Chapter 5 – 5: Pill Revolution

Garou wasn’t too familiar with the inner workings of the Academy.

However, a week later, when he returned to submit his report, Ten-Ten casually filled him in.

The Academy had organized a major examination for both their year and the one below.

Hiruzen himself had announced that anyone who achieved full marks and passed the second round of evaluations would be allowed to graduate early and begin advanced studies.

But the reality was brutal, not a single student succeeded.

Even Neji Hyuga, considered a prodigy, had failed to meet the standard.

And so, the Academy returned to its usual rhythm.

Garou made his way back to the Medical Division.

“Sensei, I’ve finished reading the fundamentals of pharmacology. I’d like to study something more advanced,” he said, approaching Kitayama Oto, his mentor.

“So soon?” Kitayama blinked in surprise, scrutinizing Garou from head to toe. “You didn’t just skim through it, did you?”

“I memorized it,” Garou replied plainly.

“Hmph, big talk,” she snorted skeptically.

“Alright, let’s test you.”

Kitayama set aside the basic pharmacology text and picked up another heavy tome, Foundations of Medical Ninjutsu. She laid both books side by side on the table, flipping randomly through their pages.

Without warning, she quizzed him on obscure details.

Garou paused briefly to recall but answered smoothly, one after another.

Kitayama’s eyes widened with each correct answer. In disbelief, she started jumping between topics without any logical order, desperately trying to trip him up but Garou handled even the most complicated questions with ease.

After half an hour, she finally leaned back with a whistle of amazement, tinged with regret.

‘What a shame. He can’t learn Ninjutsu…’

With his memory and analytical skills, Garou could have become an extraordinary medical ninja.

But Garou didn’t seem to mind.

The mysterious light orb within him, the same force that robbed him of nature transformation, had gifted him something else entirely.

In fact, he noticed that the orb seemed slightly… smaller.

“You’re certainly philosophical about it,” Kitayama said, shaking her head. “Fine. I’ll find you something more fitting.”

She turned and rummaged through the shelves, pulling out a thick volume labeled Anatomy of the Ninja.

Pausing, she opened a drawer, retrieved a small sealed scroll from a box, and handed it to him.

“What’s this?” Garou asked.

“A formula for making Military Rations Pills. Starting next week, you’ll study and practice simultaneously.”

Kitayama smiled warmly.

Garou’s face lit up as he carefully unrolled the scroll.

The recipe wasn’t complicated; he memorized it almost immediately.

“Thank you, sensei!”

—

Garou devoured the anatomy book in a day.

Despite some similarities, it was different from the anatomy he knew in his past life.

In Konoha, medical practice combined chakra-based healing with conventional surgery. The procedures, methodologies, and even body structures reflected years of evolution.

But when it came to Military Rations Pills, Garou had an idea. Currently, the pills were an all-in-one solution, providing nutrition, energy recovery, and physical stamina restoration.

Convenient, yes, but expensive and easy to misuse.

Sometimes, ninjas needed only a quick meal to stave off hunger. Other times, they required a full restoration of their stamina and chakra reserves.

“Wouldn’t it be better to separate the functions and customize the pills based on mission needs?”

Garou shared his thoughts with Kitayama.

She smiled indulgently, not taking him entirely seriously, but encouraged him to experiment. She also gave him unrestricted access to the Medical Division’s library.

For three straight days, Garou immersed himself in books on medicinal herbs, rations pills, chakra recovery, and food preservation techniques.

By the fourth day, he was ready for the laboratory.

—

“Hyakusa,” Kitayama called over one of her senior aides.

“Yes, ma’am?” Hyakusa, a 26-year-old medical-nin with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor, stepped forward.

“Garou will be crafting his first batch of Military Rations Pills. I want you to supervise and assist if necessary.”

“Understood.”

Hyakusa glanced at Garou with mild curiosity.

A boy of about twelve, maybe younger. Back during the Third Great Ninja War, kids his age were already Chunin. But in today’s peace, it’s rare.

‘So this is Garou Zenin,’ she thought.

She moved closer, observing intently.

Right away, something struck her. She turned to Kitayama and said quietly, “Kitayama-sama…”

“What is it?”

Kitayama paused, halfway to instructing another trainee.

“He’s following excellent technique, posture, handling, everything. But… the ingredients he’s using are different. They don’t match the standard formula.”

Kitayama’s brows furrowed.

“This kid…” she muttered, starting toward Garou.

Halfway there, Garou finished crafting a glossy, dark pill. Without hesitation, he raised it to his mouth.

“Wait!”

Garou turned, surprised but unbothered. “Sensei, Hyakusa-senpai.”

“You modified the formula?” Kitayama demanded.

“Yes,” Garou said confidently. “Since I’m unfamiliar with the original recipe, I decided to start by reducing the stamina-recovery ingredients and boosting the caloric value for longer-lasting satiety. Then I can refine from there.”

Before they could protest, he popped a piece of the pill into his mouth.

The texture was dense but smooth, with a faint nutty sweetness from the preserved meat.

“Hm… it’s not perfect. Missing something,” he mused aloud. “Ah, right, two ingredients need a higher concentration.”

He immediately began adjusting the mixture.

“You.. !” Kitayama spluttered, half furious, half astonished.

Hyakusa, curiosity getting the better of her, picked up the half-bitten pill and tasted it carefully.

Her eyes widened.

“Kitayama-sama, he’s not wrong. The satiety effect is remarkable and it doesn’t flood the system with stamina recovery. It’s much more gradual.”

Kitayama took a sample herself, using chakra to analyze its effects.

Indeed, the feeling of fullness lasted longer, and stamina recovery was minimized, ideal for long-term missions.

“What’s the production cost?” she asked sharply.

Garou, adjusting ingredients mid-motion, answered without looking up.

“By replacing two stamina-boosting herbs with chakra-compressed grain and dried meat powder, costs are cut by more than half. But I agree that some stamina recovery should still be present, depending on mission needs.”

Another pill was swiftly completed.

“This one should be balanced,” Garou said, offering it over.

Kitayama broke it into quarters cautiously. After all, the satiety effect was potent.

She took a small bite, analyzing closely.

‘Brilliant.’

A perfect balance between hunger suppression and moderate stamina recovery and a cost-efficient formula too.

Garou continued, “We can also create two distinct pill types: one for heavy recovery missions priced higher, and one for basic satiety at a lower cost. That way, ninja won’t waste money or precious resources.”

Hyakusa and Kitayama exchanged glances, speechless for a moment.

The idea itself wasn’t earth-shattering. Given time, any experienced shinobi could have thought of it.

But this boy…He’d only been studying Military Rations Pills for three days.

Kitayama’s face hardened with determination.

“Hyakusa, assist him. Help refine the two formulas. Garou, once we finalize them, you’ll write a full report. Hyakusa will guide you in formal documentation.”

“Yes, sensei!” they both responded simultaneously.

_______________________

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