Chapter 35

"It's about time to go back to the other world and train again," Leo thought as he watched Wanda fall asleep. He opened the interface and clicked on the button to enter the small world once more.

Having completed his latest mission, he had gained both the Mystic Palm Jutsu and an additional two months of training time in the small world. He now had a total of eight months to train in the Naruto world. If all went well, his strength would significantly improve by the time he returned.

After a dizzying whirl, he opened his eyes again and found himself back in the prince's mansion in the Land of Fire.

"Kina, come in!"

"What can I do for you, Your Highness?" Kina asked, puzzled as she re-entered the room. To her, she had just handed him a military ration pill and had barely walked a few steps before being called back.

"Send someone to buy more fish, live ones, and bring them to the temple with me later," Leo instructed.

"What kind of fish?" Kina asked, blinking.

She assumed Leo wanted to buy fish to offer to the monks at the Fire Temple. Although it was a temple, it didn't forbid meat or fish.

"Any kind is fine, preferably larger and more resilient ones," Leo replied with a wave of his hand. He wasn't buying the fish to eat but to practice the Mystic Palm Jutsu.

The Mystic Palm Jutsu was classified as an A-rank difficulty ninjutsu. From what Leo gathered after reading the scroll, it required two things: a high level of chakra control, or it wouldn't be effective, and extensive medical knowledge, specifically about the human body's structure, cells, and pathways.

Therefore, to become a competent medical ninja, one didn't need vast amounts of chakra or combat prowess but rather excellent chakra control and the ability to learn medical knowledge.

This explained why many powerful jounin didn't bother learning medical ninjutsu and would just use bandages when injured. They didn't have the time or patience to learn the complex medical knowledge required.

Many strong ninja had great combat intelligence and ninjutsu talent but were terrible at academic learning, like Naruto. 

As a martial artist, Leo had studied a lot of traditional Chinese medicine alongside his martial arts training. Practicing medicine and martial arts went hand in hand because martial artists needed to know how to treat their injuries. He had also studied some Western medicine during his time fighting in underground arenas abroad.

Thus, he had no issues with medical knowledge and focused on practicing precise chakra control. Tsunade's method of using fish for practice was ideal for him.

Practicing precise chakra control wasn't just for learning the Mystic Palm Jutsu but also greatly benefited combat. Better chakra control meant more efficient use of ninjutsu, minimizing wasted chakra, and enhancing the jutsu's power.

As a novice who had only been refining chakra for five months, Leo's chakra level was comparable to a typical genin. To perform multiple jutsu, he had to learn to control his chakra more precisely.

---

After spending half a day at the prince's mansion, Leo brought a large number of live fish back to the Fire Temple in the afternoon.

"Leo, why so many fish?" Chiriku asked, puzzled as he watched the fish being carried into the temple.

Leo explained his plan to use the fish for chakra control practice and his intention to learn medical ninjutsu.

"A clever method indeed," Chiriku remarked. "Wait here; I'll get some scrolls for you."

Though the Fire Temple didn't have the comprehensive medical ninjutsu knowledge of the Leaf Village, they knew a few basic healing techniques. Sage chakra naturally had healing properties, and the temple monks occasionally treated minor illnesses of worshippers.

When Chiriku returned, he handed several scrolls to Leo, saying, "I'm not proficient in medical ninjutsu, so you'll have to rely on yourself."

The scrolls contained the temple's healing techniques and related knowledge. Although the temple's medical ninjutsu was basic, the information served as a crucial bridge for Leo's learning of the Mystic Palm Jutsu.

Medical knowledge varied across different worlds, and his background in Chinese and Western medicine would need to be adapted. The Fire Temple's information provided a necessary transition, making his learning process smoother.

Gradually, Leo began to grasp the A-rank healing jutsu. Besides practicing the Mystic Palm Jutsu and chakra control, he also continued his other training, including cultural lessons from Chiriku and combat training integrating ninjutsu and taijutsu.

Without the high-tech surveillance of his world, he could freely practice ninjutsu in the temple's nearby open spaces and seek guidance from Chiriku when needed.

Five months passed quickly.

In a forest outside the Fire Temple, Leo formed hand seals. "Wind Release: Flower Scattering Dance!"

A whirlwind formed around him, causing the surrounding leaves to spin rapidly before falling to the ground. 

"This jutsu uses the spinning leaves to cause minor damage and can disrupt the enemy's vision, making it easier to close in with taijutsu. It's not very powerful but could be useful," Leo assessed.

He had used Kina to buy jutsu from the underground black market. Although most purchasable jutsu were common and not very powerful, they were still useful for practice. The Wind Release: Flower Scattering Dance was one of the D-rank jutsu he had acquired.

However, high-level jutsu couldn't be bought easily, and so far, he hadn't managed to obtain even a single C-rank jutsu.