Naruto: The Medical Ninja

Chapter 107: Chapter 106: The Healing Arts

Ryu’s eyes were fixed on the scroll that lay between them, his heart racing with anticipation. The scroll, filled with medical knowledge, was a key to unlocking a new path—’The Healing Arts’.

- Seal patterns recorded but could not be decoded

- Not enough information

Although he was still unable to decipher the summoning scroll’s mechanism, he was not concerned because he would eventually figure it out.

”Watch closely, Ryu. This is the most basic space-time ninjutsu. Even those with just a spark of talent in ninjutsu can master it,” Dan explained

Ryu recalled that prior to the Chunnin Exams Arc of the Naruto story, Might Gyu, who lacked proficiency in Ninjutsu, also could summon a turtle. The concept of summoning had always fascinated him, and now he was experiencing it firsthand, even though it was just ordinary summoning rather than Beast summoning.

Dan’s weathered hands moved swiftly, forming a series of intricate hand seals. Ryu recorded and memorised those hand-seals. As Dan placed his hand on the opened scroll and channelled his chakra. A soft blue glow emanated from his palm, and suddenly, the scroll’s contents materialised before them with a puff of smoke.

”Amazing,” Ryu said.

Dan smiled at his grandson’s enthusiasm. ”It uses chakra proportionate to the weight and size of the things being placed inside the scroll. It’s a fundamental skill for any ninja, allowing us to carry far more than we could at hand. Pretty convenient, right?”

Curiosity piqued, and Ryu couldn’t help but ask, ”What about beast summons, grandpa? Are they similar?”

Dan’s expression turned thoughtful. ”Ah, beast summons. That is a different concept entirely. Much more complex and far rarer. Other space-time ninjutsu, like beast summons, are very hard and require exceptional talent. Not everyone can perform them because they require a blood contract to be executed beforehand, and a good contract is hard to come by.”

His eyes took on a faraway look, as if recalling distant memories. ”Only about 15% of ninjas have animal summons, and most of those are non-combat summons used for a variety of purposes like tracking, information gathering, scouting, diversion, etc. Most of the summons are used to deliver information scrolls. More uncommon are combat summonses, which make up only 25% of all summonses. Contracts for combat summonses are extremely uncommon, as the summoned beast most of the time has very stringent requirements. Even if you do manage to get your hands on a contract, the beast may not agree to be your summon.”

Dr. Yuki, who had been listening patiently, gently interrupted. ”Thank you for the brief explanation about the summons, Dan, but could we please get back to the topic at hand?” Her tone was polite but firm, a reminder of the task before them.

Dan nodded, stepping back as Dr. Yuki took centre stage. The scroll containing medical books lay open between them, its contents spread out on the ground.

Dr. Yuki’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she began to explain, ”Ryu, these books are just the beginning of your journey into medical ninjutsu. Before I train you in healing arts, I want you to study these texts thoroughly.”

Ryu nodded, his face a mask of concentration. ”I understand, Mother Yuki. I’ll do my best to absorb everything.”

”Good!” she smiled, her approval evident. ”Now, there’s something important you should know. Most combat medics are proficient only in basic healing hand jutsu, but medical ninjutsu doesn’t stop there. It’s a vast field with various specialisations and ranks.”

Ryu’s eyes widened with interest. ”Ranks? Like in other ninja disciplines?”

”Exactly.” Dr. Yuki nodded, pleased by his quick understanding. ”Just as there are sealmasters and seal grandmasters in Fuinjutsu, or swordmasters and sword grandmasters in Kenjutsu, we have our own hierarchy in the medical field.”

She began counting off on her fingers, her voice taking on a rhythmic cadence. ”We start with apprentices or students, then move up to medical interns, residents, chief residents, professors, senior professors, directors, and finally, heads of departments normally called Heads of Medicine. Within these ranks, we have specialists who focus on particular areas of medicine.”

Dr. Yuki continued, ”Isao, whom you met, is an apprentice in botany and herbology. Hana is a recent graduate intern specialising in blood work.”

She paused, her expression turning serious. ”It’s important to note that civilian medics outnumber and most of the time outrank combat medics. Dr. Nono and I are medical ninjas, unlike Dr. Sato, who is a civilian doctor.”

