"What? They let a kid lead the surgery? What were they thinking?"
Outside the operating room, Koharu Utatane was furious.
"Calm down," the Third Hokage said between puffs of his pipe. "There weren't many other options, were there? Although we could have treated him directly, the injury was sustained while retrieving intel. We need to ensure he can still lead a normal life, if possible."
"But…"
"He's a genius!" the Third Hokage cut in firmly, tossing a scroll to Koharu. She caught it, and as she unrolled it, her expression changed from anger to surprise.
Koharu had once been a skilled medical ninja herself, although her recent focus on 'important affairs' had kept her away from the hospital and the medical corps. Still, that didn't mean she didn't understand. The technique detailed in the scroll was clearly an advanced version of the Chakra Scalpel—one suited for even more delicate surgeries.
Unfortunately, the A+ level of difficulty would discourage most of the current medical ninjas. Koharu could manage it, but even she knew that she hadn't performed surgeries in years. Moreover, her age was beginning to show; even if she could complete a surgery like this, her stamina and chakra reserves would be drained halfway through.
If only Tsunade…
Koharu shook her head. If Tsunade were here, she wouldn't even need this technique to complete the surgery. Comparing this boy to Tsunade wasn't fair to him.
She sighed. I'd better approach this with a better attitude. After all, the boy only stepped up because there was no other choice.
As Koharu mulled over these thoughts, the door to the operating room opened. Kitayama walked out, supporting an exhausted Kai on her back. Upon seeing the Third Hokage and Koharu, she froze for a moment, then hurriedly bowed in greeting. "Lord Hokage, Lady—"
"How is he?" the Third Hokage interrupted, clearly more concerned about Kai than formalities.
"His chakra is depleted, and he's physically exhausted. Although he took a soldier pill, it doesn't fully restore mental and physical stamina," Kitayama explained softly. She hesitated, then added, "To be honest, the rest of us were merely assistants during the surgery. It was thanks to him that the fragmented bones were pieced back together. If we all knew the technique he used, the surgery wouldn't have been so difficult."
"So you believe the Chakra Needle is worth spreading?" the Hokage asked.
"Absolutely. It's not just today's surgery—this technique could be useful in other areas as well. For instance, it could be combined with the Fine Adjustment Technique for extracting foreign objects from internal organs or clearing debris."
Kitayama's thoughts drifted back to Kai. His needle could work with suction-based techniques, pulling out shards and debris. She could even see it being used to pierce wounds precisely for treatment.
Koharu had been silently pondering the implications and didn't interrupt.
After asking a few more questions, the Hokage glanced at Kai, now asleep from exhaustion, and waved for Kitayama to take him to rest.
"Koharu, what do you think?" the Hokage asked.
"His talent is remarkable," Koharu admitted. "He reminds me a bit of Tsunade and Orochimaru, but I have some concerns."
"Perhaps," the Hokage replied with a sigh. "But I'm getting old, and I won't have many more opportunities. I want to try one more time."
…
Kai was lying in bed when suddenly the door opened.
"Kai! I heard you passed out. Are you alright?" Tenten ran in, slightly out of breath.
Behind her, Rock Lee peeked in from the doorway, then quickly withdrew as Kai laughed softly. "I'm fine, Tenten. I just used up all my chakra and needed to rest. How's school been lately?"
"Pretty good! Ever since we learned we can graduate early, everyone's been working extra hard. Even the class slackers have been skipping fewer classes."
Tenten then pointed a finger in the air as if she had just remembered something. "Oh, except for Naruto Uzumaki. He's still skipping classes, maybe even more than before."
At that moment, Rock Lee popped his head back in. "Tenten scored second in our class, just behind Neji! Hehe, I'm off to train!"
"Hey! That's not for you to say!" Tenten yelled, but Lee had already taken off running.
Kai sat up and reached for his notebook, flipping it open to a page and handing it to her.
Tenten looked down, confused. "Chakra Threads?" she read aloud.
"It's a side product of my ninjutsu research. We don't know how to use puppets, but it might be useful for controlling kunai, shuriken, or other tools," Kai explained.
"That's too valuable—I can't accept it!" Tenten replied, understanding the worth of the technique. The difficulty alone was probably B-rank, something many Chunin wouldn't even get the chance to learn.
"Ninjutsu is developed to make people stronger," Kai said seriously. "Otherwise, it's pointless. Your skill with tools is excellent, but without something more, you'll be limited against stronger enemies."
"How can you say that! Don't underestimate me—my skills go beyond what they teach at the academy," Tenten huffed, her pride a little wounded.
"What if you faced a strong Wind Release user?" Kai asked.
"Against normal Wind Release? No problem… but fine, I get it. I know you mean well, but I can't just take something like this for no reason."
Kai thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Your family sells swords, right? I've been meaning to practice with a sword. How about you help me pick out a good one?"
"Alright then," Tenten relented with a smile. "Thanks! And if you need help with swordsmanship, come to me."
As Tenten looked over his notes more closely, she fell silent, deep in thought. Kai's ambitions were clear: he wanted to condense chakra into weapons, multiple weapons at that.
"You plan on forming chakra into weapons—and at the same time, releasing multiple of them?"
"Not just weapons," Kai corrected. "I want to perfectly control needles of chakra. I want them to be able to take any shape I desire, and I want to be able to form them in an instant, without needing hand seals."
"That's my ultimate goal."
Tenten nodded, now understanding why Kai was spending time in the medical corps. When it came to chakra control, the medics were the best. But she also sensed that Kai's ambitions went beyond just creating weapons; there had to be something more to his so-called 'needles.'
She didn't press him further, however. Instead, she carefully copied down the notes, knowing it would take time and effort to study—after all, not everyone could master techniques as easily as Kai.
In truth, Kai's reasoning wasn't all that complex. He chose to create needles because they were sharp and required less chakra. They also worked well with various jutsu, such as the Disturbance Technique. His time in the hospital was also an opportunity to study pressure points.
Without the Byakugan, he couldn't see the chakra points in the body, but he believed that through study and hands-on experience, he could learn to locate the key points commonly used in battle.
And by then, his Chakra Needles would be useful for much more than just healing.
Kai glanced at his Bodhi Seed. There hadn't been much change, but now, there were three distinct patterns etched onto its surface. One was long and deep, another was short, and the last was long but shallow.
Are these three lines linked to my techniques and the soldier pill? he wondered.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to support me and read chapters ahead, join my patreon : patreon.com/Adwitiyah_Daivik