A month passed quickly. My muscles had healed enough for me to walk and perform light movements, but I still relied on the wheelchair.
The doctors said it would take another two months before I fully recovered. I didn't think I'd need that long, but since that was the official timeline, I decided to make full use of it.
Time meant opportunity. So I set out to create a new business venture—one separate from the Lotus Pavilion.
As expected, Danzo paid me a visit. He was curious about my relationship with Hina and the Lotus Pavilion.
I gave him exactly what I'd prepared in advance—the same story I'd gone over with the others. Clean, simple and airtight.
He tried to be intimidating, and while he was imposing, I wasn't easily shaken. Aiko, Daichi, and, surprisingly, Hoshino-san were also questioned. Our stories lined up.
Hoshino-san had no idea about our connection to the Pavilion, but when asked about my relationship with Hina, she spoke honestly. Said Hina had always been kind to the younger orphans, always looking out for them.
Although initially surprised at how well Hina was doing for herself, she immediately connected the dots and realised why the orphanage had been well taken care of.
Danzo tried to push for the orphanage land to be returned to the village. A warning from Hina to pull her funding to the village was all it took to change his mind.
After all, the Lotus Pavilion was the only merchant group actively supporting Konoha's recovery. Konoha couldn't afford to lose that.
But I digress.
My new idea was simple: write a book.
A theoretical text on chakra control.
Not a flashy guide for shinobi, but a foundational, structured study—one that could change the way civilians and low-level ninja understood the basics.
My knowledge on chakra control had the potential to influence training methods and open new discussions in the Academy and even among higher ranked Shinobi.
But of course, I wouldn't publish it under my name. I'm not an idiot. That kind of attention wasn't just unwanted—it was dangerous.
So I chose the next best option: A collaboration with Hiruzen.
The man would end up writing something similar If not more sophisticated, so why not ride on his coattails and make a fortune separate from The Lotus Pavilion?
Of course, I wasn't able to hold a brush to write anything yet but the idea is what matters.
Knock knock
I turned just as the door creaked open as Aiko stepped in, carrying a small paper bag and wearing a tired expression. "Brought you something," she said, setting it down on the table beside me. Her eyes scanned the room briefly before settling on me. "You look like you've been thinking too much again."
"Of course. A mind that thinks all the time has nothing to do except thinking." I said, quoting a famous quote I had no idea who said but made sense.
"Whatever." Aiko, already worn out from her recent endeavours, couldn't be bothered to entertain me and rolled her eyes.
Picking up the paper bag, peeked inside and caught the warm, savory scent of grilled fish and rice. Nestled beside it was a small container of simmered vegetables—carrots, lotus root, and daikon—soaked in a light soy broth. A neatly wrapped onigiri sat tucked in the corner, along with a tiny sealed cup of sweet red bean jelly.
"Daichi's?" I asked with a smile to which she nodded. "He couldn't make it. Work." She said succinctly and I nodded.
After my revelation to them, I had asked them both to Integrate themselves into the Lotus Store in the district where Hashimaru was in charge.
Aiko was to learn all she could about medicinal herbs for drug making and poisons while Daichi was to learn about them too, but for their culinary purposes.
"And? How's it going so far?" I asked while tearing off a piece of the onigiri and popping it into my mouth. The flavor hit just right. Daichi had clearly improved.
"I've memorized about thirty common herbs and how they interact with each other. Hashimaru's been letting me handle basic mixes under supervision. Stimulants, sleep aids, mild antitoxins. I started keeping a personal log too. Ratios, reactions, side effects. I even made a salve that worked better than the pavilion's imported ones."
She paused, then added, more carefully, "I've also been looking into the compounds you asked about. The structural reinforcement herbs. Genkon Bark especially."
Her voice dropped slightly. "The material on it is sparse. Most of what exists treats it as a rehabilitation tool, not a refinement one. But I found a few references in older texts, Uzushio medical scrolls, mostly, that describe something closer to what you were asking about. I haven't drawn any conclusions yet. But I have questions."
She looked at him directly. "Good ones."
I raised an eyebrow at that but didn't interrupt as I reached for the vegetables.
"Daichi's ahead in his own way," she continued. "He's studying seasonal ingredients and food preservation too. Claims he wants to create a chakra-friendly ration line that doesn't taste like garbage."
She covered her mouth and giggled.
"That's actually useful," I said, then added. "Include him in your research."
She looked at me curiously.
"Have him explore whether medicinal compounds can be incorporated into food without compromising their effects. If he can turn some of the properties you're studying into something people can consume regularly, we could end up with medicinal meals rather than pills or bitter mixtures."
Her expression sharpened with interest.
"Also don't let Genkon Bark become the center of your research," I continued. "It's important, but I don't want you spending all your time trying to understand one herb. Expand your knowledge. Study as many medicinal and structural-reinforcement herbs as you can find. Their properties, interactions, preparation methods, cultivation requirements, toxicity, everything."
I paused, picking up another piece of vegetable.
"I want breadth before specialization. The more you understand, the easier it'll be to recognize connections that other people miss."
She nodded slowly, already looking as though she were reorganizing her priorities in her head.
"Focus on the research. Don't worry about acquiring resources or information beyond what you can reasonably access. If you need anything from books, ingredients, equipment, contacts, funding, just go to Hina."
"Understood."
"And if Daichi comes up with something edible that doesn't taste like medicinal paste, I'll consider it a success."
She smiled faintly. "I'll make sure he knows the standards."
I nodded as I chewed. "Good. Keep at it. I don't need either of you to be perfect. Just competent and consistent. With time, progress will inevitably be made."
She gave a small, tired smile. "We're working on it. Hashimaru said if we keep up this pace, we'll be ready to operate parts of the store on our own in three months."
