Laying Plans

Might Guy did not understand what Ye Feng and Might Duy meant either, but he seemed to have said something wrong just now, so he had no intention of speaking again for the moment.

Seeing that Might Duy did not speak again, Ye Feng and Might Duy both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Could you let me take a look at those medicinal herbs?" Seeing that Might Duy was avoiding letting him examine the herbs, Shinnō shamelessly asked again.

"These herbs seem to be rather precious. I was only given a few portions, and my son and I have used them all. They were a gift, after all, so I was too embarrassed to ask for more." Might Duy secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally managed to make his story hold together.

Shinnō knew that, at this point, there was no chance of seeing the actual herbs, so he could only settle for the next best thing:

"Could you tell me your friend's name and address? I would like to pay him a visit."

"This friend of mine belongs to the Uchiha Clan. They're rather unwelcoming to outsiders, who aren't allowed into their Clan Grounds."

Shinnō completely gave up on Might Duy. Everyone said Might Duy was an idiot, so why had he only discovered upon meeting him that the man merely acted foolish in everyday life but became shrewd when something came up?

He stopped dwelling on the herbs for now. He would get his hands on the Eight Gates Released Formation first.

Shinnō began making a show of treatment. Although his hands glowed with the green chakra of Medical Ninjutsu, Ye Feng sensed that Shinnō only gave a few areas some basic treatment. Most of the time, he was moving through the chakra pathways, lingering slightly longer at the tenketsu. Every time he traced the chakra pathways, he recorded something on a scroll. Ye Feng could not understand it either. It was probably Shinnō's own code.

By now, Ye Feng had guessed how Shinnō was investigating the Eight Gates Released Formation: by finding the routes along which chakra flowed and the method of breaking through the "Eight Gates."

Now that Ye Feng knew Shinnō's method, he felt reassured about letting him treat Might Duy. His priority now was to find the scroll for "Medical Forbidden Technique: Body Revival." Once he found it, Shinnō would be of no further use. Then he would tip off Orochimaru and let him take care of the rest.

The treatment lasted an hour. Shinnō withdrew his hands, wiped his sweat-covered forehead, and spoke.

"The first treatment is complete. It will take ten to fifteen days of treatment to completely eliminate the hidden injuries. We'll stop here for today."

Ye Feng thought disdainfully, He barely used any chakra in that hour, yet he's pretending to be drenched in sweat. What a hypocrite.

Might Duy said gratefully, "Thank you for all your hard work, esteemed doctor. You've gone to so much trouble for my health."

"You're welcome. That will be all for today, then. I'll come again tomorrow." With that, he rose and left. Might Duy also got up to see him off.

When Might Duy returned, Ye Feng said, "There's more to this Shinnō than meets the eye. He has an astonishing amount of chakra, and his physique is nothing like an old man's. Besides, Teacher Duy, you actually have very few hidden injuries left, but he lied about it. He must have some secret he can't let anyone know."

Ye Feng could not very well reveal Shinnō's identity and purpose outright, so he could only guide Might Duy toward the answer.

"I have nothing here but bare walls, and no money either. What could he want from me?" Might Duy asked in confusion.

"What do you think is your most precious possession?" Ye Feng continued prompting him.

"My most precious possession is my son. Could he be a child trafficker?" Might Duy seemed to have turned foolish again.

"Child trafficking? There are children everywhere outside the village. Besides your son, what else is most precious to you?"

"Besides my son, the most precious thing is the Eight Gates Released Formation. Hmm? Could his goal be the Eight Gates Released Formation?" Only then did Might Duy come to his senses.

"Since we know that, we shouldn't let Shinnō continue treating me. We should get someone to arrest him outright."

"I've heard of this man. He's a very famous physician outside the village, and many people admire him. Arresting him without a reason would only alert him. Besides, he supposedly has a ninjutsu manual that can enhance cells. We'd better get our hands on it. It would benefit us enormously."

"Then let's just capture him and torture him into talking." The foolish son, Might Guy, chimed in.

Ye Feng and Might Duy stared straight at Might Guy again.

Might Guy ducked his head, thinking, What did I say wrong this time?

"With his physical strength and enormous chakra reserves, no one could stop him unless the village's experts all moved to surround him," Ye Feng continued.

"Then what do we do next?" Might Duy asked.

"Now that we know his goal, you should have a way to handle him, Senior Duy. I think this ninjutsu scroll is most likely on Shinnō himself, with a small chance that it's at the inn where he's staying. Tomorrow, we'll keep him occupied and search his lodgings first," Ye Feng said after some thought.

"Then do you know where Shinnō is staying?" Might Guy suddenly asked.

Ye Feng froze. He truly did not know the address. He then looked questioningly at Might Duy, but unfortunately, Might Duy could only helplessly wave his hands in response.

Suddenly, Ye Feng looked as though something had dawned on him. He thought, I've forgotten who I am-a genius of the Uchiha Clan and Orochimaru's disciple. Here on Konoha's home turf, could there really be anyone I can't find?!

So Ye Feng turned to Might Duy and his son with a confident expression and said:

"Keep Shinnō occupied tomorrow. I'll handle the rest. I'll find someone to make the arrangements first." With that, he said goodbye to Might Duy and his son and left.

He had barely stepped outside when he heard Might Guy scream, followed by Might Duy's voice: "Here's a little lesson so you'll learn not to butt in for no reason. You nearly got Ye Feng into trouble today. Keep your mouth shut around Shinnō from now on!"

It turned out that Might Duy was teaching his foolish son a lesson. Ye Feng smiled and left.

On the way, Ye Feng thought it over and decided to ask Orochimaru for help after all. When it came to ninjutsu research, Orochimaru was undoubtedly among the very best. He had no intention of keeping "Medical Forbidden Technique: Body Revival" to himself either. It would be enormously useful to Orochimaru, Might Duy and his son, and his own future core team.

Ye Feng had always set his sights on ascension, so naturally, he would not begrudge such paltry gains.