Camping

"Whoosh... whoosh..."

The oncoming wind howled past their ears as Chiba and the other two raced through the dense forest at forced-march speed.

It had already been two days and one night since they left the village. After Hirohiko and Yukina had pulled him up and quickly packed away the battle map, detailed map, and that scroll, the three of them had continuously picked up speed, beginning their forced march along their planned route.

Whenever they were hungry or tired, they swallowed a Ration Ball. Thanks to Chiba's concentrated medicine, Konoha's Ration Balls had changed from emergency supplies that merely replenished stamina and Chakra while suppressing hunger into emergency food that replenished stamina and Chakra, staved off hunger, provided nutrition, and relieved fatigue.

Yes, emergency food.

Konoha's current Ration Balls would not have much effect on a child's development as long as they were not consumed over a long period. They now contained actual nutrition rather than merely replenishing energy. Just as Yukina had said, a Ration Ball was now practically equivalent to a meal.

The only problem was that the already awful Ration Balls had become even more disgusting. They even carried a bitter herbal taste and an odd irritant sensation on the tongue.

To be honest, when the three of them swallowed their first Ration Ball, they cried. The taste, like some vile dark cuisine, made tears and snot stream down their faces. But once they ate it, the exhaustion and hunger in their bodies vanished in an instant, and they even felt full. The old Ration Balls had never done that. They could eliminate hunger, but they never produced such fullness. It was the satisfaction of a body receiving nourishment, something the old Ration Balls, which had no nutritional benefits, could never provide.

At the same time,