Naruto : Konoha Light

The night breeze was slightly cold, as if it carried a chill straight to one's heart.

"I must be under a genjutsu… I must be…" By the riverside, Yuhi Shinku's expression was tense as he quickly formed a series of hand seals. "Release!"

"Hmm? With your level of mental strength, Shinku-senpai, do you really need to go through so much trouble just to break my genjutsu?" Nearby, Shimizu tilted his head, puzzled.

"The genjutsu I was referring to wasn't yours…" Shinku's lips twitched slightly before his eyes lit up with intensity. he stared at Shimizu and said, "Your talent in genjutsu is the best I've ever seen. You shouldn't waste it on medical ninjutsu—train under me and master genjutsu instead!"

Shimizu gave him a strange look. Is this what they call the 'shameless male lead' template?

Just yesterday, he had claimed that Kurenai had the best genjutsu talent he'd ever seen. And today, he was already switching his stance?

"If my 'talent' in medical ninjutsu comes from hard work and learning methods on my own, then my talent in genjutsu is largely due to my previous life's experiences and the fusion of souls. Comparatively speaking, my talent in genjutsu might indeed be considered superior…" Shimizu thought to himself. However, he also knew that Shinku could offer him very little in terms of improving his abilities.

Regret filled his heart, but outwardly, he remained firm. "Shinku-senpai, I'm sorry, but my dream is to become a medical ninja like Tsunade-sama!"

Though it was somewhat disrespectful, Shimizu truly couldn't bring himself to admire Shinku's level of genjutsu. Learning from him without commitment was fine, but formally acknowledging him as a teacher? That was unnecessary.

This was the limitation of genjutsu. The world's strongest illusionists almost exclusively came from the Uchiha clan. Meanwhile, Shinku had merely reached the pinnacle of what a non-Uchiha genjutsu user could achieve.

Fortunately, Shimizu had already mapped out a future path for his own genjutsu development, but the necessary conditions weren't yet in place.

"...What a pity," Shinku sighed. he knew that the more talented a person was, the harder it was to sway their convictions. Still, hearing Shimizu's refusal left him with some regret.

Medical ninjutsu had Tsunade to uphold its prestige, but the world of genjutsu users was woefully lacking.

"Well, I suppose this is fine too. If he devoted himself to studying genjutsu under me, it might not even take him two years to completely surpass me," Shinku consoled himself, forcing a smile. "Alright then, let's move on to the next stage of training."

Time flowed by quietly, slipping through the cracks like grains of sand. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.

"Wait! Don't come near me!"

"Relax, my blade is sharp!"

"No! I don't want to be treated! Let me go!"

"You walked into the hospital, and now you want to leave? Hold him down!"

"Wait, what's that in your hand?!"

"This? Oh, just something to help you forget the pain. Ha! Body Anesthesia Technique! … Huh? Why isn't it working? Let's try again—Body Anesthesia Technique!

"Pfft!"

"You're doing it wrong! You need better chakra control. Let me do it."

"No! Stop! Just knock me out!"

"If you insist… then…"

"NOOOO—!"

"Quick, tie him up and apply a sealing jutsu!"

Outside Konoha's hospital, the pitiful cries echoing from the ward left Shizune looking rather awkward. She turned to the woman beside her and bowed apologetically. "Tsunade-sama, I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Tsunade simply shook her head. "I've seen worse during surgeries," she said calmly.

"Still, that Body Anesthesia Technique…"

"You weren't aware? This surgical method was already approved for trial a month ago."

"A month ago? I must be a truly incompetent hospital director if I didn't even know about this," Tsunade said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

"Tsunade-sama, we all know that you were only reluctant to take charge because—"

"There's no need to make excuses for me," Tsunade interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "Incompetence is incompetence. If the old man had let me leave, you would've been a better hospital director than me."

Shizune hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to respond, and instead changed the subject. "Speaking of the Body Anesthesia Technique, it faced a lot of opposition from conservative factions at first."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because the essence of this 'surgery' is to temporarily make the patient forget their pain, allowing for a more gentle treatment process."

"Forget pain?" Tsunade's expression turned odd as she recalled the wails from earlier.

However, she could understand why conservative factions opposed it.

In the ninja world, enduring pain was seen as a virtue, a form of mental training. Although they didn't actively seek out pain, the idea of avoiding it entirely was considered shameful by some.

"So, how exactly does this Body Anesthesia Technique work?" Tsunade asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Well… that's…" Shizune scratched her cheek awkwardly, her gaze drifting away.

At that moment, the hospital ward door swung open with a bang.

Two petite nurses stepped out, each carrying a thick wooden club half as tall as they were. The sight of their small frames contrasted sharply with the weapons in their hands, creating a scene that felt oddly surreal.

"Whew! We finally knocked him out!"

"Yeah, physical anesthesia is always such a hassle."

"Tell me about it—oh! Chief Shizune! Tsunade-sama!"

The two nurses immediately hid the wooden clubs behind their backs.

Tsunade's eye twitched. "Shizune… this is…?"

Shizune looked just as embarrassed.

"You don't need to explain," Tsunade said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I think I understand perfectly now."

"Well… we do pay attention to our technique! And ninja bodies are tough—you saw how long it took for him to pass out." Shizune added hurriedly.

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm not blaming you," she said. Her eyes carried a tinge of nostalgia. "If it were me in the past… I might've gone even further than you."

Shizune adjusted her glasses in silence. She remembered well—Tsunade had once been known for her terrifying methods. But now…

"By the way, who came up with this 'surgery'?" Tsunade asked. "If I didn't know better, I'd think it was his idea."

"It was Rikuseki Shimizu," Shizune replied. "He's the most promising young talent in our hospital."

"Oh? Rikuseki Shimizu?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"You know him, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked, taken aback. "Was it because of his fight with Hokage's son?"

Tsunade chuckled knowingly. "Heh. That's only part of it."

"Also, at first, Shimizu didn't just propose the Body Anesthesia Technique—he wanted to establish an entire genjutsu division, using illusions to immerse patients during surgery. He even suggested expanding genjutsu into mental health care, such as calming anxiety and relieving pain. Unfortunately, most genjutsu users don't have the skill to maintain an illusion for that long."

"Genjutsu for pain relief?" Tsunade pursed her lips, thoughtful. "It's an interesting idea, but the level of illusion control required would be quite high."

Shizune nodded. "Without strong enough genjutsu immersion, a single cut would jolt the patient out of the illusion. And maintaining it for an entire surgery… it's just not feasible right now."

Just then, a commotion echoed from deeper inside the corridor.