The next day, at the Medical Department.
Kitayama Xu came to work holding a book, thinking she'd arrived early. But as soon as she stepped in, she noticed that the light in the men's changing room was already on, with wisps of steam curling out from underneath the door.
And—
That steam carried a strange, pungent smell.
She hesitated for a moment, then decided to open the door and take a look.
Good heavens!
The instant the door swung open, a thick medicinal odor surged out, stinging her nose and her cough repeatedly. It took quite a while before she could get used to the acrid air. The mist was so dense that she couldn't even see her own hand in front of her.
After confirming that the steam wasn't toxic, she carefully stepped inside.
"Who's in here?"
"No one?"
Step by cautious step, Kitayama Xu ventured deeper into the changing room until she reached the shower area—where she finally found the source of the steam.
Inside the bathtub lay a strikingly handsome young boy, stretched out on his back. The bathwater was pitch black, stained by some unknown concoction of herbs.
"Chiba, you… ah!"
Thinking that Chiba had fainted, she rushed over—but her foot struck something, and she stumbled forward, falling headlong toward the tub.
Though she was a special jōnin, Kitayama Xu hadn't been in combat for ages; her reflexes and body control had long gone rusty.
Splash!
Followed by a yelp of pain.
"Who's there?!"
Luckily, the impact landed on Chiba's abdomen. If it had been a little lower, the just-budding youth might have suffered an unspeakable tragedy.
Clutching his stomach, Chiba sat up in the tub.
A moment later—
Splash!
"Puh! Puh-puh!"
Kitayama Xu's head broke through the surface, sputtering and coughing up water. Having swallowed a mouthful of the bitter concoction, her throat burned with the taste. She gasped for breath, her soaked blouse clinging tightly to her figure, outlining two perfect curves like small melons.
Thankfully, the mist was thick enough to obscure the scene.
"You! What on earth are you doing? I thought you'd passed out!" Kitayama Xu snapped, both embarrassed and angry.
A moment ago she'd been terrified something had happened to him, rushing in without a thought. And now—turns out the kid was fine all along, looking full of energy, while she…
Her cheeks flushed crimson.
"Sensei, I was… conducting an experiment," Chiba said awkwardly. Noticing the awkwardness of the situation, he subtly pulled a towel down to cover himself. "Would you mind stepping outside for a moment?"
"…"
Kitayama Xu gave him a look, then turned silently and left the room.
Good grief.
He was bathing!
She sat just outside and switched on the ventilation. Gradually, the steam began to thin out.
But before Chiba emerged, she hurriedly slipped out the door. Just as she stepped into the hall, she caught sight of Baicao staring at her in a daze.
"Senior Kitayama?"
"Chiba's… running some experiment. You'll see for yourself," she muttered hastily before fleeing back inside.
Baicao hesitated, then opened the door to the changing room. The mixed odors of herbs hit him all at once. Though a seasoned medical ninja, even he couldn't withstand the assault on his senses and quickly shut the door.
A few minutes later—
Chiba came out, looking sheepish. "There's no continuous hot water supply at home, so I thought I'd come here to conduct my experiment."
"You were experimenting all night?!" Kitayama Xu's eyes widened in shock, then darkened with anger. "Do you have a death wish? Who does experiments like that—using your own body as a test subject? What if something went wrong?"
"It's fine," Chiba said quickly. "I already confirmed the first version was beneficial to the body. This one's just a modification to improve the effect. At worst, it'd only weaken the medicine, not turn it into poison."
Kitayama Xu didn't buy it. She knew that every medicine was born through countless trials. Still, she had to admit—at least the boy didn't use others as test subjects.
But still—using himself?
"Sensei, I was wrong," he said meekly.
"Wrong?" Kitayama Xu let out a disbelieving laugh. "This isn't the first time you've pulled something reckless like this! Remember the Soldier Pills? You secretly finished them before even telling me!"
"Yes, yes, I was wrong! I'll change next time!"
"'Next time'? You dare try this ?" she snapped, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
As for her earlier clumsy dive into the tub—she was far too exasperated to care anymore.
After a brief silence, she sighed. "Listen, I know you're a genius. But even geniuses can't be this reckless. What if you'd poisoned yourself last night? Who would've been there to save you?"
Chiba nodded earnestly, offering no rebuttal.
Seeing that, her anger finally began to subside.
"Alright," she said after a moment. "Let's put that behind us. What kind of experiment was this, anyway?"
"Herbal bath."
"Herbal bath?" Kitayama Xu blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's a mixture designed to quickly reduce muscle fatigue and enhance nutrient absorption—used in combination with a hot bath," Chiba explained.
Though she specialized in medical ninjutsu, Kitayama Xu had also gone through rigorous physical training in her youth. She immediately understood the potential benefits.
Sure, soldiers could replenish energy with ration pills.
But muscle fatigue? That had always been hard to treat.
If Chiba's formula worked, plenty of shinobi would gladly buy it for daily use—especially with that second effect: faster absorption meant quicker recovery and better conditioning.
A medicine specifically for training enhancement!
"How are the ingredients?" she asked.
Chiba detailed the five versions he had tested.
Versions one and two had the best effects, but required two rare herbs, large-scale production difficult.
Versions three and four were weaker but used common ingredients, easy to mass-produce.
The fifth version was slightly better than the third and Fourth Hokage—but cost twice as much.
In short, it wasn't yet ready for the market.
Kitayama Xu thought for a moment. "Let's run some trials. If you don't mind sharing a bit of the profit, the Medical Department can help with testing."
"No problem," Chiba replied without hesitation.
"Are you sure?" she said, raising a brow. "Even if each portion doesn't bring much profit, this is a consumable. Once people start using it, the total earnings could be huge."
Chiba nodded calmly. "As long as I have enough to live on, I don't care about money. I'm not interested in it. Besides, I'll need time for revisions anyway. If I did everything myself, when would I have time to train or study? I could create a new jutsu with that time instead."
"…"
Damn it. Even though he's right, she still wanted to smack him.
Kitayama Xu exhaled slowly. "Fine. Bring me a draft report tomorrow. I'll have Baicao and the others run the experiments. For now, the most important thing for you is to get some rest. Go sleep!"
"Yes, Sensei!"
Chiba left the office, closing the door behind him—just in time to hear the sound of a book being slammed repeatedly st the desk inside.
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