"Hah..."
With a deep, deep inhalation, like a drowning man breaking the surface to draw his first breath of air, the acute oxygen-deprived pain in Chiba's lungs vanished completely with that fresh breath.
Then, he abruptly opened his eyes. Amid the brightness, he saw Doctor Watanabe beside him, looking at a timer.
"How was it?"
The question slipped from his mouth.
"Ten minutes, not a second off."
Having seen this once before, Doctor Watanabe remained remarkably composed this time. After hearing him, he calmly checked the timer in his hand again before speaking.
"The same as last time?"
Chiba slowly sat up and asked.
"Exactly the same."
With that, Doctor Watanabe set down the timer, casually pricked Chiba's hand with a needle, and drew some blood.
Since blood had to be drawn ten times within ten minutes, Doctor Watanabe took very little each time—roughly one small 5-milliliter test tube's worth.
The blood came out immediately after the needle went in.
He also pressed a ball of alcohol-soaked cotton onto Chiba's hand.
Doctor Watanabe really was impressive...
Seeing that skill, Chiba did not continue voicing the doubts in his heart. Instead, he could not help but feel a surge of admiration.
"How was it? After I entered the feigned death state, were there any abnormalities? Did I look no different from someone truly dead?"
Lightly pressing the alcohol cotton, Chiba asked again.
"Yes. There was no breathing or pulse. Aside from his complexion not quite resembling that of a dead person, all the signs were those of complete death."
Doctor Watanabe explained all the symptoms Chiba had displayed after taking Higan, along with his professional judgment as a physician.
If an actual Medical Ninja or doctor examined it, they would still be able to spot certain clues in this poison-induced feigned