Chapter 118: The Purple Entry
Chapter 118: The Purple Entry
Inside the training field, the tenth squad finished another day of training.
"Alright." Before dismissing them, Tsunade clapped her hands to get their attention back and got straight to the point: "I'll briefly explain the upcoming training arrangements."
Tsunade first looked at Shizune and Kurenai, and said in a straightforward tone, "I have already spoken with the medical department and the hospital. Starting next week, the two of you will regularly go to Konoha Hospital for systematic learning and internships. You will learn in a step-by-step manner, including theory, anatomy, pharmacology, and clinical practice. For a long time to come, you will strive to become professional and mature medical ninjas."
"Yes, Tsunade-sensei!" Shizune responded almost immediately, her eyes shining.
Becoming a great medical ninja was her dream, and hearing this arrangement now filled her with anticipation and joy.
Kurenai's reaction was somewhat different; a hint of hesitation flashed in her crimson eyes, because becoming a professional medical ninja was not her dream.
What she longs for is to combine her family's illusion techniques with her own swordsmanship and forge a unique path as a ninja.
But Tsunade's previous words and Shinichi's points of view came to mind.
The core of learning medical ninjutsu lies in the ultimate and exquisite control of chakra, as well as a deep understanding of the human body's meridians, organs, and chakra circulation system.
This control and insight are precisely the most basic and crucial qualities for her, who needs to meticulously weave chakra into illusions and perfectly integrate them with sword techniques.
Regardless of whether she ultimately chooses to specialize in medicine, this experience of studying in hospitals and facing various injuries and cases is of irreplaceable value in honing her chakra control precision and enriching her understanding of the human body as the object of combat and genjutsu. It may even be the key to whether she can become a true strong person in the future.
Thinking of this, the hesitation in Kurenai's eyes gradually disappeared, and she nodded earnestly to Tsunade: "I understand, Tsunade-sensei, I will study hard."
Tsunade seemed to have anticipated Kurenai's reaction, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.
At that moment, Shizune seemed to suddenly remember something, blinked, and asked, "Tsunade-sensei, what about Shinichi? Isn't he going to the hospital with us to study?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's expression remained unchanged, and she simply said, "Hasn't this kid been staying at the hospital for a while now? He's not just studying anymore; he can now handle quite a few cases independently, and he's even doing better than many full-time medical ninjas who have been working for years."
"Alright, I'll give you the specific schedule and contact person later." Tsunade seemed unwilling to discuss it further, ending the topic abruptly and waving her hand: "That's all for today, dismissed."
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the streets of Konoha in a warm golden light. Shinichi walked home at a leisurely pace, his mind replaying his earlier conversation with Orochimaru.
Serving as Orochimaru's experimental assistant?
The proposal itself is undoubtedly very tempting.
Orochimaru's talent, insight, and depth of exploration into ninjutsu and the essence of life are among the best in the entire ninja world.
If one could learn from him, the benefits to one's medical, biological, and even more fundamental chakra research would be immeasurable.
More importantly, Orochimaru may have already begun cooperating with Danzo Shimura and may possess the First Hokage's cells.
Shinichi had been coveting these legendary first-generation cells for a long time.
After all, the first-generation cells are legendary top-tier materials, providing invaluable blueprints and data support for exploring the possibilities of physical enhancement or bloodline fusion.
Moreover, Orochimaru is still a hero of Konoha, one of the legendary Sannin who experienced the Fourth Shinobi World War and made great contributions, a disciple relied upon by the Third Hokage, and a core figure of the Hokage system with impeccable lineage.
Learning from him will not have any negative impact on my current personal image; on the contrary, it may add a layer of prestige.
But not now!
Shinichi knew perfectly well that Orochimaru, although not yet completely obsessed with the pursuit of immortality, had experienced the devastating Fourth Shinobi World War.
In particular, after witnessing the unexpected and tragic death of Nawaki, the younger brother of his close friend Tsunade and his own disciple, his mental state also deteriorated, and he became very dangerous.
In fact, after the last Shinobi World War, the three legendary Sannin all suffered some mental problems and went down different paths of escapism or obsession.
Jiraiya appears to be unrestrained and free-spirited, but in reality, he projects his future onto vague and unrealistic prophecies, and spends most of his time away from the village.
As a result, Tsunade developed hemophobia and used alcohol and gambling to numb herself, eventually becoming depressed and running away.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, went to extremes in his exploration of the essence of life and his nihilistic questioning of the meaning of existence itself.
"They're all getting more and more difficult to deal with."
