Six Months Later

Before they knew it, half a year had passed since Jiraiya decided to stay there.

During that time, the war outside had raged on, but for this little Jiraiya training camp, it had been a rare stretch of leisure.

Inside the crude laboratory Nishikawa Tetsu had built not far from the wooden cabin.

"Is this what you meant by... startup capital?"

Yahiko's eyes widened as he looked at the rows of neatly arranged glass test tubes before him.

The tubes contained a pale yellow, transparent liquid that gleamed like gold in the candlelight.

"That's right."

Wearing a homemade mask and gloves, Nishikawa Tetsu carefully divided the extracted liquid into smaller portions.

"This is an improved, high-purity batch of Penicillin. Over the past six months, I've used the Land of Rain's uniquely humid climate to cultivate an exceptionally stable strain."

Nishikawa Tetsu picked up a test tube, his eyes glinting with a merchant's shrewdness.

"The Shinobi World has just come through a major war. The great nations have withdrawn their forces, but small-scale conflicts and banditry are still rampant. Wound infections are among the leading causes of death for both shinobi and civilians. One dose of this medicine could probably fetch ten Explosive Tags on the black market, or a month's worth of food for a family of three."

"T-That much?!" Konan covered her mouth in surprise.

"In times like these, life is cheap, but anything that can save it is expensive."

Konan was no longer the timid girl who could only hide behind Yahiko.

"Konan." Nishikawa Tetsu handed her the test tube. "How's your Paper Release coming along?"

"I've gotten quite good at it."

Konan held out her hand. Several sheets of specially treated oilpaper fluttered above her palm, instantly folding into a sealed box that perfectly enclosed the test tube, protecting it from both impact and moisture.

"I can reinforce the paper with Chakra now."

Jiraiya truly was a good teacher. He always helped his students find the path that suited them.

Over the past six months, under Jiraiya's guidance, Konan had developed ninjutsu such as Paper Shuriken and Paper Clone.

Even Nishikawa Tetsu was a little surprised by her talent, but after a moment's thought, he understood.

The anime might not have gone into detail about Konan's talent, but becoming the right hand of a "god" said plenty.

"Good." Nishikawa Tetsu nodded. "You handle the packaging. As for sales..."

He looked at Yahiko. "Build the unified front like I told you. You don't need to rob anyone or beg for food. Use the Land of Rain's advantage as a crossroads to sell these medicines to passing caravans, or even move them through underground channels to the great nations."

"Once you control this source of income, you'll have bread. And with bread, you can recruit more people and earn the right to talk about your ideals."

There was a determination in Yahiko's voice that seemed to belong to more than just a boy. "I'll establish a safe underground trade route. It won't just be for the money; it'll help us build an intelligence network, too. Over the past six months, I've contacted people in three nearby villages, and they're willing to join us."

"I'll use the money to buy food and ninja tools, and arm everyone."

Yahiko looked toward the doorway, toward the future. "You were right. When you have food in your hands, you don't panic. We'll make this medicine our lifeblood."

"Our organization will be called Akatsuki. It means the breaking of dawn before sunrise!"

Just as I thought, Nishikawa Tetsu mused. That name really did fit: Akatsuki.

"Tetsu, you're some kind of... monster." Yahiko sighed with genuine admiration. "We're about the same age, so how come you think further ahead than even Jiraiya-sensei?"

"Because I read a lot," Nishikawa Tetsu replied calmly. "And don't let Jiraiya-sensei hear you say that. He'll beat you up."

While laying the economic foundations for Akatsuki, Nishikawa Tetsu hadn't neglected his own research.

Beneath the waterfall.

"Ha!"

Namikaze Minato clutched a rubber ball in his hand, desperately forcing Chakra into it.

The ball twisted and warped in his grip, squeaking under the strain, but it still wouldn't burst.

"Damn it... I failed again."

Minato let go with a pant, and the rubber ball returned to its original shape.

"Still stuck at the second stage?"

