The newly awakened "big shrimp" was immediately blasted by Kazuyama, leaving him scratching his head with an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry, old man… I just thought swallowing the whole thing would take too long. Chewing it up makes it easier to absorb, right?"
"I didn't expect the medicine to be this strong…"
Hearing that, the people around couldn't help smirking. Serves him right for ignoring the doctor's instructions.
Still, he'd made a perfect example for everyone else—this medicine wasn't something you could take however you pleased. If the man selling it told you to swallow it whole, then you swallowed it whole. No playing smart.
What shocked them even more, though, was Kazuyama's treatment method. Bloodletting? And that hemostatic powder he used afterward—it worked amazingly well.
In an instant, everyone's opinion of Kazuyama shot up. A real veteran doctor, they thought. No wonder he could create such miraculous pills—his medical skills were the real deal.
"Old man, keep selling the medicine."
"That idiot can recover on his own."
"Yeah, keep going—it's almost my turn!"
Once the small commotion passed, those who hadn't bought yet started calling for him to continue.
Kazuyama, of course, was happy to oblige. He resumed selling, and after the "big shrimp" incident, everyone was completely convinced of his abilities. The rest of the sales went smoother than ever.
In barely half an hour, the last few hundred pills were gone.
"Sold out. Not a single one left."
Even so, the line was still long, and some of Kusagakure's higher-ups had even shown up.
Kazuyama waved them off to show he was out of stock.
That made the remaining customers' eyes widen in disbelief.
"Old man, don't joke—I've got the money right here. We can negotiate!"
"Yeah! I dropped my mission and rushed here just to buy—there's gotta be something left!"
A chorus of disbelief, irritation, and complaints erupted.
Kazuyama could only shake his head, forcing down the smirk tugging at his lips and putting on a look of regret.
"No, really—every last pill I brought is gone."
"You youngsters even bought up the hemostatic medicine I had on me."
And that was true—many had seen how effective his hemostatic powder was during treatment earlier and decided they wanted some too.
Kazuyama, naturally, didn't refuse. Hemostatic powder paired with Scale Powder? An even better combination. So he sold every bottle he had.
They sold like crazy—500,000 a bottle—and with only a few in stock, they were gone in a flash.
Just as the mood turned increasingly sour, a tall man stepped out from the crowd and walked straight toward Kazuyama.
The moment he appeared, the noise died.
"Old sir, I'm Kusagakure Jōnin Muyuu. I've heard your medicine is remarkable and came to buy some myself."
"I don't know if you have any left, but I'm willing to pay double the price."
Muyuu…?
Kazuyama gave the man a long look.
A name starting with "Wu" in Kusagakure wasn't usually attached to small fry. Judging by the way the other ninjas treated him… this guy might be from Hōzuki Castle. Now that was interesting.
"Jōnin Muyuu, it's not that I won't sell to you—it's that I truly have none left."
"…I see. In that case, I won't trouble you further."
Since there were no pills left, Muyuu didn't bother pressing the issue. He'd only come because his subordinates had praised the medicine, and he wanted to try it himself.
But just as he turned to leave, Kazuyama suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Hm? What is it?"
Muyuu's expression soured, but he still asked.
Kazuyama gave a faint, calm smile. "No need to rush, Jōnin. I have a deep knowledge of medicinal herbs."
"And I smell something unusual on you… Tell me, could it be the herb called Hōzuki?"
At those words, Muyuu's eyes narrowed slightly, and the surrounding ninjas tensed. The name "Hōzuki" was a taboo in Kusagakure—no, for ninjas in general, it was a taboo.
"You know of Hōzuki? Where did you learn that?"
Muyuu's tone was even, but chakra was already swirling through his body.
"Heh, there's no need for alarm, sir. As a physician, I make it my business to know every herb."
"Hōzuki is a type of berry—harmless in its normal form, but the white variant will paralyze the body if eaten."
"It's a narcotic, recorded in detail in the medical texts passed down in my family—its appearance, its scent, everything."
"And the scent of Hōzuki is strong on you, Jōnin. That's why I was curious."
Hōzuki only grew in Hōzuki Castle, nowhere else. The place might be shrouded in mystery, but to high-ranking shinobi, it wasn't much of a secret—it was a prison, nothing more.
Muyuu listened, gave a slight nod, and walked away without another word.
He didn't notice that, at that moment, a line of tiny writing reading お父さんが来た ("Your father's here!") was quietly moving across his body.
Kazuyama never acted without purpose—grabbing Muyuu had simply been a way to place a teleportation mark on him.
Now, he could use Flying Thunder God to reach him at any time, and with the mark in place, he could track his location whenever he wanted.
Hōzuki Castle… what an interesting place. Kazuyama would definitely be paying it a visit.
With the medicine gone, he had no intention of lingering in Kusagakure. Under the reluctant stares of the ninjas, he demonstrated what it meant to be vigorous in old age—walking with the stride of a dragon and the step of a tiger.
In truth, he was just making a quick getaway.
Once he was clear of the village, Kazuyama couldn't hold it in any longer. With a flicker, he vanished using Flying Thunder God and burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Chōmei, what do you think Kusagakure will look like after today?"
"What's to think? Wailing everywhere. I'd say the ones who took those pills won't be able to move properly for at least ten days, maybe half a month."
The two old rogues laughed together—not because they couldn't help themselves, but because it really was too funny.
Hundreds of shinobi had bought those pills. If they all went on forced leave, how was Kusagakure supposed to take missions?
The thought made Kazuyama grin even wider. Without warning, he appeared in front of Yugito, grabbed her before she could react, and started giving her instructions.