A merchant ship, flying no identifying flags, quietly sailed into the deep-water port of the Land of Whirlpools under the cover of night.

At the bow, a blonde figure stood silently. The sea breeze blew through her long hair tied behind her, but it could not disperse the long-accumulated weariness and confusion between her brows.

Tsunade.

One of the legendary Sannin, granddaughter of the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, and the top Medical Ninja in the Shinobi World.

"Tsunade, we've arrived."

Jiraiya's voice came from behind. He still wore his usual cynical expression, but there was a rare hint of solemnity in his eyes.

Tsunade did not turn back, only giving a soft "Mm."

Her gaze had long been drawn to the city before her, which still shone brightly in the night.

These were not flickering candlelight or dim oil lamps, but a bright, steady light she had never seen before. These lights converged, outlining the entire Uzushiogakure into a giant beast made of steel and light, crouching by the sea.

The air lacked the scent of blood and dust common to post-war Ninja villages; instead, it was mixed with a faint hint of machine oil and metal, along with an indescribable vitality belonging to a "rebirth."

This was completely different from the scenes of any Ninja village in her memory.

When she left Konoha, it was already beginning to show signs of decline. Hidden beneath the facade of peace were inter-clan suspicions, the high-ups' paranoia about power, and the premature numbness on the faces of the new generation of Ninja.

But here, she could feel a heartfelt, soaring drive from the busy figures on the docks. They didn't seem to be working for some Daimyo or a vague, ethereal "Will," but were building their own lives brick by brick.

"Is this... the country established by Uchiha Kei?" Tsunade murmured to herself, her tone carrying a hint of shock she hadn't even realized.

"Yeah, it only took him a little over a year." Jiraiya walked to her side, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her as he looked at the city before them, his tone complex. "That guy is an out-and-out monster. A monster... who can turn fantasy into reality."

Tsunade fell silent.

Her visit this time was not entirely voluntary.

On one hand, it was Jiraiya's persistent persuasion. This friend of several decades had told her with unprecedented seriousness that the Shinobi World was about to face an unprecedented transformation, and the Land of Whirlpools was the center of this change. He hoped she would come and see it with her own eyes.

On the other hand, it stemmed from the depths of her heart—the last shred of obsession as a Medical Ninja that she was about to give up on.

Hemophobia.

This psychological ailment, which had haunted her like a nightmare for over a decade, had turned her from a top physician who could create miracles of life at the operating table into a useless person who couldn't help but tremble at the sight of tomato juice.

Jiraiya told her that Uchiha Kei might have a way.

The medical technology of the Land of Whirlpools had embarked on a path completely different from the Five Great Nations.

At first, Tsunade scoffed at this.

As the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama and one of the founders of the Shinobi World's medical System, she had her own pride. She didn't believe that a teenage Uchiha brat could surpass the accumulation of her half-lifetime in the medical field.

But the war report from Kumogakure shook her belief.

Forcing back an army of eight thousand without drawing blood.

What kind of terrifying power was hidden behind that absurd "Sea Beast" announcement?

Curiosity, along with that nearly extinguished hope, ultimately drove her to board this ship.

"Let's go, he's already waiting for you." Jiraiya patted her shoulder.

The two walked down the gangway, and immediately two Ninjas wearing black uniforms, with the Uchiha fan and Uzumaki swirl emblems printed on their backs, came up to meet them.

They were not masked, nor did they have the signature indifference of the Anbu on their faces; they simply bowed calmly to Jiraiya and Tsunade.

"Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, please follow us."

Their voices were steady and confident. That composed demeanor made Tsunade feel a hint of surprise once again. This didn't feel like they were dealing with two outsiders, but rather like they were receiving honored guests who had long been expected.

No body searches, no interrogation, and they weren't even asked to surrender their weapons.

This posture of nearly "zero defense" was either extreme arrogance or absolute self-confidence.

Tsunade leaned towards the latter.

The two were led onto a "vehicle" she had never seen before, which glided smoothly at a height of half a foot off the ground. The space inside the vehicle was spacious and comfortable, with no noise to be heard, only the scenery outside the window receding rapidly.

Passing through neat streets and past towering buildings, watching the comfortable smiles on the faces of the civilians strolling under the Chakra streetlights, the shock in Tsunade's heart came in waves, one after another.

She thought of her grandfather, the First Hokage Hashirama Senju.

His lifelong dream was to build a peaceful village where children wouldn't have to go to the battlefield.

At the beginning of Konoha's establishment, it seemed there had been such a scene. But as time passed and war repeated itself, this original intention had long been twisted and forgotten.

And now, a descendant of the Uchiha was, upon the ruins of a destroyed land, turning her grandfather's dream into reality in a more thorough and glorious way.

This made her feel an inexplicable sense of irony and sorrow.

