"Here we are. This is the shop you were looking for—the one that buys rare treasures," Ino said, leading two travelers to Yoichi's pharmacy.
The encounter had been coincidental. Ino, returning from escorting Sakura's medical team, had run into the pair at the village gate as they were asking about the shop. Since she was heading there herself, she decided to guide them.
Ino also had her own reason for visiting Yoichi—Naruto had asked her to pass along a message. Given that she had facilitated Yoichi's earlier prophecy, Naruto assumed they shared a good relationship.
He wasn't entirely wrong, though no one else knew just how "close" they really were.
As the bell chimed upon their entry, Yoichi descended from the upper floor. Spotting Ino, he smiled warmly.
"Ino-san, long time no see."
"It's only been two days!" Ino retorted, trying to suppress the flutter in her chest. With others present, she maintained her composure and gestured toward the travelers. "They're here to sell you something."
"Let's see it, then," Yoichi said, glancing at the two men. His gaze fell on the bundle in one of their hands. "Take it out. If it's genuine, I'll pay you well."
"It's a treasure chest—we've tried everything, but we can't open it," the older of the two explained, unwrapping the bundle to reveal an ornately crafted box.
One glance told Yoichi that this chest didn't belong to the shinobi world. The inscriptions on it were unlike any known script, ancient or modern. Its surface bore faint axe marks, evidence of the brothers' futile attempts to open it.
"It doesn't seem fake," Yoichi mused. The chest's material was impenetrable to physical force but not to his mental energy. Extending his spiritual senses, Yoichi quickly bypassed the outer layer and scanned its contents.
Inside was something that made his eyes widen—a fruit with a flame-like texture and fiery stem.
"This… this is the Flare-Flare Fruit from the One Piece world!"
The resemblance was uncanny. The fruit was identical to its depiction in the other world, down to the swirling flame patterns.
"Boss, are you interested?" the older brother asked hesitantly.
"Yes," Yoichi replied. "How much do you want for it?"
"Two hundred—no, four million ryō!"
Yoichi nodded. "Fine. Wait here."
Moments later, he returned with a suitcase filled with the requested amount. Placing it on the counter, he gestured for them to inspect it.
The brothers' faces lit up as they confirmed the payment. Bowing repeatedly in gratitude, they quickly left the shop, eager to return home before anyone changed their minds.
After they were gone, Ino couldn't contain her curiosity. "What's inside?"
Yoichi smirked. "If I'm not mistaken, it's one of the treasures that appeared alongside yesterday's anomaly. What a coincidence it ended up here."
With a subtle motion, he used his mental energy to unlock the chest, revealing the fruit within.
Ino stared at it, intrigued. "What is this? It looks like some sort of fruit."
"It's likely from another world. Consuming it might grant abilities related to fire. Of course, there could be side effects—but that's only something we'd learn if someone ate it."
Ino examined the swirling flame patterns. "It really does look like it has something to do with fire. I can't believe they just sold it to you so casually."
Yoichi's attention shifted as Ino continued speaking. "Speaking of which, you're not still angry with Shikamaru, are you? He's always overly cautious, especially when he thinks I'm involved in something… delicate."
"I'm not angry, but I don't plan on visiting the Hokage's office again. If they need anything, they can relay it through you."
Ino sighed, noting his resolute tone. Still, her curiosity got the better of her. "By the way, you mentioned your alchemy room before. Could I see it?"
"My alchemy room?" Yoichi's gaze turned playful. "Of course. But you'll need to brace yourself—it's not just a lab; it's where I make magic happen."
Seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes, Ino blushed furiously. "You're thinking of something else, aren't you? Stop it—it's daytime!"
Her protest only made Yoichi chuckle. "Don't worry. Seeing the alchemy room is just a cover—I also want to discuss something important about the prophecy."
Hearing this, Ino's interest piqued. "Really?"
"Absolutely. It's better to talk upstairs."
Reluctantly, Ino agreed, though she couldn't shake a feeling of apprehension as she followed him. Yoichi, of course, trailed behind her, his amusement evident.
Once they reached the third floor, Yoichi closed the door behind them. Ino, slightly nervous, asked, "So, what's this about the prophecy—hey, what are you doing?"
Before she could react, Yoichi pulled her close, silencing her with a passionate kiss.
"Stop—wait, talk about the prophecy first!"
"It's still daylight!"
Despite her protests, Yoichi knew Ino's weaknesses all too well. Though she tried to resist, her resolve faltered.
Afterward, Yoichi whispered in her ear, "I missed you. Now, let's get to the prophecy."
"You're a liar," Ino muttered, her cheeks flushed. Still, she leaned against him, curious. "What's the latest?"
"I used my Onmyōjutsu to divine more details. Another collision between dimensions will occur tomorrow night at midnight. I can't say if it'll be a disaster or more beasts, but the timing is certain."
Ino gasped. "That soon? And how often will this happen?"
"Every three days, the dimensional barriers will collide again. This will continue for about a month until the turbulence subsides. Each collision will bring either disasters, beasts, or treasures like today's fruit."
"A month? That means ten more events!" Ino exclaimed, horrified. "I need to tell Naruto right away!"
Ino jumped to her feet but immediately stumbled. Yoichi handed her a recovery pill, which she swallowed quickly, regaining her strength.
After fixing her clothes, she turned back to him, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for the intel. Consider this your reward!"
As Ino hurried off, Yoichi smirked, wiping his face. "I should've asked her to rinse her mouth first…"
(End of Chapter)
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"Flame-Flame Fruit. It's a pity that Orochimaru and Tsunade aren't here, and it probably won't work if split between us."
