Rise of the Medical Ninja

Seeing Jiraiya's sly grin, Dosuke reluctantly pulled his wallet from his backpack. Just as he started to count out the money, his wallet vanished in a flash, snatched by Jiraiya.

"Hey," Dosuke said, his voice filled with frustration and surprise. *What kind of ninja pulls tricks like this?* he thought.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Jiraiya said.

*Poof!*

A small toad, no bigger than a baby, appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Lord Jiraiya, what are your orders?"

"Take this money to settle the ramen bill and return the bowl while you're at it," Jiraiya instructed, placing the empty ramen bowl on the toad's head. He then plucked a few bills from Dosuke's wallet and tucked them into the bowl.

*Poof!*

The summoned toad vanished with the bowl and money.

"Training's going to be tough, kid. To keep you from slacking off or getting too comfortable, I'll hold your wallet for now," Jiraiya said with a smirk, slipping the wallet into his ninja pouch.

"But, Sensei…"

"No 'Master' nonsense. You're Tsunade's disciple, which makes you *my* disciple. Just call me Sensei," Jiraiya interrupted, waving off the formality.

"Let's move, kid!" Without waiting for a response, Jiraiya strode toward the village gates.

Dosuke sighed, his hopes for his wallet fading. He lifted his backpack and walked slowly after Jiraiya, feeling down.

"Sensei, where are we headed?" Dosuke asked, catching up to Jiraiya, who was a few steps ahead.

"To learn the Flying Thunder God, of course!" Jiraiya replied. "Tsunade's never asked me for a favor like this before. She must really see something in you."

"I'll work hard, Sensei. I won't let you or Tsunade-sensei down," Dosuke said, nodding with determination.

"That's the spirit! Get ready, kid, this journey's just the start!"

With a swift leap, Jiraiya landed on a tree branch and signaled. "Come on, let's go!"

"Right, Sensei!" Dosuke replied, keeping pace with Jiraiya as they moved steadily through the forest.

Jiraiya occasionally glanced back at Dosuke, who kept up closely. Unlike most ninja, Dosuke moved with a unique style: each step was a light tap on the tree trunks, driven forward by a gentle surge of water chakra. This approach saved his chakra effectively during travel.

For a newly graduated genin to match his speed, Jiraiya was quietly impressed. Dosuke's ease suggested he could handle long-distance travel without issue. Satisfied, Jiraiya gradually picked up the pace.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the sky darkened.

"Let's take a break," Jiraiya said, coming to a stop.

"Got it, Sensei," Dosuke panted, wiping sweat from his brow. The journey had nearly drained his chakra, forcing him to carefully balance his chakra output and refinement speed to maintain Jiraiya's pace.

Jiraiya watched Dosuke settle to rest and began building a campfire. "Rest up. I'll grab some food," he said before vanishing into the woods.

Soon, Jiraiya returned with a few fresh fish and handed Dosuke a water bottle. "Come sit," he called, settling by the fire.

After a few gulps of water, Dosuke, still catching his breath, joined him. He placed his backpack under himself for comfort and accepted a fish from Jiraiya.

A faint chakra blade shimmered at Dosuke's fingertips. With precise, rapid movements, he cleaned and prepared the fish, finishing in seconds. His other hand manipulated the water from the bottle, forming a sphere that enveloped the fish, washing it thoroughly without damaging the flesh.

Jiraiya watched, impressed. *This kid's chakra control is unreal. No wonder Tsunade's so committed,* he thought.

As Dosuke threaded the fish to grill over the fire, Jiraiya spoke up. "Listen, kid. In war, preserving your chakra is the key to survival. That's a lesson I learned the hard way on the battlefield."

"Understood, Sensei," Dosuke replied. "I've been feeling like my chakra is not enough lately."

"Don't worry about it. You're still young. Your chakra reserves will grow with time. Chakra levels vary between genin, chunin, and jonin, everyone's different. Your job is to find the balance between output and refinement to control the flow of a fight."

"Got it, Sensei. Here, the fish is ready," Dosuke said, handing Jiraiya a perfectly grilled fish.

Jiraiya took a bite, his eyes widening. "Kid, this is *good*!"

Despite using only basic salt and seasonings, Dosuke's years of fending for himself had honed his cooking skills. Jiraiya devoured the fish, then paused, noticing something odd. "Wait, aside from the main spine, all the small bones are gone!"

His gaze darted to where Dosuke had cleaned the fish. Among the discarded scales and remains lay a pile of tiny white bones.

*Did he use his water jutsu to strip out the bones while cleaning? That's some freakish chakra control,* Jiraiya thought silently.

"Sensei, want another?" Dosuke offered, holding out a freshly grilled fish.

"Nah, I'm good. You eat," Jiraiya said, waving it off. Dosuke shrugged and took a bite.

*With chakra control like that, this kid might just be a monster when he grows up,* Jiraiya thought, leaning back. "Alright, clean up the campfire when you're done," he added, stepping onto a nearby tree branch.

"Understood, Sensei," Dosuke replied.

After finishing his meal, Dosuke eyed the campfire and leftovers. Coating his hands with a thin layer of chakra, he prepared to dig a hole to bury the waste.

Jiraiya, watching from above, smiled faintly. "Earth Release!"

Placing his hands on the ground, Jiraiya transformed the campfire site into a small swamp, swallowing the fire and debris. The ground then hardened, leaving no trace.

"Mastering other elemental jutsu is a must for any ninja," Jiraiya said, looking at Dosuke.

"Yeah, my affinity is water, so I haven't learned other elements yet," Dosuke admitted.

"No rush. Most ninja need a solid chakra foundation before tackling new elements," Jiraiya said with a grin. "You're a ways off as a genin, but with your talent, I bet you'll get there. After you master Flying Thunder God, we'll work on it."

Dosuke nodded.