"You're back?" Tsunade said flatly, glancing up as Fujimoto Tōma stepped into the office. She checked the clock and snorted. "Looks like you had a relaxing time."
She did not need to ask. Taking this long meant he had definitely taken his time. Efficient, yes. But still irritating.
S-rank missions were not just prestige. They were money. Village money, personal money. The kind of money that could slowly bury her mountain of debt.
And this guy had been slacking.
"It wasn't bad," Tōma replied casually, completely unfazed. "The mission went smoothly too. So counting the last two, I've basically cleared four S-rank missions. I should qualify for a break now, right?"
Tsunade exhaled. "Do whatever you want."
If he were willing to work nonstop, she would squeeze every drop of value out of him without blinking. But since he insisted on pacing himself, there was no point forcing it. Other shinobi could pick up the slack.
"Thanks, Hokage-sama," Tōma said. Then he added, "There's something else."
She set her paperwork aside. "What now?"
"Some of the rookies could use proper medical ninjutsu training," he said. "It'd be best if you arranged instructors. And if possible… you teaching them personally would make a huge difference."
"Some?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You said 'them.'"
"Hyūga Hinata. Haruno Sakura. Yamanaka Ino," Tōma said without hesitation. "All three have strong potential for medical work."
Tsunade studied him. "Compared to you?"
Tōma paused, then nodded seriously. "If you're comparing them to me, then no one their age compares."
It was not arrogance. Just accounting.
Tsunade clicked her tongue, amused. She actually tried to think of someone his age who could outmatch him and came up empty. Even the Fourth Hokage would have struggled at that stage.
"What makes them special?" she asked. "You wouldn't bring this up without checking."
Tōma nodded. "Haruno Sakura has low chakra reserves, but her control is exceptional. On par with yours. That makes her ideal for genjutsu support and medical techniques."
Tsunade and Shizune both looked up.
Shizune quickly handed over Sakura's file. Tsunade skimmed it, eyes narrowing.
"The reports hint at it," she said slowly. "But this level of control… you're certain?"
"Completely."
Low reserves were a flaw, but not a fatal one. Especially for a medic. No one sent medics charging into the front line anyway.
"And the others?"
"Hyūga Hinata has the Byakugan. Strong sensory ability, above-average chakra control. Not Sakura's level, but still excellent."
"That's fairly standard for the Hyūga," Tsunade said.
"Don't underestimate her," Tōma replied. "Her Byakugan has no blind spots, and its clarity is unusually high. If she combines that with medical ninjutsu, her path could be wider than yours."
Tsunade went quiet.
If she could see damage directly… things Tsunade had to infer through experience might become obvious.
Tōma continued, explaining how chakra scalpels could pair with the Byakugan's precision.
Tsunade sighed. "You really like turning medical techniques into combat tools."
She briefly thought of Yakushi Kabuto. And then imagined Hinata doing the same thing, with vision that bordered on unfair.
"And the last one?" Tsunade asked, half-smiling. "Your… close friend."
"Ino's clan techniques already demand fine chakra control," Tōma said. "Medical ninjutsu complements them perfectly. And improving her control feeds back into her clan skills."
"And that's it?"
"That's it."
Tsunade leaned back. "I was hoping for another surprise."
"They're already impressive," Tōma said dryly. "You don't get miracles for free. And Ino won't fall behind. I'll make sure of that."
"…Alright," Tsunade said after a moment. "I'll test them myself."
Then she shot him a glare. "You skip work and still dump extra tasks on me."
"I'm helping you find successors," Tōma said calmly. "If your medical legacy disappears, that's a loss for the entire shinobi world."
Shizune nodded in agreement. She knew better than anyone that she could not fully inherit Tsunade's techniques.
"That much is true," Tsunade admitted without modesty.
Tōma hesitated, then spoke again. "There's one more thing."
"Oh?" she said. "Now I'm curious."
"I have a question about medical ninjutsu."
Tsunade blinked. "You? Asking?"
"I don't know everything," Tōma replied.
She laughed and waved her hand. "Go on."
He explained his problem carefully. How medical chakra stimulated the body's energy to accelerate healing. And how he wondered why that step could not be skipped entirely. Why not redirect the body's energy directly to the wound?
He had tried. Repeatedly. Every attempt failed.
The room fell silent.
Tsunade frowned. Shizune looked utterly lost.
After a long pause, Tsunade sighed. "Your questions are never simple. Tōma… do you know about Yang Release?"
"I've heard of it," he said. "Medical ninjutsu touches it. So do the Akimichi clan's techniques."
"I can't answer your question," Tsunade admitted. "But if you want to pursue it, go speak with the Akimichi. That's your best lead."
It stung a little to admit defeat. But this was beyond standard medical theory.
"So their Expansion Technique… Yang-based transformation…" Tōma muttered, already thinking.
Getting access to clan secrets would not be easy. Even with Akimichi Chōji, friendship only went so far.
Still.
Future Hokage privileges had their uses.
Tsunade tapped the desk. "If you're going to think, do it somewhere else."
"Oh," Tōma said. "There's actually one last thing."
She narrowed her eyes.