40 Chapter 40: Water Prison Technique

Araki's posture looked very steady. After learning about the content of the interview assessment, he didn't show any signs of panic. The faint smile that emerged between his brows revealed confidence rather than uncertainty.

This state immediately caught the attention of Tsunade and the others.

Especially Tsunade.

She understood all too well what this assessment meant. Without at least three months of training in Sage Art, it was impossible to sustain the fish for ten minutes.

Among the previous candidates, all of whom were older than Araki, their expressions had changed drastically upon learning about this assessment. Barely anyone could pass.

Given the current situation...

Either this kid didn't understand the difficulty of the assessment at all, or he could handle it with ease.

This only made Tsunade, who was prepared to persuade Araki to give up, even more hopeful.

...

"Bang!"

Accompanied by a burst of energy, a live fish jumped out of the scroll, with water splashing off its scales. Its round eyes were filled with confusion, and its mouth opened and closed, expressing a sense of bewilderment about the current situation.

The fish had been swimming peacefully in a fishpond when it suddenly felt the call of a mysterious power and instantly crossed time and space to arrive here.

Almost in an instant, it felt discomfort from being removed from the water, and its gills experienced a suffocating sensation.

"Plunk!"

After leaping into the air, the fish landed on the scroll, and its tail continued to flap, filled with discomfort from dehydration. The fish was not doing well at all.

"You... just... hold on for a moment..."

Araki looked at the fish flapping on the scroll. Now that the fish was out of the water, no matter how hard it struggled, it wouldn't get far. It was trapped.

However...

He had no intention of treating it.

This made Tsunade and the others furrow their brows in unison. Their confusion gradually turned into disappointment.

As they say, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

Araki's earlier statement about studying medicine for the rise of Konoha had raised their expectations to a great height, but the contrast they were witnessing now left them feeling empty inside, as if something was being torn apart.

However...

Just as Tsunade was about to speak...

Araki suddenly made a move.

His hands began to form precise hand seals, but what he used was not medical ninjutsu, but legitimate ninjutsu.

"Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Water Prison Technique!)

After completing the hand seals, Araki suddenly extended his right hand and reached out towards the fish. It appeared as if he was trying to catch the fish, but the moment his palm reached out, chakra began to condense into flowing water.

The water rapidly spun and converged, forming a water sphere that trapped the fish inside. Araki's water prison wasn't large, maintained at the size of a basketball, perfectly enveloping the fish.

For an enemy, the water prison would be a technique to restrain them, but for this fish, it provided a space for survival.

In an instant, the fish, which had been in extreme discomfort, began to swim joyfully within the confines of the water prison, despite its limited space.

"This..."

Tsunade and the others exchanged glances, each able to see the astonishment in the other's eyes. They had interviewed numerous people before. Some had passed and become medical ninjas, while others had failed and bid farewell to this path. However, they had never seen anyone like Araki, using Water Release ninjutsu to save a fish.

Not far away, Nawaki saw this scene and a relieved smile reappeared on his nervous face.

"Well done!"

His fists clenched tightly, sweat dripping from his palms. He had a kind and passionate nature. Although Araki's situation had nothing to do with him, he couldn't help but feel anxious for him.

For a moment, everyone's gaze, apart from Araki's, was fixed on the water prison.

The only suspense of the interview assessment seemed to revolve around whether the water prison could be maintained for more than ten minutes.

However...

There was no sign of difficulty on Araki's expressionless face.

This made everyone understand that ten minutes was not a problem at all. Not only would the fish not die, but it could also return to the pond.

Gradually, as seconds turned into minutes, Araki maintained the water prison for a solid eight minutes.

The expression on Tsunade's face underwent a change. From initial astonishment and confusion, she now wore a smile of relief. Curiosity sparkled in her bright eyes.

"How intriguing."

Tsunade murmured to herself in a voice only she could hear. It was still too early to say anything before the full results were out, but she had already begun to anticipate Araki lasting for ten minutes.

Like this...

In the silent wait of the entire conference room, ten minutes had passed. The fish was still swimming happily inside the water prison.

"Peng!"

Suddenly, a burst of air exploded, as if the spiritual contract had reached its time limit, and the fish within the water prison disappeared.

Araki retracted his chakra upon seeing this, and the water prison on his right hand burst like a water balloon, splashing all over the conference room floor.

"Araki, this is cheating, do you understand?" Tsunade's smile instantly disappeared, her voice becoming serious and sharp, resembling a teacher scolding a student for making a mistake. In an instant, her imposing presence skyrocketed.

Tsunade's sudden attack left the other few people dumbfounded, but no one spoke, silently observing.

"I... I let the fish... survive..." Araki calmly responded.

"But you didn't use medical ninjutsu!" Tsunade's gaze was extremely dominant, chakra surging within her, enhancing her majestic aura.

In an instant, Araki felt a strong suffocating feeling, as if a heavy mountain pressed down on his shoulders. So this is the aura of the Three Ninja of Konoha!

However...

Araki remained unfazed.

He understood that no matter what happened now, he couldn't take a step back!

"If... it wasn't a fish... but a person... I would have let them... survive!" Araki said calmly, firmly holding onto one principle: any form of saving lives is saving lives! Saving lives knows no distinction of rank or status! Whether it's through the means of medicine (chemistry), surgery (physics), or medical ninjutsu (magic), as long as it saves lives, it is the right thing to do.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

At that moment, Tsunade's smile reappeared on her face, radiant as the sun after rain, without a trace of the intense atmosphere from before.

"Well done!"

"Well done!"

"Very well done!"

"Araki, you've performed excellently!"

"The medical art in the ninja world is not just medical ninjutsu. Today, you've taught me a lesson!"

While speaking, Tsunade stood up, her gaze towards Araki filled with exceptional satisfaction. She had never seen a junior who could move her in such a way.

"However..."

But just at that moment, Tsunade suddenly changed the direction of her words.

"I cannot let you pass. Given your current age, it's more suitable for you to attend the Ninja Academy. The fact that you could think of such a method shows that your thinking is highly unconventional. If you were to become a medical ninja now, it would restrict your thinking, which wouldn't be beneficial for you."