NOVEL NEXT Chapter 328: Chapter 328
"Understood," Sai said after listening to Naruto and Shikamaru. He promptly left the Hokage's office.
Heading to the ANBU headquarters, Sai issued the orders, and the ANBU operatives soon returned with intelligence. Following the Five Great Nations' peace conference, the ANBU's responsibilities had been significantly reduced, leaving them primarily with intelligence gathering.
Reviewing the report, Sai found it only detailed Yoichi's activities since his arrival in Konoha, with no information about his past.
"Is there nothing about before he came to the village?" Sai asked.
"The timeframe was too short, and this person isn't flagged. We need more time to gather the earlier data."
"Is he a ninja?" Sai pressed.
"That's unclear. We've never seen him use ninjutsu, but considering he can make secret pills useful to ninjas, he might be one," replied an ANBU operative.
"Don't assume. Verify. Involve the Hyūga clan for this investigation," Sai instructed, suddenly recalling someone. "I'll handle this for now. Focus on gathering information about him before he arrived in Konoha."
"Understood," the ANBU replied before departing to continue their investigation.
Sai then prepared a case of money. Naruto and Shikamaru had decided to purchase some of Yoichi's secret pills, and Sai could use the opportunity to enlist a Hyūga clan member to assist him.
"Hanabi, I'll leave this task to you."
After finding Hyūga Hanabi, Sai explained his request.
"No problem at all. You just need me to use my Byakugan to check if he's a ninja, right? Easy," Hanabi replied nonchalantly, waving her hand. "But are the secret pills from this shop really that impressive? Enough to warrant your attention?"
"According to Sakura's judgment, the effects are as claimed. They're rare even by ninja world standards," Sai explained. "That's precisely why we're being cautious."
Hanabi nodded. "If Sakura-senpai believes in them, they're probably legitimate. In that case, I might buy some for emergencies too."
"They're not cheap," Sai warned, but then stopped himself. Hanabi was the Hyūga heir, so the price likely wouldn't be an issue for her.
"Let's go. Naruto's already decided to purchase some. You can buy yours while we're there," Sai suggested.
"Alright, let's head out!"
As they approached Yoichi's shop, Hanabi suddenly stopped Sai.
"Wait a moment. Let me use my Byakugan to see what he's doing and check if the shopkeeper has chakra."
Though chakra needs to be refined, those who frequently use it often have residual chakra within their bodies due to muscle memory and habitual refinement.
"Byakugan!"
Veins bulged at the sides of Hanabi's eyes as she activated her Byakugan, peering into the shop's interior.
Inside, she saw a pill furnace, golden flames, and Uchiha Yoichi skillfully manipulating the fire to refine medicinal materials.
"This guy's refining medicine with fire? He must be a ninja… Wait, he has no chakra. How is he controlling the flames?"
Hanabi's astonishment grew as she observed Yoichi's lack of chakra flow.
"What's going on?" Sai asked.
Hanabi explained, "He's manually creating flames and using a black container-like tool to refine medicine, but he has no chakra flow. None at all."
"No chakra flow? Could he be using some secret technique to block it?" Sai speculated.
"Impossible. My Byakugan can see through his internal organs, even his… hair and…" Hanabi trailed off, her face reddening as she widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Why is there a dragon…?"
"What?" Sai asked, puzzled.
"N-Nothing! Anyway, my Byakugan doesn't lie. He truly has no chakra flow. As for the flames, it must be some kind of secret technique," Hanabi said, hastily retracting her Byakugan.
"A secret technique that doesn't rely on chakra? That's new to me. Well, let's just buy the pills for now," Sai said, heading toward the shop.
A soft chime rang as they entered the shop. After about five minutes, Yoichi descended from the second floor. His striking appearance caught Hanabi's eye, though her thoughts wandered to the… peculiar sight her Byakugan had revealed earlier.
"Why is it so… different from the illustrations in novels?" she wondered.
"Are you here to trade ingredients or purchase secret pills?" Yoichi asked, his tone neutral. Though their faces seemed familiar, he didn't react overtly.
Sai placed the case of money on the counter. "We're here to purchase secret pills. I'd like to see the list first."
"Here it is. But money can only buy Level 1 and Level 2 pills," Yoichi replied, handing over the catalog.
Sai flipped through the list. It was only a few pages long, with less than twenty items. However, each pill had impressive effects, surpassing most non-clan-based secret medicines in the ninja world.
The prices, though, were steep, with the cheapest pill costing 300,000 ryō.
After reviewing the catalog, Sai closed it and said, "I'll take ten Recovery Pills, ten Power Pills, and ten Healing Pills."
Hanabi chimed in, "I'll have the same."
"That'll be 16 million ryō per order, totaling 32 million ryō for both of you. Are you paying together or separately?" Yoichi asked.
"Separately," Sai replied.
After Yoichi placed their requested pills on the counter, Sai quickly paid without hesitation.
When it was Hanabi's turn, she smiled at Yoichi and asked, "Can I pay after I return home and send someone with the money?"
Yoichi wordlessly retrieved half of the pills from the counter and said flatly, "No credit allowed."
"You—!"
Hanabi's smile faltered as she fumed internally. She turned to Sai and said, "Can you deliver a message to my family for me?"
"Understood," Sai replied before leaving with his purchase.
Now alone with Yoichi, Hanabi leaned casually on the counter and asked, "Are all these pills made by you personally?"
"Yes."
"That's amazing. Are you an apothecary?"
"Yes."
"Wow… What kind of rare ingredients are needed to trade for higher-level pills?"
"Things like this," Yoichi replied, showing her a 200-year-old ginseng root and a natural stone about the size of a fist.
As a member of a prominent clan, Hanabi quickly recognized the ginseng's immense value—something money couldn't easily buy.
Hanabi sighed inwardly. She had hoped to trade for higher-level pills, but it seemed nearly impossible.
"Do only these items qualify for trades?"
"Not necessarily. Other valuable and rare items might work. If you're unsure, bring them here, and I'll assess them," Yoichi said, curious about what unique items this world might offer.
Hanabi's curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "What exactly do you do?"
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you," Yoichi replied, pausing briefly before adding, "Have you heard of an onmyōji?"
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
"Victor!"
A ripple distorted the space, and a masked figure appeared, seating himself casually before Victor.
Victor, a skilled ninja proficient in multiple elemental jutsu, immediately sensed the use of space-time ninjutsu. He discreetly gathered chakra and asked warily, "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"Relax. I'm here to help you. Our cooperation will benefit us both," the masked figure said nonchalantly, lounging on Victor's sofa. "Have you heard about the Divine Tree yet?"
Victor's heart sank. This was classified information known only to the organization's inner circle.
"You—"
"It seems you have. Why not cultivate your own Divine Tree?" the masked figure suggested. "Do you really think anyone would willingly share its power? If it were me, I wouldn't. Right now, the tree is entirely under your leader's control. When the time comes, you'll be lucky to survive. Why not secure your own power instead of relying on empty promises?"
Victor's expression shifted several times. The masked figure's words struck a chord, echoing his own unspoken doubts.
(End of Chapter)
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