Hemostasis
"Tsunade-sama's medical ninjutsu is really amazing!"
Ming Jing looked at his fully healed arm in astonishment, unable to suppress his admiration.
Even though everyone knew that Tsunade was the strongest medical-nin in the village, witnessing her techniques firsthand was a different experience. No matter how many times one saw them, awe was inevitable.
"If more people could learn this kind of medical ninjutsu, fewer lives would be lost in the war," Kato Dan said, seated by a clean window, his gaze distant. "It's just a shame the proposal to establish a dedicated medical corps was rejected at the last Jonin meeting."
His mind wandered to a former comrade who had died during a mission with Mokume Kato, a casualty that might have been prevented with proper medical support.
Bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, Kato Dan's long, smooth blue hair shimmered gently. With his striking features and quiet demeanor, he was effortlessly charming.
At least to Tsunade, who was still a young woman not yet burdened by the tragedies to come, that charm had struck deeply.
"It's fine, don't worry," Tsunade replied with a gentle smile.
"Even though the village didn't approve the proposal, the old man—Lord Hiruzen—still allowed me to form a small team to train in medical ninjutsu. They've already made a big impact on the battlefield. I expect the full proposal will be approved soon!"
She lifted her chin slightly with confidence, then turned to look at Ming Jing and his teammates.
"Hey, why don't the three of you train under me and learn some basic medical ninjutsu? Even mastering just the fundamentals could save your life in battle."
The three young genin exchanged glances, surprise flickering in their eyes.
"I don't have any gifts to offer you," Tsunade continued, smiling, "but I can teach you something far more valuable—a foundational medical ninjutsu. If you're able to learn more advanced techniques in the future, you might even qualify as full-fledged medical-nin."
With that, she led them out of the tent, her movements purposeful.
Kato Dan followed, a faint smile on his lips.
If these kids could learn medical ninjutsu, their odds of surviving future missions would increase dramatically. Even learning to stop their own bleeding could prevent a wound from worsening and save precious time until they reached a proper medic.
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"This is the place!"
Tsunade led them to a small river near the camp.
The stream was a key water source for the ninja stationed at the outpost. In this region near the Land of Rain, clean water was plentiful.
"First, catch a small animal—like a fish or a pheasant," she said. "We'll use them for practice and demonstration. If they survive, we'll let them go. If not, they'll make a good midnight snack."
She and Kato Dan found a large flat rock, wiped it clean, and sat down.
The rain, which had poured for days, had finally stopped earlier that afternoon. The night sky was now clear, filled with bright stars. The rushing river and dew-covered grass gave the world a freshly-washed feeling.
A few minutes later, the genin returned.
Ming Jing held two pheasants. Aburame Nami had caught a hare. Inuzuka Usagi, alongside her ninken Tetsumaru, brought back several river fish.
"Alright, now, watch closely."
Tsunade leapt off the rock and took the hare in her hands.
"I'll shave the fur off first to give you a clear view."
Her hand glowed with a concentrated blue light—chakra shaped into a fine blade. It was the Chakra Scalpel (Chakura no Mesu), an advanced A-rank medical technique used for precision surgeries and internal treatment.
"Watch carefully."
Tsunade gently knocked the hare unconscious, then used the chakra scalpel to cleanly remove a patch of fur and sever its spinal nerves, numbing the body. She then made a shallow incision, no more than two centimeters deep.
Blood began to trickle from the wound.
"This is what I'll be teaching you—the most basic medical ninjutsu: Hemostasis."
She placed her glowing hand over the wound. A gentle stream of chakra pulsed into the flesh, and the bleeding slowed, then stopped. A thin scab formed almost instantly.
"If the wound is deeper, you'd first use a basic suture—needle and thread—to close it up before applying hemostasis. For demonstration purposes, I'll now sever a small artery so you can see the difference in bleeding."
She made a second incision, deeper this time. Blood flowed more freely.
The genin observed intently—except Kato Dan, who had already learned this technique from Tsunade long ago. He was setting up a small fire with Fire Release to dry some wood and prepare for cooking. Tsunade's "midnight snack" idea clearly wasn't lost on him.
"Hemostasis is the foundation of all other medical ninjutsu," Tsunade explained. "Techniques like the Mystical Palm Technique (Shōsen Jutsu) or Healing Jutsu all build upon this. Its principle is simple: by using small amounts of chakra, you stimulate the body's coagulation process, accelerating clot formation and stopping the bleeding."
Tsunade's voice was calm but firm—she was a natural teacher. After all, she would one day train Haruno Sakura to become one of the greatest medical-nin in history.
Ming Jing activated his Sharingan, his crimson eyes spinning slowly as he observed every detail.
The Sharingan was perfect for battle—but it was also unmatched in learning complex ninjutsu.
"Now it's your turn."
Tsunade treated the two pheasants in the same way and handed them to Ming Jing and Inuzuka Usagi.
Ming Jing hesitated, kunai in hand. Then, with precision, he made a shallow cut where the feathers had already been plucked.
He focused his chakra into his hand, visualizing every step Tsunade had demonstrated. Slowly, he placed his hand over the wound.
Minutes passed.
When he lifted his hand, the wound had scabbed over—completely sealed.
"Well done, Uchiha brat," Tsunade said with a smirk, ruffling his hair. She turned to assist the others.
Though born a Senju, Tsunade had none of Tobirama's hostility toward the Uchiha. Like her grandfather Hashirama, she believed in unity, not division.
In the original manga, the Hemostasis Technique was even used by Kakashi Hatake to treat a wound while fighting Obito in the Kamui dimension. It was a simple but vital medical technique.
Now, that same knowledge was being passed to the next generation.