The operating room of Ward 77 hummed with quiet focus. Hyuga Hizashi lay unconscious on the table, his thigh already prepped and waiting. The Hidden Sand's poison—Chiyo's work, no less—had nearly claimed him during a mission in the Land of Wind. Now it fell to Tsunade to save him.

  "Hanekawa, get ready," Tsunade said without looking up, extending her palm.

  Light green chakra gathered in her hand, then sharpened into something blade-like. The Chakra Scalpel—A-Rank medical ninjutsu. She made the incision with practiced precision.

  "Stop the bleeding," Tsunade ordered.

  Hanekawa placed his hands on the wound, his own chakra flowing out to seal the blood vessels. Chiyo's poison, he thought, watching Tsunade work. Of course it's Chiyo. The woman who fought Tsunade to a standstill during the Second War. Great. Nothing says 'fun Tuesday' like dealing with legendary puppeteer toxins.

  "Use the fine tissue extraction technique," Tsunade commanded. "Nonō, get the antidote I prepared."

  Hanekawa formed the necessary seals, channeling his chakra into the B-Rank jutsu. Finding the source of toxins within a patient's body required precision and control—skills he'd spent six months perfecting. The chaotic chakra patterns resolved under his focus, revealing the poison's location like a dark stain in Hizashi's flesh.

  Nonō, the hospital Yakushi, returned with a small bottle. Tsunade sprinkled the antidote powder over the wound while Hanekawa maintained his technique, carefully extracting the contaminated tissue. Minutes passed. The blackened flesh gradually returned to healthy pink.

  "Stop," Tsunade said.

  Hanekawa withdrew his hands as Tsunade's palms began to glow. The Mystical Palm Technique—the most difficult medical ninjutsu in existence. The wound sealed itself perfectly, leaving barely a scar.

  Still can't do that one, he thought, watching the master work. Someday.

  ---

  Six months had passed since Tsunade's birthday. In that time, Hanekawa had earned the C-Rank entry 'Medical Chunin'—a 50% boost to all medical ninjutsu effectiveness. Combined with his natural talent and the Ability System's automatic proficiency gains, he'd become something of a prodigy.

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  The catch? Advancing to B-Rank required mastery—not just proficiency—of nine different medical techniques. Proficiency came automatically. Mastery required grinding.

  Hence the hospital internship during his second-year break.

  He'd also picked up a C-Rank entry in genjutsu with similar requirements. Two paths to Special Jonin, he mused. And I'm eight years old. Totally normal.

  "Excellent work today," Tsunade said, wiping sweat from her forehead as they left the operating room.

  Hanekawa handed her a towel without being asked.

  "More than excellent," Nonō added, unable to contain herself. "His medical skill rivals a Special Jonin already—and he's only eight!"

  Tsunade shook her head. "He's still far from that level."

  Right, Hanekawa thought. Because apparently the Hokage's standards are "can you save the world single-handedly?" Everything else is "needs improvement."

  Hyuga Hiashi was waiting outside, his pale eyes reflecting genuine relief when Tsunade emerged.

  "The poison is neutralized," Tsunade reported. "He'll need rest, but he'll recover fully."

  "Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Hiashi bowed slightly, then noticed Hanekawa. "And this young man? An intern already? Impressive."

  "Not an intern," Nonō corrected gently. "He's Lady Tsunade's surgical assistant."

  Hiashi's expression shifted to something between shock and disbelief. A surgical assistant at eight years old meant he was already Chunin-level in medical ninjutsu. The Hyuga clan leader clearly didn't know whether to be impressed or concerned about what standards Konoha was setting these days.

  "Don't inflate his ego," Tsunade said, a slight smile playing at her lips. "We need to get going."

  Hanekawa followed her out, already dreading what came next.

  "When does your semester start?" Tsunade asked as they walked.

  "Tomorrow."

  "And?"

  "And I was hoping you might pick me up halfway through the opening ceremony," Hanekawa said carefully. "The Hokage's speeches tend to be... lengthy."

  Tsunade laughed—actually laughed. "Isn't being Hokage your dream?"

  "My dream Hokage speeches will be three minutes maximum," Hanekawa said with complete seriousness. "Possibly two."

  "You're not even sure you'll become one yet," Tsunade pointed out. "Be humble."

  "I'm always humble."

  She reached over and tapped his head, shaking her head at his obvious lie. But she was still smiling.

  Two minutes until the ceremony starts, Hanekawa thought as they walked through the hospital corridors. And I'm already planning my escape route. This is going to be a long day.