The hovering car finally stopped in front of the towering Uzukage Building, the symbol of the center of power in the Land of Whirlpools.

In the Uzukages Office on the top floor, Tsunade finally met that legendary man.

Uchiha Kei.

He looked even younger than the rumors suggested, wearing the black-and-gold-trimmed Uzukage haori, sitting calmly behind the desk. Those deep eyes seemed capable of piercing through a person's heart.

He did not get up, only making a gesture to "please sit." His gaze lingered on Tsunade for a brief moment before turning to Jiraiya.

"Lord Jiraiya, long time no see. It seems your indecisiveness has finally improved a little." Kei's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power.

Jiraiya laughed heartily and sat on the sofa without standing on ceremony: "Can't help it, I'm being pushed too hard by a junior like you. If I don't make a choice, I'm afraid I'll be left behind by the times."

Kei smiled noncommittally, his gaze returning to Tsunade.

"Princess Tsunade." He used a title that had long been forgotten, carrying a hint of distance. "Welcome to the Land of Whirlpools. It must have been tiring to travel such a long distance."

Tsunade did not sit down, instead standing there and examining Kei with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Uchiha brat, put away that diplomatic rhetoric." Her voice was slightly hoarse, the result of years of drinking. "Jiraiya said you have a way to cure my illness. I need an explanation."

She got straight to the point, turning her last bit of pride into an aggressive aura.

There was no look of surprise on Kei's face, as if he had long expected her to react this way.

"I can understand your doubts, Tsunade." He spoke slowly, his voice as calm as if he were stating a scientific fact. "After all, in your cognitive System, 'hemophobia' is a psychological disorder stemming from trauma, which cannot be cured by conventional Medical Ninjutsu. You yourself are the top authority in this field."

Tsunade's pupils constricted slightly.

With one sentence, the other party pointed out the core of her problem.

"However," Kei's tone shifted, "your perception, or rather, the entire medical System of the Shinobi World, is built upon one foundation: that the mind and body are two distinct, separable Domains."

"But here, in the Land of Whirlpools, we believe that the mind is merely a macroscopic manifestation of the body, especially of brain activity. All psychological problems are, in essence, 'abnormal connections' in certain neural circuits within the brain, as well as 'abnormal secretions' of specific hormones."

Kei stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, turning his back to Tsunade.

"What you fear is not the substance 'blood' itself. It is the visual signal of 'blood' that triggers the memory neurons in your brain associated with concepts like 'loss,' 'helplessness,' and 'death.' Once these neurons are activated, they prompt your body to secrete large amounts of stress hormones that induce panic and trembling. Over time, this 'abnormal connection' has been repeatedly reinforced, forming an unbreakable vicious cycle."

Tsunade was completely stunned.

She had never heard such a heretical theory.

Neurons? Hormones? Abnormal connections?

These terms were completely beyond her scope of knowledge. But with her intuition as a top Medical Ninja and biologist, she could vaguely feel that behind these words hid a deeper medical truth she had never encountered before.

This was no longer Ninjutsu.

This was... science.

"Therefore, my treatment plan is also very simple." Kei turned around, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan shimmering with a heart-stopping luster under the lights.

"I will use Genjutsu to construct an absolutely safe virtual environment, guiding your consciousness to actively touch that 'abnormal connection'."

"At the same time, I will use a drug we developed that specifically targets the central nervous System to temporarily block your body's stress response. In other words, during the treatment process, you will be able to clearly recall everything and feel the sadness, but your body will no longer tremble due to fear."

"Through this method, in the virtual illusion, we will repeatedly conduct 'desensitization' training. Every successful confrontation weakens that 'abnormal connection' and establishes a new, normal connection that 'blood is just a red liquid'."

"I call it... Psychological Desensitization and Neural Remodeling Therapy."

The office fell into a long silence.

Jiraiya was confused by what he heard, but he sensibly did not interrupt.

As for Tsunade, her heart was surging with turbulent waves.

Looking at the young man speaking eloquently before her, she felt for the first time that her Medical Ninjutsu, which she took such pride in, was like a crude stone axe in the hands of a primitive man.

While the other party had already picked up a scalpel gleaming with cold light.

This was no longer an existence on the same dimension.

"Why should I trust you?" Tsunade said with difficulty; this was her final struggle.

"You have no other choice, do you?" Kei's voice was very soft, but it was like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely onto Tsunade's heart.

That's right.

She had no choice.

Either continue to be a useless person imprisoned by a Heart Demon, numbing herself with endless alcohol and gambling until she died.

Or, bet on this one last time.

To entrust her soul to this unfathomable man before her.

Tsunade slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the long-standing confusion and decadence in her eyes were replaced by a hint of determination.

"Fine." She said only one word.

"I'll bet."