"Leg-Stretching Glare Pill?"
It certainly didn't sound like something one ought to swallow.
The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances. Moments ago, watching the wounded ninja's complexion improve so dramatically had filled them with awe for Seiran. But then he'd produced a pill with that name—something that sounded suspiciously like... well, nobody was quite sure what it sounded like.
The wounded ninja hesitated, gritted his teeth, and swallowed the pitch-black sphere. It went down smoothly in one gulp. The moment it passed his throat, it melted into liquid and vanished, triggering an involuntary cough.
"Chiba! Are you okay?"
His companion crouched down, voice tight with concern.
"Ahem... I'm fine." After coughing several times, Chiba took a deep breath. The flush draining from his face steadied into something almost normal.
His companions collectively exhaled in relief.
But doubt lingered among the watching shinobi. Could that pill actually heal him?
Anko watched differently—with knowing expectation. She'd seen enough of Seiran's work to understand that whatever was in that black ball mattered. She just had to wait.
Seiran's brows furrowed as he carefully manipulated the magnetic fluid coursing through Chiba's body. The "Leg-Stretching Glare Pill" was simply a sphere of magnetic fluid. Under his Electromagnetic Manipulation, it had transformed into obedient nanobots the instant it entered the body.
He'd chosen the swallowing method because his scan had detected extensive blood vessel damage near the lung lobe—severe internal bleeding, hence the constant blood Chiba coughed up. Magnetic fluid would travel most easily through the throat and trachea, reaching the wound to seal the broken vessels and stop the hemorrhage.
Back when his Electromagnetic Manipulation was Level 3, he'd injected the fluid into his own body to deactivate the Caged Bird Curse Mark. At Level 4, his precision was exponentially better. Why not use it to help someone else?
The magnetic fluids inside Chiba worked like obedient machines—clearing blood clots, cleaning internal wounds, repairing tissue.
After several minutes, Seiran exhaled slowly. "Okay."
Chiba's breathing had stabilized. His vital signs were steady.
Beside him, Anko smiled with relief. She knew Seiran had won this battle against death.
"He's okay!"
"Chiba, you're going to be fine!"
Several companions rushed the stretcher, crying out in excitement.
The Konoha shinobi's skepticism evaporated. They stared at Seiran with shock and wonder.
"I didn't know he was so skilled at medical ninjutsu."
"Incredible. Even Tsunade couldn't heal someone this badly this easily, could she?"
"What kind of jutsu was that?"
"Did anyone sense a chakra spike?"
Shizune hesitated, then leaned toward Seiran with a tentative question.
"That... Seiran, is your Leg-Stretching Glare Pill for sale? The medical corps would pay a high price."
As a medical ninja, she knew internal bleeding was the most difficult complication to address. But after Chiba swallowed that pill, his condition improved almost immediately. Compared to traditional trauma treatment, this felt revolutionary. If every Konoha shinobi could carry one, casualty rates would plummet.
It was audacious to ask, but the potential was too significant to ignore.
Seiran almost laughed.
Not for sale. He'd made up the name on the spot—how was he supposed to mass-produce something with a joke name?
"Not for sale," he said firmly.
"Is it the price?" Shizune pressed. "We can negotiate. We can offer more—"
More money?
Does it look like I'm short on money? Dozens of tons of gold from Rasa was still sitting in his reserves.
"It's not about money," Seiran said patiently. "The technique is patented to me. Only I can use it. Even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't be able to replicate it."
Patent? Can't use it?
Shizune didn't fully understand, but she grasped the essential message: no deal. She bowed her head and moved on to treat other wounded.
Seiran turned to Anko with a smile. "Your growth is impressive. Your medical ninjutsu has improved significantly."
The old Anko might have been overwhelmed by this situation. Now, she kept working even after the other medics had given up.
Anko laughed, her face still smudged with blood from her work. "Orochimaru taught me well. His medical system is completely different from academy training—much more refined."
Seiran nodded. Orochimaru's approach was closer to modern medicine—detailed anatomical study, systematic precision.
"Seiran," Anko said hesitantly, "are you sure there's no risk not revealing the pill's formula? I have a suspicion about what it really is."
She knew enough about his abilities to guess the truth. Some kind of metal sphere, controlled by his power. It worried her.
"It's just iron," Seiran said casually. "Once it finishes, it passes through the intestines and gets excreted. A small portion breaks down into iron atoms and improves his body's ability to produce blood. Counteracts the damage from massive blood loss."
The body's iron was ionic. Full atomic-level manipulation was still beyond him at his current nanoscale control. But this method achieved similar results indirectly.
If his Electromagnetic Manipulation ever reached atomic precision, ordinary ninjas would be utterly helpless. One thought, and the iron in their blood would rage uncontrollably. They'd become living bombs.
"That makes sense!" Anko suddenly brightened. "Speaking of which, I've started my own research!"
"Research?" Seiran's curiosity piqued.
Anko glanced around and lowered her voice. "Orochimaru mentioned you enjoy scientific work. I want to study it too—maybe I can help you someday." She laughed. "You said I could become a good ninja if I found the right direction. I think research is that direction."
Seiran nodded thoughtfully.
It was strange how much Anko's path had diverged from the original timeline. In the past, she'd focused solely on Orochimaru's snake techniques. Now she was learning medical ninjutsu and beginning to explore scientific research.
He wondered what she'd become.
A peculiar image formed in his mind: Anko in a white lab coat and black-framed glasses, carefully dissecting some strange organism, a serpentine tail slowly swaying behind her back.
He almost smiled at the absurdity of it.
---
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