On the other side, in a room full of instruments and test tubes.
A loud "bang" echoed in the room as someone slammed their hand on the table.
The loud bang revealed just how angry the person who slammed the table was. And that person was none other than Genji Ryōma. At that moment, his face was weary yet filled with rage.
"Damn it, I failed again."
This was the thirteenth time in the past few days that he had failed to prepare the antidote.
In the past few days, after finishing his tasks of treating patients, he has been going to this laboratory to try to formulate an antidote for Sunagakure toxin.
Unfortunately, despite trying thirteen times, he still couldn't grasp the key to the antidote and remained stuck at the very beginning.
The loud slam on the table just now was his anger at his own incompetence.
The safety of hundreds of poisoned ninjas on the front lines rested on his shoulders, and this pressure spurred him on relentlessly to find a cure.
But perhaps due to a lack of talent, he was like a headless fly, wandering aimlessly without finding any crucial point.
Just as he was feeling sorry for himself, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. He looked up and saw two figures, one tall and one short, standing in front of him.
"Rin, Kōki, did you come to see me together because you need something?" Although he was angry and resentful of his own powerlessness, he did not show any negative emotions when facing the two people he favored. Instead, he forced a smile on his face.
He was under immense pressure; it was already incredibly difficult for him to manage even this slight, forced smile.
He was completely preoccupied with figuring out how to counteract the poison and didn't want to be disturbed at all.
If it hadn't been Rin and Kōki who came, he would have already lost his temper and told them to get out.
Rin Takakura and Kōki were worried when they saw Genji Ryōma, who was forcing a smile but looked exhausted. "Uncle Genji, are you alright? You look very tired. Why don't you rest for a bit?"
"It's alright, I can still manage. You can tell me what you need first, I still need to continue developing the antidote."
In response to their concern, Genji Ryōma simply waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.
He still needs to develop an antidote, so how can he give up so easily? Besides, the tense situation on the front lines means he can't afford to relax even for a moment.
Even though Genji Ryōma said there was no problem, Kōki and the others still looked worried, because Genji Ryōma's pale and tired face was not very convincing.
"Uncle Genji, it's like this, Kōki has already developed the antidote," Rin Takakura said to Genji Ryōma in front of her.
"Antidote? What antidote?" Genji Ryōma was still thinking about how to counteract the Sunagakure poison and hadn't yet reacted to Rin Takakura's words.
Rin Takakura wasn't angry at Genji Ryōma's slow reaction; she knew how hard Genji Ryōma these past few days. So she continued, "I meant that Kōki has already developed an antidote for the Sunagakure poison, the kind the ninjas in our camp are using now."
Even the slow-witted Genji Ryōma heard it clearly this time. He looked up at Rin Takakura, his face filled with disbelief. "What did you say? Kōki has developed an antidote? Is what you said true?"
"Hmm." Faced with Genji Ryōma's skepticism, Rin Takakura nodded firmly, then pushed Kōki forward with her right hand and said happily, "That's right, the Sunagakure's poison has been cured, and the person who created the antidote is Kōki."
Rin Takakura spoke of Kōki with an expression of immense pride, as if she herself had accomplished it. Upon hearing Genji Ryōma's words, Ryoma Rin Takakura immediately turned to Kōki in front of him and exclaimed in surprise, " Kōki, is what Rin said true?"
It wasn't that he doubted Kōki's abilities; it was just that the result was too unexpected.
He wouldn't be so surprised if it was Rin Takakura who developed the antidote, since Rin Takakura had also been trying to crack the poison from Sunagakure.
But he had to be skeptical about Kōki to counteract poison, because in his memory, although Kōki possessed a great deal of Medical Ninjutsu, he was ultimately just a beginner in the medical field. He hadn't even learned how to make antidotes for ordinary poisons, so how could he suddenly know how to counteract such advanced poisons?
"Uncle Genji, I have indeed developed an antidote, and Sister Rin has tested it; the antidote is truly effective."
Faced with Genji Ryōma's suspicions, Kōki didn't offer much explanation. He knew he had indeed been a bit lucky this time, but luck was also a part of ability. Besides, once his medical skills improved in the future, he would be able to create the antidote even without that notebook.
Seeing Kōki's serious expression, Genji Ryōma put aside his doubts. He knew Kōki's personality; he was straightforward and would never joke about something so serious.
His skeptical expression turned to excitement as he said to Kōki, " Kōki, I don't care how you figured it out, but could you let me test your antidote? I happen to have all the equipment here."
Genji Ryōma knew that everyone had their own secrets, so he wasn't interested in how Kōki came up with the antidote.
He was interested in the effects of the antidote. Even with Rin Takakura's confirmation, he would remain skeptical until he saw it with his own eyes, as it was his responsibility as the head of the medical camp.
In response to Genji Ryōma's request, Kōki nodded and took an antidote directly from his pocket, placing it on Genji Ryōma's table.
He knew that only after Genji Ryōma confirmed it would he have passed the final hurdle.
Genji Ryōma picked up the antidote that Kōki had placed on his table, walked to a device, poured some of the antidote into the device's container, and observed it through the device for a moment.
The remaining antidote was then added to a pre-prepared container containing poison. After stirring and mixing slightly, the container was placed under the instrument for further observation.
After this observation, a slight flush appeared on Genji Ryōma's pale and tired face. He couldn't help but shout excitedly, "It really is the antidote! It actually neutralized the poison from Sunagakure!"
After confirming several times, he turned to look at Kōki, his face full of excitement and joy. He grabbed Kōki's shoulder and said, " Kōki, you've done a great service this time, making a huge contribution to our war on the front lines. Come on, let's go find Lord Orochimaru now and tell him the good news."
He couldn't wait to find Orochimaru and tell him the good news.
To be honest, it wasn't just him who was troubled by this poison these past few days; Orochimaru was also having trouble sleeping.
After all, he also bears some responsibility for the unfavorable situation that occurred on the front lines, which has put him under considerable pressure.