Chapter 23
For the past three days, Black Iron Mountain Village had become unusually lively.
People came.
People left.
People arrived sick.
People left healthy.
Some arrived carried on stretchers.
Some left carrying the stretchers themselves.
The name Babayaga Johnny Sis spread throughout nearby villages at an astonishing speed.
At first people called him Doctor Johnny Sis.
Then Divine Doctor Johnny Sis.
Then Miracle Doctor Johnny Sis.
Then someone with too much free time started calling him:
"The People's God."
When Ryo heard the title, he almost choked on his rice.
Ryo pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"The People's God?"
A villager nodded excitedly.
"Yes!"
"You cured my knee!"
Another villager shouted.
"You cured my wife's headaches!"
A third shouted.
"You cured my uncle's constipation!"
A fourth proudly added.
"You cured my goat!"
Ryo blinked.
"I never treated a goat."
The villager looked confused.
"Really?"
"Then why did it recover after seeing you?"
System immediately answered.
It was probably scared back to health.
Ryo ignored the system.
Among the villagers Ryo treated was naturally Su Bing, An Jin's mother.
Compared to the memories he had received, her condition had improved greatly.
Years of overwork and hidden illness had nearly destroyed her body.
Fortunately, for a medical ninja who could rebuild organs if necessary, such problems were nothing.
After treatment, Su Bing bowed deeply.
"Doctor Johnny Sis."
"I don't know how to repay your kindness."
"I can only use my bod-"
Ryo stroked his beard and cut her sentence before it could go weird way.
"There is no need."
"A doctor heals because people are sick."
"Besides..."
"I am already paid."
Su Bing looked confused.
"I only gave you two steamed buns."
Ryo nodded seriously.
"Exactly."
System.
Host.
You're literally one of the poorest people in this world.
Ryo.
A true doctor values spirit over money.
System.
You ate half the village's chickens.
Ryo.
That was nutritional support.
-------
Originally, Ryo planned to leave after the first day.
The mission was already nearly complete.
Su Bing was healed.
The villagers were healthy.
Everything was fine.
Then...
He discovered a problem.
A plague.
Not a devastating plague.
Not one that could wipe out cities.
But a slow-spreading disease.
The kind that quietly infected villages before anyone noticed.
Ryo quickly traced the source.
After examining dozens of patients, checking water supplies, and following clues, he finally found the culprit.
A small contaminated spring hidden deep within Black Iron Mountain. Many animals died drowned there. Then their bodies reacted with purple vain lucidum sapling and it created a poisonous smell. Whoever smells them, they will have the plague.
When System saw him standing beside the spring, it asked curiously.
Host.
How did you find it?
Ryo crossed his arms.
"I followed the disease."
System waited.
Several seconds passed.
Host.
That's not an explanation.
Ryo nodded.
"Correct."
System nearly exploded from anger.
After locating the source, Ryo cleaned the water supply.
Then he spent two more days treating infected villagers.
At the same time, he wrote detailed instructions.
Disease symptoms.
Cause.
Methods of prevention.
Treatment methods.
Proper sanitation.
Boiling water.
Food storage.
Several literate villagers received copies.
Even the local town officials received one.
A village elder held the booklet with trembling hands.
"Doctor Johnny Sis..."
"This knowledge can save countless lives."
Ryo waved dismissively.
"Then use it."
"Knowledge that sits on a shelf is less useful than a sleeping chicken."
Nobody understood what that meant.
But everyone nodded anyway.
On the third night, Ryo quietly left.
No farewell.
No ceremony.
No grand departure.
Only one old village dog noticed him leaving.
The dog stared at him.
Ryo stared back.
The dog barked once.
Ryo nodded.
The dog nodded.
The dog even saluted by turning it's spiral tail straight.
System.
Host.
Dogs cannot straighten their tails.
Ryo.
This one did.
System :"....."
Soon, he returned to the capital.
By the time he arrived, the city gates were nearly closed.
Using Transformation Jutsu, he changed into the appearance of an ordinary scholar.
Then he rented a room at an inn.
After eating enough food for four people—
which the inn staff had already accepted as normal—
he slept.
The next morning.
Ryo walked through the capital.
Almost immediately, he noticed something strange.
The streets felt emptier.
Shops were open.
Merchants were working.
But the atmosphere was tense.
Groups of people whispered constantly.
Soldiers patrolled more frequently.
Even street beggars seemed nervous.
Ryo bought a meat bun.
Then asked casually.
"What happened?"
The vendor immediately lowered his voice.
"Scholar."
"Didn't you hear?"
"Dong Family and Dugu Family fought yesterday."
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The vendor leaned closer.
"Not a small fight."
"A real fight."
"Over one hundred men from each side."
Another customer joined in.
"They almost started a war."
A third added.
"My cousin's brother's neighbor's wife's uncle saw everything."
Ryo immediately lost interest in the reliability of the information.
Still, after asking around, the overall story became clear.
Yesterday, Dong Family and Dugu Family had openly clashed.
Dozens were injured.
Several died.
Property was destroyed.
Businesses suffered losses.
The entire capital was shaken.
Many people now believed civil war was coming.
System suddenly appeared.
Host.
Congratulations.
Ryo looked suspicious.
"For what?"
System smiled.
For almost starting a civil war.
Ryo coughed.
"That sounds exaggerated."
System:
Four grandchildren dead.
Two more dead.
Multiple assassination attempts.
Business conflicts.
Political struggles.
One hundred men fighting in the streets.
Then it paused.
Actually, never mind.
That's surprisingly accurate.
Ryo smiled proudly.
"Thank you."
System.
That wasn't praise.
Ryo ignored it.
System continued.
Host.
Your schemes have turned this capital into a pot of boiling soup.
Ryo shook his head.
"No."
"Boiling soup is dangerous."
"This is merely warm soup."
System stared.
Ryo calmly took another bite of his bun.
"If things continue, Dong Family and Dugu Family will destroy each other and damage the capital city."
"That would be troublesome."
System looked shocked.
You caused this!
Ryo nodded.
"Correct."
System.
Then why are you worried?
Ryo smiled.
"Because now I need them alive."
System froze.
Ryo continued.
"Yen Pei and the puppet Emperor still have value."
"If the two families collapse immediately, who will suppress whom? If the two forces out of four gets destroyed then outside enemies will attack. I just need to make those four forces entangled not destroyed.
System finally understood.
The problem wasn't that Ryo had created chaos.
The problem was that the chaos was progressing faster than Ryo expected.
Ryo looked toward the distant Imperial Palace.
A thoughtful smile appeared on his face.
"Looks like..."
"It's time to use Yen Pei and His Majesty."
System suddenly felt extremely sorry for both men.
Neither of them knew it yet.
But they had already become pieces on Uchiha Ryo's chessboard.
And when Uchiha Ryo started playing chess...
The board usually exploded before the game ended.
Chapter End