Time flew by amid their complete immersion in the work.
The light outside the windows shifted from the crisp brightness of morning to the blazing intensity of noon, then gradually softened into the slightly languid slanting rays of afternoon.
Nearly ten hours passed.
More than thirty newly produced scrolls were now neatly arranged across the workbench.
Each one contained a single C-rank medical ninjutsu—Healing Technique.
This was already the best batch they could reliably reproduce at the moment.
Tsunade picked up one of the scrolls and carefully sensed the stable flow of medical chakra sealed within it.
Then she glanced at the pages of densely packed data beside it.
Her brows gradually furrowed as she sank into thought.
After a long while, she set the scroll down and let out a soft sigh.
Looking at Shinichi, she spoke in a complicated tone.
"In the field of medical ninjutsu, you've already done an exceptional job. Honestly, I don't have many meaningful improvements left to suggest."
"But the problem lies in mass production."
She pointed toward a nearby blueprint covered in sealing formulas, her expression turning serious.
"With the current sealing structure, medical chakra can indeed be stored stably. However, the inscription process is far too complicated, and the precision requirements are extremely high."
"Even a ninja highly proficient in Fūinjutsu would need more than an hour to complete a single scroll."
"At that rate, mass production is out of the question."
"We need to simplify it. While maintaining the technique's effectiveness and stability, we have to make the sealing structure cleaner, simpler, and easier to replicate quickly."
Shinichi nodded.
"Do you have any ideas, Tsunade-sensei? In the field of Fūinjutsu, I'm honestly still just a beginner who hasn't been studying it for very long."
Hearing that, Tsunade frowned again.
While she was certainly skilled in Fūinjutsu, she was far from a true master.
The sealing formula before them already represented the most streamlined version she and Shinichi could devise while still preserving its effectiveness.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Tsunade's eyes lit up.
She abruptly raised her head as a name surfaced in her mind.
"I know who can help!"
"That's right!"
"For a problem like this, going to her may be the fastest solution!"
"Wait here! I'll be right back!"
Before the three of them could even respond, Tsunade had already spun around and strode toward the laboratory exit.
Her pace was even more hurried than when she had arrived.
In the blink of an eye, she disappeared through the doorway, leaving only Shinichi, Shizune, and Kurenai behind in the laboratory.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Shizune was the first to recover.
She looked at the thirty-plus scrolls on the workbench, her eyes shining as she softly said, "Kurenai, if these medical scrolls really can be mass-produced someday, then everyone in the village will be able to carry one while out on missions. At critical moments, they'll have an extra layer of protection. There'll be less bloodshed and fewer deaths. Even in remote locations during missions, people will still be able to receive treatment in time."
Just thinking that she was personally participating in a project that might save countless comrades' lives—even if her role was only basic record-keeping—filled her with excitement and pride.
"Exactly, Shizune! If these scrolls can truly be mass-produced, they'll first become standard equipment for every ninja team on missions. That alone would greatly improve survival rates and operational endurance, directly strengthening the village's overall power. But it's not just about missions."
Kurenai had clearly thought even further ahead.
She set down her clipboard and continued, "Think about it. Once the village's own demand has been met, these scrolls probably won't remain limited to Konoha."
"Cities throughout the Land of Fire, allied nations and ninja villages, and even wealthy merchants and nobles would definitely be willing to pay huge sums to buy them. This could become an entirely new major source of revenue for the village—a pillar industry. It could bring unimaginable wealth and resources to Konoha. With that, we could build better facilities and improve the lives of even more ninja and civilians..."
The two girls exchanged a glance and saw the same spark in each other's eyes.
Then, almost simultaneously, they turned their attention toward the black-haired boy still standing by the workbench, slightly lowering his head as he examined the blueprints and materials before him.
The driving force behind this groundbreaking innovation.
Their companion—
Higashino Shinichi.
Was Shinichi always this handsome?
The thought surfaced in both girls' minds almost at the same time.
In their memories, the boy had always left an impression of being gentle, dependable, intelligent, and strong.
But in terms of appearance, he had been little more than clean-cut and pleasant-looking.
Yet somehow, at some point—perhaps because of how quickly he had grown over the past year, or because his temperament had become increasingly composed, or perhaps because the lines of his profile seemed unusually sharp beneath the laboratory lights while he was focused on his research—
They suddenly felt that something about him was different.
Maybe... he's simply grown into his looks.
Both girls silently offered themselves the same explanation.
Then they subtly looked away, though the tips of their ears grew slightly warm.
Shinichi, meanwhile, had no idea about the subtle thoughts that had just crossed their minds.
His attention was already focused on matters much farther ahead.
The economic impact of medical scrolls?
This was only the beginning.
Healthcare, beauty treatments, cosmetics, and even certain special "health-enhancement" products that many men would happily pay for...
The market was far broader than most people could imagine.
And that was only within the medical field and its related industries.
In the future, there could be food franchises operating under the Shinichi brand, as well as clothing, entertainment, transportation, communications, countless industrial products, and even the internet...
Shinichi had far too many ideas and plans capable of rapidly creating demand, reshaping entire industries, and generating enormous wealth and influence.
But he wasn't in a hurry.
Most of those were pieces on the board that could only be fully deployed after he truly sat in the Hokage's seat and gained access to the highest levels of authority and resources.
He was confident that once he took control of Konoha and gradually implemented the visions in his mind, the village's economy and standard of living would experience explosive growth in a remarkably short period.
Konoha would achieve complete economic independence, reaching a point where it could operate normally without any support from the Daimyō's court or reliance on mission commissions.
Within ten years, it could become the world's premier metropolis—far ahead of every other city in the ninja world in terms of living standards, economic vitality, development, and technological application.
