Chapter 55: The Leeks Are Growing

Chiba-kun, you are back.
Chiba-kun, you are finally back! Regarding the special military ration pills...
Wait a minute, Baicao. Modifying the ration pills isn't as important as my chakra needles.
What kind of talk is that?
Alright! You are all surrounding Chiba, but there is only one of him. He can't split himself into multiple people, can he?
Kitayama Yu arrived just in time.
Her sharp reprimand calmed the noisy crowd down.
Then, she pulled Chiba along, preparing to head to the office.
Baicao sighed, muttering softly, You said he couldn't split himself, yet you're the one dragging him away. You clearly just want to monopolize him.
Baicao, what did you say?
Uh, I mean, the captain is brilliant!
Baicao offered a sheepish, flattering smile.
Kitayama Yu stared at him for a few seconds, making him lower his head in guilty conscience, before she continued leading Chiba away.
Back in the office, Kitayama Yu massaged her temples with a headache and began pouring her grievances out to Chiba like beans spilling from a broken bag.
Before you came, everyone lacked drive, and many just had a mindset of coasting along. Since you arrived, the Medical Division has changed drastically.
Hmm?
Chiba was somewhat puzzled.
Weren't the subordinates working themselves to the bone...
Isn't that a good thing for Kitayama Yu?
Their strength can't keep up with their ambitions, and the overall capability of the Medical Division is still a bit too weak. Take the Joint Medical Technique, for instance. Clearly, it's a benefit you provided, but we just can't digest it properly.
As Kitayama Yu spoke, she handed over a notebook.
Chiba took it.
It recorded the Medical Division's process and summaries regarding the research on joint medical techniques.
There were results, but not many.
So, the group surgery method has been successfully improved?
Yes, there are still benefits. The primary surgeon can perform operations more stably and with greater focus, and it has already begun to be promoted.
Kitayama Yu nodded. As for the Telescope Technique you mentioned, we have completely no clue about it.
Didn't I mention before that the Telescope Technique is meant to detect a specific kind of special chakra in order to conduct remote monitoring? Remote monitoring is simply unnecessary in medical ninjutsu...
Chiba pointed at their notebook.
You guys are too impatient. You have to eat your meals one bite at a time. Achieve the first goal before moving on to the second and third goals.
Mm, for example?
Kitayama Yu was somewhat moved, but still lacked inspiration.
Take this jutsu, for instance. Our goal is to detect the location of the pathogen inside the patient's body, and then observe its condition within the patient's body through monitoring across the body, right?
Mm-hmm! Mm-hmm!
Kitayama Yu nodded repeatedly.
Then it can be divided into two steps. First, we complete the jutsu capable of detecting the pathogen's location, and then, based on this jutsu, we improve it to accomplish the second step.
Chiba explained, Impatience is the absolute worst taboos in ninjutsu creation.
...
Kitayama Yu opened her mouth, her expression turning rather awkward in the end as she fell silent.
She realized...
Chiba felt more like a teacher now.
Did the teacher not understand?
No, no, no, I understood, I understood!
Kitayama Yu's face flushed slightly as she lowered her head to ponder. After a long while, she said, I get it now. Detecting the pathogen's location isn't too hard; one of the basics for medical ninja is detection.
Mm-hmm, and then we just modify it to make it faster and more efficient. That's very simple.
Very simple?
Kitayama Yu pursed her lips, momentarily speechless.
Chiba glanced sideways and then realized that what he considered simple might still be far too complex for them.
He hinted, You could consider barrier ninjutsu.
Perceptual barriers?
Kitayama Yu's eyes lit up. Right! Why didn't I think of that?
With just a hint, she immediately understood.
She had her direction.
As a veteran medical ninja, she already knew what needed to be done.
As expected of Chiba!
Afterwards, she asked a few more questions.
However, these were questions raised by other members of the Medical Division—
Currently, Chiba had handed off further improvements of the military ration pills to others, hardly participating himself.
However.
At the end of the conversation, Kitayama Yu flipped to a page: Regarding this formula, Baicao and the others have suffered quite a setback. You should go take a look.
Alright.
Chiba glanced at it.
This was a special military ration pill he had improved based on the Akimichi clan's secret medicine knowledge.
However, last month he only made a first version, and just like the Akimichi clan's version, it had extreme side effects that couldn't be endured without the robust physique of the Akimichi clan.
What's the situation with the second version? Hmm, the effects and side effects are even stronger?
Chiba clicked his tongue.
How did Baicao optimize this?
Was he trying to develop a suicidal burst pill!
He looked closely and saw that Baicao had swapped in several herbs that theoretically should have been milder, but the result was an even more ferocious medicinal effect.
This...
To be honest, I don't have a great solution either, but aside from the heavy side effects, this version is actually quite good otherwise.
The herbs were cheap, the effects were great, and the cost-performance ratio was maxed out.
It's just that the side effects were far too severe.
By the way, have you tried reducing the dosage? Discussing side effects without mentioning the dose is just playing hooliganism.
Uh.
Kitayama Yu was speechless for a moment.
Reduce the dosage?
Everyone had been obsessing over the formula itself; it seemed nobody had thought to try that.
At first thought, the idea sounded a bit foolish, but upon careful consideration, it actually made a lot of sense.
If the amount used was smaller, perhaps it would become tolerable?
They had been trapped in a narrow mindset!
Kitayama Yu slapped her forehead: I'll have them try it.
Everyone has just started trying innovation, so their thinking might be a bit limited. Let your imaginations run wild.
You couldn't blame the Medical Division for lacking ideas.
Most of them used to follow routines step-by-step, and being able to conduct independent research and development now was already a huge step forward.
Take it slow!
Sooner or later, there would be a whole bunch of people helping him research his topics.
Chiba seemed to envision the entire village of Konoha growing wildly under the influence of wisdom and intense competition.
Leaving the office, he checked the Bodhi tree.
The marking representing the "Absorption Barrier" had grown deeper and more archaic, radiating little golden glimmers.
In addition, the other four markings had also made significant progress.
All the markings were emitting colorful rays of light.
The Medical Division contributed immensely to this.
What on earth is the ability of the fifth mark? What changes occur after it glows?
Chiba frowned.
He could faintly sense an enhancement, but he hadn't yet figured out which aspect it was affecting.
Stepping outside, he began jogging around the village.
After running half a circle...
That's right! Together now, do fifty handstand laps! If you fail, run a hundred laps around Konoha!
Chiba looked toward the source of the voice.
Sure enough, it was Might Guy. The only difference was that this time it wasn't just Rock Lee.
Maiya wasn't doing handstands, but was running alongside them.
Beside Rock Lee, a boy dressed in white was walking on his hands. Just then, he noticed Chiba looking over, and his face showed a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.
However, he quickly suppressed his emotions and continued his workout with a blank expression.
Even Neji as well...
Come to think of it, Neji reaching this point was probably not unrelated to himself.
Chiba's expression turned odd.
Thinking of Neji using the Eight Gates Dun甲, a thick sense of discord suddenly welled up in his heart.
What a sin!
However.
Image can't put food on the table.
Compared to outward appearances, strength was the most important thing. Neji being able to put down his idol baggage made Chiba happy for him.
It was a pity that the Caged Bird Curse Seal was unimaginably toxic; it was practically impossible for Neji to remove it no matter how strong he became.
Chiba suspected that even the Main House itself didn't know how to lift it.
They had never imagined a day when they would need to remove it, so naturally they never bothered to figure out how.