The Clash of Medical Kunoichi

Tsunade had reaped a wealth of knowledge.

In the past, she held only a vague understanding, knowing that psychological issues could lead to physical illness. Her own haemophobia was one such example, but she had never considered that psychology could be singled out as a treatment category.

Tsunade yearned to dive into research immediately.

However.

Psychological illnesses were numerous and complex. To complete the research and establish a project, many case studies and investigations were required. It was not something that could be resolved in a short period.

Moreover...

At present, there was a matter of greater urgency for Konoha.

The Chunin Exams.

Today was the third round.

All Jonin from the Konoha were required to attend, to allow the Daimyo to observe the current strength of the village.

Kyōichi was also among them.

However, he felt there was nothing much to see.

A one-on-one tournament, it was hard to discern much difference, it was merely a spectacle.

It was indeed a show match!

The Daimyo, on the other hand, was engrossed. Even when it came to the battles of the common Genin, he watched with intense focus.

"This match, I wouldn't believe it if you said it wasn't arranged."

Tsunade remarked, a smirk playing on her lips.

The scheduling was too obvious!

The first match was between two regular Genin from the Shisui team.

The second round was between Raidō Namiashi and Ebisu.

The third round...

Each subsequent match was more powerful than the last, each one offering a bigger spectacle, especially the fourth match - a battle between female shinobi. The hype was off the charts.

"It's an exhibition match, after all."

Kyōichi chuckled.

The Daimyo was enjoying it, wasn't he?

"Finally, it's their turn."

Shizune clapped from the side.

Tsunade gave her a sideways glance, frightening the young girl into stopping her movements. Only then did Tsunade speak, "It's not you whose fighting, why are you so excited?"

"It's not often we get to see a showdown between medical ninjas..."

"Kurenai is not a medical ninja. She mainly uses Genjutsu, medical Ninjutsu is secondary. I plan to train her as a battlefield medical ninja."

The typical medical ninja lacked combat experience.

Although they could be of use on the battlefield, in order to avoid being targeted in a small team, they were rarely included in a four-person squad.

Kurenai was different.

Tsunade seemed deep in thought, nodding slightly.

This was a strategy she had previously advocated, but unfortunately, for most people, learning medical Ninjutsu was challenging by itself, let alone mastering adequate combat skills on top of that.

Her interest was piqued.

On the field, Kurenai and Rin formed the "Seal of Confrontation". Then...

Both started to form seals simultaneously.

A moment later.

In their hands, a blade of chakra simultaneously materialized.

"A chakra scalpel?"

Shizune was surprised.

This jutsu was of A-level difficulty, mainly used for surgery, for making incisions. Could it be used in combat as well?

She looked to Tsunade.

Tsunade frowned, "The chakra scalpel can cut through muscles and blood vessels. It can indeed be used in combat, but isn't it too dangerous to have them fight this way?"

"It's not about who is the strongest, I've said it before," came the voice, steady and clear. "The essence of a demonstration match lies not in power, but in who performs the most tactically, the most pleasingly to the eye."

Kyōichi couldn't help but smile at this.

Power wasn't everything.

Hadn't Naruto proved just that during the Chūnin Exams? And yet, only one person, Nara Shikamaru, who had forfeited his match, ended up as a Chūnin. Tsunade was well aware of this principle.

Shizune, on the other hand, was somewhat lost.

She wasn't particularly interested in understanding, though. Her attention was fully absorbed by the ongoing battle below.

What seemed like a simple battle was actually teeming with dangers.

"Hokage, what kind of Ninjutsu are they using?" The Daimyō was puzzled.

The application of Chakra Scalpels in battle was unprecedented in Konoha. Even the Third Hokage was taken aback, let alone the non-ninja Daimyō.

However, the Third recovered quickly.

At first, he was baffled, but soon he understood.

"Chakra Scalpels," he explained, "They can cut through muscle, blood vessels, and so on. Our medical ninja used to avoid combat, but we found that Chakra Scalpels can also be effective in combat. That's the technique these two are employing now."

"Ah, I see," the Daimyō acknowledged. The technique was indeed powerful.

Whichever side managed to land the first hit would have the upper hand.

Kurenai chose to push aggressively, while Rin was unyielding in her defense. Neither could gain an advantage.

And then, something strange happened.

Kurenai began moving her head oddly.

"What is she doing?" Shizune was confused.

"Secret technique: Jumping Jacks," Kyōichi quipped, clearly joking.

Tsunade sat upright, scrutinizing the situation. Upon seeing Rin quickly turn her head to avoid something, she instantly understood.

"Genjutsu! She is using the reflector on her forehead protector to create an illusion with light," she announced.

It was an advanced technique!

It seemed familiar to Tsunade. After a moment, she remembered...

Elsewhere, a certain scapegoat ninja also looked thoughtful upon witnessing the scene.

Leaf Style: Willow!

Although the form was altered, the Genjutsu was the core of the Willow Sword technique.

"Rin!" Obito, filled with urgency, stood up and yelled from the sidelines.

"She's under the Genjutsu, the Leaf Style: Willow," Kyoichi said.

"Leaf Style: Willow?" Kakashi hesitated, recalling...

It was a sword technique.

Could the Genjutsu from a sword technique be separated?

Rin quickly broke the Genjutsu, but the moment she did, Kurenai was already there.

Her hand swept by.

In an instant, her right leg gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground.

However.

In mid-air, she quickly formed hand signs.

Then...

Two clones materialized by her side.

Water clones! Unlike their originator, water clones weren't susceptible to physical harm, like muscles being cut. One clone engaged in combat with Kurenai, while the other lifted Rin and sprinted away.

Following that, after forming more hand signs, Rin's chakra in her hands transformed into a medical technique. As she landed, she rolled on the ground, applying the technique to her wounded leg at the earliest opportunity.

"An excellent strategy. I suspect you've meticulously planned this," Tsunade said, a smile gracing her face.

The combatants traded blows as though it was turn-based.

In reality?

If it were a real battle, Kurenai's blade would not merely have cut through leg muscle, but would have severed vital organs and blood vessels.

"It's an exhibition match," Kyoichi responded without directly answering.

He didn't directly arrange the battle. He only told them to demonstrate the essence of a medical ninja's combat skills, so the higher-ups of Konoha could understand that medical ninjas were capable fighters as well.

Clearly.

The two of them had listened well.

"So, medical ninjas can also reach such a high level of combat proficiency," many people murmured, surprised.

Whether it was Kurenai or Rin, their grasp and arrangement of the battle was perfect. The water clone in particular, was simply brilliant.

However.

Rin was indeed injured.

Although she used her healing technique and recovered quickly, the time it took her to do so was enough for Kurenai to catch up.

This time, Kurenai did not hold back.

Upon catching up.

She swung down her hand like a blade, severing the muscle in Rin's leg.

Her left hand...

Boom!

A single punch cracked the ground.

"Enhanced Chakra Strength ?!" Tsunade was shocked.

Did Kurenai forcefully employ this technique?

That was far too risky!

However.

The next moment, she realized her worry was unfounded.

Because Kurenai quickly leaped back. Even though her left hand was strained, she was still able to form hand signs and, combined with her healing technique, completed her recovery in no time.

"I didn't teach her that strategy, she thought of it herself," Kyoichi said with a smile.

Kurenai's vision and strategic thinking had improved drastically! She did not need instruction; she figured out on her own how to make decisions—

Her strained ligament could only recover so much in a short period and couldn't withstand repeated use of the strength technique. So, she would use it separately.

That was her answer.

"I concede."