"It looks like we got ourselves an unexpected bonus," Zixu remarked, pointing at the box in front of his clone. He glanced at his current attire and smirked, realizing that his journey was about to get even more interesting.
"Don't even start. I'm exhausted," the clone groaned. After greeting Zixu, he dragged himself to a chair and collapsed onto it. He had no desire to go through that hell again.
"Good execution. I honestly thought we'd never get this close to Konoha," Zixu said as he opened the box, rifling through the books inside.
"Medical books? A whole lot of them, too..." He paused, connecting the dots. "Let me guess—Tsunade's medical skills are top-tier, and Konoha's medical knowledge is leagues ahead. Looks like you had quite the fortuitous encounter."
Zixu pieced it together from Sarutobi's memories, and sure enough, he was right. He glanced at his clone, who had already dozed off. A satisfied smile crossed his face as he nodded in approval.
His clone had grown. Finally, he was pulling his weight, and for the first time, Zixu felt the pride of an old father watching his kid become useful.
"It's about time I figure out how to remove the Silent Clone from the equation," he muttered to himself. "Maybe that technique the system mentioned—the one that allows Devil Fruits to coexist—has nothing to do with cloning at all. Devil Fruit abilities repel each other by nature, so putting them together just isn't feasible..."
He had pressed the system for answers before, but all it did was play mind games, refusing to give him a straight answer. If he wanted real progress, he'd have to crack the mystery on his own. But one thing was certain—he needed to get rid of the Silent Clone. Its frail body was a liability, especially in combat situations.
"Karin! Karin, get over here!" Zixu called out, his gaze shifting to where she was practicing chakra control in the distance.
"Rest up first," he said, patting his clone, who was basking under the sun. "I'll handle removing the clone once you've recovered. Consider it a reward for not slacking off."
The clone flinched at those words, his expression twitching. If Zixu found out that he not only slacked off but also lost all his money gambling, would he still be so forgiving?
With that thought, Rossinanti rolled over and shut his eyes, pretending not to hear anything. He'd worry about it himself. At least he had finished his mission. That was enough.
In the distance, Karin had just wrapped up her basic training. She was getting better at her signature technique, Gatling Wave Sprint (Gatling Ryūsō), a rapid-fire chakra burst. However, despite her combat potential, she found herself drawn more toward medical ninjutsu.
After all, her body had endured its fair share of torment. Back in Kusagakure, she had been bitten repeatedly by those bastards who used her healing ability like a goddamn vending machine. Her skin bore the scars—dense bite marks left behind from countless desperate treatments. She had cried from the pain more times than she could count, and as a result, she developed a deep fear of injury.
If possible, she wanted to train her body to be so unbreakable that even a tiger would shatter its teeth trying to bite her. Then she'd like to see who dared to use her as a damn first-aid kit ever again.
I, Uzumaki Karin, will make myself indestructible because I hate pain. What's wrong with that?!
Just like how every mage secretly wants to punch someone, or how every archer ends up learning melee skills, Karin—a healer—wanted nothing more than to tank hits and dish out insane damage.
"I... I'm here!" Karin jogged over in small steps. Seeing Zixu's warm smile, her face instantly flushed.
"Karin, I've got good news for you," Zixu said, patting her head and brushing some dust from her hair.
Karin purred in satisfaction, nuzzling against his palm like a cat, soaking in the affection.
"What good news?" she asked, tucking a stray lock of red hair behind her ear.
"You were a medical ninja before, right?" Zixu started, guiding her into the conversation step by step. "I've noticed you have a real knack for medicine—so much potential, in fact, that I'd say you could become a legend in the field. Are you interested in continuing your medical studies?"
Karin blinked, not realizing the weight of the question. Without hesitation, she nodded.
"I am!" she declared firmly. Most of the "medical training" she received in Kusagakure was crude at best—just pumping chakra into people and hoping for the best. There was no formal education, no systematic study. She had believed medical ninjutsu was nothing more than a gamble. Inject chakra, cross your fingers, and hope the bastard didn't die.
Seeing her enthusiasm, Zixu felt a small pang of guilt, but he continued.
"This path won't be easy," he warned. "You'll face setbacks, obstacles, and some seriously grueling work. Are you ready for that?"
Karin, still leaning into his touch, grasped his wrist with both hands and met his gaze with fierce determination.
"Don't underestimate me!" she shot back. "I know my foundation isn't as good as Aburame Hatsuizumi and the others, but now that I have the chance to study, I'm not wasting it!"
Zixu let out a soft chuckle, relieved by her resolve. He flicked her forehead lightly before stepping aside and opening the box behind him.
"I underestimated you," he admitted. "These books are yours. Study them well and exchange knowledge with the others. You'll need it."
As he handed over the books, an idea formed in his mind. Konoha lacked medical ninjas—desperately so. Maybe this was an opportunity. If he could train idle shinobi and even civilians in basic medical skills, it would benefit everyone. Ninjas could use it for extra cash, and civilians could improve their quality of life. It was a win-win...
Lost in thought, he failed to notice Karin's face gradually shifting from excitement to despair.
She was confident in her ability to learn, but damn—there were so many books. And the text inside? Packed tighter than ants crawling over a piece of bread.
Zixu, noticing her hesitation, smirked.
"Come on, I believe in you!" he encouraged. "Didn't you say you wanted an indestructible body? Finish your medical training, and I'll personally help you reinforce your body. I won't say you'll be invincible, but at the very least, a tiger won't be able to bite through you."
"Wait—how do you know that's what I wanted?!" Karin's face burned with embarrassment. She had never told anyone about her absurd goal. Even she thought it sounded ridiculous.
Zixu laughed. "You talk in your sleep. When I was patrolling, I heard you mumbling things like 'I have an indestructible body!' and 'One punch knocked a tiger's teeth out!'—right before Aburame Hatsuizumi sleepwalked and beat you up."
Karin's face went completely red.
"It's fake! All fake! You heard wrong!" she yelled before grabbing the books and bolting for her room. In her panic, she tripped and nearly ate the floor, but Zixu caught her and helped carry the books back.
Once she was settled, he watched as she sat on her bed, tugging at her hair in frustration while flipping through the medical texts.
Zixu sighed, wondering how much hair she'd have left by the time she mastered all this. But then again, medical students always suffered. This was just the beginning.
"People say persuading someone to study medicine is a sin that invites divine retribution," he mused, closing her door behind him. "But hey, I'm good at dealing with lightning. Let it come."
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