My Techniques are a bit off

"…That's all."

Medical ninja Mokusa drew a line on the blackboard to underline the key points he had just explained. "This concludes today's lecture on medical ninja training. For those interested, you can apply at the hospital for further study and training."

He added, "Genin Link, please stay behind."

The genin attending the class quickly packed their belongings and left without hesitation once they heard the dismissal.

A few minutes later, only Link remained in the classroom. Mokusa walked up to his desk and asked, "Have you given any thought to what we discussed last time?"

During the previous lecture, Mokusa had invited Link to join the medical ninja program.

Most genin who attended these sessions eventually ended up working in the hospital—not necessarily practicing medical ninjutsu, but using their chakra to aid in healing alongside traditional surgery and medical procedures. Mokusa saw great potential in Link. His chakra control was already at a level where he could begin learning medical ninjutsu.

Of course, his chakra reserves were still somewhat lacking, but at just nine years old, he had plenty of time to improve through further training. Joining the medical program early would familiarize him with the environment, and with guidance from other medical ninja, his progress would undoubtedly be swift.

Link, however, politely declined with a smile. "Thank you for the opportunity, Mokusa-senpai, but I'm afraid I must decline."

Becoming a medical ninja came with the stability of not having to leave the village for missions and a steady path for promotion. However, for Link, it was too stable.

The current year was Konoha Year 62. He had no time to waste. Rapidly climbing the ranks and growing stronger was his top priority.

After reaching chunin rank, he'd have access to numerous jutsu through the village's official channels—a steady and reliable (and free) way to acquire new techniques.

As for becoming a medical ninja… what would he do? Wait for Tsunade to return and seek her guidance like Sakura Haruno?

It was a possibility, but one he didn't want to rely on.

Mokusa sighed regretfully but didn't press the issue. "If you ever change your mind, feel free to find me anytime."

"Thank you," Link said earnestly. Bowing slightly, he added, "I'll take my leave now, Mokusa-senpai," and exited the classroom.

…

The Next Day: The Forest of Death

The gate labeled 13 creaked open, letting in a cool breeze that carried a hint of freshness from the dense woods.

Nara Ensui glanced at his three subordinates and said, "Stick to the plan."

"Yes, sir!" the three genin responded in unison.

Link led the group into the forest without hesitation, with Ensui following at a relaxed pace. Without letting his students notice, he jotted down notes about their performance in a small notebook.

The Forest of Death was Konoha's 44th training ground, surrounded by locked gates and barbed wire. It was a massive circular area with a radius of 10 kilometers, making it 20 kilometers in diameter. It was also located closer to the village's outer perimeter.

While Konoha might appear lax in the manga, where villains infiltrated with ease, in reality, the village operated like a military base. It was well-fortified with high walls and protected by a large-scale barrier system. Entry and exit weren't as easy as they seemed.

For about 20 minutes, Link led the team, leaping across branches. They eventually spotted a pack of tigers. These weren't ordinary tigers; they were massive, and likely due to abundant food and competition, they had formed a group instead of hunting alone. There were over a dozen of them, varying in size.

Link signaled an attack. Having completed their tree-climbing and water-walking training, his teammates, Iris and Ami, immediately sprang into action.

"Shh~!"

Their kunai and shuriken struck true, landing with clean, solid hits. Before the tigers could fully react, the two genin closed the distance, finishing them off with swift, merciless strikes.

In no time, most of the tigers were dead, with a few managing to flee.

They didn't give chase. Their mission was to control the population, not to exterminate the species. The two pregnant tigresses in the group had been spared entirely.

Standing on a tree branch, Link observed his teammates and nodded in satisfaction. He hadn't even needed to intervene. After assessing their efficiency, he motioned for them to continue. The group moved forward, leaving behind the tiger carcasses to naturally decompose and cycle back into the ecosystem.

Using a chakra-enhanced sense of smell, Link adjusted their route and soon led the team to a wolf pack feasting on its prey.

The scene unfolded just like before. The two genin efficiently dispatched their targets, and the group moved on.

By noon, they found a clearing to eat a bland meal of roasted meat before continuing their work. By around 3 PM, Iris and Ami were visibly tired, having expended much of their stamina. Despite this, they had already eliminated about one-fifth of the excessive wildlife.

Link, on the other hand, had conserved his energy throughout the mission. As the leader, he needed to stay vigilant and be ready to intervene if anything unexpected occurred.

Though Nara Ensui was present, jonin rarely intervened in missions unless circumstances drastically changed. Relying on their leader too much could lower the jonin's evaluation of his team.

At their current pace, they were on track to complete the mission in about a week. The biggest challenge lay in the sheer size of the Forest of Death and the mobility of their targets. Wild animals didn't stay in one place, making it difficult to track them without specialized sensory skills.

Toward the end of the day, as the sun began to set, Link led his team back to the forest's entrance.

In the absence of instructions from their jonin, Link naturally took on the role of leader—a necessary step on his journey toward becoming a chunin.