When Tsunade finished her movement, her pants returned to their loose state.
"Please look."
Kiyoshi attempted to condense chakra in his palm, and a pale green light naturally surfaced.
Tsunade's previously lazy posture straightened up considerably.
The level of chakra control Kiyoshi was displaying was something Shizune currently couldn't achieve!
One must realize that ever since Dan Katō died, she had brought his niece, Shizune, here to care for her personally. Tsunade had taught her everything without holding anything back, sharing her medical ninjutsu without reservation.
With such direct, personal instruction, how could Kiyoshi's level be higher than Shizune's?
"How long have you been studying?"
"I've been studying since I graduated as a ninja."
Kiyoshi reported truthfully.
His chakra control ability was excellent now, and his medical ninjutsu wasn't far behind. The Trait panel labeled him a [Medical Genin], but that didn't mean his personal ability was only at that level. In fact, with the stacking of other Traits, Kiyoshi had already far exceeded a typical Genin-level medical ninja. He could already be compared to veteran medical ninjas who had immersed themselves in the field for over a decade.
"Kurenai, what's going on with them?"
Asuma scratched his head. He didn't have much understanding of medical ninjutsu; he was only aware of it on a surface level. He didn't understand why Tsunade had suddenly straightened up to ask how long Kiyoshi had been studying.
"I don't really understand either."
Kurenai shook her head gently. But it was definitely a good thing! She realized that Kiyoshi seemed to be involved in every field. Usually, ninjas specialized in areas they were good at to develop their personal style. However, Kiyoshi currently showed no shortcomings; he was developing as an all-rounder!
Beside them, Shizune was even more incredulous. She still remembered the afternoon Tsunade diagnosed Kiyoshi, when she was still secretly observing him. In the blink of an eye, Kiyoshi had transformed from that weak ordinary person into a medical ninja, and he was even stronger than her!
"Nonō has good luck."
Tsunade picked up her sake bottle and took another sip. If it were before Dan Katō's death, she might have had the heart to mentor Kiyoshi. She once wanted to promote medical ninjas to every squad. Unfortunately, that goal had eventually fizzled out due to various reasons.
"Shizune, if you have nothing to do, you can seek out Kiyoshi. His medical ninjutsu is quite good."
Having said that, Tsunade began urging the three of them to leave.
...
Three days later, everyone assembled at the village gate as agreed.
Kiyoshi's ninja sword had been sent for enhancement and modification and hadn't been returned in time. Therefore, he was using a temporary katana. For the current Kiyoshi, it was sufficient.
He had almost mastered the [Wind Style: Chakra Blade Film]. Not only could it increase the sharpness of the blade, but that thin film could also provide some defensive power, preventing the katana from being easily damaged.
Tsunade wasn't wearing her usual green coat with the word for "Gambling" on the back. She had changed into a practical ninja combat suit. Compared to the modern green flak jackets that were common now, she was wearing an older grey style. It was a model popular during the Second Great Shinobi War.
"Let's go."
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Tsunade adjusted the armor on her wrists and began leading the group toward the Land of Wind.
At a ninja's pace, they could reach the Land of Wind in three days and three nights. Kiyoshi was already used to this kind of travel. Ninja transportation basically relied entirely on their feet. Currently, very few countries had trains; only technologically advanced nations like the Land of Snow possessed them.
By the time the Hidden Leaf began to popularize trains and build tracks everywhere, reaching the *Boruto* era, a device called the "Thunder Rail" would emerge. It was a product of the Kaminarimon Company, the largest corporation in the Land of Fire. It was essentially a train, but driven by Lightning Style chakra technology.
"Whoa, kid, aren't you tired?"
Tsunade, planning to take a rest, noticed that Kiyoshi was actually able to keep up right behind her. Meanwhile, Kurenai and Asuma were already panting with exhaustion.
"I'm fine," Kiyoshi said indifferently.
At the same time, he checked his Trait progress. The [Fatigue Resistance] Trait had been rising steadily and had reached 89%. Constant travel was essentially a form of repeated, frequent training. Not only did he have to refine chakra, but he also had to control it at the soles of his feet to increase speed, while simultaneously sensing the surroundings to avoid enemy ambushes.
His [Apprentice Wind Style Ninja] Trait had already reached 100%, and the effect was a 10% increase in talent for Wind Style nature transformation. The progress bar for the Priestess's sealing technique Trait he obtained in the Land of Demons was also more than half-finished; in a few days, it could be synthesized into a blue Trait.
It could be said that everything was looking very promising.
Tsunade didn't know what was on Kiyoshi's mind; she only felt that this Uchiha kid's stamina was quite unusual. Remembering Kiyoshi's background from the Yotsuki clan, she began to understand.
...
Over the following days, the group traveled by day and rested by night, quickly arriving in the Land of Wind.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*
Yellow sand was everywhere, and they happened to encounter a sandstorm. Kurenai's eyes were streaming with tears from the blowing grit. Kiyoshi took out a pre-prepared gauze scarf and covered Kurenai's small face. He had anticipated the harsh environment here before coming to the Land of Wind.
However, Kiyoshi discovered that the wind and sand kicked up by the storm were completely ineffective against him! As long as it wasn't at point-blank range, the dust had no impact on his skin. Kiyoshi understood—this was the inevitable result of running [Lightning Style: Iron Body] over many years.
He had recently increased his "Strength" by 5%, which meant the physical limit tempered by [Lightning Style: Iron Body] could also increase by 5%.
"Let's avoid this area."
Tsunade covered her face with one hand, leaving only her light brown eyes visible, and ordered the group to steer clear.
Asuma nodded quickly, saying in a pathetic state, "Lady Tsunade, let's go quickly! My face is stinging from the wind!"
Tsunade nodded and led the group further away. Kiyoshi saw a pale yellow venomous scorpion desperately trying to burrow into the sand and picked it up. A layer of sand had been whipped up by the storm, and this scorpion had accidentally been tossed out.
"Hurry and keep up," Tsunade urged.
"Okay," Kiyoshi nodded. As he hurried over, he opened his hand and let the venomous scorpion sting his wrist.
Quickly, the scorpion's stinger lunged fiercely toward Kiyoshi's wrist. The next second, the scorpion couldn't pierce through at all; instead, its stinger showed signs of bending.
"Without even mobilizing chakra, such creatures can no longer break the skin."
Kiyoshi tossed the scorpion onto the ground and caught up with Tsunade. The fallen scorpion immediately burrowed into the sand. He knew this kind of scorpion; if it had managed to breach his defenses, he could have immediately injected an antitoxin. However, it only left a few white marks; it couldn't even puncture the skin!
"The next step should be being able to resist basic ninja tools," Kiyoshi thought to himself.
Before long, Kiyoshi and the others crossed through the sandstorm. On one of the dunes, Kiyoshi spotted the beautiful silhouette of a familiar acquaintance.
***
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