Chapter 76: Tsunade's Past 

Naruto seemed to understand Kurama's point. 

"Is that one-handed technique really that amazing? How does it compare to the Tailed Beast Bomb?"

"Ninjutsu depends on the user," Kurama shook his head and replied. "For example, when Shukaku uses the Tailed Beast Bomb at full power, it's different from my full-powered Tailed Beast Bomb. That guy can level Konohagakure, while I can blow up the entire Land of Fire. That's the difference."

"If it's a small Tailed Beast Bomb, you don't need a one-handed technique; even a four-handed technique is enough to cut through it. But if it's a full-powered Tailed Beast Bomb, even a one-handed technique won't stop it."

After all, a Tailed Beast Bomb deals area damage, while a one-handed technique targets a single point. A small Tailed Beast Bomb can be cut through to avoid damage, just like how the Fourth Raikage used a one-handed technique to slice through Kurama's Tailed Beast Bomb earlier.

But if it's a large Tailed Beast Bomb, the damage from a one-handed technique can't cut through it directly, which would cause the Tailed Beast Bomb to explode. With the immense power of a large Tailed Beast Bomb, unless it's the Third Raikage's strongest shield, it can't be stopped. The Fourth Raikage is still a bit inexperienced compared to his father.

"And this is all assuming a direct collision," Kurama recalled. "The Fourth Raikage's speed is enough to keep up with you... keep up with the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique. He can even match space-time ninjutsu, so I don't need to explain how fast he is, right?"

Naruto looked confused; he didn't really have any memories of it, since he had never seen either space-time ninjutsu or the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"Never mind; it's pointless to talk about," Kurama rolled his eyes. "Just remember, when you look at the sealing scroll later, if you can't find any ninjutsu to learn, make sure to note down the Flying Thunder God Technique. If you can learn it, great; if not, don't force yourself."

Minato had a talent for space ninjutsu, and Naruto must have inherited some of that. Even if he couldn't master the Flying Thunder God Technique, he should still be able to improve his summoning technique.

"I got it," Naruto nodded obediently. "So what should I do next? Tsunade Granny still doesn't want to help me heal."

As for Tsunade... that's a bit of a problem.

Kurama stroked his chin and said, "The reason Tsunade isn't treating you is probably because of her fear of blood. Shizune's skills aren't quite enough to treat you, so she hasn't said it directly. She's probably been observing your condition these past few days."

Naruto's treatment would definitely require surgery, which meant there would be blood. Tsunade couldn't handle blood, and Shizune wasn't skilled enough, so they could only delay things for now. While observing Naruto, Tsunade was also mentally planning the treatment.

"Fear of blood?" Naruto sat up from the ground, confused. "Can medical ninjas really have a fear of blood?"

"That's because of what Tsunade has been through; it left her with a mental scar," Kurama said, looking at Naruto. "I can tell you this; with your personality, you might do something to provoke her."

Naruto tilted his head, showing his confusion.

Kurama gave a strange smile and leaned against the prison door. "Before the Third Great Ninja War, Tsunade proposed a system called 'medical ninja,' which meant each three-person team would have a medical ninja to improve their survival rate."

"But back then, no one in Konohagakure agreed. They thought medical ninjas wasted resources and had no fighting ability, so her idea was rejected by everyone. Only one person supported Tsunade, and that person was Kato Dan, who later became Tsunade's lover."

"Oh!" Naruto's eyes lit up, then he looked puzzled again. "I know about medical ninjas; they're really strong. Why did the village think they were useless back then?"

"Because they had no fighting ability," Kurama said with a straightforward tone.

Naruto was speechless. "I don't know what to say... then what happened?"

"Then Kato Dan died," Kurama's words left Naruto stunned. But Kurama didn't care about Naruto's thoughts and continued, "Kato Dan died painfully, but he could have been saved. Unfortunately, there were no medical ninjas around, and by the time Tsunade arrived, he had already passed away."

"Because of this, Tsunade pushed the medical ninja system almost violently and set up a system for medical ninjas on the battlefield. Then the Third Great Ninja War began."

Naruto felt an odd tightness in his chest. "Did it work?"

"Fortunately, Tsunade succeeded," Kurama said with a smile. "Thanks to the medical system, Konohagakure's casualties were nearly at their lowest. Countless ninjas were saved by this system and fought again for Konohagakure. Those stubborn old folks finally saw the value of medical ninjas, and that's how… the medical corps was born."

"Then what happened? What happened?" Naruto's eyes lit up again.

"Later, Tsunade's younger brother also died," Kurama said with a blank expression.

Naruto was taken aback.

Kurama smiled at his reaction. "Her brother's name was Nawaki. He died even worse than Kato Dan. At least Kato Dan had a whole body left, but Nawaki fell into an enemy trap and was blown up by explosive tags. His insides were taken out, leaving just an empty shell, and Tsunade… she was the one who allowed him to go to the battlefield."

"She witnessed the death of her loved ones, and it happened twice: one was a lover, and the other was a family member. Both had received the necklace that represented the Senju clan from Tsunade and vowed to become Hokage. In the end… they both died on the battlefield, and she never made it in time for either of them."

As a result, Tsunade shut herself away, locking away her feelings. After the war, she left Konohagakure, transforming from the legendary Sannin Tsunade-hime into a well-known target in gambling circles, forever wearing a green necklace around her neck.

Kurama raised himself up to look at Naruto. "You know, Tsunade's greatest pain isn't just the death of those two. The death of ninjas is unavoidable; every ninja knows this. What she can't accept is that each time… each time, they shouldn't have died."

"If the medical ninja system had been established sooner, her lover wouldn't have died. If she hadn't agreed to Nawaki's reckless request, her brother wouldn't have died. She blamed all the mistakes on herself, and that fear pushed her away from who she was. She… developed a fear of blood."

"After hearing this, can you understand Tsunade a little better?"

Naruto lowered his head in silence. Kurama didn't know what he was thinking, but he believed that, given Naruto's unpredictable nature, he would only make Tsunade… more withdrawn.

There was also another reason why Tsunade hadn't treated Naruto for so long: she didn't want her 'brother' to go back to the battlefield, nor did she want to see 'Nawaki' die in front of her again.

How sad, the legendary Sannin Tsunade is truly pitiful.

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