Shinichi shook his head slightly, temporarily suppressing his thoughts: "It's not too late to talk about this after I'm promoted to Jonin and get a purple attribute."
You should know that he still doesn't have a purple-quality entry. He originally thought that with the popularity of the "Cooking Master Boy" manga throughout the Land of Fire, and the successive sensations caused by new dishes, the blue-quality "Gourmet" should be able to advance to purple, but the result was not like that.
Based on Shinichi's past experience, the simplest way to generate and upgrade blue-quality attributes is in the core area of the ninja world.
For example, Kyoto, one of the five great nations, and the five great ninja villages are places of real importance. If someone demonstrates recognized excellence in a certain field and needs the approval of a core figure with relatively high influence, they can be promoted.
Of course, it doesn't have to be limited to these places. It's just that these places have a higher level of value. Other places may have a wider scope and take longer.
So, what about purple?
If it's not enough to be a sensation that sweeps the entire Land of Fire, then it probably needs the approval of multiple countries or even the entire ninja world.
Perhaps this step should be from genius to master, from elite to strongman, the representative figure that comes to mind when people mention a certain field.
Just like people in the ninja world today, when they mention medical ninjutsu, they think of Tsunade; when they mention poison ninjutsu, they think of Chiyo and Hanzo; when they mention swordsmanship, they think of Sakumo, Hanzo, and Mifune, etc. They are recognized by the world as representative figures in a certain field in the ninja world today.
All I can say is that advancing purple-quality attributes is much more difficult than he imagined.
But this also means that the benefits he receives from the purple attributes will be greater than he imagined.
Becoming a recognized representative figure in a certain field within the ninja world is still quite difficult for Shinichi at this point.
However, he also has his own shortcut. Once he is promoted to Jonin and gains the corresponding knowledge, he will be able to unlock the stat bonuses brought by the Jonin class, obtain the opportunity to draw purple stats, and his strength will reach a new level.
When you step on your right foot with your left, it will be much faster.
After obtaining the title of "Jonin" and the new purple attribute, Shinichi had more confidence to stand before Orochimaru on equal footing and participate in the matter as a collaborator or even a leader.
Thinking of this, Shinichi looked up at the sky. The sun had already sunk most of the way down, leaving only a faint red glow on the horizon. He quickened his pace and headed home.
Right now, the most important thing is to make use of the last remaining time before the war to continue to solidify the foundation and enhance strength.
Orochimaru's invitation and the temptation of the First Hokage's cells must be put aside for the time being. Only when one is strong enough and has enough leverage and confidence can those opportunities and dangers hidden in the shadows be truly controlled and turned into stepping stones for progress.
Meanwhile, in Kumogakure, in the Raikage's office.
"It now seems that the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, and even his possible death, is basically confirmed."
The Third Raikage's voice was deep and resonant, like rolling muffled thunder.
"The Land of Wind is undoubtedly in internal chaos right now, and the Sand Village is leaderless, making it the weakest point in terms of strength and defense. I've decided to personally lead an elite team to check on the situation!"
He turned around, his sharp, eagle-like gaze sweeping over his key assistants in the office before finally settling on the earthen platform of his most trusted courtier.
"Tutai, make the necessary preparations for the reception and follow-up!"
Looking at the Third Raikage unleashing his astonishing wisdom once again, Tsuchida sighed deeply.
Do you know how far the Land of Wind is from our Land of Thunder?
How many countries will we be passing through?
What's worse is that it will pass through the borders of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth's sphere of influence. How is that any different from swaggering into someone else's backyard with a flag in hand?
And even if we defeat Sunagakure, what good will it do us? Just to show off our strength?
But this thought only crossed his mind for a moment. Tsuchikage knew the Raikage's personality all too well. His strength was unparalleled in the ninja world, and his personality was fierce and bold. Once he set his mind on a goal, his stubbornness was unyielding and no one could persuade him otherwise.
When he enters this state of "I think it's feasible", any dissuasion based on common sense, geography, or political calculations is useless.
Never mind...
Tsuchikage shook his head inwardly with a sigh, then said respectfully, "I understand, Lord Raikage. I will immediately select a list of the most reliable and skilled elite squad members, who are best at covert operations and long-distance raids, for your review. However, please proceed with caution and focus on reconnaissance."
"Okay, it's up to you." The Third Raikage was clearly very satisfied with Tsuchikage's efficiency and thoroughness. He waved his hand, his fighting spirit high, and said, "Hurry up! We can't let that old fox Onoki or that old monkey Hiruzen Sarutobi get there first!"