Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"I'm not joking. After all, the Chakra Scalpel is an A-rank ninjutsu that requires a high level of proficiency in medical ninjutsu to use," Natsuro said. "So, it's indeed hard to have any combat ability in the early stages of learning medical ninjutsu."

"However, generally, no one asks medical ninjas to fight, right?" Kakashi suddenly rolled his eyes.

"That's true; not everyone is like Lady Tsunade," Natsuro nodded in agreement after a pause.

"A-rank ninjutsu... is it really that difficult?" Naruto scratched his head, remembering that his Shadow Clone Technique was also A-rank, and he didn't find it particularly hard.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch…"

In the next moment, Naruto was hit on the head by Natsuro.

"Stop talking without thinking! The reason you learned the Shadow Clone Technique so easily is that it resonates with you. Think about how long it took you to learn C-rank techniques like the Gale Palm," Natsuro said, scolding with a laugh.

"That seems to be true," Naruto said, scratching his head as he suddenly realized.

"Hey, Natsuro, can I learn that technique too? The Chakra Scalpel?" Sakura's voice piped up suddenly.

"Of course, but—"

"It needs me to be proficient in medical ninjutsu, right?" Before Natsuro could finish, Sakura completed the thought with a smile.

"Hmm, so you've made up your mind," Natsuro was surprised that Hinata still didn't know about this, while it seemed like Sakura was about to succeed.

"Yeah, I just decided. After all, if I pursue the medical path, I can still help everyone. If I don't, then I'd be completely useless in this team…" Sakura said, sounding a bit down.

"Sakura…" Naruto and Sasuke looked at her, wanting to say something, but they didn't know what to say. Would they stop their own progress to wait for Sakura? The answer was no.

"So, after hearing what Natsuro said, I've also decided to start learning basic medical ninjutsu so I can be useful to the team. In the future, I can become stronger through this, right?" Sakura said, revealing a smile.

Seeing Sakura's smile, Naruto and Sasuke fell silent, while Kakashi also showed a relieved smile. He didn't have to deal with the issues concerning the Hyuga clan like Kurenai did.

To Kakashi, Sakura had a small amount of chakra, but her control was strong. He was already considering having her pursue genjutsu; now that she was aiming for medical ninjutsu, it wasn't a bad choice. Kakashi understood the benefits of having a medical ninja in the team.

Kakashi didn't look down on medical ninjas; after all, he used to have comrades...

"Well, here's some hope for you. Do you know about Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin?" Natsuro asked.

"I think I've heard of her," Sakura furrowed her brows, as if she had seen something about it somewhere.

"She is the most powerful female ninja in Konoha and also the strongest medical ninja. Her strength is on par with the current Third Hokage," Natsuro briefly introduced Tsunade.

Immediately, Sakura's eyes lit up. Could it be true? Just based on medical ninjutsu?

"Hey, hey, Natsuro, that's quite a lofty goal..." Kakashi said helplessly.

"Why don't you just say whether it's true or not?" Natsuro glanced at Kakashi.

Instantly, Sakura looked at Kakashi, who could only nod in resignation. Since it had already been said, he had no choice but to go along with it, though it felt a bit unrealistic.

Sakura clenched her fists. At that moment, an infinite hope surged within her. Perhaps she really could...

On the other side, Neji was also observing this scene, and some of Natsuro's words had reached his ears.

He agreed with Natsuro's suggestion for Hinata to give up on becoming a combat ninja, but he disagreed with the later statements. However, he didn't want to say anything; after all, he wasn't as strong as the other party and had no authority to speak.

Neji's gaze then returned to the arena, watching Lee, who had removed his weights, his eyes gradually revealing astonishment.

When did Lee become this strong?

This match could be said to be the most exciting and intense match in the Chunin Exams. However...

Natsuro watched the scene unfold, listening to the crowd marveling at Lee's activation of the Eight Gates, but he sighed. It was still a bit lacking.

Just five gates was still too weak to defeat Gaara. But he was indeed stronger than in the original story; at least, if it continued like this, he should be able to push Gaara into his next form...

But it was over. Natsuro looked at Guy, who had entered the arena. He had also noticed that Lee's Eight Gates were about to expire, while Gaara showed no signs of losing his fighting ability.

Looking at the sand swirling again, Guy recalled Natsuro's words and directly entered the arena, declaring Lee's surrender just as the sand approached him.

Although this displeased the Sand Ninja side and earned Guy a reprimand from the Third Hokage, at least Lee's legs were saved.

In the following two matches, Shikamaru relied on his cunning to win, while Chōji faced disappointment in defeat.

"Chōji actually lost? What a shame. If it were a real battle, he wouldn't have lost," Ino said, looking at the scene.

"Yeah, the Akimichi clan's secret drugs..." Natsuro nodded. He had heard of the Akimichi clan's three-colored secret drugs; if it had been a real fight, Chōji would likely only need to take one to have a high chance of winning.

"Exactly! Chōji is very strong," Ino said.

