After the others had fallen into a deep slumber, Ren Kurogane brought out various glass apparatuses he had scavenged from the logistics department and began his penicillin cultivation.
With the scientific knowledge of White-Coat Ren at his disposal, cultivating penicillin was child's play; the only thing he had to worry about was someone accidentally sabotaging it.
The next day.
"Let's head to the front lines!" Nawaki said, his face brimming with excitement.
Ren thought for a moment and agreed to Nawaki's suggestion. Over the past two days, due to Lady Chiyo's underhanded use of poison, the stamina of the Konoha shinobi had plummeted. Both sides had ceased close-quarters combat. Now, they simply exchanged volleys of ninjutsu and retreated immediately afterward.
"Fine. It's a good chance for me to test the power of my new jutsu."
"Are you going to use the enhanced Rasengan?!" Minato's eyes lit up, looking at Ren with anticipation.
"That's right. Today, I'll test out the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!"
"You've already named it..." Minato muttered, sounding a bit dejected. He had been hoping to name this version of the Rasengan himself.
"Give it a rest! I'd let Nawaki name it before I let you near the branding," Ren rolled his eyes, leading his team to set out with the main force.
At the camp gates, they ran into the White Fang. When he saw them, a look of pure bewilderment crossed his face. For the past two days, this group had been training in the rear. Because they were so young, no one had said anything; in fact, most seniors preferred not to see fresh graduates on the battlefield—it made them feel somewhat incompetent.
On the way, Nawaki was itching for action. After graduating for so long, he finally had a chance to build a legacy at the front!
Ren gave him a side-glance, thinking to himself that the "battle" ahead was likely not what the boy imagined. Recently, the Sand hadn't even bothered with ambushes. Both sides met at a fixed location, swapped jutsu, listened to Chiyo mock them for a bit, and then marched back home to do it all again the next day.
However, today the situation shifted!
"Wind Style: Great Storm Jutsu!"
Whoosh—!
The ninjutsu of both sides collided, kicking up a massive cloud of dust but accomplishing little else. The Konoha forces desperately wanted to push the Sand back, but their hearts were willing while their bodies were weak. With their numbers thinned by poison, a forced engagement would only lead to a swift defeat. Thus, the Konoha shinobi all wore expressions of bitter frustration.
Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang, felt the sting of it. His men were the elite of the elite, yet they were being hamstrung by such petty tactics. Being unable to exert even twenty percent of their strength was infuriating.
Watching Chiyo and her subordinates gloating in the distance, Sakumo's eyes narrowed.
Nearby, with Ren's group.
"That's it?" Nawaki couldn't believe his eyes. This didn't look like a war; it looked like a "friendly exchange" before everyone headed home for dinner.
Ren stepped forward, a confident smile on his face. "Konoha has played the underdog for enough days. It's time to boost the morale!"
Looking at his back, Nawaki didn't know what Ren was planning. Minato and Shibi, however, reacted instantly, following Ren's lead without hesitation. Choza and Nawaki shared a confused look before hurrying after them.
Under the bewildered gazes of the army, Ren walked to the very front of the line. He crossed his arms and looked at the laughing Chiyo. "Enjoy your laugh now. In a few days, Lady Tsunade will break your poison. I hope you can still smile then!"
Chiyo's laughter only grew louder. "Brat! Anyone can talk big. I'll tell you right now: if anyone in Konoha can neutralize my poison, the Land of Wind will surrender immediately!"
"Good! It's a deal!" Ren grinned, then added, "But before that, I have a new jutsu. I wonder if anyone in the Sand is brave enough to take it?"
In the distance, Chiyo's brow furrowed. Konoha's new jutsu are always more sinister than the last, especially those developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. They are all ruthless killing arts. If this kid has learned something like that, we might suffer a heavy loss.
Since the scales of victory were currently tipped in her favor, there was no reason to risk the lives of her shinobi. Without a second thought, she refused. "Forget it. Break my poison first, then we can talk about your new jutsu."
With that, she signaled a retreat, leading her people away. She was afraid that staying another second would result in being backstabbed by a "naturally evil" Konoha brat.
Ren sighed helplessly. "Why are you running away? I haven't even used any force, and you've already folded~"
The enemy ignored his provocation and left without looking back. Ren, who had wanted to test the Rasenshuriken, was forced to give up for now.
However, as he turned back, he was met with cheers!
"Hahaha! Today those Sand ninja actually ran away with their tails between their legs. Finally, some vindication!"
"Yeah, these past few days it's always been us retreating while they laughed. Today, things finally felt right!"
Even the White Fang gave Ren a thumbs-up, feeling that his method of boosting morale was brilliant. It had breathed life back into the stagnant spirits of the shinobi.
On the way back, a female ninja walked up to Ren. "Is it true? Is the poison really about to be cured?"
"Of course. Lady Tsunade already has a lead. Three to five days at most," Ren nodded.
"Really? That's wonderful! I've been afraid to even drink water these past few days!"
They returned to the camp to find the medical ninja still looking strained and frantic—a sharp contrast to the smiling faces of those returning from the front. A medical team checked them over, and upon finding no wounds or signs of poisoning, went back to their work.
Inside the tent, Ren checked on his cultures. They were thriving.
At this rate, they'll be ready by tomorrow? That's fast.
Ren scratched his head, attributing the speed to the abundant natural energy in the Naruto world.
"Ugh, another day over. So boring~" Nawaki grumbled, walking into the tent with his hands behind his head.
"Kid, if the First Lord knew what you were thinking, he'd use Wood Style to give you a proper thrashing!" Ren glared at him with dead-fish eyes, utterly done with Nawaki's immaturity.
"But Master, don't you think the front line is dull? We swap jutsu, say a few mean words, and leave. The combat classes at the Academy were more intense than this!"
"You really are something..." Ren said, grabbing Nawaki and heading to Tsunade's tent.
Tsunade looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes. She set down her tools and rubbed her temples. "What is it?"
"We're here to pick up two gas masks." Ren expertly grabbed two new masks from a shelf, handing one to the confused Nawaki. He smiled at Tsunade. "You should get some rest, Lady Tsunade. If you collapse, we really won't be able to win this."
Watching them put on the masks, Tsunade guessed Ren's plan. His "dear brother" must have said something stupid again, so Ren was taking him to the medical ward to see the reality of those suffering under the poison.
"Don't touch anything in there, especially you, Nawaki!"
She gave them a warning and patted the small Katsuyu on her shoulder, telling it to pass word to the medical team so the two wouldn't be blocked at the door.