Chapter 26 Unique Yellow Hair

A soft turquoise glow enveloped his hands, the warm hum of chakra seeping through the skin.

"Wow..." Naruto whispered in his ear, "I didn't know you knew medical ninjutsu, sensei."

Iruka smiled.

"I'm not a professional medical ninja, but I do know battlefield first aid, and this idiot seems to think that's enough."

Naruto blinked curiously.

"Does it make any difference?"

Iruka shrugged, gradually reducing his chakra output as the wound began to heal under the traction of the stitches.

"A true medical ninja doesn't need to stitch wounds at all. My chakra control isn't good enough to repair deep muscle damage, but a true medical ninja can heal not only deeper wounds, but also damage to bones and chakra meridians."

"That's amazing..." Naruto exclaimed, crossing his arms on Iruka's shoulders and resting his chin on his arms, "My chakra control is terrible, so I probably can't do it."

Iruka finished the last of the stitching and turned around, looking his student straight in the eyes.

"You know what I think, Naruto?"

the blond boy responded, his eyes still fixed on Genma's newly healed wound.

“I believe that you can become whatever you want to be as long as you set your mind to it.”

Naruto's eyes widened, and for a moment he was once again the fragile little boy Iruka had met at the door of Ichiraku Ramen, the little boy who trembled when he touched Iruka's hand. Iruka smiled warmly at him.

"I have no doubt that if you really want to, you can become an excellent medical ninja, no matter how poor your chakra control is." Iruka's smile became a little more cunning, "But I always feel that this is not what you really want, right?"

"What?" Naruto asked, clearly confused by what Iruka said.

"I feel like you're more like the kind of ninja who would risk his life to protect his companions." Iruka said softly, tilting his head. "Am I right?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Do you think I can do that?"

Iruka chuckled.

"I think you'll do just fine. More than that, I think this is your Will of Fire."

Naruto had an adorable confused expression on his face.

"Jiraiya-sama has been saying that, too, but he never tells me what it means. Always says things like 'you'll understand when you grow up'."

"That's because the Will of Fire is different for everyone, child. Everyone's flame is different because everyone's motivation is different. Your Will of Fire is what drives you forward, the fuel that allows you to do what others cannot."

"Like protecting the people you hold dear."

The answer came so quickly and so firmly that even Iruka began to doubt it.

But then, something in his mind suddenly clicked into place, a missing piece finally came together, and his view of the blond boy in front of him changed subtly but dramatically.

At that moment, he saw infinite possibilities in Naruto's bright eyes.

Iruka had seen many children with potential before, and his job was to discover these potentials, dig them out from the hidden corners, and let the children clearly realize what kind of people they can become as long as they work hard.

Students like Aburame Shino and Tenten are easy to teach because they already know who they are, who they want to be, and how to work towards it.

Students like Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji are more difficult to deal with. Their potential is either dormant or concealed by deep inferiority complex.

Iruka had mistakenly believed that Naruto belonged to the latter category.

But judging by the glimmer of potential he radiates, the possibilities are endless.

An idea suddenly appeared in his mind.

Naruto tilted his head curiously, obviously waiting for Iruka's next words.

How could I have ignored his intuition? Iruka thought.

Naruto wasn't one for tactical thinking, but with his keen senses, he didn't have to think at all.

The reason why Iruka didn't notice this was because this kind of animal instinct was something he had never seen in anyone other than the Inuzuka clan.

And Kakashi, he added mentally.

"Do you know the definition of ninja specialization?" Iruka asked.

The boy shook his head and sat down at the coffee table.

Iruka also sat down on the sofa and hugged his knees.

"Specialization refers to special skills that are beyond the scope of teaching in ninja schools. I have battlefield first aid capabilities at the Chunin level - most instructors are required to master a non-combat professional skill in case of emergency."

"Like Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked.

Iruka nodded and glanced towards Genma.

"Special-grade jonin like that idiot are recognized by mastering one or even two jonin-level specialized skills. This is much easier than becoming an all-around jonin. Have you ever thought about what you want to specialize in? Become a chunin, or a jonin?"

Because now, Iruka really wanted to know what kind of person Naruto would eventually choose to be.

Naruto shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck, the confused look returning to his face.

"No. I don't really know how to do that."

Iruka nodded and stood up. He felt that Naruto would graduate sooner or later, it was just a matter of time.

"Let's have breakfast first and I'll tell you everything I know, okay? I think I need another cup of coffee."

******

Ninjas don't wake up slowly.

They do not slowly regain consciousness from their trance, nor leisurely emerge from the darkness.

For Xuanjian, it was an instant process, going from an unconscious state to a fully awake state, straight out of a coma.

He didn't open his eyes, didn't let them blink, didn't let his body move at all.

The habits he developed on the battlefield over the years have become ingrained in his bones, and he cannot change them even if he wants to.

He lay motionless, his breathing steady, without the slightest change, but it was obviously futile.

"I know you're awake, you idiot."

Xuanjian opened his eyes carefully. The glaring sunlight and the headache caused by excessive blood loss made him frown.

He hated the dizzy feeling that came with anemia, which was not unlike a hangover.

But the pain he felt now was nothing compared to what was about to come, especially when he saw the look on Iruka's face.

"Please, tell me you only drank two cups of coffee." Xuanjian said weakly. He didn't want to anger the other party at all.

Iruka tapped the ceramic cup lightly with his fingers, the sound was so brisk that it was a little scary, as if it was not a coffee cup but some deadly weapon.

"Actually, it's the fifth cup." He said with a wry smile.

It's over, Xuanjian thought, he is really finished now, he will be torn into pieces by Iruka's anger and thrown into the Iwagakure Village to feed the dogs.

Ibiki-sensei had warned him as well—"Stay away from Iruka," he said, "It's not good for your mental or physical health."

Sometimes, Xuanjian really wished he could listen to him.

But it was so easy to be friends with Iruka; he was smart, funny, and you never had to worry about him becoming interested in your significant other, and he was pretty much fearless.

Xuanjian still remembers that when Iruka was 14 years old, he dared to confront Danzo in person. Facing such a person, how could Xuanjian not become friends with him?