Kazuyama suppressed his surprise, his mind working quickly.
He stopped selling medicine and strode toward the ninja who was already writhing in pain and foaming at the mouth. The people nearby immediately blocked his way.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"How dare you sell fake medicine in Kusagakure! I think you've lived long enough, old man!"
"Hey! Someone go get the patrol! Arrest him!"
The crowd's shouting and cursing made Kazuyama's head pound. He hurried to explain.
"I'm a doctor! Let me through—he took my medicine, so of course I need to take a look."
"I might be able to help him!"
"Come on, let me through already!"
Being held back and unable to act made Kazuyama boil with anger. If it weren't for the situation, he would have tossed every last one of them into the sea to drown. He was certain these Kusagakure landlubbers couldn't swim.
No matter what he said, they wouldn't let him pass.
"Let him go see. We took the pills and nothing happened—why is it only this unlucky guy?"
"Hmph, maybe this idiot ate something else on top of the pill."
"Let the old man take a look. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease after taking it myself."
Before long, the others who had taken the medicine spoke up as well—on his side, this time. After all, they'd swallowed the same pill. If something was wrong, they wanted it dealt with now, and they wanted a clear answer.
While the two sides argued, Kazuyama found an opening and slipped through. He suppressed his chakra completely so no one could sense it, and by the time they reacted, he was already kneeling beside the "big shrimp" on the ground.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
"Old man?!"
"Don't move! If he dies, it's all on you!"
All eyes turned to Kazuyama and the collapsed ninja.
"Enough! Quiet!"
"I'm going to examine him!"
Kazuyama barked over his shoulder, his voice booming so loudly it startled everyone.
For a fleeting moment, one thought crossed their minds: This old man's voice is something else… no wonder he's a Yakushi, his body's still in great shape.
"Chōmei, check if the Scale Powder in his body has spread."
Kazuyama had already guessed the cause—this idiot must have chewed the pill instead of swallowing it whole. That would have released the high-concentration Scale Powder all at once, instantly poisoning him. Judging by his symptoms, the effects were dizziness and foaming at the mouth.
"I've checked—his whole body is saturated with Scale Powder, head to toe!"
"This moron deserved it. If it had dissolved slowly, he wouldn't be in this state."
"Hahaha, but my Scale Powder works beautifully. Look at him—he's curled up like a shrimp."
With Chōmei's confirmation, Kazuyama sighed, feeling utterly drained. There was always some fool creating extra work for him.
"Chōmei, treat him—dissolve the powder in his system."
"Easy for you to say. How am I supposed to hide the chakra?"
"Simple. I'll cut him open and let some blood out. While it's flowing, you slip in just a trace of chakra."
"…Alright, your call."
Kazuyama took a deep breath, then fixed a hard, disappointed glare on the collapsed ninja.
"See this? This is what happens when you ignore medical instructions! I told you not to chew the pill—the potency's too much for your body to take!"
"You wouldn't listen! You just wouldn't listen! The medicine went straight to your brain—of course you're dizzy and foaming!"
"Hmph!"
"Luckily for you, I'm here. There's still a chance."
"You, over there—lend me your blade. I was in such a rush, I forgot mine."
Hearing Kazuyama's scolding, the crowd finally understood—he hadn't swallowed the pill. He'd bitten it apart. Bold, but stupid. Everyone knew you followed a doctor's orders when taking medicine. This was the result.
It was a warning to the rest of them, especially those still planning to buy.
"Oh, here. But old man, what do you need a sword for?"
Taking the katana, Kazuyama turned back toward his patient—and his next move left everyone stunned.
He drew the blade and slashed directly at the inside of the man's thigh.
Swoosh!
The katana was sharp, and blood gushed forth in a hot stream. The sudden flood of red made several onlookers flinch.
"Hey! Old man, you're killing him!"
"He's losing too much—he'll die!"
Kazuyama ignored them. Chōmei was already using chakra to break down the Scale Powder in the man's system. Everyone's attention was fixed on the blood, so no one noticed the faint chakra ripple around Kazuyama.
In moments, the ground was stained dark red. But as Chōmei worked, the poison was cleared.
Kazuyama pulled a small bottle from his robes, filled with hemostatic powder, and poured it over the wound.
"Chōmei, numb his thigh with Scale Powder while I stop the bleeding. He's not dying on me—this shrimp's my golden calling card."
Chōmei's Scale Powder drifted out again, this time only for local anesthesia.
The bleeding stopped quickly under the powder and pressure. Kazuyama then slapped the man's face sharply.
"Up! You idiot, ignoring the doctor's orders!"
"You just cost me a whole bottle of hemostatic powder! Pay up!"
His speed left the crowd stunned. Cut, bleed, medicate—done.
The ninja groaned awake. His face was pale, foam still at the corners of his mouth, but he was alive.
"Ahh… hurts…"
"My face hurts… huh? Why can't I feel my leg?"
The moment he realized it, fear flashed in his eyes.
"Hmph! Arterial bleeding without anesthetic—you'd have been screaming your head off. Be glad I numbed it."
"Idiot! I told you not to chew, but you just wouldn't listen, would you?"
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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