"With my enhanced sensory ability, the flow of chakra is so much clearer now."
If that was the case…
Boar → Ox → Tiger → Rat…
Souma deliberately slowed down his hand seals.
One by one, they formed smoothly, stirring his chakra.
Moments later, the familiar Chakra Scalpel formed in his hand.
No difficulty at all.
But next—
He dispersed the jutsu and shifted into another sequence.
He replaced two of the hand seals, then added a subtle layer of chakra control.
After a full set of seals, a single needle-like spike of condensed chakra manifested in his palm—
high-density, almost solid.
He tested it with a kunai.
Clang!
It blocked easily.
"As expected. These hand seals provide structural support for chakra shaping.
The control part still relies on raw ability, though—most people couldn't manage this."
Souma jotted down notes in his journal:
Chakra Needle – Difficulty: A+
Effect: Physical contact possible; offensive potential untested
Optimization Goals: Finer structure, higher quantity, increased durability, reduced difficulty
Suitability: Not general-use
It wasn't a mass-producible jutsu.
But it was useful.
The Chakra Scalpel was invaluable in surgery, yet not appropriate for everything—
For example, when dealing with severe tendon or fascia damage, its cutting precision could be too aggressive.
But the Chakra Needle could handle micro-manipulation.
"I need to test it in an actual procedure."
Souma stood up and headed toward Kitayama Oki's office.
As an underage student who couldn't use medical ninjutsu yet, participating in surgery required her explicit approval and supervision.
Oki had already forgotten all about the… Icha Icha Paradise incident.
The Medical Division was far too busy for embarrassment.
Even in peacetime, training and routine surgeries consumed most of her time.
Still, when she saw Souma walk in, her mind betrayed her—
the memory flickered back and she stiffened for two seconds.
Souma began speaking first:
"Sensei, I just combined the Chakra Scalpel with one of my ongoing techniques."
"???"
Oki stared at him, utterly bewildered.
You just learned the Chakra Scalpel—
And now you're modifying it already?
Are you kidding me?!
Her sanity wavered a little.
After a moment of stunned silence, she asked, "What technique?"
"I call it the Chakra Needle."
Souma made the seals quickly and lifted his right hand.
The thin, gleaming needle of chakra extended outward.
"I strengthened its shape manipulation, so it has partial physical form."
"This technique…"
Oki's eyes widened instantly.
She might not have been in the Medical Division for long, but she had experience—plenty of it.
And she could see the surgical applications at a glance.
Immediately, one particular case came to mind.
She turned around, rummaged through documents, and pulled out a patient history.
"Sensei, whose record is that?"
Souma asked.
Marusei Goke.
A jōnin-level shinobi, despite technically holding the rank of genin.
Could it be…
"This shinobi suffered a severe fracture on the battlefield.
There were too many bone fragments.
After Lady Tsunade left the village, the Medical Division had no one capable of treating it.
He eventually had to be amputated."
Oki sighed.
"If someone back then had mastered your technique, they might have saved his leg."
"Are there similar surgeries?" Souma asked eagerly. "I'd like to assist."
"These types appear every so often. Wait a bit."
Souma didn't have to wait long.
The very next day, Oki brought him to an operating room.
Of course—
she wasn't about to let him perform the surgery.
First, he needed exposure: to adapt to the environment, the pressure, the atmosphere.
But not everyone approved.
Hanpō—the Medical Division's team leader, ranked even above Oki—was strongly opposed at first.
But when Oki invoked the Hokage's authorization, he reluctantly agreed.
During the surgeries, Souma gained their respect quickly.
Though inexperienced, he moved efficiently and treated every life with proper seriousness.
By the second operation, he could assist without disrupting anyone's rhythm.
Half a month later, the surgery he'd been waiting for finally arrived.
A Nara-clan chūnin, also a member of the Anbu, had taken a direct hit from explosive tags.
Bones in the left arm shattered; skin and muscle were embedded with countless impurities.
A high-difficulty surgery.
"With damage like this…"
"We'll need simultaneous work," Oki said. "Otherwise we won't make it in time."
She glanced at Souma, hesitating.
"Sensei, let me help."
"You?"
Hanpō frowned.
Souma was a genius, yes, but he had never handled a truly dangerous case.
Failure would be devastating for a kid his age.
After some thought, Hanpō said, "This is too difficult. You should just assist with maintaining jutsu."
"I want to help extract debris and realign the fragments."
"I'll support him," Oki said immediately, cutting off Hanpō's rejection.
Hanpō shot her a glare sharp enough to kill.
She didn't bother explaining further.
Everyone in the division had already reviewed Souma's Chakra Needle; the consensus was the same:
A technique with enormous potential.
Souma was assigned to work on the thigh area.
He didn't mind at all. He simply focused and began.
Hand seals. Activation.
A Chakra Needle formed in his hand.
Hanpō hesitated for a moment, then activated his own jutsu and began the operation.
The patient was in critical condition—there was no time left.
Souma steadied his breath.
Enhanced perception allowed him to sense each impurity clearly: bone dust, embedded fragments, foreign material.
His hands moved quickly.
In minutes, he had already cleared the lower leg.
Minutes later, the thigh.
Soon, he'd reached the left side of the waist.
Left hand: Chakra Scalpel.
Right hand: Chakra Needle.
Both moving nonstop.
Oki and Hanpō stared in disbelief.
He was fast.
They watched him carefully—
and their shock only deepened.
The left hand executed clean, precise surgical cuts.
The right hand used a sustained-chakra extraction technique, pulling loosened debris out of the wounds.
The room fell completely silent.
One by one, the medical staff stepped aside, giving him space.
Without noticing, Souma had become the lead surgeon.
The thin chakra needle wove gently between bone fragments, clearing tissue and debris.
Oki and Hanpō focused on reconstruction—arranging the fragments back into proper alignment.
Time passed.
Once the skeletal structure was fully pieced together, medical ninjutsu took over.
The shattered bone slowly mended.
The incisions cut by Souma's needle healed rapidly.
"All right, kid. Take a break. We'll handle the rest."
"Huh…?"
Souma blinked, emerging from his focused trance.
A wave of dizziness hit him.
"His worst damage was on the left side. You've already cleared most of it," Hanpō said gently.
"We'll finish from here. Besides, you're nearly out of chakra."
There was respect in his voice now—
not the reluctant respect given to a genius, but the genuine respect given to a peer.
If only—
if only the boy could learn proper medical ninjutsu…
Hanpō couldn't help thinking:
He might become another Tsunade-sama.
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