After leaving the crowds behind, Xuandou stopped on a quiet path leading to the Uchiha Clan Compound.
He sank his awareness into his mind.
Draw!
The instant the thought flashed through his mind, a lottery wheel appeared there.
[D-rank reward 40%, C-rank reward 50%, B-rank reward 10%]
The wheel spun.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have received a C-rank reward: C-rank Special Soldier Pill Recipe]
Immediately afterward, information poured into Xuandou's mind:
[Name: C-rank Special Soldier Pill Recipe Description: A special-issue Soldier Pill recipe with improved taste and nutrition. Increases chakra recovery speed by 10%-15% and alleviates fatigue to a certain extent. Ingredients: 10 ml purified water, 10 g refined oat flour, 10 g royal honey, 2 g dried sour plums...]
Only C-rank this time...?
Xuandou felt a little disappointed.
But he soon realized the recipe's practical value.
Not bad, actually. These special Soldier Pills can be put to use in the coming war.
Elder Zongyan's residence in the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Xuandou handed Zongyan a detailed supply list.
"Grand Elder, this is the list of standard supplies needed at the front. Sorry for the trouble, but please arrange for someone to submit it to the Hokage's office so they can be allocated as soon as possible."
Zongyan took the list and quickly scanned it. It listed ninja tools, medicine, and various other supplies.
He nodded.
"Rest assured. I'll take care of it as soon as possible."
Then Xuandou took out another carefully folded slip of paper and handed it over with a solemn expression.
"Also, this is a Soldier Pill recipe I've improved slightly. Please be sure to arrange for absolutely trustworthy, highly skilled clan members to produce it in bulk, in secret."
Zongyan took the slip, unfolded it, and glanced over it, his brows lifting slightly.
"Soldier Pills? The village supplies those uniformly. Why insist on making our own? And these ingredients look... rather unremarkable."
As he looked at the ordinary ingredients, his tone held some puzzlement.
"This isn't an ordinary Soldier Pill recipe."
Xuandou stressed his words.
"You'll understand its effects once they're made and you try one. Also, this recipe must be kept strictly confidential. It must never be leaked."
Seeing how serious Xuandou was, Zongyan looked doubtful.
He put away the slip and said gravely:
"Understood. I'll personally oversee this."
After Xuandou left, Zongyan pondered for a moment, then rose and headed toward a secluded traditional medicinal food workshop within the Clan Grounds, run by an elderly clan member.
The owner was a taciturn old Uchiha whose craft had been passed down through generations. Seeing the Grand Elder arrive in person, he hurriedly bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities. Take a look at this. Can you make it?"
Zongyan handed him the recipe.
The old proprietor adjusted his glasses and studied it carefully. After a moment, he looked up.
"This seems to be... Soldier Pills?"
"Hmm... the ingredients seem somewhat different from ordinary Soldier Pills..."
"But I have all the ingredients here. They shouldn't be difficult to make."
"Then make a few."
Zongyan gave the order.
"Please wait a moment."
The old proprietor immediately got to work, weighing, grinding, mixing, shaping... his movements practiced and fluid.
About fifteen minutes later, five uniformly sized, glossy black Soldier Pills were presented on a porcelain dish.
Zongyan examined them closely, then frowned.
"They seem... no different from ordinary Soldier Pills."
Zongyan picked one up. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, its surface smooth.
He put it in his mouth, but the dry texture and strange taste he expected from an ordinary Soldier Pill never came.
Instead, it had a mild, slightly sweet-and-sour flavor with a lingering finish. The pill was moist and dissolved easily, going down without any effort.
"Hmm, the taste really has improved considerably. It's better suited to long-term use."
Zongyan nodded slightly, giving Xuandou's "improvement" his initial approval, believing it mainly made the pills more suitable for use.
However, a moment later, Zongyan's expression shifted slightly.
He felt a warm current rise from his abdomen and slowly spread throughout his body, even easing much of the fatigue from his day.
Immediately afterward, his chakra recovery also sped up somewhat.
"This...!"
A sharp gleam flashed in Zongyan's eyes.
