water Wave. The two of them formed the seals together, but the technique was unstable, producing only a small stream of water instead of a full-scale attack. However, Kyohiko only needed it to wash his hands. The blood was washed away, and the wounds on his arm were mostly healed. "Let’s move somewhere else." "Alright." Shizune understood his intention and, together with Kurenai, helped Tsunade move to a spot where the bloodstains weren’t visible. After a while, Tsunade finally regained her composure. Her face was pale, but she first treated the internal injuries in Kyohiko’s hand. Then, she fell silent for a long time. Finally, she said, "As you can see, in my current state, I can’t even perform basic medical treatments." Everyone remained silent. Tsunade’s condition was likely a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), something that required self-regulation to overcome. Kyohiko sighed inwardly. Tsunade, however, had already recovered. Or rather, she had regained her composure earlier, which was why she had been able to treat Kyohiko’s hand. Her silence had been due to Kyohiko’s ordeal reminding her of her own past. Tsunade shook her head and said seriously, "Enough of that. Kyohiko, how did you learn that technique just now?" "Your strength isn’t inherently that terrifying. I observed and felt that it was achieved through a burst of chakra. Since I couldn’t force you out of the circle with my own strength, I thought of using a similar effect to distract you, and then I used explosive tags to achieve my goal." Kyohiko explained, then lowered his head in a show of shame. At this moment, even Kakashi’s mask couldn’t hide his astonishment. Observing... and then learning it? Well, not exactly. Strictly speaking, Kyohiko had just tried it out, and when it failed, he used it as a distraction. The key was still the explosive tags. There had indeed been an explosion earlier. Tsunade listened and said, "Your idea was good, but too reckless. Techniques that involve rapid chakra gathering can have severe consequences if they fail. You shouldn’t casually learn or imitate them. Fortunately, you succeeded this time." Of course, he had only used it because he knew it would work. Kyohiko thought to himself. However, on the surface, he maintained an apologetic demeanor. "I was wrong!" Tsunade glared at him but didn’t scold him further. After all, being able to grasp the direction of a technique just by observing it and then successfully using it was a truly monstrous level of talent! This kid had an incredibly high level of comprehension. In Tsunade’s memory, only one person could compare to him. Orochimaru! She fell into reminiscence. Kakashi was also reflecting on the earlier battle. Sometimes, he wondered if he was the rookie genin, rather than a chūnin who had graduated a year or two ago. The atmosphere grew quiet. "Kyohiko, you’re amazing. I wish I could learn that," Shizune said enviously. Tsunade replied, "Your body is too weak, and you don’t have a strong talent for chakra control. If you try to learn and use it forcefully, you’ll end up like him, or even worse." Shizune stuck out her tongue. Tsunade continued to lecture her. "Naturally, everyone wanted to learn such a technique, but its threshold was extremely high, and not just anyone could master it." Finally, Tsunade turned to Kurenai. "Do you want to give it a try?" "I’m sorry, my abilities are far from sufficient, but I’d still like to ask for your guidance, Lady Tsunade." Kurenai bowed. Tsunade nodded. "One more won’t hurt." She then drew a circle on the ground. Kurenai first used a genjutsu, but Tsunade easily broke it. Kurenai then tried combining clone techniques with genjutsu and explosive tags to disrupt the battle. However, Tsunade was always able to accurately see through her tactics and counter them quickly. Soon, Kurenai was defeated. "Alright, let’s go over each of you." Tsunade sat down cross-legged. After the battles, the earlier blood stimulation had completely faded from her mind, and she had returned to her usual carefree demeanor. "Kakashi, your speed is faster than Kyohiko’s, but Kyohiko can flexibly control and utilize his speed, whereas you’re far behind in that aspect. That’s what you need to improve." Tsunade paused briefly to organize her thoughts. "If you’re going down the path of assassination or one-hit kills, I suggest you learn a technique with strong single-point destructive power." "Yes, thank you, Lady Tsunade." Kakashi quickly expressed his gratitude. Tsunade then looked at Kyohiko, her expression turning serious. "Kid, your ideas and talent are strong, but many techniques come with significant risks during learning and development. You need to improve your fundamentals and broaden your knowledge." "Yes, I’ll do my best." Kyohiko replied. Knowledge was precious, and some families guarded their techniques like secret arts. It wasn’t something he could just learn at will. Tsunade nodded and didn’t say more. She turned to Kurenai, her expression softening. "Kurenai, you have the same problem as Shizune—your physical foundation is too weak. However, your talent for chakra control is stronger than Shizune’s. If you’re serious about becoming a medical ninja, you’ll need to catch up on the basics." Being a medical ninja wasn’t just about knowing how to use techniques. Kurenai nodded. "I’ve been studying recently." "Good. I’ll have Shizune share her notes with you. You two can learn from each other." With that, Tsunade stretched lazily. "It’s been a while since I’ve loosened up like this. Fighting with you kids was actually a bit tiring!" "Alright, you can train on your own now." With that, she disappeared in a flash. A short while later, at the Hokage’s office, Tsunade slammed open the door to Sarutobi Hiruzen’s office. "Tsunade?" Hiruzen was slightly surprised but quickly composed himself and smiled, inviting her to sit. Tsunade slammed her hand on the table, looking as if she had come to collect a debt. "Old man, did you take all of my granduncle’s notes?" "Well..." Hiruzen’s mouth twitched, and he coughed lightly. "Those books have been sealed away." "Some of them involve forbidden knowledge, so I understand why they were sealed. But why are so many ordinary notes also missing? Were they sealed away, or did someone take them to pass off as their own?" Tsunade was direct, not pointing directly at the Third Hokage but instead aiming her words at Danzo. Hiruzen found it difficult to respond. Although he and Danzo were students of the Second Hokage, strictly speaking, Tsunade had more right to inherit the Second Hokage’s legacy. "That’s not the case. Danzo only sealed them away in the ANBU for safekeeping, considering the Second Hokage’s items to be precious. If you need them, I’ll have him bring them out. Which parts do you want?" "Bring me the more basic ones. It’s not like you’re using them anyway." Tsunade was unapologetic. Hiruzen nodded, understanding her purpose. This child!

Chapter 20: Old Man, Where Are My Granduncle’s Books?

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