Naruto and the "Compendium of Materia Medica"

The sun set behind the western hills.

Another day had passed.

After finishing his final strength-building exercise, Naruto stretched his arms and smiled happily.

After a year of training, he no longer felt sore all over after a day's workout like he had at the beginning.

Sure enough, hard work showed results.

"Naruto, starting tomorrow morning, you won't need to do this kind of strength-building training anymore." At that moment, the system's voice rang out in Naruto's mind.

Hearing that, Naruto's eyes lit up. He asked excitedly, "System, I... I can finally learn that kind of Tempering Method?"

"No."

Naruto's gaze dimmed.

Then the system continued:

"Although a year of strength-building training has made your body far less frail than it was a year ago, you are still weak. You still cannot practice that overbearing Tempering Method."

"If you force yourself to cultivate it, you might burst your blood vessels and die."

"Be patient, Naruto. You are now at the most important stage of laying your foundation. A towering building rises from level ground; Foundation Establishment is especially crucial. Once your foundation is solid, practicing the Tempering Method later will naturally yield twice the results with half the effort."

Next, the system explained that strength-building training was only the first stage of Foundation Establishment, and that the next step was the transitional second stage.

As for what exactly the second stage entailed, the system did not say.

But as Naruto listened to the usually honest and benevolent system speak of the second stage, he detected a faint trace of delight in its tone.

Naruto could not help feeling a little chill run down his spine.

Still, for my friends, I, Naruto, will take on anything!

The next day, Naruto's body clock woke him up. He washed up at top speed, ate breakfast, then followed the system's instructions and brought all the money in his home with him before heading out onto the street.

After a year, Naruto returned to the streets once more.

This time, however, Naruto was not wearing a mask.

"Isn't that the Nine-Tails brat? We haven't seen him in a year. Where has he been hiding?"

"He must have been off doing bad things. Look at him—he's only six, yet he's grown so big and strong. He must have been stealing food."

"Stealing food? Now that you mention it, Keiko next door said her chickens keep disappearing for no reason. I bet that Nine-Tails brat stole them to eat."

"Hehehe, a Nine-Tails Fox eating chickens—an eternal truth."

Sure enough, once people disliked someone, even if he did nothing at all, everything about him was wrong.

Although Naruto had expected this before leaving home, when it truly happened and he experienced it firsthand, his heart still ached.

He clenched his fists indignantly, wanting to shout at those who discussed him with malice, "I didn't do anything! I'm not a bad kid!"

But in the end, he let out a breath and said nothing, simply walking on in silence.

The system sensed Naruto's sadness and comforted him. "Calm down, Naruto. Think about it—these people will all become your friends in the end!"

Listening to the system's sinister consolation, Naruto felt a surge of determination. He clenched his fist tightly and nodded hard in his heart. System, you're right. I can't be angry at my friends.

After calming down, Naruto asked inwardly, "System, why did you tell me to bring so much money?"

At that thought, Naruto felt a pang in his heart. After all, this was the little bit of money he had saved over five or six years by pinching pennies. Was it about to leave him now?

"We're going to buy medicine."

"Buy medicine? What do we need medicine for? I'm not hurt." Naruto was confused.

"You will be soon." The system's steady voice carried a trace of excitement.

"I'll get hurt?" Naruto was even more bewildered. How could I get hurt when I'm perfectly fine? Who would hit me?

He looked at the people around him who hated him and thought, These people only attack me with words. They've never actually resorted to physical attacks.

As for hitting himself, Naruto had considered it, but quickly dismissed the absurd notion.

Hit myself?

I'm not stupid!

"Naruto, get every medicine listed on this prescription." A prescription suddenly appeared in Naruto's hand.

Naruto looked at it. It listed the names of some medicinal herbs. He recognized every character, but when they were combined into herb names, he had no idea what they meant.

Holding the prescription, Naruto entered a pharmacy.

The pharmacy owner was a bearded middle-aged man who looked rather fierce. At the moment, he sat in a chair behind the counter, lazily swatting flies.

"Boss, I want to buy medicine."

"Of course, customer. What would you like to—" Seeing a customer, the middle-aged man hurriedly stood to greet him. But halfway through, he saw the face of the person buying medicine and immediately changed his words.

"Sorry, I don't have the medicine you want."

That attitude made Naruto feel terribly wronged. Wasn't the customer supposed to be king?!

"But, Boss, you haven't even looked at the prescription. How do you know you don't have it?" Naruto raised his head and asked stubbornly.

The middle-aged man waved him away, his face full of impatience. "I said I don't have it, so I don't have it. Go on, get out of here. Don't stand in the way of my business." He chased Naruto off as though driving away a plague god.

It wasn't that he didn't have the medicine, was it?

It was because I'm Naruto Uzumaki, wasn't it?!

Understanding the truth, Naruto left the pharmacy.

After that, Naruto visited several more pharmacies, but none of them were willing to sell him medicine.

Empty-handed, Naruto returned home dejectedly. Filled with guilt, he said to the system, "I'm sorry. I'm so useless. I can't even handle something this simple."

"No, Naruto. You did very well. Look, when the first pharmacy refused you, you didn't give up. You went on to the next pharmacy. When you were refused again, you still didn't give up. You went to every pharmacy in Konoha."

"Naruto, this proves that you've grown a great deal. In the past, you definitely would have given up! But now, Naruto, you are a person with great perseverance."

Hearing the system's lavish praise, Naruto blushed and scratched his head awkwardly. "Am I really that impressive?"

"Of course. You are the future Transcendent Body Refiner, a great figure who can suppress even the Hokage with the turn of a hand!"

"But I still didn't buy the medicine..." Thinking of that, Naruto could not help feeling discouraged again.

"Don't be discouraged, Naruto. If we can't buy them, we can gather them ourselves," the system said.

"Right!" Naruto's eyes lit up. How had he not thought of that? But I don't recognize medicinal herbs. How am I supposed to gather them?

At that moment, a book dropped into Naruto's arms.

Its cover was exquisite.

It was a copy of the "Compendium of Materia Medica," published by People's Posts and Telecommunications Press in 2016, written by Li Shizhen.

Naruto picked it up and saw characters he did not recognize written on it.

"System, what does this say?"

The system acted as his translator.

"Compendium of Materia Medica?"

"Li Shizhen?"

Naruto murmured. So it was a medical work. It should be useful for his training, otherwise the system would not have taught him to read and recognize characters.