Improvement Plan

"Please visit again..."

As Fujino Ren bade him farewell with rather enthusiastic warmth, Chiba walked out of Konoha Pharmacy carrying a huge pile of herbal medicine packets, cold sweat visibly trickling down his forehead.

This was... a little too enthusiastic.

Chiba smiled wryly and glanced back at the pharmacy. Fujino Ren was carefully checking the herb compartments, frowning now and then as he memorized their positions to make it easier to retrieve medicine later.

Was that so... He was a diligent person.

No wonder the pharmacy owner felt at ease leaving the shop to an apprentice alone. He trusted him—or rather, trusted in his diligence and hard work.

He somehow felt...

Very much like Yuriko.

This little brother of hers.

With that thought, Chiba smiled faintly, then turned back and carefully took a step forward, lest the towering stack of large and small medicine packets in his arms lose balance and tumble down.

Still...

Did the Naruto World of this era not even have packaging bags? He remembered Hirohiko often bringing food in packaging of some kind. Why did the pharmacy not have any?

Chiba walked carefully as he puzzled over it.

After he had gone some distance, Fujino Ren suddenly rushed out of the shop, looked around, and froze.

Had he gone far already?

I forgot to pack them for him! Unable to spot Chiba anywhere, Fujino Ren abruptly clutched his head, his face filled with regret.

This is bad! I'm still too clumsy! I actually forgot about packaging them! I even promised my sister, who went to the front lines, that I would look after Chiba if I saw him.

How could I forget?

How could I possibly forget?

I'm really... really sorry, Sis!

The methods for improving Nao's medicine were limited. Exorbitantly expensive and more effective