"What brings you here today, mother-in-law?"
In the reception room outside the laboratory, Hakushi is entertaining Uchiha Miyoko, who has suddenly come to visit him.
He's a bit curious about the purpose of Miyoko's visit.
He knows that Miyoko wouldn't disturb his work if it weren't for something important to discuss with him.
If Miyoko has something important, Hakushi can only guess that it's related to the Uchiha Clan.
However, whatever arrangements the Uchiha Clan has, Ruri, as the Clan Leader, should already have specialists handling it. With the Uchiha having influence in the military, political, and financial circles of the Land of Demons, no one would dare to make things difficult in this regard.
"It's not about the Uchiha, little Hakushi. I'm here to ask if you and Ruri plan on having a third child. If the third one is also a boy, that would be even better."
Miyoko, seeing through Hakushi's thoughts, smiled with a certain unrealistic fantasy.
"Uh..."
Hakushi was momentarily stunned, then became helpless.
"I don't mind, but Ruri doesn't seem too willing to have a third child, and right now, we don't have much energy to raise another one."
"Just kidding, I was just saying it casually."
Hakushi doesn't know if Miyoko is truly joking or has another motive, but he knows that Miyoko feels somewhat regretful about Asuka's talents.
Like most traditional members of the Uchiha Clan, they believe that becoming a ninja is the only path.
Miyoko and her husband, because they lacked the talent for being ninjas, were forced to become merchants, which in the traditional view of the Uchiha, means they have strayed from the path.
"Well, let's get to the main topic."
Miyoko put away her smile.
Hakushi also sat up straight, wanting to hear what Miyoko had to say.
"This time, I went out and met an old friend. As a result, I accidentally saw something quite interesting, so I asked him to get me some. I suspect it's related to Tailed Beasts."
"Tailed Beasts?"
Hakushi was a bit puzzled.
"Yes." Miyoko took out two capsules with a red outer shell from her pocket, which were some kind of medicine, and placed them on the coffee table in front of Hakushi, speaking seriously: "This is the thing. After taking this medicine, a ninja will form something like a Tailed Beast Cloak on their body, and even something resembling the Tailed Beast Chakra tail appears."
Hearing Miyoko's explanation, Hakushi picked up the two red capsules, squinting his eyes slightly.
"It forms a Tailed Beast Cloak and tail, does it?"
"Yes, although the color is different from normal Tailed Beast Chakra, the violent feeling is unmistakable."
Hakushi never doubts Miyoko's insight as a merchant.
If she says so, she must be certain of something.
"There is indeed a very peculiar chakra fluctuation. Please wait a moment, I'll get some instruments to test it."
After speaking, Hakushi picked up the capsule and walked into the laboratory inside to conduct a test using instruments.
Miyoko just nodded, then quietly sat on the sofa in the reception room, sipping tea and waiting for the test results from Hakushi.
About ten minutes later, Hakushi walked out of the laboratory holding the two capsules, noticeably more solemn than before.
Seeing this, Miyoko knew the results of Hakushi's instrument test.
The origin of the capsules is extraordinary.
"How is it?"
Although she knew the result, Miyoko still asked.
Hakushi sighed and replied to Miyoko: "As you suspected, this is indeed an enhancing medicine synthesized using Tailed Beast Chakra as a raw material. The composition of the medicine is somewhat complex, with some materials unknown to me. However, I estimate that this is not a finished product, that development is incomplete, and it's just a half-finished forbidden drug."
"Forbidden drug?"
"For those with weak willpower, taking the drug can easily strip them of their reason, causing their internal chakra to go berserk. And prolonged use of such a drug poses huge health risks, causing blood vessels and organs to rupture."
In simple terms, for ninjas with real strength, the enhancement from this drug is almost negligible, but for ninjas of average strength, the boost capability is considerable.
From the original purpose of developing the medicine, it seems to be intended for creating a suicide squad for war.
Hearing Hakushi say this, Miyoko recalled the female ninja at the gladiatorial arena who fell into a berserk state after taking this drug. Although her blood vessels and organs didn't rupture, her reason was indeed taken over by the powerful chakra.
"Moreover..."
Here, Hakushi paused, his eyes flashing with a hint of sharpness.
"A few days ago, Ichihime sent a captive from the Land of Waves to the headquarters here. Inside the captive's body, there remains a very special purplish-red chakra, very similar to Tailed Beast Chakra. The residue inside is quite similar to some substances in this medicine. We can basically determine that the captive sent by Ichihime also consumed this drug."
"Land of Waves?"
Miyoko was aware of Ichihime's mission in the Land of Waves, but she didn't expect this kind of medicine to be circulating in such an insignificant small country.
Hakushi nodded and continued to inquire to Miyoko: "I want to know, who did you get this medicine from?"
Miyoko didn't hide it either, responding: "I entrusted a friend to get it from the hands of Tsuruta, the president of Tsuruta Enterprise."