Of course he knew that in a prolonged battle or consecutive missions, slightly faster chakra recovery and better sustained condition could sometimes mean the difference between life and death!
He abruptly looked at the remaining Soldier Pills on the dish, then up at the old proprietor standing respectfully to one side.
He instantly understood exactly why Xuandou had treated this so seriously.
How was this a slight improvement?
This was clearly a precious supply capable of affecting a ninja's sustained combat ability!
If the Uchiha elite could be equipped with these on a large scale, the advantage they would create on the battlefield would be invisible, yet potentially decisive!
The recipe's value might even attract the covetous attention of other powers.
"This recipe is to be classified as one of the clan's most closely guarded secrets!"
Zongyan's voice carried unquestionable authority as he stared intently at the old proprietor.
"You will personally handle production. I'll arrange separate purchases of the necessary ingredients through trusted channels. Keep outsiders away from the production process. Seal the finished products immediately and await orders for their distribution. Understood?"
Sensing the Grand Elder's unprecedented seriousness, the old proprietor stiffened inwardly and bowed deeply.
"Yes! I swear on the Uchiha name that I will not reveal a single detail!"
Night.
Kurenai Yuhi lay in bed, tossing and turning.
Whenever she closed her eyes, everything that had happened in the cave that night resurfaced uncontrollably in her mind.
Their hot breaths mingling, the words that kept demanding more...
Every image made her cheeks burn and her heart race.
Even now, recalling it left her legs feeling a little weak despite herself.
Xuandou's aggressively powerful, muscular body was also deeply branded into her mind, impossible to banish.
Whenever she thought of how roughly he had treated her that night, she tossed and turned even more, unable to sleep.
Suddenly, she remembered what Xuandou had said when they parted.
As if driven by some mysterious impulse, she actually got up and headed toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Xuandou's small courtyard home, where he lived alone on the edge of the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Knock, knock.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
Xuandou opened it to find a somewhat uneasy Kurenai Yuhi standing outside.
She seemed to have groomed herself carefully, her long hair falling smoothly behind her shoulders.
She wore a fitted, dark casual outfit that allowed easy movement and outlined her slender yet powerful waist.
"Xuandou... I..."
A knowing smile flashed in Xuandou's eyes. Before she could finish, he reached out and gently drew her inside with an arm around her, then shut the door with a bang and deftly locked it.
The crisp click of the lock made Kurenai Yuhi's heart jump.
She instinctively took half a step back, her back pressing against the door, her eyes widening.
"You... why are you locking the door?"
Xuandou did not answer immediately. Instead, he leisurely stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
With a mischievous grin, he asked in return:
"What are you doing coming to see me so late?"
Kurenai's breathing quickened slightly.
She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath.
"Xuandou, I've thought it through."
"I... I'm willing to date you."
Xuandou's smile deepened, as though he had expected that answer all along.
He leaned down slightly, bringing his mouth close to her reddened ear. His warm breath brushed her sensitive skin as he spoke in a low voice only the two of them could hear:
"I knew you'd come to see me."
"Huh? Why?"
Kurenai asked instinctively, her heartbeat quickening.
"Because that first taste of forbidden fruit is always unforgettable. It makes you unable to resist... wanting another taste."
Those blunt words instantly turned Kurenai Yuhi's ears scarlet.
Watching her look so shy and adorable, yet unable to refute him, Xuandou let his gaze sweep over her chest as it rose and fell slightly with nervousness.
His hand rose naturally and settled on her slender waist.
His hand had already begun to wander.
"Mmm~ Xuandou, n-no... don't..."
Kurenai trembled slightly and made a token effort to push him away, but her voice was so soft it held no strength at all.
Xuandou's lips nearly brushed the shell of her ear, his low voice carrying a magnetic quality:
"A senior once taught me that sometimes, when a girl says no... she actually really wants it."
Before his words had fully faded, he tightened his arms and effortlessly scooped Kurenai, whose whole body had already gone weak, into his arms.
Kurenai Yuhi let out a short cry of surprise, yet her arms involuntarily wound around his neck.