"Minami, has anyone from Konoha come looking for you recently?"
After finishing dinner, Uchiha Yoichi brought up a topic; just now during the meal, Uzumaki Minami had kept her head down, and it wasn't the right time to discuss trivial matters.
"People from Konoha? It doesn't seem like it, but two people did ask if I wanted to join Konoha, and I refused."
Uzumaki Minami shook her head. She was learning medical ninjutsu quickly and had already performed five surgeries. Because of this, a medical ninja from Konoha Hospital asked if she wanted to become a medical ninja.
Currently, Uzumaki Minami is just studying under Morimoto Kana, and Morimoto Kana is teaching her as a favor, which means Uzumaki Minami isn't officially part of Konoha Hospital.
Even Tsunade couldn't persuade Uzumaki Minami, so how could anyone else succeed?
"However, Dr. Morimoto seems quite troubled, saying she can only teach me for another half a month but will try her best to teach me..."
Uchiha Yoichi thought about it upon hearing this, feeling that someone was pressuring Morimoto Kana. It seemed like Utatane Koharu was involved in medical-related matters within the village, although he wasn't certain of her involvement.
"Minami, is half a month enough time for you to learn?"
"I think it should be enough... it seems like the hardest part of medical ninjutsu is chakra control. As long as the chakra control is precise enough to control each cell, then any medical ninjutsu can be used... even Tsunade-sama said so, but I can't do that yet."
After speaking, Uzumaki Minami thought for a moment and continued, "Tsunade-sama mentioned last time that I could ask her if there's anything I don't understand, but I haven't reached out to her. For now, what Dr. Morimoto is teaching is enough for me to digest..."
"That's good. Train well, and if you need anything, feel free to come to me."
Half a month definitely isn't enough, but hearing Minami's tone, it seems she doesn't want to bother him; so when he finds some time, he plans to ask Elder Kenji, whose connections are surely better than his.
After Uchiha Yoichi finished speaking, he got up to go back inside, but before leaving, he said, "Oh, I brought you a gift, it's on the table by the door."
The gift wasn't anything expensive; on his way back to the medicine factory, he asked someone to help him purchase it. It seemed to be a hair tie; Uchiha Yoichi didn't look at it closely.
Upon hearing this, Uzumaki Minami felt a burst of happiness, but she restrained herself. As soon as Uchiha Yoichi went back inside, Uzumaki Minami quickly got up, ran to the door with a slight bounce, and picked up the gift box, chuckling softly.
Senju Clan Land.
Returning home, Tsunade noticed the lights were still on, pausing for a moment before she remembered who was most likely visiting.
Besides Kushina, who stayed here as a child, no one else would come to her house, especially when she wasn't home to turn on the lights.
Upon entering, Tsunade saw the familiar figure bouncing to the door, holding a ladle and spatula, saying, "Sister Tsunade, you're back!"
Upon smelling the aroma of food in the house, Tsunade said with some surprise, "It's rare, Kushina, for you to cook me dinner. Do you have something to ask of me?"
"Sister Tsunade likes it, so I'll often come back to cook for you in the future."
"Even if you say that, I'll still have to think about it when you ask for favors later."
After speaking, Tsunade took off her shoes, didn't change into slippers, and stepped onto the floor with her snow-white bare feet, heading towards the dining table.
Seeing the steaming hot food on the table, Tsunade also felt a bit hungry; if Kushina hadn't come to cook, she would have just prepared a simple bowl of ramen.
After serving herself, Tsunade began eating heartily; she was a bit hungry after a busy afternoon, so the meals tasted especially delicious.
"Sister Tsunade, I heard there's another Uzumaki clan member in the village, learning medical ninjutsu at the hospital?"
Kushina asked suddenly while resting her chin on her hand as Tsunade was eating.
Tsunade paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, there is. Her chakra is quite unique, different from yours; it's a body type naturally suited to be a medical ninja. I've seen her file; she is now called Uchiha Minami..."
"Uchiha? Is she married?"
Upon hearing this, Kushina was stunned, but the familiar name 'Minami' made her reminisce; after thinking for a moment, she clapped her hands and said, "It's Minami! I remember now; when we were young, we learned sealing techniques together with the elder and then lost contact..."
Kushina showed a face of loss; not long after she came to Konoha, news broke of the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, and all news of the Uzumaki clan vanished.
After eating, Tsunade wiped her mouth and said, "No, she's not married, but Minami was saved by a Uchiha brat, and due to gratitude, she joined the Uchiha Race, so her name is Uchiha Minami now. However, I think she's just doing it to deal with Konoha; that kid still often calls Minami Uzumaki..."
"Kushina, did someone ask you to persuade Uzumaki Minami to join Konoha?"
Kushina nodded and said, "Minato mentioned it, but joining Konoha isn't bad, right?"
"Don't worry about it; she's living with the Uchiha Race now, technically making her a Konoha person. Besides, considering your current situation, it would be hard for you to even meet her; you should focus on your training."
Tsunade shook her head, saying that the main issue was Uzumaki Minami's resistance to Konoha. If persuasion were possible, wouldn't her status as a Sannin disciple be enticing?
Hearing Kushina mention this matter, Tsunade guessed someone might have talked to her, possibly thinking of using same-clan sentiment to persuade Uzumaki Minami.
Considering Uzumaki Minami's physique, she was even more suited to being a medical ninja than Tsunade herself; the old man had mentioned it to her, but Tsunade was too lazy to get involved.
Last time, mentioning the Lightning Release Chakra Mode got her typecast as an informant, causing tension between Root and the Uchiha. She was even planning to leave Konoha; getting involved in these matters was purely looking for trouble.
"Sister Tsunade, can't I meet Minami?"
Kushina asked with some dissatisfaction, not because she couldn't persuade Uzumaki Minami to join Konoha, but because she couldn't meet a childhood acquaintance even though they were in the same village.
"She's either at the Uchiha Clan Land or the hospital; neither of these places can you go."
Tsunade glanced at Kushina after speaking, seeing her expression, and quickly added, "I definitely won't approach the old man, he'd definitely ask for something in return, and regarding this matter, there's no possibility of agreement..."
Jinchuriki have specialized medical ninjas, and as for the Uchiha Clan Land, it's a forbidden area for Jinchuriki, especially since Kushina is still learning to control the Tailed Beast's power. Allowing her to roam freely is out of the question.
Upon hearing this, Kushina lay helplessly on the table, saying, "It's so hard to finally meet a childhood acquaintance, and yet in the same village, I can't even see them..."
"Childhood acquaintances aren't necessarily the same now... Kushina, you..."
Thinking of the rejection in Uzumaki Minami's eyes, Tsunade changed her approach, advising, "You should focus on training instead."
"Oof~"
Kushina, feeling a bit unwilling, lay on the table, her eyes darting back and forth, pondering silently.