I was in the third training ground, and two of my clones were spending time with people so I didn't have to.
It was a week into my two-week break.
I had gotten a hang of the three new Byakugan techniques I got for my birthday and made enough progress for them to be useable.
The Infrared vision which was now called Predator Vision, allowed one to see infrared radiation.
Which basically means I can now see heat.
Cool stuff.
Although I have no use for it now its always good to have more tricks up my sleeves…
I also got the Byakugan to zoom into and focus on a small bug within my range.
I couldn't zoom into something outside of my range…
So, it wasn't what I thought it would be but it was a neat trick nonetheless.
This technique was appropriately called Magnify.
Again, this wasn't immediately useful but I might run into a situation that I need to Magnify something…
Well probably not, but its always good to know things.
Continuing on I saved the best for last my favorite and definitely the technique I was the most excited about my speed/distance reading technique.
Now called Thief.
I would have named it something different but id mainly be using it to steal things, so Thief it was…
I finished my training for the day and dispelled my clones.
Clone one had gone to feed and water Gai and make sure he was alive and well.
Clone one did its job well and rewarded itself with some flowers from the Yamanaka clan…
I only wish that the clone hadn't bought 20,000-yen worth of flowers…
Sigh…
This is what happens when I let the clones' run-around unlinked.
I sent clone two over to Minato's apartment so he could have his hair braided and nails painted and my real body could be unaffected.
Although my real body was unaffected, I still experienced the mental pain of social interaction with Kushina…
Though some news did come from my visit.
It seems Minato looked into the matter at the hospital and had some news for me.
Sadly, the news required that I meet with the Hokage, and that was something I didn't want to do.
As-much as I didn't want to talk to the Hokage I wanted to get into the hospital and I wanted to see if I could get a peek around the Hokage tower with my Byakugan.
Maybe I'd get lucky and have a peek at the scroll of seals…
Who knew?
I woke up early and did my daily training.
Meeting the Hokage is no excuse to miss my Youthful training.
…
Minato and I met at the base of the Hokage tower.
We said our greetings and made our way past the receptionist and up to the Hokage's office.
The door was closed, Minato knocked and the door opened.
A Jonin and his Gennin left and made their way past us.
The Hokage waved Minato and me in.
…
I stood in the middle of the circular room while Minato leaned against a wall.
The Hokage took a hit from his pipe.
He turned his head and blew the smoke to the left towards an open window.
"Minato tells me you have been having trouble with the Hospital."
That's not how I would say it, but yes.
"I'd use much harsher words then that Hokage-sama."
Those Bastards didn't even give me a chance.
"Sigh… There are problems with you going to the hospital."
That didn't sound like good news…
"The village Elders are against you pursuing Medical Ninjutsu."
Definitely not good news then.
"You have prodigious talent in Taijutsu, the elders don't want you to waste time pursuing Medical Jutsu as you already have an extraordinary healing factor."
I understood where they were coming from.
But it also seemed like shallow reasoning at best.
"I'd say I'm equally talented in Medical Ninjutsu."
…
The office was quiet for a while.
I was running over my words in my head, trying to see if I made some sort of blunder when the Hokage finally spoke.
"Even if you made an impressive show of Medical Jutsu and got into the hospital it probably wouldn't end well."
I was a bit confused, was that a threat?
"The reason you have not been branded with the Caged Bird Seal is because of your future fighting potential."
"The Hyuga won't brand me because of my possible future strength?"
The Hokage nodded.
"They don't want a powerful enemy inside their clan."
Why haven't I been assassinated yet?
"What's stopping them from 'disposing of' me?"
I made finger quotes at the word disposing of.
…
"There's a lot of political pressure to keep you alive because of your Kayuga bloodline."
He paused took another hit from his pipe and continued.
"With the Senju clans' extinction being a sure thing, the elders want a new bloodline to take their place."
I sighed, I had no idea any of this was happening, I had thought being a Elders grandson had kept me safe.
"If you go to the hospital and become a med-nin, the Hyuga could possibly take that as you being weak and lacking strength."
The Hokage turned his pipe upside-down and taped the ash into an ashtray.
"And the village Elders don't want the Hyuga to potentially have a bloodline under their control, so they have been blocking your attempts to apprentice in the hospital."
I wasn't sure I believed the whole Med-nin being weak thing.
"Why would anyone think of Med-nin as weak?"
…
"People who fail to adapt to ninja life often become Med-nin."
So, they are looked down on?
"So, they are looked at as failures."
Ouch.
"So, I can't learn Medical Ninjutsu?"
The Hokage blew a heavy breath out of the nose and rubbed his head.
"It's not that you can't learn Medical Jutsu, you just can't become a Medical Ninja."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that I wanted to give you my students notes to make up for your lack of a teacher."
I fought to keep the smile off my face.
"Oh… Thank you Hokage-sama"
I began to do another deep bow.
When my head almost reached waist level, I activated Chikaku no kyōka and slowed my perception as much as I could.
