"By the way, Chōmei, if I mix your Scale Powder into something else, will it lose its effect?"
"Huh? What exactly are you putting it in? If it's fire, my Scale Powder will vanish instantly—that's its natural enemy."
Chōmei spoke irritably, but soon noticed Kazuyama grinning in a way that was far too sly to be innocent.
"Hey, Kazuyama, what are you scheming?"
"That smile's getting more and more suspicious."
Kazuyama stifled his grin, then pulled a small medicine bottle from his robes. He popped it open and tipped a pill into his palm.
"Chōmei, I swiped this from my sensei."
"The effect's simple—just boosts chakra flow. Basically an enhanced military ration pill. My sensei eats these like candy."
"No side effects at all. I was thinking… if you coat it with Scale Powder, maybe turn it into some kind of slow-acting poison."
"If not poison, then something that at least causes diarrhea. What do you think? Reliable?"
"But one condition—the Scale Powder's effect needs to be delayed. Can you manage that?"
At those words, Chōmei perked up. Now this was interesting.
Pills in hand… was Kazuyama planning to sell poison in Kusagakure? Oh, this could be fun.
"I'll try. I'll compress the Scale Powder and infuse it into the pills."
Without wasting a moment, Chōmei condensed a batch of highly concentrated powder and injected it into the pills.
The once plain black pill began to shift in color under the infusion, fading from pitch-black to a warm brown.
Kazuyama stared at it, eyes widening—this looked exactly like a chocolate malt ball from his past life. Too uncanny.
"Kazuyama, I've compressed the powder and wrapped it in a thin layer of chakra. It'll only be released once the pill's fully dissolved, and it'll take time for the chakra to break down. That gives you your delay."
"I'd say it'll take about half a day before the effect kicks in."
"But if someone bites the pill in half, it's over. Even with chakra coating, the Scale Powder will be released right away."
Kazuyama's grin grew darker.
Now this was a travel essential—perfect for causing trouble.
"Good. That's all I need. Now…"
"Transformation Technique!"
With a puff of white smoke, Kazuyama's appearance completely changed—yellow robe, round-brimmed hat, the perfect image of an old wandering exorcist.
He snapped off a branch from a nearby tree, transformed it again, and now held a tall banner that read:
Exclusive Good Medicine! One taste and you'll want two! Works every time, guaranteed honest trade!
"Tsk tsk… you look downright shady in that getup. Classic you, Kazuyama."
"Heh, let's go. Kusagakure, here I come!"
...
This time, he approached Kusagakure through the front gate.
But before he could enter, two gate guards stepped in his path.
"Who are you?"
"What's your business in the Grass Hidden Village?"
The two Grass ninja eyed him warily from head to toe—there was definitely something off about this stranger. Kusagakure never welcomed outsiders, and a man dressed like this was bound to raise suspicion.
"Oh, I'm a traveling pharmacist. Since I happened to pass through the Land of Grass, I thought I'd stop by your village and promote my medicines."
"Gentlemen, care to let me through?"
Kazuyama's kindly smile made the two guards exchange a puzzled glance.
They'd heard of traveling merchants… but a traveling pharmacist?
What kind of strange occupation was that?
"A pharmacist? You mean selling medicine?"
"Ridiculous. I've never heard of such a thing."
Kazuyama didn't flinch at the mockery. Calmly, he reached into his robes—instantly putting both guards on high alert.
Given the recent disappearances, the entire village was on edge, and a sudden movement like that could mean trouble.
But instead, Kazuyama simply drew out a small bottle and shook two pills into his hand.
"These are my own creation—good for clearing the mind and strengthening the body. And if you're a ninja, they'll also boost your chakra flow."
"Guaranteed better than any military ration pills you've had."
"Well? Want to try one?"
"If anything goes wrong, you can find me. I'm actually looking for a big client to take my whole stock."
The guards exchanged another look. The bottle had a large "medicine" character on it, and the faint herbal aroma was unmistakable—it did smell like genuine pills.
"This medicine of yours… is it really that good?"
"It just looks like a pill. Can it really have such effects?"
One guard's curiosity was piqued. The scent was familiar—he'd smelled it countless times in the infirmary.
"Heh… I've spent years on the road, blending countless herbs into these pills. There's no problem whatsoever."
"If you don't believe me, why not try one? You'll feel completely revitalized."
Right now, Kazuyama was every inch the smooth-talking con artist. And in this kindly old-man disguise, it was hard to suspect him.
The guard studied the pill, weighed Kazuyama's confidence, then finally took one into his hand.
"Just swallow it?"
"Yes, whole. Don't chew it. It needs to dissolve slowly—if you bite into it, the effects will be too strong and cause unpleasant reactions."
After hearing the explanation, the guard nodded, double-checked with his companion… then shot him a quick signal.
Without swallowing the pill, he spun on his heel and ran into the village.
"Eh? What's that about? He just takes my pill and runs?"
Kazuyama blinked—he'd pitched the whole act perfectly, so why wasn't the man taking it?
Something wasn't right. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go.
"Relax. The pharmacy's just nearby. He's gone to have it tested."
"If you're telling the truth, then fine. But if not…" The remaining guard crossed his arms, eyes cold. "Old man, you might not be leaving the Land of Grass alive."
Kazuyama: Good. Very good.