But for now, his primary objective remained the same:
To become stronger.
To strengthen his foundation, perfect his system, and generate and upgrade more powerful Entries.
And, while doing so, continue accumulating prestige and winning people's support.
At this stage, a medical scroll capable of being mass-produced and benefiting every ninja and civilian in the village was more than enough.
The rest of his grand ambitions could wait until he sat in that seat.
After all, no matter how prosperous Konoha became, the greatest prestige and rewards would ultimately belong to the person occupying the Hokage's office.
No matter how much Shinichi accomplished, he would only be remembered as the highly accomplished second most important figure.
That was not what Shinichi wanted.
...
Konoha.
At the home of Namikaze Minato, a lively gathering was underway.
Warm light filled the living room, while a long table was covered with delicious dishes.
Kushina, Minato, and the members of Team Seven—Kakashi, Obito, and Rin—were all seated together.
"Come on, one more toast!"
With the cheerful confidence of a hostess, Kushina once again raised her drink with a bright smile.
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their cups in response.
After a crisp clink of glasses, they each took a drink.
The moment he set down his cup, Obito eagerly stuffed another mouthful of food into his mouth.
With his cheeks bulging, he mumbled through the food, "Mmph... delicious! Kushina-nee-san's cooking is amazing. It's almost as good as Shinichi's..."
The instant the words left his mouth, he froze.
Realizing what he had just said, he hurriedly looked up, his cheeks turning red as he desperately tried to fix the situation.
"Ah, no! I mean, Kushina-nee-san's cooking is better! Right, definitely better!"
Across the table, Kakashi didn't even bother looking up.
"Idiot."
Under normal circumstances, Obito would have immediately jumped up to argue with Kakashi.
But now, he only nervously looked at Kushina, worried that his careless comment might have upset her.
Hearing this, Kushina blinked in surprise before bursting into laughter.
"Oh, come on, that's nothing."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"A lot of my cooking skills came from learning through Number One Chef anyway. Come to think of it, Shinichi is practically my teacher when it comes to cooking."
Obito finally let out a huge sigh of relief.
Scratching his head, he gave a couple of sheepish chuckles before returning his full attention to the food.
As he ate, he suddenly remembered something and looked curiously at Kushina.
"By the way, Kushina-nee-san, aren't you a jōnin too? But I've never seen you take on students, and I've never heard about you leaving the village for missions either. It's kind of strange."
Sitting beside her, Minato was just about to explain when Kushina beat him to it with a smile.
"Minato, let me answer this one."
She turned toward Obito and smiled.
"That's because my situation is a little special. I need to stay in the village most of the time and be protected by everyone, so I can't just run off outside the village whenever I want."
"I see..."
Obito nodded, only half understanding.
He didn't really grasp what exactly a "special situation" meant, but he understood the parts about not being allowed to leave the village and needing protection.
He opened his mouth, intending to say something like, That's a shame. There are so many interesting places and experiences outside the village, or Wouldn't it get boring staying in the village all the time?
But as the words reached his lips, he saw the easy smile on Kushina's face and felt that saying such things might not be appropriate.
In the end, he merely let out an awkward, "Oh."
Seeing his reaction, Kushina's smile only grew brighter.
She reached out and ruffled his spiky hair.
"That's why, Obito, you need to work hard and become stronger as soon as possible! When you're powerful enough someday, maybe you'll be the one protecting me, and we can go out and see the wider world together!"
Those words instantly ignited a fire in the boy's heart.
Obito sat up straight and nodded vigorously.
"Don't worry, Kushina-nee-san! I'll definitely become super strong one day!"
"So strong that no bad guy will ever get the chance to hurt you!"
"I mean it!"
"Alright, alright. Then I'll look forward to it."
Kushina nodded with a laugh.
Then she turned toward Minato, who had been watching her with a gentle smile the entire time.
Her eyes softened as she prepared to say something.
Just then—
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A rapid series of knocks suddenly broke the warm atmosphere in the living room.
"At this hour...?"
Minato looked slightly surprised, but immediately stood up.
"I'll get it."
He walked to the entrance and opened the door.
The person standing outside caught him off guard.
"Tsunade-senpai?"
The visitor was indeed Tsunade.
She looked as though she had come in a hurry. Her golden hair was slightly disheveled, and she had no interest in exchanging pleasantries.
Her gaze swept past Minato and into the house.
"Minato, is Kushina here?"
"I'm here, Tsunade-neesan!"
The moment she heard the familiar voice, Kushina immediately rose from the table and hurried over.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking for me so urgently?"
Kushina and Tsunade naturally knew each other well.
After Kushina had been chosen as the next Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, she had practically moved into the residence of the First Hokage's wife, Uzumaki Mito, where she studied the Uzumaki Clan's secret sealing techniques and various other arts under the clan elder's guidance.
As Mito's granddaughter, Tsunade frequently visited her grandmother.
Over time, the two became quite familiar with one another.
To Kushina, Tsunade was a remarkable—and somewhat unconventional—senior figure and older sister. Her bold personality and fierce protectiveness toward those she cared about suited Kushina's tastes perfectly.
"Kushina, I need your help with something extremely important! Right now!"
Tsunade grabbed Kushina's wrist, urgency written all over her face.
"Huh? Right now? Should we talk about it here, or..."
Kushina blinked in surprise at her intensity.
"Somewhere quieter."
"Then let's talk in the study."
With that, Kushina led Tsunade toward the study.
As they left, she quickly called out to Minato and the children still at the table.
"Minato, keep eating! Tsunade-neesan and I need to discuss something in the study!"