Midnight Work

After the laughter faded and the door clicked shut behind Guy, Duy, and Daichi, Haruto stood in the quiet of his apartment. The evening had been fun, but he wasn't tired. Thanks to his Tier 2 stamina and cognitive boost, Haruto only needed around four hours of sleep each night to feel fully rested. Even after the evening's training and meal, his mind was still buzzing with energy and ideas.

Haruto walked over to his desk, pulling out his notebook. For the past few days, he'd been working on a theory—an idea he hoped could impress Tsunade. It wasn't just about getting her attention, though; Haruto genuinely believed that by combining the medical knowledge from his old world with the chakra-based healing techniques of Konoha, he could make real improvements to how severe burn injuries were treated.

Burn victims were common in a village like Konoha, where shinobi often faced fire jutsu in battle. The standard treatments, though effective to some extent, left a lot to be desired. Healing jutsu could speed up recovery, but they often left behind scars, didn't fully prevent infection, and required long, painful recovery periods.

Haruto had seen it firsthand when a shinobi was brought into the hospital with severe burns covering over 70% of his body. The healers had done their best, but the process was slow and left the man with deep scars and limited mobility. That had triggered something in Haruto's mind, reminding him of modern burn treatments from his previous life.

Current Methods in Konoha

The hospital's current process involved applying healing jutsu to accelerate the body's natural recovery, followed by wrapping the wounds in herbal salves and gauze to aid healing and prevent infection. However, this left much room for improvement. Burns often healed unevenly, resulting in painful scarring and permanent damage to the skin. Infection was also a significant risk, as the salves were only partially effective in preventing bacteria from taking hold.

What Haruto Knew from His Old World

In his previous life, Haruto had read about advanced medical treatments for burn victims. The process involved several key steps that went beyond just healing the surface. First, wounds were meticulously cleaned to prevent infection. Then, patients were hydrated through IV fluids to counteract fluid loss from the burns. Skin grafts were sometimes used to replace damaged tissue, and pain management was also a critical part of the process to ensure the patient's comfort during treatment.

Haruto was convinced that, with the right application of chakra, some of these methods could be replicated—or at least adapted—in Konoha's world of jutsu.

Haruto's Theory

Over the next two weeks, Haruto worked relentlessly on his thesis. He didn't have the luxury of wasting time; every moment was precious. Between his rigorous training, Academy lessons, and volunteer work at the hospital, he dedicated all his free time to fleshing out his ideas.

Sterilization and Infection Prevention: The first part of his theory involved developing a jutsu that could sterilize a wound at a microscopic level, ensuring no bacteria remained in the damaged tissue. Current techniques only cleaned the surface, but Haruto theorized that a precise application of chakra could cleanse a wound deeper, preventing infection before it started.

Fluid Loss and Rehydration: Haruto also considered the fluid loss that burn victims suffered. In his old world, patients would be given IV fluids, but here in Konoha, there was no equivalent. He theorized a chakra technique that could rehydrate the body by manipulating moisture levels at the cellular level. It was a bold idea, but based on what he knew about chakra control, it seemed possible.

Skin Regeneration: Using the chakra scalpel at a fine-tuned level, Haruto believed he could stimulate proper skin regeneration without causing the scars that typically formed. By carefully removing dead tissue and guiding the body's natural healing processes, the chakra scalpel could theoretically allow for scar-free recovery. However, this was all just a hypothesis—he hadn't yet tried to test this on a real patient.

Pain Management: The final piece of the puzzle was pain relief. Most medical-nin relied on herbal remedies for pain, but Haruto thought there could be a better way. By applying chakra to temporarily block a patient's pain receptors, they could be treated without the excruciating pain typically associated with burn recovery.

A Work in Progress

Haruto scribbled furiously in his notebook, his mind racing as he combined the medical knowledge from his old world with the chakra techniques he'd learned in Konoha. While none of these ideas had been tested, the logic behind them was sound. He knew that chakra was versatile, and with the right control, it could be applied in ways that current medical-nin had yet to explore.

The problem, of course, was proving that any of this could work. Haruto didn't have the resources or authority to try these techniques on real patients, and he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could do it alone. But that's where Tsunade came in. If he could get her to review his ideas, she could be the one to test and refine them. If she saw the potential, she might even take him on as a protégé.

Haruto knew it was a long shot, but he had to try.

No Wasted Time

Throughout these two weeks, Haruto's daily routine was relentless. Every second was accounted for. In the mornings, he trained harder than ever, increasing the Weighted Seal to push his physical limits. He spent afternoons at the hospital, observing the medical-nin and taking notes on how they performed treatments. Every night, after dinner, he would dive back into his thesis, making revisions, drawing diagrams, and refining his ideas.

The Tier 2 cognitive boost made the work easier. His photographic memory allowed him to recall the details of medical texts from his previous life and apply that knowledge with pinpoint accuracy. Each night, he would work late, but never too late—he knew he still needed his four hours of sleep to stay sharp.

Presenting the Theory

As the two weeks drew to a close, Haruto sat at his desk one night, staring at the finished thesis. It was complete—a fully realized theory, meticulously crafted. There were diagrams of chakra pathways, explanations of how chakra could be used to treat wounds at a cellular level, and logical step-by-step processes to improve burn treatment.

He knew it was all theoretical. None of it had been tested, and he didn't know if it would even work in practice. But he had done everything he could to prepare. The theories were based on solid logic, and with the right chakra control and expertise, they could be attempted.

Haruto stood up and stretched, feeling both proud and nervous. He knew what came next: getting Tsunade to review his work. It wouldn't be easy, but Haruto was determined to see this through.

As he got ready for bed, his mind buzzed with anticipation. He had done all he could. Now, it was time to take the next step—presenting his theory to one of the greatest medical-nin in the world. If she saw the potential, it could change everything. If not, well… there was always more to learn.

Tomorrow would be the day he set things in motion.