I activated my Byakugan a second after.
I focused my attention on the Fuinjutsu barrier surrounding the office blocking my sight from expanding.
Alright, that was expected, no big deal.
I looked around the room taking note of both the Root ninja and Anbu hidden around the Hokage's office.
One, in particular, was staring hard at me.
I took note of how much chakra the Hokage had but lost interest soon after.
I focused on a bookshelf the Hokage kept in his office, it had nothing of worth, it was just a display of random civilian books.
If I could have sighed, I would have, but my brain and eyes were moving faster then my body could.
So, no annoyed sigh for me.
I deactivated both of my techniques and kept my bow for a few more seconds before rising.
"The notes will be delivered to your home within the day, your dismissed."
I gave another bow and turned to leave.
I made eye contact with Minato and got a smile from him.
He made no move to leave so I guess he's staying.
All-righty let's get out of here.
I left the room and made my way down the hall.
I activated Chikaku no kyōka only slightly slowing my preception.
I rubbed my eyes with my palms to hide my Byakugan's activation.
I took another look through the Hokage tower.
Nothing I can see that's helpful.
Only some more seal protected rooms.
Danm…
I again deactivated my techniques.
Disappointing but not unexpected.
I made my exit.
...
The notes arrived.
I gave the Anbu that delivered it a nod of acknowledgment and brought the box of notes to my room in preparation for a long reading session within my bed.
…
I was using Kokoro no kyōka to burn as much of Tusnade's notes as I could into my brain.
When I reached my limit, I would sleep for an hour and start again when I woke up.
It wasn't fun but its what needed to be done.
…
Tsunade's notes didn't provide many new jutsu, just the chakra transfer technique, and some vague note's on scrambling the electric signals that the brain sends to the body using lightning chakra.
On the other hand, it had lots of hard-learned experience written in it and plenty of changes to the already existing medical ninjutsu.
Not immediately helpful.
What I need is experience.
And burning notes into my brain won't give me that.
…
The rest of the week passed and soon it was time for team Minato to meet up once again.
…
Kakashi looked better than when I last saw him.
Minato looked alright as well, he had his usual charismatic smile.
…
"Alright team we have a choice between an escort mission and a tracking mission."
Neither.
"Sensei can we do another bandit elimination mission?"
Kakashi and Minato were staring at me.
"I need to practice my medical ninjutsu."
…
Discussion ensued and it was declared that I would not be allowed to 'Practice' on bandits.
Minato recommended that I set-up in any towns that we visit and provide free service and get my Practice that way.
That was completely fine with me.
It was a better idea morally and practically.
After-all why should I have to go to my test subjects, when they can come to me instead.
…
With the hospital no-longer an option for me it was decided that we would be doing five missions a month.
I wasn't thrilled at the idea of more work than necessary, but Kakashi looked happy so I let it be.
It helped that I had more opportunities to practice my jutsu.
…
Four months passed, and things had been going well.
I had hit a small snag in the beginning but other then that nothing noteworthy had happened.
People didn't want to be treated by a six-year-old so I didn't get many test subjects until the next mission we went on where I Henged into my most used disguise of my old teacher.
Then business was booming, and by business, I mean the test subjects were presenting themselves to me in droves.
…
I had gotten some experience with my new and improved Medical-Ninjutsu and was ready to start experimenting.
I wanted to see if I could simulate a workout and strengthen the muscles without exercise.
So, I had asked Minato for another bandit elimination mission.
…
Predictably it didn't go well.
Though I won our argument in the end.
I told Minato that if I didn't have bandits to test some ideas on that id have to use myself.
That made Minato come around…
Turns out holding your health and safety hostage is a good way to win an argument.
…
Kakashi and I were leaning against a wall at the Hokage tower waiting for Minato to get our mission scroll.
I had been talking about my difficulties with my nature transformation and trying to get Kakashi to participate in the conversation.
I of course had no luck and was just talking to myself.
...
Eventually Minato arrived scroll in hand.
Nice I was just running out of things to talk about.
"Ok at Shiro's request were doing a bandit elimination mission."
I gave a nice guy pose.
"Though this mission is B-ranked and will be a little different than the last bandit elimination mission we went on."
B-ranked missions meant ninja on ninja combat.
Something I was excited about.
I could only get so far when my opponents didn't have the chance to fight back.
"Minato-sensei do we get to fight the ninja?"
I gave my best impression of puppy eyes.
"One of you will, there's only one ninja."
I turned to Kakashi.
"Rock, paper, scissors?"
Something I introduced to solve arguments between me and Kakashi.
Something I could also easily win with Chikaku no kyōka.
Something I let Kakashi win often to give him some false confidence.
Kakashi nodded.
"Alright, let's go."
I activated Chikaku no kyōka.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
I watched Kakashi's hand shift into scissors.
I shifted my own into rock.
I deactivated Chikaku no kyōka.
"I win"
Kakashi looked disappointed.
Well I'd like to think he looked disappointed, as most of his face was covered I couldn't tell.
…