Chiba had no idea what was going on at the Academy.
However—
A week later, when he went back to hand in his report, Tenten mentioned it to him. On the day he'd left, the school had organized an exam for both his former class and the year below.
The Third Hokage himself had announced: anyone who could get a perfect score and pass the second stage would also be allowed to graduate early and enter specialized training.
But in the end—
Not a single person managed it.
Even Neji hadn't.
And so, everything quieted down.
Back in the Medical Department classroom—
"Sensei, I've finished reading Basic Pharmacology too. I'd like to look at something more advanced."
"So soon?"
Kitayama Xu blinked in surprise.
She looked him up and down, clearly skeptical. "You didn't just skim through it, did you?"
"I memorized everything."
"What a bold claim." She snorted lightly. "Alright then—let's see about that."
Kitayama picked up Basic Pharmacology, then smiled faintly, setting it aside and grabbing Basic Medical Theory as well.
Placing both books on the desk, she flipped to random pages, quizzing him on different points.
Chiba paused only briefly each time before recalling the correct information.
One by one, he answered perfectly. Kitayama's eyes widened in genuine surprise. She soon began mixing questions from both books, asking in no order whatsoever—but even that didn't throw him off.
Half an hour later, she clicked her tongue in amazement, though her expression also carried a hint of pity.
If only this boy could use ninjutsu…
With such talent, he could've become an exceptional medical-nin.
Kitayama sighed inwardly.
Chiba didn't mind.
The "Light Orb" had robbed him of the ability to use ninjutsu—but in exchange, it had given him extraordinary learning power.
And lately… he could swear that orb seemed smaller than before.
"You're quite the optimist," Kitayama said at last. "Alright, I'll find something more suited to you."
She turned around, pulled a thick volume of Anatomy off the shelf, then opened a drawer and took out a small box. Inside was a single scroll.
"What's this?"
"The recipe for Soldier Pills." She smiled. "Starting next week, you can study and practice them while continuing your reading."
Chiba's eyes lit up with excitement. He took the scroll eagerly and began reading it on the spot.
The formula wasn't complex; he memorized it almost immediately.
"Thank you, Sensei!"
"Even though it's anatomy, it's quite different from what I knew in my previous life."
After finishing the third book, Chiba had a general understanding of Konoha's medical system.
While medicine supported treatment, the field was still dominated by medical ninjutsu. Even surgery followed different principles—so the theories and procedures varied greatly from what he'd once known.
But when it came to Soldier Pills, he already had a few new ideas.
The current formula was too one-dimensional.
It handled hunger and stamina recovery all in one—effective, but overused and expensive.
Sometimes a ninja didn't need a quick stamina boost—just to fill their stomach. Other times, they needed the reverse.
It should be divided into separate types.
Chiba explained his thoughts to Kitayama. She smiled faintly, not really taking it seriously, though she encouraged him to experiment freely and even allowed him full access to the office library.
For the next three days, he buried himself in research—studying everything on Soldier Pills and pharmacology.
On the Fourth Hokage day, he stepped into the lab.
"Hyakusa."
"Yes, Lady Kitayama?"
"That boy's attempting to make Soldier Pills for the first time. Keep an eye on him. If he runs into trouble, lend him a hand."
"Yes, ma'am."
Hyakusa glanced toward the young boy—around twelve years old, by his guess.
Not too unusual once, back in wartime—children that age could already be chunin. But in this age of peace, it stood out.
So this is Yagyū Chiba?
Intrigued, Hyakusa stepped closer, then blinked in surprise. "Lady Kitayama."
"What is it?"
She had been about to go check on other trainees, but his tone made her stop.
"His movements are textbook perfect, but… the ingredients he's using don't match the formula. Some of them are different."
Hyakusa was twenty-six—eight years older than Kitayama. His medical ninjutsu wasn't quite as refined as hers, but when it came to pharmacology and Soldier Pills, he was an expert. Even minor deviations didn't escape him.
Kitayama frowned. "That child is being reckless."
"His hands are steady, though," Hyakusa noted with respect.
Indeed, Chiba's technique was flawless—each motion smooth and precise. The only issue was that he wasn't following the recipe exactly.
"Let's go take a look."
Kitayama strode toward him, frowning.
By the time they reached the table, Chiba had already finished. He picked up the freshly made Soldier Pill and raised it toward his mouth.
"Wait!"
"Hm?"
Chiba turned, immediately realizing what they were thinking. "Sensei, Senior Hyakusa."
"You changed the formula?"
"Yes. Since I'm still unfamiliar with the process, I wanted to reduce the stamina recovery effect first—focus more on satiety and calorie content—then compare results."
He calmly explained his reasoning in detail.
Kitayama scowled. "You're being far too careless!"
"All the ingredients are non-toxic," he replied quickly. "So I thought I'd test it myself first."
And before she could stop him , he popped the pill into his mouth and took a small bite.
He chewed thoughtfully, then nodded to himself. "Hmm… still not quite right. I see—it's these two ingredients. I didn't use enough."
Without hesitation, he began preparing another batch.
"You—!" Kitayama was speechless.
Hyakusa, on the other hand, picked up the half-bitten pill and tasted it out of curiosity. His eyes widened.
"Lady Kitayama, he's right! It really does give a stronger feeling of fullness—and it doesn't rapidly restore stamina."
"Let me try."
Kitayama tasted a piece herself and concentrated.
Indeed.
The satiety effect was stronger.
"What about the cost?"
"I removed two of the rare ingredients responsible for fast stamina recovery and replaced them with chakra-compressed grain and dried meat. That cuts the cost to less than half. But it shouldn't completely eliminate stamina recovery—some should still be added in moderation…"
Chiba answered smoothly while continuing to mix ingredients.
A few moments later, another Soldier Pill was finished.
"This one should be right. Please try ."
Kitayama took it seriously this time—dividing it in half, then into quarters. She remembered all too well how filling the last one had been.
She ate a small piece and paused, eyes brightening.
This version—
The balance between fullness and recovery was nearly perfect. A definite improvement.
"The cost is about fifty percent of the old one," she murmured thoughtfully. "If we adjust the ratios, we can create a second type—one for rapid stamina recovery but minimal satiety—and sell that one at a higher price."
"That way," Chiba added, "people won't waste money buying a one-size-fits-all pill."
Kitayama and Hyakusa exchanged glances, both startled and thoughtful.
It wasn't that his idea was complicated—
It was that he'd thought of it at all, after only three days of study.
In that short time, he had mastered the production process and devised a practical improvement plan, grounded in real-world efficiency and need.
Something they could have done anytime—
Yet hadn't.
After a moment of silence, Kitayama spoke.
"Hyakusa, assist him in researching a high-recovery, low-satiety version of the Soldier Pill. When you're done, Chiba will write the formal report, and you'll review it for him."
"Yes, ma'am!"
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