Haruto Saito was right! Why not teach him?
Tsunade needed three full days to use her medical chakra to repair her crucially damaged meridian before she could heal herself completely. In other words, it would take her three days to recover from all her injuries.
But if Haruto could learn "Permeating Healing Technique" in just one day and use it to heal Tsunade, she would recover in just one day!
One day versus three days—it might not seem like a huge difference.
But in reality, it was an enormous distinction. Their location had already been exposed, and it was impossible to predict how many Rain ninja would come after them. If Hanzo wasn't too far away, he would undoubtedly come in person. Not to mention the numerous small factions within the Land of Rain whose ninjas would also be drawn to the scene.
The three of them had little time left!
Healing Tsunade's injuries as quickly as possible was the top priority.
"Kid, can you really learn any technique in just one day?" Tsunade hesitated. She had to be sure—if she decided to teach Haruto, she would have to abandon healing herself for now. She couldn't do both at the same time.
"Not just any technique, but if it's only a B-rank medical jutsu, I'm confident!" Haruto replied.
"Alright! Kid, I believe in you! Don't let me down!" Tsunade spoke seriously. This was no longer just a casual bet—this was a matter of life and death. If Haruto failed to learn the technique within a day and delayed Tsunade's self-healing, their situation would only become worse.
"We'll start immediately! Remember when you taught me the Strength of a Hundred technique?" Haruto sat cross-legged by the fire, facing Tsunade. "You need to teach me with full focus, and I'll learn with full focus. We can't rest until I've mastered the Permeating Healing Technique, understood?"
"You can be assured—I have a vested interest in your success." Tsunade replied seriously. Then she clapped her hands together, quickly forming hand seals. A red glow appeared on her palms as she pressed them against her forehead.
Absorbing the red light, Tsunade's eyes became sharp and alert. Her entire presence seemed revitalized, and her breathing steadied.
This was forced stimulation!
A teacher needed to be fully energized to provide proper instruction, and with her injuries, she had to push herself even further.
"Let's begin," Haruto said.
"The Permeating Healing Technique is a very niche medical jutsu. Although it is only a B-rank technique, very few medical ninjas in the Leaf Village's Medical Corps actually use it. The reason is that its healing capabilities are quite limited—it only affects the meridians and has little general application. That's why few bother to learn it…"
Sitting by the fire, the two faced each other. Tsunade explained carefully, and Haruto listened attentively, occasionally asking questions.
He had fully activated his heightened perception and focused all his attention on Tsunade. Having just woken up from a full day's sleep, he was brimming with energy.
Jiraiya, sitting nearby, remained silent. He quietly roasted a wild rabbit and some mushrooms, then placed the food beside them.
Two hours passed.
"Ding! The host has received Tsunade's legacy instruction, acquiring 21 'Permeating Healing Technique Card Fragments.'"
Haruto's heart trembled. He quickly paused Tsunade, saying he needed a moment to process the information, then asked internally, "Spirit, what is legacy instruction?"
"Ding! Answering the host's question—legacy instruction is the highest level of teaching, surpassing even meticulous instruction. It is only triggered when the instructor wholeheartedly wishes for the host to master the technique without any reservations."
"I understand," Haruto responded in his mind. He nodded at Tsunade, signaling her to continue.
By this time, Jiraiya had already left the cave to stand watch outside. Only Haruto and Tsunade remained inside.
Another two hours passed.
"Ding! The host has received Tsunade's legacy instruction, acquiring 18 'Permeating Healing Technique Card Fragments.'"
Time continued to pass.
"Ding! The host has received Tsunade's legacy instruction, acquiring 19 'Permeating Healing Technique Card Fragments.'"
"Ding! The host has received Tsunade's legacy instruction, acquiring 18 'Permeating Healing Technique Card Fragments.'"
"Ding! The host has received Tsunade's meticulous instruction, acquiring 13 'Permeating Healing Technique Card Fragments.'"
"Huh?" Haruto was startled and quickly asked, "Why did it switch to meticulous instruction?"
"Ding! Answering the host's question—due to the instructor's deteriorating condition." The system spirit responded.
Haruto looked at Tsunade's face. It had been ten hours since she had started teaching him. During this time, Jiraiya had returned a few times only to add wood to the fire, never disturbing them.
Tsunade, on the other hand, had continuously spoken and demonstrated techniques. Due to her injuries, the demonstrations had been complex, as she couldn't directly perform the Permeating Healing Technique.
Now, she looked utterly exhausted. She had forced herself to stay alert twice, but that was merely a temporary boost. The more she forced it, the more drained she would become later.
However, after receiving card fragments five consecutive times, Haruto now had a total of 89. He only needed 11 more to reach 100% mastery!
Two more hours of endurance!
"As I mentioned before, the key to the Permeating Healing Technique is chakra precision. Never allow chakra to spread beyond the meridians, as that could be dangerous and wasteful…" Tsunade spoke rapidly.
Haruto refocused, absorbing her words.
Two more hours passed.
"Ding! The host has received Tsunade's meticulous instruction, acquiring 12 'Permeating Healing Technique Card Fragments.'"
It was enough!
A total of 101 fragments—just 100 were required for full mastery!
"I think I understand," Haruto suddenly said, interrupting Tsunade.
"Oh?" Tsunade's eyes lit up. "You've mastered it?"
"Give me a second to think." Haruto stood up and paced around the fire, his mind focused.
"Ding! Success! The host has acquired the B-rank Permeating Healing Technique Card."
Tsunade was visibly exhausted, her face pale, but she kept her gaze fixed on Haruto.
As he circled the fire, he turned his back toward her for just a moment. In that split second, he retrieved the Permeating Healing Technique Card from his system inventory, quickly bit into it, and crushed it in his mouth. The motion was odd, but the flames blocked Tsunade's view, and she didn't notice.
At the same time, outside the abandoned mine, the sun had already risen—it was now morning.
Hidden in a tall tree, Jiraiya scanned the surroundings with a telescope. He had been on watch for over ten hours, frequently shifting locations.
Suddenly!
Through the telescope, he spotted a figure!
A ninja was speeding toward the mine.
Jiraiya instantly tensed, gripping the telescope tighter, scanning for more.
The second… the third… the tenth… over a hundred…
It was an entire ninja battalion!
They were Rain ninjas—more than 150 of them, some accompanied by ninja dogs.
A sharp cry rang out in the sky.
"Chirp!"
It was a Rain Falcon!
They were just a few kilometers away, closing in fast!
"Damn it!" Jiraiya cursed before leaping from the tree and rushing back to the cave.