"Then you've got two," I said, setting the empty cup of jelly aside. "I don't intend to stay in this chair forever."
"What is it that you're planning?" Aiko suddenly leaned forward and asked. "You wouldn't just suggest this without a motive…right?"
I glanced her way, a small smile making its way up my lips as I picked up the rice ball. "There's only so much I can accomplish alone, you know." I took a bite, letting the silence stretch between us.
Her expression soured a bit. It was subtle, and I found it strangely amusing. Not because I enjoyed provoking her, but because I knew my intent was difficult to explain.
Not particularly a secret, just… precarious.
"Tell me," I said after swallowing, "have you heard of Konoha's little princess?"
"Tsunade-sama?" Aiko responded instinctively, and I raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. She'd never used an honorific for Hina. Not even Hashimaru.
"You do realize you're older than her, right?" I asked, curious. "Why the formality?"
I understood the cultural weight of such titles in this world and the reverence they conveyed, but I'd never been one to offer deference where I didn't think it was earned.
"She's the granddaughter of Hashirama-sama-" she replied and I immediately interrupted.
"Everyone knows that. What has that got to do with her? She's just his granddaughter." I said.
Aiko didn't flinch at my interruption. She just looked at me for a moment, like she was weighing the effort it would take to explain against how stubborn she knew I could be.
"It's not just about blood," she said finally. "It's about legacy. Expectations. The way people move around her… it shapes things. Even if she hasn't earned it yet, the title prepares people to treat her like she eventually will."
I leaned back slightly, chewing slower now. "So it's not respect. It's an investment."
"An investment of expectations. Everyone is betting on what she might become, rather than respecting what she is."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"Which means the return on that investment is either greatness… or disappointment."
Aiko gave a small shrug. "Perhaps. But if the village believes she's destined for greatness, that belief itself can shape her into someone who fulfills it."
I chuckled softly. "So we bow now, in the hope that she'll give us a reason to bow later."
Aiko said nothing. She didn't need to. Her silence was enough.
"Interesting enough, that's also why I need you to learn as much as possible in this field." I said, reaching into the bag again. The grilled fish was still warm and the flesh flaked apart easily with my chopsticks. I took a bite, letting the savory flavor coat my tongue before continuing.
"She's primed to be the best medic nin this village would come to know and while I'd love to invest in her, she's too conspicuous."
Aiko's expression turned confused hearing that but I didn't let her voice it and continued. "You on the other hand, don't really matter. Forgive my choice of words, but it's the truth."
She looked visibly offended but kept silent and allowed me to continue. "For that reason, you're perfect."
I paused, letting the weight of that settle as I took another bite of fish.
"No one's watching you. No one's expecting greatness from you. That makes you invisible—and invisibility is a kind of power." I glanced at her then, and her gaze was sharp. "You can go places, learn things, do things that someone like Tsunade never could. No spotlight. No scrutiny."
Aiko folded her arms. "So I'm a ghost in the system? Just drifting through until you decide I'm useful?"
I could sense a bit of hurt in her tone even if her voice and expression didn't show it.
"No," I replied calmly, finishing off the last of the rice ball. "You're a vessel hidden in the dark. And I'm trying to fill you with knowledge the world won't see coming until it's too late."
She looked away for a moment, lips tightening. "That's a lot to put on someone who 'doesn't matter.'"
"That's the point," I said quietly. "Because once you do matter… it'll already be too late to stop you."
There was a short moment of silence before she snorted, a slight smile threatening to crawl up her lips which she probably didn't think I noticed but I did.
"That doesn't answer the question though." She said, breaking the silence as she turned to me. "Where does this benefit you?"
Catching her gaze, I couldn't help but wonder how she'd react to what I had in mind.
I already had a solid foundation in everything that makes a shinobi powerful. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Bukijutsu, Genjutsu and Fuinjutsu. However, I lacked Iryo-jutsu.
That was a massive hole in my all roundness.
Although I have already mentioned my interest in resigning as a shinobi, Hiruzen hasn't accepted it, not that it mattered, but even if he did, it wouldn't erase the fact that I would still exist in this world.
The second Shinobi war would kick off soon, the earliest time being 10-15 years, latest, 20 years.
That'll be the war that'll see the rise of various heroes from all over the land. The White Fang, Hatake Sakumo and The Sannin amongst many others.
However, before Tsunade would become known as one of the Sannin, she'll make a name for herself in subverting the World's most powerful Poison Master…or mistress, considering her gender.
Chiyo.
The anime didn't mention it extensively, but having lived through the First Shinobi War, I won't allow myself to foolishly believe that everyone poisoned was saved.
In order to prevent myself from being an unfortunate victim of a random poison blasted into my airspace, I need to develop a strong enough poison resistance.
And what better way to do that than to take a page from the notebook of one of anime's most deadly assassin clan; The Zoldyck clan and poison myself over and over again till I gain a natural resistance to it.
Painful? Definitely. Reckless? Maybe. But necessary? Without a doubt.
I exhaled, setting my chopsticks down and meeting Aiko's eyes again.
"That's why I need you to get as strong in Iryō-jutsu as possible," I said plainly. "Not just chakra control or first aid. I'm talking about real understanding of poisons, antidotes, cell regeneration, chakra scalpel work, and medicinal herbs."
I looked at her seriously.
"I don't want you memorizing a list of herbs. I want you to understand them well enough to create something new from that knowledge."
She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift.
"I'm going to start training my body to resist poison," I continued. "Bit by bit. Microdoses, constant exposure, with seals in place to regulate it. It's going to hurt, and it's going to be dangerous. But if you master the medical arts, you'll be my lifeline through all of it."
"So..? What do you say?"