Blue Pill

Although Shizune and Yuehua Ai were well-acquainted, they were not close enough to visit each other's homes casually. Furthermore, Yuehua Ai lived with Jiraiya, and to an average ninja, the reputation of the Sannin commanded more awe than intimacy. Even though Shizune had a good relationship with Tsunade, that did not mean she could act freely in front of the other Sannin. Thus, shortly after returning to the village, Yuehua Ai and Shizune parted ways at an intersection, with the latter specifically reminding him not to be late.

After giving Shizune a casual reply, Yuehua Ai dragged his exhausted body back to his residence. Upon opening the door, he discovered that Jiraiya was not home. He was not surprised; Jiraiya was never one to sit still. It would be a miracle if he stayed quietly in his room during a lull between missions.

Cool water gushed from the showerhead, making Yuehua Ai shudder and instantly clearing his somewhat muddled mind. He tossed his soiled training clothes into a basin without the time to wash them, changed into a fresh set, and after tidying himself up in front of the mirror, prepared to leave.

Just as he finished fastening his ninja tool pouch to his waist, the sound of the door opening suddenly echoed from the entrance.

"Why are you back at this hour?"

Yuehua Ai knew who it was without looking. Thinking that this behavior didn't fit the man's usual habits, he leaned out and asked curiously.

"It's all because of your problem!"

Jiraiya changed out of his shoes at the entrance and replied nonchalantly.

"Mine!?"

Yuehua Ai was somewhat puzzled. He had been in Konohagakure for half a year; hadn't all the necessary issues been resolved?

Just as Yuehua Ai was secretly guessing, he saw Jiraiya reach into his robe, pull something out, and toss it toward him without even looking.

"What is this?"

Yuehua Ai muttered subconsciously as he reached out to catch the object. Immediately after, he saw what it was: a spiral and bird-beak pattern engraved on a metal plate, with long straps attached to both sides.

"A forehead protector!" Yuehua Ai blinked as he looked at the abstract leaf pattern representing Konoha.

"I heard you're about to go on a mission, and I figured you might need this!"

Watching Jiraiya sit down lazily, acting as if it were a trivial, offhand gesture, Yuehua Ai felt a surge of gratitude. Despite the man's usual boisterous and careless demeanor, his heart was incredibly delicate.

In truth, when he first arrived in Konoha, Jiraiya could have easily obtained a Konoha forehead protector for him, but he hadn't done so at the time. On one hand, Amegakure was Yuehua Ai's home, and Jiraiya had refrained from giving him the protector to respect his feelings. On the other hand, he had to consider the village's reaction; not every ninja who arrived in Konoha was immediately accepted by it.

Now that Yuehua Ai had lived and studied in Konoha for half a year, Jiraiya felt he must have developed a certain level of recognition for the village. During this long period of coexistence, Yuehua Ai's conduct had been exemplary, with no untoward behavior, which had led the people of Konoha to accept him unconsciously. Jiraiya felt the time was right to give him the protector. This piece of metal was more than just protective gear; it was a symbol that Yuehua Ai had fully integrated into Konoha and become a part of it.

"Not bad. Since it's a token of your sincerity, Jiraiya, I'll reluctantly accept it!"

Yuehua Ai flicked the forehead protector with his finger and, right in front of Jiraiya, tied it around his forehead.

Jiraiya snorted disdainfully, but seeing his disciple wearing the mark of Konoha, he couldn't help but feel happy. Konoha and his disciples were his most important bonds, and seeing the two combined brought him immense relief. In fact, it wasn't just Yuehua Ai; back when he left Amegakure, he had hoped to bring Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan back with him as well, had they not been slightly older and held such deep ties to the Land of Rain.

"Master Jiraiya, your secret crush is calling for us, so handle your own lunch—I'm off!"

Tucking his bangs under the forehead protector to secure them, Yuehua Ai waved at Jiraiya and headed out to change his shoes.

When Jiraiya heard his disciple mention his "secret crush" again, his hackles rose instantly. He couldn't help but roar at him in exasperation:

"What secret crush?! As the magnificent Toad Sage, the dashing and handsome Master Jiraiya, how could I ever have a secret crush? Any beauty I encounter is destined to fall under my charm!!!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Master, your charm is unparalleled, you are the super-cosmic-invincible-pervert-handsome, and every woman is destined to fall at your red-briefs-clad feet!"

