Chapter 30

"Hm?" Uzumaki Mito paused, her gaze moving between Xunjing and Uchiha Chisato. "Are you serious?"

Had she made up so many lies that she believed them herself?

Uchiha Chisato could hardly miss the doubt on her face. Rather than explain further, she chuckled. "Why not try it and find out?"

Uzumaki Mito stared at her for several seconds before finally nodding. "Fine! Let's try it!"

She wanted to see how Uchiha Chisato would explain her way out of this lie afterward. Surely this little boy, barely six years old, couldn't actually have that kind of ability?

With that thought, Uzumaki Mito turned to Xunjing and asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"Just put one hand on the table." Xunjing raised his hand to demonstrate.

"All right."

Uzumaki Mito did as instructed, resting her hand on the table in front of Xunjing, palm up.

Xunjing placed a few fingers on her wrist. With his medical skills at the minor accomplishment level, he soon got a clear picture of her condition.

It wasn't complicated, and it was much as he had suspected-she had simply depleted far too much of her life force. All he needed to do was replenish the deficit. But she had lost too much for ordinary methods to work. It would take a Life Potion to restore it all at once.

Of course, that wouldn't solve the ongoing problem of the Tailed Beast inside her draining her life force. She would still need to take medicine regularly to maintain it.

"All done."

Having determined her condition, Xunjing withdrew his hand and gave Uchiha Chisato a slight nod.

Then, under Uzumaki Mito's and Tsunade's openly skeptical gazes, he spoke directly. "I've figured out your condition. There's nothing else wrong with your body. You've taken good care of yourself. There's only one problem-you've lost far too much life force."

"One Life Potion will replenish the entire deficit in one go."

"However," he added, "it can't do anything about the natural decline in life force that comes with aging."

If it could even restore what age took away, it wouldn't be a Life Potion anymore. It would be an elixir of immortality. Clearly, what Xunjing had wasn't that powerful yet.

Uzumaki Mito frowned, mulling over what Xunjing had said.

Lifespan involved far more than what appeared on the surface.

Life origin, the number of times cells **...

The more she thought about it, the more she felt Xunjing truly understood these things.

"A Life Potion?" Uzumaki Mito asked along with Tsunade. "What is that?"

She turned to Uchiha Chisato. "Is that what you drank before?"

As she spoke, uncertainty had already begun to stir within her.

Could everything that woman Uchiha Chisato said actually be true?

Had her son really had a sudden awakening overnight and become an extraordinary physician?

"No."

Uchiha Chisato shook her head, her tone perfectly calm. "As you know, my condition was far more complicated than yours. Curing me wasn't that simple."

She paused, then continued, "It took me over half a month to recover."

To be honest, if they had had a Life Potion back then, her recovery would certainly have been faster.

But there had been no need for that.

Taking it slowly had actually been beneficial.

Her body at the time really couldn't have handled too much too quickly.

"I see..."

Uzumaki Mito nodded in understanding.

That woman Uchiha Chisato's internal condition had indeed been much more troublesome.

She asked again, "Then what do I have to give in exchange for this Life Potion?"

"Once I drink it, will I never have to worry about running out of life force again?"

"Well..."

Xunjing spoke before his mother could, shaking his head. "It isn't as simple as you think. The Life Potion can only restore the life force you've lost this time. Afterward, you'll still need to take Nutrient Pills now and then to replenish what the Tailed Beast consumes each day."

"Nutrient Pills?"

Uzumaki Mito was growing more bewildered by the moment.

"Yes. That's another medicine I developed," Xunjing explained. "It can replenish a large amount of nutrients in a short time, restore physical and mental energy, and relieve fatigue. Most importantly, it also provides some gentle life force."

"You could call it a massively upgraded version of Military Rations Pills."

He smiled. "Our Uchiha Family's new apothecary will sell them. You can just buy them there when the time comes."

At that, Xunjing turned to his mother. "Mom, you can discuss your terms now."

With that, he stepped back and sat beside his mother, keeping his mouth shut and no longer joining the conversation.

"All right."

Uchiha Chisato answered with a smile, then turned to Uzumaki Mito. "Three conditions."

"First, from today onward, the Senju and the Uchiha will form an alliance and stand together."

Her gaze hardened. "I'm sure you've noticed too. Tobirama Senju and his brother never had good intentions. It isn't just your Senju they want to suppress and wipe out. It's our Uchiha too."

"Put simply, we have a common enemy."

Uzumaki Mito nodded slightly, making no attempt to deny it. "Fine. You have a point. I agree to the alliance."

However poorly joining forces with the Uchiha might turn out, it couldn't be worse than their current situation.

Besides, if the abilities Uchiha Xunjing had displayed were all real, then with the changes the Uchiha had been making lately, who could say what the future might hold?

The old grudges between the Senju and the Uchiha were long past.

If this went on, there would barely be a trace of the Senju left. What was the point of still clinging to old hatred?

Uzumaki Mito had never taken Tobirama Senju's obsessive wariness of the Uchiha to heart.

"Second, I want the Flying Thunder God Technique, Tobirama Senju's Water Release Ninjutsu, and every Sealing Art you know."

Uchiha Chisato continued.

She didn't mention money at all.

Once the Uchiha Apothecary opened, money would no longer be a concern.

If they also secured the gold and those unusual shells on Sky Island, they would be swimming in wealth.

Ask for money? Only an idiot would choose that option.

Ninjutsu and Sealing Arts were what truly held value.

The Space-Time Gate already allowed direct teleportation, so Flying Thunder God might seem somewhat redundant for those who had formed a contract.

But that wasn't the whole picture.

Using it as cover for Flying Thunder God, or teaching it to clan members who hadn't formed a contract, were both good options.

"Well..."

After hearing her terms, Uzumaki Mito knitted her brows. "Flying Thunder God and Tobirama's Water Release are both fine."

"But among the Sealing Arts, I can't give you the Reaper Death Seal or Adamantine Sealing Chains."

"The first needs no explanation. As for the second, without the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline ability, you couldn't learn it even if I gave it to you."

It could also expose weaknesses in the Uzumaki Clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains.

"Fine, then leave those two out."

"No problem."

Uchiha Chisato didn't dwell on the matter. After a moment's thought, she gave Xunjing a look.

Xunjing nodded, and she agreed.

Then she continued, "The final condition is for Tsunade to take my son Xunjing as her apprentice and promise to teach him all her medical skills and Medical Ninjutsu. Can you agree to that?"

"Huh?"

Both Tsunade and Uzumaki Mito froze for a moment.

Uzumaki Mito looked utterly puzzled. "Didn't you say your son had an awakening and was already highly skilled in medicine and potion-making?"

"If he can even create Life Potions and Nutrient Pills, why does he need to become Tsunade's apprentice and study medicine under her?"

"Or do you have another goal in mind-the Hokage's position?"

That was the most reasonable explanation Uzumaki Mito could think of at the moment.

"Not entirely."

Uchiha Chisato shook her head gently and spoke plainly. "Quite a few people in the Uchiha Clan have their eyes on the Hokage's position. It will certainly be something we strive for in the future."

"But I understand perfectly well that strength alone isn't enough. An Uchiha will need sufficient standing and supporters to have any chance of taking that seat."

"Simply being known as part of the Hokage's direct lineage won't accomplish anything."