"Alright, you should head down now. It's time to announce the rules for the third round," Natsuro said, looking at the moonlight breeze walking toward the center.

"Okay, wait for me," Ino nodded, heading down with the other victor.

The rules for the third round were quite simple: it would still be one-on-one battles, but there would be many distinguished spectators, and there would be a month-long training period in between.

Next came the draw for opponents, and Natsuro quickly saw the results.

First Match: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyuga

Second Match: Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari

Third Match: Kankuro vs. Tōru

Fourth Match: Sasuke Uchiha vs. Gaara

Fifth Match: Shino Aburame vs. Ino Yamanaka

"Shino..." Natsuro showed a helpless smile. If it were Shino, then Ino was likely to lose.

Trying to provoke Shino's emotions wouldn't be as easy as it was with Sakura, and in terms of battle intelligence, Shino was not inferior to Shikamaru, perhaps even stronger.

Kakashi sighed at the list as well; these were all formidable opponents. Naruto was relatively better off since he was facing Neji, who wouldn't go all out, but Sasuke had a problem.

Could he defeat Gaara relying solely on Chidori? Kakashi pondered, concluding that there might be a chance, but it was slim. Sasuke's Chidori's power was limited by his physique and was still too weak.

"This is annoying, Natsuro," Ino returned to Natsuro's side, her voice somewhat bitter. She naturally knew what type she was good at, and Shino clearly wasn't in her range.

"Do your best," Natsuro didn't have much faith in Ino, especially since Shino used bugs. Even guys would feel uneasy at the sight of swarming bugs, let alone a girl.

"Hmm…" Ino could sense Natsuro's lack of confidence, but she was already satisfied. She hadn't expected to reach the third round in her first exam.

Making it this far exceeded Ino's expectations.

Now, all she could do was give her best effort. Determination shone in Ino's eyes. Even Shino wouldn't likely maintain a calm state the entire time.

Besides, she still had the Mind Transmission Technique; she wasn't without a chance of winning. Perhaps she could give Natsuro a surprise later.

With those thoughts in mind, Ino smiled. This month would require even more effort!

"Ino, Natsuro, let's go eat barbecue together to celebrate that you both made it to the third round," Asuma said as he walked over.

"Sure," Natsuro and Ino readily agreed.

....

At night, Natsuro sat at his desk in his room, his pen drawing aimlessly, only to be erased in the end.

He felt that his period of introspection had dragged on too long. Logically, it should have ended some time ago, but that last trace of killing intent simply wouldn't fade away, causing him to waste a considerable amount of time.

As Natsuro calculated the time, he couldn't help but feel a wave of frustration.

"Maybe I should go for a walk."

He ultimately made the decision that thinking it over here was futile; if he could solve it with thought alone, he would have done so by now.

Not wanting to disturb Shinai, he stepped out of his house and quietly walked through the streets of Konoha.

Since it wasn't a holiday, there were only a couple of patrolling ninjas here and there, creating a somewhat cold and deserted atmosphere, which contrasted sharply with the bustling activity of Konoha during the day.

Natsuro actually enjoyed this environment. In his past life, he had been a bit wary of danger and hadn't walked around like this, even though he lived in a very safe country at night. But as the saying goes, "Better safe than sorry."

Now, however, since Natsuro had acquired his own strength, even if the nights here were not entirely safe, he felt free to roam.

In fact, Natsuro had begun to understand what the Third Hokage meant by relying on oneself; unlike most ninjas, he lacked a reason for killing.

He also knew he was being somewhat sentimental. He realized that he had never fully integrated into this world, often isolating himself.

It wasn't that he viewed things from a detached perspective or that he lacked emotions; rather, it was a sense of disconnection, as if everything around him was fake. No matter how hard he tried, it felt like a fruitless effort.

Moreover, having died once, Natsuro had developed a somewhat indifferent attitude towards his own life; after all, living longer was a gain, regardless of the circumstances.

In reality, Natsuro did not fear death. He was merely concerned that if he died, Shinai would fall apart and Ino would be saddened, which was why he couldn't afford to die.

At some point, he found himself standing outside Ino's home, lost in memories of their first meeting as children and how they had gradually come together.

He wandered to the place where he used to train with Lee, touching the training equipment that had been worn out by them. Lee really put in a lot of effort; even though he didn't possess any talent for ninjutsu and was quite lacking in techniques, he still managed to grow so strong.

Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he entered Naruto's house, observing Naruto's chaotic sleeping posture. Naruto was completely unaware of his arrival; instead, it seemed like the Nine-Tails had sensed him.

Then, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to Sasuke's location and left before Sasuke noticed.

Ultimately, Natsuro returned home, lying on the roof of his house, looking up at the moon, his eyes reflecting determination.

Staying stagnant was not an option. If this stagnation was hindering his growth, then it was time to fully integrate into this world.

Could he do it?

Under the moonlight, Natsuro closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep on the rooftop.

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Currently on Chapter 183 - Immune to Genjutsu?