Yuehua Ai didn't argue back. He offered a dismissive laugh, waved his hand again, and closed the door behind him, leaving Jiraiya to glare at the empty space.

What does he mean by falling at my red briefs! Jiraiya tugged at the few whiskers on his chin, feeling a bit conflicted. But then, considering his own penchant for wearing red briefs, what "Little Ai" said seemed... not entirely wrong.

Descending the stairs and looking up at the brilliant sunlight, Yuehua Ai felt a wave of dizziness. Although he had put on a brave face in front of Jiraiya, his condition was truly poor. The side effects of his shadow clone combat training were still too severe, so even with his monstrous mental strength, he only dared to attempt it once every two weeks or so.

He reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a medicine bottle, opening it to retrieve a black pill the size of a longan.

He tossed the pill directly into his mouth, glanced at the three remaining in the bottle, sighed helplessly, and tucked the bottle back into his pouch.

Before Yuehua Ai had walked more than a few steps, the pill dissolved in his mouth and began to take effect.

A cooling sensation spread from his mouth and surged straight to his brain. Yuehua Ai instinctively shivered, his spirit instantly revitalized. He felt a strange, cool energy flowing through his body, and his physical fatigue vanished rapidly under its influence.

Hoo—

Yuehua Ai let out a long breath, his entire being suddenly brimming with vigor; he was a completely different person from the sickly state he had been in moments ago. All of this was the credit of that pitch-black pill. This was one of the greatest achievements of his half-year of study in the Medical Corps, and he had named it the "Blue Pill."

Although naming a black pill "Blue Pill" might seem incongruous to others, Yuehua Ai felt the name was perfect. In the games of his past life, blue potions were always used to restore mana or magic points linked to mental energy. As a drug that restored both mental energy and chakra, what name could be more representative?

Because the Medical Corps was ultimately a crash course, the depth of medical knowledge he could access in half a year was quite shallow. Perhaps for others, that knowledge was enough to exhaust their efforts, but for the high-level perspective Yuehua Ai possessed, it was a piece of cake.

When the progress of the Medical Corps could no longer keep up with his needs, he left a shadow clone there and focused all his attention on the library. During those six months, he learned the properties of countless medicinal herbs. Later, as the curriculum progressed, students were allowed to use the medical laboratory, and Yuehua Ai took advantage of this to extract the active ingredients from many herbs.

He then used his knowledge of pharmacology, combined with the production methods of Military Ration Pills, to successfully create several restorative pills. However, those early versions could not compare to the current Blue Pill, as simple medicinal effects were far inferior in both potency and speed.

Given the limitations of simple herbal extracts, Yuehua Ai, unable to suppress his desire for exploration, secretly combined his medicinal research with biological experiments.

By incorporating records of fungi and biological characteristics from books, Yuehua Ai spent a month finding a suitable fungal colony. The secretions of this colony could rapidly integrate with human cells. After he used the mental-restoration medicinal components to cultivate the colony, the resulting product not only inherited the original properties but also fully unleashed the drug's effects. He used the fungal cultivation techniques from his past life to grow them, doing so with extreme secrecy to avoid exposure. Because the number of cultures was kept very small, he had only managed to produce five Blue Pills in over a month.

The first Blue Pill hadn't been used by Yuehua Ai; a small-time thug he encountered had the "honor" of being the guinea pig. Although he had used many mice for experiments, no test subject could compare to a real human.

After long, covert observation confirmed the subject was unharmed, he finally dared to use it himself. This first experience proved that the Blue Pill's efficacy was even better than he had imagined.

The Blue Pill was not a drug that stimulated or overdrawn the body's potential; the components it contained were essential for human cells, and the fungal product merely acted as a carrier.

The best and most direct way to restore mental energy was to replenish the cellular energy of the brain. However, simple medicinal components and general cellular energy supplements could not achieve the best results. To truly replenish brain cell energy, the best method was to extract it directly from biological brain cells, and naturally, the most suitable energy for human cells was that derived from human cells.

Yuehua Ai only entertained such crazy thoughts in his mind. Although he had a paranoid pursuit of science, he could not bring himself to the level of madness Orochimaru possessed—at least, his bottom line remained quite high for now.

The Blue Pill took effect rapidly; in just a few minutes, his mental state had mostly recovered, and his physical condition and chakra had also seen significant restoration. With the assembly time set by Tsunade fast approaching, Yuehua Ai did not linger on the road and hurried toward the Medical Corps.