Chapter 45

Minato's expression grew even more solemn, as though a stone weighed on his heart. "I understand."

"I'll train twice as hard and grow stronger to prepare for the crises ahead."

"This isn't something you should have to shoulder alone, Xunjing."

As a member of the Ninja World, Minato had a responsibility to step up.

Xunjing patted his shoulder, his tone softening. "Just take it one step at a time. Don't push yourself too hard. We still have time."

"We have the resources of two worlds at our disposal. As long as we use them well, we'll find a way to handle whatever trouble comes."

Minato's reckless drive worried Xunjing a little.

If he trained too hard and ruined his health, it would defeat the whole purpose.

As for the trouble with the Otsutsuki Clan?

Xunjing hadn't taken it seriously at all.

They wouldn't show up for another few decades, anyway.

Even without the resources from the Pirate World, he still had his "heaven rewards hard work" ability. If he couldn't deal with Momoshiki Otsutsuki and those other clowns after a few decades, he might as well bash his head against a block of tofu and die.

Everything he had said earlier was just to fire up Minato and Kushina and give them something to work toward.

"Don't worry. I know my limits."

Sensing Xunjing's concern, Minato grinned.

He knew perfectly well how far to push himself.

"I won't hold you back either!"

Beside them, Kushina had only just caught her breath. Her little face was set with determination as she stared at Xunjing and waved a small fist. "Don't think you can shoulder everything yourself. I'm going to help you!"

"Sure!"

Xunjing laughed heartily and ruffled Kushina's hair. "Then I'll be counting on you from now on!"

"Oh, right-"

Kushina changed the subject. "That thing you mentioned earlier, the way to make our Taijutsu training easier-that's Sea King meat, right?"

In the information Xunjing had given them earlier, he had praised it to the skies.

He had said it worked wonders for conditioning the body, even citing the Taijutsu powerhouses of the Pirate World as examples.

Wasn't that practically telling her and Minato that this was great stuff and they should hurry up and use it?

"That's right."

Xunjing nodded. "Sea Kings are packed with nutrients and vitality. Eating their meat while training your body takes the results up several notches."

"It played a huge part in helping me recover from the condition I was born with."

"If you practice the Life-Nourishing Art alongside it, the effects will multiply several times over."

"Enough talking for now. I'll teach you the Life-Nourishing Art."

"Here, this food is made from Sea King meat. Fill your stomachs first, then we'll get started."

With that, Xunjing turned his hand over and pulled three large plates out of the Space-Time Gate.

Every plate was piled with dishes made from Sea King meat.

He handed them out, one plate each.

"Wow! It smells amazing! Then I'm digging in!"

Kushina took her plate and sniffed, her eyes lighting up at once.

Practicing the Basic Body Technique had exhausted her, and her stomach was growling with hunger. Without another word, she dug right in.

"Thanks!"

Minato thanked him as well.

"You're welcome!"

Seeing the two start eating, Xunjing joined them.

Before long, all three large plates were empty.

Minato and Kushina rubbed their rounded bellies, their faces full of satisfaction.

"I'm stuffed! This stuff really fills you up!"

"And another thing-"

Minato continued, "My stomach feels warm, and there's a warm current spreading through my whole body. My cells seem to really love it."

Compared with the meat he had eaten before, this was in a completely different league.

Minato swallowed his last mouthful of meat, his eyes shining.

"This is totally different. There's no comparison."

"No wonder Master Xunjing is so confident in this stuff," he couldn't help muttering.

Her cheeks bulging, Kushina nodded vigorously as she chewed. "Mm-hmm! I can feel it too. I'm warm all over!"

Xunjing smiled and clapped his hands, cutting short their exclamations. "All right, now that we've finished eating, let's get down to business. I'll teach you the Life-Nourishing Art."

"This practice will help you fully digest the nutrients and life energy in the meat. It can also strengthen your bodies, improve your physical foundations, boost your vitality, and extend your lifespans. There are too many benefits to list."

"Watch closely, both of you."

With that, Xunjing assumed a stance and began demonstrating the movements, clearly explaining the key points of the practice as he went.

Only after demonstrating the entire practice from beginning to end and making sure both had memorized it did he begin guiding them through it step by step.

Over an hour passed. Minato and Kushina had both grasped the basics of the Life-Nourishing Art, and they had absorbed most of the energy from the Sea King meat in their stomachs.

Only then did Xunjing call a halt.

Next, he taught them the techniques for tree climbing and Water Walking, beginning their chakra control training.

By the time they had worked through this whole routine, noon had arrived.

They ate more Sea King meat, then continued the same training routine in the afternoon.

The training was far from easy, but neither Minato nor Kushina complained of being tired even once.

Kushina surprised Xunjing the most. The fierce determination and resilience she showed that day made her seem like a completely different person.

Xunjing mused, Looks like that news about the future really shook her up... She's matured quite a bit all at once.

That's good. Less for me to worry about.

A glimmer of relief crossed his eyes.

Meanwhile, that morning.

On Konoha's busiest street, right beside the Police Force building, the Uchiha Pharmacy officially opened for business.

Since Xunjing had given her advance notice, Uchiha Chisato had already arranged for clan members to spread the word beforehand.

News of the medicines' powerful effects had long since gotten out, drawing plenty of interest.

Although most people weren't entirely convinced, the Uchiha Clan had always had a solid reputation, so many still decided to come and see for themselves.

The moment the doors opened, the place erupted.

The first customers to buy the medicines tried them and found that their effects weren't exaggerated in the slightest. Every claim was genuine.

The crowd instantly went wild.

"These Nutrient Pills are incredible! Not only are they packed with nutrients, they're incredibly easy to absorb. I feel like my whole body's been nourished after taking one!"

"The Body-Tempering Potion works amazingly well too!"

"The Nourishing Potion is the real treasure! One dose cleared up all my damn chronic ailments. Even my old hidden injuries are completely healed!"

In no time, the entire street was in an uproar.

Countless ninja rushed forward like mad to buy the medicines.

Even though the Uchiha had prepared ample stock in advance, everything in the shop was snapped up.

The day's sales shot past twenty million.

Of course, they had stocked extra for opening day, and that was also when the most customers came.

Their daily supply would inevitably shrink considerably afterward.

Unless Xunjing could devise a more efficient production method or train enough trustworthy people to make the medicines, they wouldn't be able to increase their supply anytime soon.

The Uchiha Pharmacy had only just gotten started. If it sold out every day, it would bring in at least five million ryo a day.

That was equivalent to the payment for five S-Rank missions.

They were making an absolute fortune.

With this pharmacy alone, the Uchiha Family would never have to worry about money again.

Naturally, none of this escaped the notice of the Third Generation, Danzo, or Konoha's clans, large and small.

Most ninja clans and individual ninja had their eyes on the astonishing effects of these medicines.

Take the three Ino-Shika-Cho clans, for instance. The Akimichi Clan in particular was deeply interested in the Nutrient Pills.

At that moment, the heads of all three clans were gathered in the Akimichi Clan's house.

"Shikayama, Uya, try these! These are the Nutrient Pills the Uchiha shop started selling today!"

Torifu Akimichi poured two pills out of the medicine bottle and handed them to his two old friends sitting opposite him, continuing:

"These contain thirty percent more nutrients than our Akimichi Clan's best Secret Military Rations Pills."

"More importantly, they have practically no side effects. They're easy to absorb and provide all the nutrients the body needs."