The hardships of war are inevitable, but life must still go on day by day.
Among the villagers who once again grew restless and uneasy, Hakushi, in contrast, had the most serene state of mind.
With the arrival of war, the medical instructor of the First Medical Ninja Experiment Class reverted back to the previously unnamed Anbu Jonin.
At the onset of the Hidden Sand's war against the Land of Fire, Tsunade had already gone to the front lines to fight alongside numerous Konoha Ninjas against the Hidden Sand. Her brother, Nawaki, had also gone early to participate in the war. I hope he remains safe.
War is not a playground; it's a meat grinder.
In the months that followed the start of the war, by July of that year, it was the summer season, with a faint, oppressive heat carried by the breeze.
Hakushi had successfully advanced to fifth grade, and everything was progressing regularly, from training in Ninja Techniques and Taijutsu to researching Natural Energy.
Moreover, the first batch of drugs developed using Natural Energy, after months of relentless effort and significant financial investment, were finally developed by Hakushi.
The drug is a light purple tablet, about the size of a thumb, composed of many neutralized ingredients, most importantly infused with Natural Energy, which greatly increases its value and effect.
Hakushi's research had long shown that Natural Energy is a unique energy, both violent and full of Life Force.
Without other substances to neutralize it, directly ingesting it into a living organism would most likely result in instant death.
Unless one is naturally attuned to Natural Energy, but such a special physique in humans, Hakushi had not encountered, and its existence was still an unknown.
The new drug's effect can improve the overall bodily abilities of Hakushi, enhancing self-healing and immunity, as well as increasing strength, neural response, and resistance to blows.
This new drug has minimal side effects, so only one tablet needs to be taken daily; after more than a month of continuous use, the effects would slowly manifest on the user.
The saturation of the drug's effect varies according to each person's physique and processing system abilities. Some might reach saturation after seven or eight months, and further use would cause significant harm rather than enhancing abilities.
Others might continue using it for a dozen months before experiencing bodily rejection.
After self-examination, Hakushi determined his body's saturation time for this drug to be eleven months.
Once the eleven-month condition is met, its usage must be ceased.
Ruri's saturation period spans between eleven to twelve months, and to be conservative, Hakushi set it to eleven and a half months.
After about six to seven months of using the drug, Ruri could maintain the Sharingan's active state for extended periods without easily becoming fatigued or feeling heavy.
Hakushi also planned to find a time to give this new drug to Ayane, so she could use it. With the war imminent, being well-prepared increases the chances of survival.
◎
Ayane was in the hospital at this time.
During her training, she had deliberately twisted her leg, requiring about four days of rest in the hospital.
Because Hakushi had given her numerous important tasks that could only be completed in the hospital, she had to resort to this method to enter for recuperation.
For example—
Determining whether the Chakra within a newborn when a woman gives birth is self-generated or flows over from the mother.
Or whether Chakra is produced when the embryo is formed.
Such strange questions were innumerable.
These observational tasks also made Ayane feel embarrassed.
While Konoha has plenty of pregnant women awaiting birth, offering ample materials for observation, still...
Who assigns such perverse tasks to a girl!
Because the Byakugan has the abilities of perspective, farsight, and insight, only Ayane could complete such tasks.
Ayane knew this, yet she still wanted to criticize Hakushi's research direction.
Are all Medical Ninjas this perverted?
Beyond issues with childbirth, there were more bizarre observational tasks, all of which needed to be detailed into a documentary report for him, saying it was significantly beneficial to his research.
Ayane doubted if Hakushi intended to transfer into gynecological research.
What a big pervert.
On Ayane's third day in the hospital, there was a knock at the room door.
"Come in."
Hakushi walked in carrying a basket of fruit.
"Ayane, I came to visit you. These fruits are a little token from your classmates."
Ayane breathed and said:
"Rest assured, there's no one monitoring around; there's no need to be so secretive."
"Uh, Ayane, what are you talking about? I don't quite understand. I'm just here on behalf of the classmates to visit…"
"Do you want me to burn those observation reports?"
"Please, have mercy."
With that, Hakushi stopped pretending to be foolish.
He took the scroll of observation reports from Ayane's hand and placed them in his Ninja Tool Bag.
After setting the fruit by Ayane's bedside, Hakushi took out a palm-sized sachet of medicine and handed it to Ayane.
"What's this?"
"This is a new drug I developed by extracting Natural Energy and neutralizing it with other medicinal ingredients. It can enhance the body's physique. Remember to take it every day after lunch; there's a month's supply in here. I'll give you the remaining supply each month on time. It's best to continue for eleven months."
Hakushi was very familiar with Ayane's body, allowing him to easily determine her saturation period was the same eleven months as his own.
"The color seems suspicious."
"That's just how it looks; isn't the efficacy the important part? Appearance doesn't really matter, right? More importantly, is there anything noteworthy recently?"
"No, as you requested, I live comfortably in the clan."
Ayane reminisced about her recent life within the clan and reported back to Hakushi.
"That's good. Regarding the Caged Bird Curse Seal, I have some judgments, but I can't confirm their accuracy. Can you get any information related to the Caged Bird?"
"You're overestimating me, Hakushi. If I were to access such high-level secrets, there's a higher likelihood of being dealt with. Such information is not accessible to the branch family."
Ayane replied in a resigned tone.
Hakushi did not feel disappointed; he had anticipated such an outcome but still held on to a glimmer of hope.
"Looks like I'll have to figure out a way on my own. I won't bother you anymore; staying here too long could easily lead to trouble."
Ayane nodded, watching Hakushi leave her hospital room.
◎
Nawaki is dead; the news came very suddenly.
It's as if someone who was laughing and joking with you yesterday is suddenly reported dead the next morning, leaving you bewildered.
Supposedly, driven by a desire for merit, he disobeyed his teacher Orochimaru's commands during an encounter and recklessly fell into the enemy's trap, finally dying from severe injuries despite rescue efforts.
When Hakushi heard the news, he was also stunned on the spot.
To think that the young and confident Senju clan boy, who wore a bright smile, would suddenly die at such a young age, filled Hakushi's heart with a sense of regret.
In the face of war, even the blood of the First Hokage had no significance.
On the battlefield, anyone who goes must be prepared for death.
It has nothing to do with being a ninja or bloodline.
The enemy won't spare him just because he's the grandson of the First Hokage.
"Lady Tsunade must be very heartbroken..."
Though he wanted to visit and console Tsunade, Hakushi's current situation in Konoha Village meant he couldn't manage it.
Even someone like Senju Nawaki, with such a background, died meaninglessly. What could an ordinary person like him possibly change?
People are creatures that seek benefit and avoid harm. Offering help without ensuring one's own safety only invites more distress upon oneself.
Words like salvation only hold meaning for the strong; the weak can only pity themselves.
Nawaki is gone; Konoha will not hold a grand funeral for him specifically.
Everyone is racing against time to fight the enemy, drive them out of the borders; they've become indifferent to life and death, with no time to mourn a dead person.
Even if he is the grandson of the First Hokage.
Nawaki was a ninja; whether he had the awareness or not is irrelevant.
This is the ninja's war.
Hakushi increasingly understands the ruthlessness of war.
In his past life, he lived in relatively peaceful times, far from the smoke and flames of war.
Even in Konoha these last few years, he hadn't witnessed firsthand what war truly was, but he deeply understood one thing.
Living isn't something to be happy about.
Dying isn't something to be sad about, either.
Being born in troubled times is the greatest misfortune.