Nishikawa Tetsu emerged from the woods, holding a strange metal device.

"Yeah." Minato wiped away his sweat, looking frustrated. "I've already mastered the rotation, but I still don't have the Chakra control to maintain that intensity while putting out that much power."

"Don't rush. You've only been training for half a year. By my calculations, finishing the second stage within a year would make you a genius." Nishikawa Tetsu reassured him. "After all, this is an S-rank, seal-less ninjutsu."

"What about you? Is your new toy finished?" Minato looked at the device in Tetsu's hand.

It was a metal ring resembling a belt, set with three crystals engraved with intricate Fuinjutsu formulas.

"Yeah. Scientific Ninja Tool 3.0—the Chakra Energy Storage Core."

Nishikawa Tetsu fastened the belt around his waist and connected it to his armguard with a tube.

"You know my Chakra reserves have grown thanks to Senior Fugaku's training, but compared with monsters like you and Nagato, they're still a drop in the ocean."

Nishikawa Tetsu pointed to the crystals on the belt. "So I combined Fuinjutsu theory with the energy-storage mechanism in Kazama Sousuke's puppets to make this."

Jiraiya really was good to his students. He'd taught Nishikawa Tetsu all his Fuinjutsu without holding anything back.

"Normally, I can slowly store any excess Chakra I have in these crystals. Or... cough, borrow someone else's Chakra."

"Borrow?" Minato raised an eyebrow.

"Nagato!" Nishikawa Tetsu called to the red-haired boy practicing ninjutsu nearby.

"Coming!" Nagato trotted over obediently. He was considerably sturdier than he'd been six months ago. He was still introverted, but there was more confidence in his eyes.

"Fill it up." Nishikawa Tetsu pointed to a port on the belt.

"Oh, okay."

Without a word, Nagato placed his hand on the port.

The Uzumaki Clan's terrifyingly vast reserves of Chakra poured into it.

"Hmm—"

The crystals on the belt blazed with light. In just a few seconds, the dull crystals filled with a brilliant blue Chakra glow.

"This..." Minato stared in amazement. "It's basically a Chakra storage device!"

"Exactly."

Feeling the surging energy in the belt, Nishikawa Tetsu smiled. "With this, I can unleash far more Chakra in battle than my body would normally allow. Whether I'm using a large-scale ninjutsu or powering my Stinger Armguard, I won't be limited by my Chakra reserves anymore."

He raised his hand and aimed at the waterfall.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"

This time, he didn't form any Hand Seals. He drew directly on the Chakra stored in the core.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several high-pressure air bullets shot from his mouth. They were so powerful that they punched holes in the waterfall, leaving them open for a long time.

"It's a one-use consumable, so I'll have to recharge it after it's spent. But at a critical moment, it's a trump card that can turn the tide."

Nishikawa Tetsu patted the belt, satisfied.

That was what Ninjutsu Science meant to him: if you lacked talent, make tools; if you lacked Chakra, store it.

As long as you didn't let your mind slack, there were always more solutions than problems.

"That's amazing..." Nagato watched, his eyes full of envy. "Tetsu always finds all kinds of ways to get stronger, but I can't."

"Don't sell yourself short, Nagato."

Nishikawa Tetsu ruffled Nagato's red hair. "Your eyes are a gift from the gods, while my science is an ordinary person's struggle. We're both climbing upward in our own ways."

That day, the evening sun in the Land of Rain managed to break through the clouds for once.

The three boys stood before the waterfall, each looking down at his hands.

Minato held the rubber ball that represented the pinnacle of shape transformation.

Nishikawa Tetsu touched the Energy Storing Belt, the crystallization of his ingenuity.

Nagato felt the Rinnegan, containing the myriad aspects of creation, within his eyes.

Though their paths were different, they were all growing stronger.

And this peaceful moment foreshadowed that the countdown to their parting was finally about to reach zero.

Half a year had passed. Konoha's carrier hawk had delivered a message to Jiraiya the night before.