NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Treatment and Trade
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After some time, Kaito and his mother arrived at Dr. Kureha's residence. They knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
An aged yet sharp female voice called out from inside.
With a creak, the door opened, revealing a tall, stylishly dressed elderly woman.
As her sharp eyes scanned Uchiha Kaito and Uchiha Jiri, Kureha's instincts and perceptiveness kicked in, allowing her to quickly assess their conditions.
"A congenital deficiency in one, and damaged life essence in the other. But from what I can see, you're both recovering rapidly. It seems like you don't need my treatment," she remarked, raising an eyebrow.
Kaito couldn't help but praise her. "Impressive, Dr. Kureha! Just one glance, and you've figured out most of our conditions. Admirable!"
"Hahaha!"
Kureha laughed heartily. "Flattery won't work on me, kid. If you don't need my help, you can leave now."
"Wait!"
Seeing her about to close the door, Kaito quickly called out and handed her half a medical manuscript. "Please take a look at this first."
Though he and his mother were indeed recovering well with the combination of Sea King meat, Longevity cultivation techniques, and his growing medical skills, Kaito had more in mind. The lingering issue of the damaged soul essence could eventually be resolved through enhancing his life essence or by advancing the Uchiha meditation method.
Still, with such an incredible doctor available, it would be foolish not to learn from her. Moreover, Kaito had his eye on acquiring Kureha's longevity medicine formula.
"Oh?"
Kureha raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and took the half-manuscript from him. "Interesting, kid. You've got my attention. Let's see what you're trying to impress me with."
She began reading, and before long, her full focus was absorbed by the content. Minutes passed as she carefully examined every word.
Finally, she closed the manuscript and looked up, nodding toward the two Uchihas. "Come in."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked inside.
Kaito and Jiri exchanged a glance before following her, remembering to close the door behind them.
The trio arrived in Kureha's living room, which doubled as her workspace. Shelves filled with medical books, various instruments, and even a patient bed lined the room.
After inviting them to sit, Kureha poured them tea before grabbing a bottle of plum wine for herself. She took a swig, then raised the manuscript in her other hand.
"Kid, where did you get this? The ideas in this book are entirely different from any medical theories I've encountered. It doesn't seem to belong to this world—or this era, for that matter."
"Oh?"
Kaito was taken aback. He hadn't expected Kureha to glean so much from just half a manuscript.
Still, he wasn't stupid enough to confirm her suspicions. Unless her goodwill toward him reached a certain level and a binding contract was in place, he wouldn't divulge information about other worlds.
"I'm not sure what makes you so certain this manuscript isn't from this era," he countered. "It could very well be a secret text passed down in my clan. You couldn't possibly have seen every medical book in existence, could you?"
"Haha!"
Kureha chuckled, catching on to his evasiveness but letting it slide.
"Well, kid, you're not entirely wrong. There are few medical books I haven't read, but I can confidently say texts like this are rare, if not nonexistent, in this world."
She waved dismissively. "Enough about that. You've piqued my interest. I'll treat you two, but in return, I want access to every bit of these medical texts you're willing to share."
"Of course, I understand that this might seem unfair, so I'll sweeten the deal: you'll have access to my entire library of medical books."
"How about it? Deal?"
Her collection contained thousands of volumes, and she knew this exchange would benefit both sides.
Kureha's excitement grew as she considered the possibilities. "If I can incorporate these revolutionary ideas, I might finally break through the limits of life itself—perhaps even glimpse a higher state of existence."
Her passion for exploring the mysteries of life remained undiminished despite her century-long career.
"Deal!" Kaito agreed with a nod, but then he added, "However, my texts aren't just a few—they number in the hundreds, possibly thousands. And they form a cohesive system. You won't find anything like them anywhere else in this world."
"So your terms alone won't suffice. I have three additional conditions."
He raised three fingers.
"First, besides curing our conditions, I want you to create or improve a formula for a nutritional supplement or strengthening tonic to enhance physical training."
"Second, I wish to study and exchange medical knowledge with you. You cannot decline."
"Third, I want the formula for your longevity medicine. If that's not possible, I'm willing to provide the materials for you to craft it instead."
By acquiring the medicine, Kaito was confident he could reverse-engineer it as his medical skills advanced.
"Oh? Hundreds or thousands of texts?"
Kureha was delighted, her previous wariness overshadowed by excitement.
"Hahahaha."
"Very well. I accept all your conditions," she said, grinning.
"Nutritional supplements, training formulas, and medical exchange are no problem at all. As for the longevity medicine formula? Sure, I'll give it to you. However, I must warn you: crafting it requires dragon bones from a real one-thousand-years Dragon."
"Without them, it's impossible to make."
"I'm aware," Kaito replied calmly. "That won't be an issue."
The location of Millennium Dragons and their bones was no secret to him. The Marine Island trench had plenty, and a living dragon still resided there.
"Haha! I like how prepared you are, kid," Kureha said, clearly impressed.
"So, any other requests? Speak now, and let's settle everything at once."
"No, that's all." Kaito shook his head. "I'm already grateful. It's important not to overreach."
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