Ryu nodded, filing away this information for future reference. He could see the distinction clearly now—the delicate balance between civilian and ninja medical practitioners.

Dr. Yuki continued, her voice taking on a tone of reverence. ”There’s also a medical council composed of retired and serving directors and heads of departments. The council president is appointed by the Leaf Council by votes for a five-year term.”

She continued after a pause, ”It’s especially challenging for ninjas to balance medical training with combat skills. Lady Tsunade is a prime exception; she’s not only a Sannin but also holds the rank of Head of Medicine in multiple branches of medicine.”

Dr. Yuki looked at Ryu, her eyes softening. ”You’ll need to read many books to keep up while training to become a ninja. But with your excellent memory, I believe you’ll manage just fine.”

”I should be going,” she said, brushing grass from her clothes. ”I’ll bring more books on Sunday, Ryu. And Dan,” she turned to the older man, ”please help Ryu complete his chakra control training. I’d like to start teaching him healing hand jutsu soon.”

Dan’s eyebrows rose with pride on his face. ”Actually, he’s already mastered leaf-sticking and tree-climbing exercises. And with remarkable efficiency, I might add.”

”What?” Dr. Yuki asked, her curiosity piqued.

Dan’s voice held a note of pride as he replied, ”His chakra control and focus are, well, extraordinary. I will be teaching him water walking today. He will be doing all these basic trainings in parallel.”

Yuki’s brow furrowed with concern. ”Won’t that be too much for him?”

Dan shook his head, confidence radiating from him. ”No. His chakra focus and control are already beyond what is expected of a genin Ninja. He is ready for this. Besides, it will help him in the long run if he is done with the basics now.”

As the adults discussed his progress, Ryu’s mind wandered. ’I had no idea my [Muscle Memory] ability could be so advantageous,’ he mused. ’My feet could recall the exact sequence of chakra flow needed.’ He pondered what other benefits this ability might offer beyond rapid taijutsu learning and enhanced limb-based chakra control.

Dan continued, his voice filled with wonder, ”While applying a leaf to his forehead, he was able to multitask effortlessly.”

Dr. Yuki’s eyes widened in astonishment. ”That’s... that’s incredible. Untrained academy students can’t perform such feats. Even trained ninjas must remain still and meditate for this type of training. At this age, not even clan children could accomplish this.”

Ryu suppressed a smile. ’That’s thanks to my [Parallel Thinking] ability,’ he thought. ’It allows me to multitask mentally with ease.’ A sense of satisfaction washed over him as he recalled choosing his current abilities in the void before his reincarnation. ’I didn’t make a wrong judgement in selecting these abilities,’ he thought, a hint of pride colouring his internal voice.

Dan invited Dr. Yuki to stay for a meal, but she politely declined, explaining she needed to return to the orphanage. With a warm smile and a wave, she bid farewell to Ryu and Dan, leaving the young boy with his new books and a head full of possibilities.

As Dr. Yuki’s figure disappeared down the street, Ryu turned his attention back to the books she brought. He opened it, revealing diagrams of human anatomy and detailed explanations of chakra pathways of the ninja body and how it is different from a civillian body.

’This is just the beginning,’ he thought, his eyes scanning the pages hungrily. ’With these books, my abilities, and Mother Yuki’s guidance, I’ll become an excellent medical ninja.’

Dan said, ”Well, it seems you have impressed Yuki quite thoroughly,” as his hand settled on Ryu’s shoulder. ”Shall we continue your training? We will now work on water walking exercises next. It will raise your chakra control to the next level, which will help in all kinds of ninjutsu.”

Ryu’s face lit up with excitement. ”Yes, Grandfather! I’m ready!”

As they made their way to a nearby water pond for water walking training, Ryu’s mind buzzed with possibilities. He never thought that he would one day be able to walk on water. The idea of walking on water seemed impossible, but so was walking vertically on a tree at first.

As Dan began explaining the principles of water walking, Ryu listened intently, his mind already working to apply what he’d learnt from tree climbing to this new challenge.

Ryu nodded, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he stepped towards the water’s edge. This was the next step in his journey.