"Oh! So that's how it is done!" Jiraiya remarked as the sunset cast from their visages.
Orochimaru nodded along while Tsunade and Yoichi strolled at the front.
Behind them, the new cauldron gleamed under the orange sky, its metal still radiating a dull heat.
"You know what," Tsunade couldn't help but glance at Yoichi. "I think you are pretty cool with your... focus earlier." She turned away quickly, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Looking at Yoichi's serious expression as he developed the cauldron, she felt a sudden hint of admiration.
Yoichi paused, a rare, genuine flash of a smile crossing his face. "Thanks, Tsunade," he said softly, meeting her eyes before looking back at the path.
The warmth in his expression caught her off guard, making her heart skip a beat before he returned to his usual calm.
What he had performed was an ancient type of metalworking: sand-casting and molding liquid metal. Instead of just hammering, Yoichi used the earth to create a precise mold, pouring the molten alloy into the frame for a seamless shape.
It was a methodical process that required a steady hand and a patient mind.
Orochimaru watched them, his golden eyes narrow.
He realized this casting method allowed for a structural integrity that standard blacksmithing lacked.
It was efficient and reasonable.
Jiraiya just laughed, patting the cauldron. "I don't get the sand part, but that liquid metal looked like dragon fire!"
Therefore, the process began again on its path.
Inside the Senju laboratory, the new sand-cast cauldron hummed with a precision the previous pots lacked. Tsunade used the raw pressure of Qi Blood to compress the herbal essence, forcing the golden liquid into a stable vortex.
The team worked through the night as the medicinal paste finally separated into solid spheres.
Orochimaru tracked the temperature while the heavy physical energy of the ingredients thickened.
By dawn, the heat subsided, and Tsunade pulled eight pills from the cooling vessel.
The results were a start: five were dull, low-quality batches, while three possessed the faint sheen of medium-grade success.
"We are just getting started," Yoichi noted, inspecting the tray.
They hadn't reached the golden grade yet, but they had finally broken the cycle of failure.
"What should we do with these?" Tsunade asked, gesturing to the eight pills. She was exhausted, her eyes shifting between the dull, low-quality batches and the three shimmering medium-grade ones.
Yoichi looked at the tray, a brief, imperceptible smile flashing across his face. "We don't sell them all at once," he said calmly. "We release only a few low-quality ones to start. We let the village see the effect and keep the supply tight."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he instantly grasped the strategy.
A thin, knowing smirk stretched across his face. "You are so devious, Yoichi," he remarked. "You want to create scarcity to maximize the profit margin. If they think these are rare, they will pay any price."
Yoichi gave a simple nod. By leveraging both the Senju and Uchiha names as the source, they would remain slightly imposed under political pressure.
The smaller clans, like the joint allegiance of Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka in Military Ration Pills would serve as the initial stepping stone for their expansion.
These Qi Blood Pills provided significant revitalization for both the chakra and the physical body without side effects.
While the sudden release of such a potent new product would surely cause a stir, Yoichi was already prepared for the inevitable complaints that would reach the Hokage's Office.
He wanted them to cry out; it would only prove how much they needed what he held.
Jiraiya blinked, finally catching on. "So... we're going to be rich?" He looked at the pills with a new sense of wonder, realizing Yoichi's plan was far more ambitious than just passing a test.
The refinement of the Beauty-Retaining Pills followed, moving from raw power to delicate aesthetics.
Yoichi knew that while warriors craved strength, the influential clan members craved youth. This process required a slower burn to preserve the volatile properties of the herbs.
Tsunade focused on cellular restoration, using the new cauldron to maintain a steady temperature that didn't damage the fragile ingredients.
Orochimaru monitored the distillation, ensuring the essence remained stable. They worked for three days, eventually producing five fragrant pearls.
Three were low-grade, capable of clearing minor scars, while two reached medium-grade, promising to halt visible aging for months.
Yoichi inspected the batch, satisfied.
They now had products for both the front-line soldiers and the wealthy elite.
The inventory was ready.
...
The pills hit the market with the force of a landslide. Within days, the names of the Sannin and Yoichi dominated every conversation in Konoha.
Rumors spread through training grounds and tea houses, fueled by the limited supply Yoichi had strategically released.
"Have you heard?" a shinobi whispered at the gates. "Tsunade-sama and that Uchiha, Yoichi, made a pill that restores the body instantly. No seals, just raw power."
His partner nodded. "The Nara and Akimichi are already fighting over the first batch. It's the biggest headline in years!"
In the noble districts, the talk was even more intense. "My wife is desperate for those Beauty pearls," a merchant muttered. "If the Senju and Uchiha are both behind this, it's the real deal."
Headlines in the local bulletins screamed: "ALCHEMICAL REVOLUTION: SANNIN AND UCHIHA GENIUS CHANGE MEDICINE!"
Yoichi watched the frenzy from a distance.
The village wasn't just buying medicine; they were fighting for the privilege of owning a piece of his work. He had successfully turned their names into a brand, and the scarcity was driving the village to a breaking point.
The news hit the Hokage's office like a sudden storm. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, flanked by Danzo, Koharu, and Homura. Before them lay reports on the "Alchemical Revolution" and the soaring influence of the Senju-Uchiha partnership.