Yoichi studied the Flame-Flame Fruit. Despite probing it with his mental power, he couldn't find anything unusual. Other than its warmth, it felt like an ordinary fruit.
"Flame abilities match well with me. Though it has the Sea Prism Stone weakness, there's none of that in the ninja world. Besides, I have genetic primal energy."
The Flame-Flame Fruit could enhance his control over fire, a significant boost for his alchemy skills. Additionally, combining it with his Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame might further strengthen that rare fire.
"Let's eat it!"
After contemplating, Yoichi decided to consume the Flame-Flame Fruit. The benefits for his alchemy and unique flame control outweighed any potential drawbacks.
Taking a bite of the fruit, an indescribable bitterness exploded in his mouth. Yoichi's face twisted in discomfort, but he forced himself to swallow it.
"Ugh, disgusting."
After rinsing his mouth, he quickly noticed changes in his body. Raising his hand, he willed it to transform, and his palm turned into flames.
"Flame elementalization... and the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame!"
With that thought, the flames on his hand turned golden. The temperature in the room skyrocketed, igniting some furniture spontaneously.
In an instant, Yoichi retracted the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame and extinguished the fires, though the furniture was already ruined. Despite the minor damage, he was thrilled.
His control over the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame felt instinctual, as natural as breathing.
He spent the next moments in his alchemy lab on the second floor, experimenting with the flame. The ferocious fire took on intricate forms under his control.
Golden flame serpents and birds came to life, their features as detailed as real creatures, down to the scales and feathers.
"With this level of control and mental power, I can attempt seventh or eighth-grade pills. If only I had the materials!"
Yoichi sighed. Despite his expertise, the ninja world lacked high-quality materials. Even with the purest natural stone and his energy-rich blood, he could only create fifth-grade pills.
Though effective for Kage-level ninjas, fifth-grade pills held little value for him now.
Still, creating such pills became effortless. He quickly crafted a Dragon Strength Pill, completing the process in a third less time with improved quality.
"Ah, I remember he researched a pill to enhance vision called the Heavenly Eye Pill. It uses magical beast eye essences."
Recalling the recipe, Yoichi estimated it to be a fourth or fifth-grade pill. It required common herbs paired with the eyes of a strong magical beast.
Conveniently, he had the preserved eyes of an old toad, Gamamaru. After Orochimaru dissected its corpse, the seemingly useless eyes were sent to him.
Though no longer functional, the eyes had hardened into gem-like orbs, making them excellent for alchemical purposes.
Using Gamamaru's eyes to refine a pill seemed like the best way to honor its remnants.
Meanwhile, Yamanaka Ino relayed the intel she gathered from Yoichi to Naruto and Shikamaru.
The news of ten upcoming disasters left the two men deeply concerned.
"Naruto, we need to summon Sasuke back. If one of these things appears in Konoha, we need to be prepared," Shikamaru said grimly.
A beast four to five times the size of the Ten-Tails could devastate Konoha with a single movement. Only Naruto and Sasuke seemed capable of handling such threats.
"Agreed. But first, I'll discuss this with the other Kage and inform the nations outside the Five Great Shinobi Villages to prepare as well," Naruto replied, his expression heavy.
The thought of nine more disasters reminded him of the overwhelming pressure he felt against Kaguya.
Every three days, a new beast would appear, its location unknown. Nine more to go.
"Ino, can you summon Yoichi-kun? I have some questions for him," Naruto asked.
Ino shook her head. "He refuses to visit the Hokage's office. If you have questions, I can relay them, or you can visit his shop yourself."
She added, "By the way, I ran into two civilians from the coastal region of the Land of Fire earlier. They sold a treasure to Yoichi-kun."
Hearing this, Shikamaru and Naruto exchanged glances.
The Flame-related fruit seemed extraordinary. If disaster brought valuable treasures, then this was no ordinary item.
"After my meeting, I'll pay Yoichi-kun a visit," Naruto decided. "Ino, I also have another request."
Naruto continued, "I need you to oversee the village's security. Strengthen the perception barrier and monitor for unusual chakra signatures."
"Me?" Ino asked, surprised.
"Yes. With these unknown disasters, we need the best. Your sensory skills are unparalleled," Naruto said.
Though hesitant, Ino agreed. As a Yamanaka, her abilities were well-suited for such tasks.
After Ino left, Naruto and Shikamaru debated recalling Sai. While the village needed its strength concentrated, Sai was investigating a dangerous organization.
Ultimately, Naruto agreed with Shikamaru to let Sai continue his mission.
Naruto later visited Yoichi, finding him just finishing the Heavenly Eye Pill. Though Naruto sought to ease tensions between Yoichi and Shikamaru, Yoichi showed little interest in mending ties.
Naruto asked Yoichi about the disasters while connecting with the other Kage via a laptop. Yoichi reiterated his previous statements to Ino and answered their questions but shared no additional insights.
"Prophecies aren't omniscient," Yoichi said dismissively.
Seeing no further use in pressing him, Naruto and the Kage concluded their discussions.
After Naruto left, Yoichi pondered his next steps. The upcoming beasts and disasters were unpredictable, beyond his sensing range if they occurred far away.
Meanwhile, his reincarnation eye clone had reached the capital, acquiring an electronics company and planning a film studio for dramas like The Beautiful Wife's Post-Marriage Love Life and Marriage Is a Shackle, True Love Is a Choice.
For now, Yoichi turned his attention to another intriguing ability he had previously acquired.
[Dream Creation]: A fragment of the Dream God's power, enabling the creation of anything within a dream.
"Let's redeem this."
With a plan forming, Yoichi decided to unlock the potential of this ability, imagining the myriad possibilities it could bring.
(End of Chapter)
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