"The Senju and Uchiha names are working together," Homura noted, his voice tight. "The Nara and Akimichi are already pressuring us for distribution rights. This is an economic shift we haven't seen in decades."
Danzo's eyes remained cold. "A pill that restores vitality without exhaustion is a military asset, Hiruzen. If our shinobi can ignore fatigue mid-battle, anything is possible. It cannot remain a private monopoly. It must be under our control!"
Koharu added that this alliance bypassed the council entirely, with the public already in a frenzy.
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, realizing that with these pills, Konoha could dominate any battlefield through endless sieges and rapid recovery.
Yoichi hadn't just made medicine; he had built a power structure the office couldn't easily take apart.
"Enough," Hiruzen said softly, setting his pipe down. He looked at the ANBU in the shadows.
"Fetch my students. And bring the boy, Yoichi. It is time we discuss the future of these pills."
...
The doors to the Hokage's office creaked open. Yoichi and the three young students stepped inside. Despite being only nine years old, they stood with a rare, unified focus.
Hiruzen looked at his pupils. He saw the soot on their clothes and the exhaustion in their eyes. "I've seen the reports," he began softly. "The village is in an uproar over what you've created."
Danzo's gaze was like ice. "The military value is too great for children to manage," he said. "The formula must be handed over to the village. We will handle the production for subsequent usage."
Yoichi stepped forward. His small stature didn't hide his calm demeanor. "Mass production is impossible," he replied. "These require a specific refinement. Without the right technique, the herbs will only turn to poison."
Tsunade stood firmly beside him. She was young, but her Senju blood lent her a fierce presence. "He's right, Sensei. This isn't just a recipe. It's a skill we developed together. The production stays with us."
The room fell silent as the elders looked at the small group. They realized the leverage Yoichi held.
He hadn't just brought a medicine; he had created a monopoly that even the elders couldn't seize by force.
Orochimaru stepped forward, setting a vial of failed dregs on the desk. The murky green liquid hissed against the glass.
"Danzo-sama wants mass production," Orochimaru said coldly. "But without the exact refinement, it does not heal. It liquefies internal organs upon ingestion."
He watched the elders, his golden eyes narrowing. "Standard medic-nin will only produce corpses and waste the treasury on ruined herbs."
The demonstration was chilling. They realized the process was a lethal wall they couldn't climb alone.
Yoichi broke the silence. "We will provide twenty percent of the low-grade pills to the village at cost. The village gets the medicine, but the profits and distribution remain entirely with us."
"Twenty percent is an insult," Danzo barked, his hand tightening on his cane. "This is Konoha's resource. The village demands seventy percent of the yield and the formula for state security."
Koharu and Homura nodded in agreement. "We cannot allow a child to dictate military supply terms," Koharu added. "If the village provides security, the village deserves the lion's share."
Yoichi didn't flinch. He knew these greedy officials would try to plant spies to find his "garden," but they would find nothing. The spirit herbs came from his system's roulette, not a physical field they could seize.
"Without us, you have zero percent," Yoichi noted simply. "My offer is a courtesy. If you try to take the 'source' by force, you will find a void. Refuse, and we simply stop production today."
The silence in the room became a physical weight. Hiruzen let the tension simmer, his tobacco smoke clashing with the bitter scent of the failed elixir on the desk.
Danzo's face was a mask of rage, while Koharu and Homura remained stiff. They had reached the limit of their political patience, yet none dared to break the stalemate.
Hiruzen finally exhaled a long cloud of smoke and set his pipe down with a sharp clack. "This bickering is beneath us," he stated with quiet authority. "Twenty percent of the medicine for the village is a start. It is better than a pile of poison."
He silenced Danzo with a sharp glance. "The boy is right. If we push too hard, we lose everything. We accept the quota in exchange for their autonomy and the protection of their sources."
The elders bristled, but the decree was final.
Hiruzen looked at Yoichi with a mix of pride and caution. "You have your deal. But remember, the village is a family. Do not let greed outpace your loyalty."
As the door clicked shut, the heavy silence broke into a storm of voices. Danzo slammed his cane against the floor, his face twisted in a rare display of visible anger.
"You are fostering a monster, Hiruzen," Danzo hissed. "An Uchiha who understands economics and logistics is far more dangerous than one who simply masters the Sharingan. You have given him a throne."
Homura stepped forward, his expression grim. "The boy is right about the source. We sent teams to tail them, and they found nothing but empty training grounds. If he can conjure these resources from thin air, we are at his mercy."
Koharu nodded in agreement. "By giving them autonomy, you have effectively created a village within a village. The balance of power among the clans is already shifting toward those who can afford his pills."
Hiruzen picked up his pipe, his hands steady despite the onslaught. "I have not given him a throne; I have given the village a future. If we had tried to seize it, Orochimaru's poison would be the only thing we'd have to show for it."
The argument raged on late into the night. The elders saw a threat to their control, while Hiruzen saw a miracle he couldn't afford to break. They all knew one thing: the power structure of Konoha had changed forever.
____________
Thanks to Daemonic_Dragon for Power Stones!
I'm planning to release the other 2 chapters since I didn't release any chapters yesterday.
Also, I think we're going to jump into a time skip again.
3 years to be precise.
The realm process now will be harder since the fundamental reason that If silver tickets are for the Mortal Realm, then golden tickets are for the Innate Realm which would take years to get hehehe.
Is that fine? I think so.