Chapter 20: “Toning Supplements / Strange Guy?”

Standing in front of the store entrance and counting my money, I thoughtfully noted that in two weeks of working at the post office, I had earned 6500 ryo. It was a little less than I had expected, but still better than nothing.

I glanced at the bag where my earned money was stored and thought that it would go towards the necessary things — and most importantly, towards training. That was the most important thing.

Today wasn't an ordinary day. I didn't accidentally walk into this store — I had a goal.

I needed to recover faster and train more, so I wouldn't fall behind others, and maybe even get ahead of them. The conditions of war don't forgive the weak, and every day without improvement could become decisive. Time waits for no one, and my training required maximum effort.

I entered the store, carefully examining the shelves with various supplements and drugs. Here, they sold all sorts of products for maintaining health and improving physical fitness.

This supplement was recommended to me by one of my classmates after our match with Ibika. Back then, I noticed that after that training, they started treating me a little differently — perhaps with respect, or maybe they just started showing interest in what I was doing and how I was living. In any case, one of these small conversations turned out to be useful. He told me that his father — a Jonin — often uses this supplement. He said it helps to recover chakra quickly and allows for longer training without fatigue.

He even told me where to buy it.

I looked at the boxes with the supplement I needed. The packets were neatly stacked, not standing out from the other products, but their composition and description caught my attention. Inside, as written on the box, was not just an extract, but medicinal herbs specially fortified. The supplement was legal and wasn't considered forbidden.

That guy from the academy was probably not entirely sure about the effectiveness of this supplement, but he trusted his father. And I, in turn, was willing to take the risk. Every day could be decisive for me, and if this really helped me recover faster and train more, it was worth it.

I approached the counter, placed the box on the table, and looked at the salesman. He met my gaze with a neutral expression on his face.

"Is this enough?" he asked, taking the box into his hands.

I nodded, preparing to pay, but suddenly something made me hesitate. My gaze fell back on the salesman, and I couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was off. I looked at him more closely, and then realized that his face looked a little… unnatural.

I stepped closer and started examining his features — his eyes, jawline, even his walk. And suddenly I understood that something didn't add up. This was not the person he would be in a normal situation. He was using the Henge technique — a transformation to hide his true identity.

No, better not to ask, I thought, feeling dozens of questions starting to flash through my mind. Each of them demanded an answer, but I understood that now was not the time to dive into this. Whoever he was and whatever he was hiding, I shouldn't draw attention to him.

"Is this enough?" he asked again, taking the box in his hands.

I nodded.

"Yes, that's enough," I replied, not hiding my decision. This was my chance.

The salesman quickly rang up the item, and I handed over the money — 1500 ryo.

I nodded at the salesman, paying for the item. My fingers twitched when I took out the money, betraying my inner tension, but I tried to keep my composure. The salesman accepted the payment silently, not even looking at me. There was nothing in his eyes that could be read. He returned to his mask as if our brief meeting hadn't left a trace.

Taking the bag with the item I needed, I quickly turned and hurried to the exit, not looking back. One thought filled my mind — get out of here faster. Every second here began to feel like an extra one, and I didn't want to risk it.

I think it's Orochimaru? — flashed through my mind. Even through the Henge technique, you could still make out those features I had remembered from the anime: indifferent eyes, unnatural skin, and face shape.

Any person who had watched Naruto anime would recognize Orochimaru in him. But still, this was very hard to confirm. The appearance could have been altered, but something about this person didn't match up.

But why is he working in an ordinary shop and hiding under a technique? — I couldn't understand why such a person would choose this place for his cover. Maybe he was too cautious, too secretive. Or maybe he was already conducting experiments but wasn't ready to step beyond the boundaries, not yet ready to reveal himself. All these thoughts swirled in my head as I looked at the box with five pills. I understood that they could be useful, but now I wasn't sure whether I should take them.

I looked at the box again. These pills might really help me recover faster, but now I wasn't sure if I wanted to have anything to do with those who hide their true nature. My thoughts were tangled, and maybe I just needed to get back to my usual routine and continue training. After all, in this world, you had to be cautious with what you take and who you get involved with.

When I got home, I immediately went to my small table, took off my bag, and pulled out the box with the pills. Looking at them, I asked myself again: is it worth the risk? Do I need this? It was a chance, but on the other hand, I didn't know what consequences might follow. Before making a decision, I needed to check everything about this supplement.

But deep down, I knew time was running out. Everything pointed to me taking this risk and continuing to train to my fullest potential.

Deciding to proceed cautiously, I headed to the school library. Although classes had ended, it was still open until six in the evening. If I wanted to figure out more about these supplements, I needed more information. I knew that in the library, I could find books on plants and various medical remedies that could help me.

Perhaps among them, there would be something that would explain how the supplement worked, and maybe even shed some light on the person who sold it to me.

I entered the familiar hall, where I usually found books on medicine and phytotherapy, and began searching for the necessary literature. For now, I didn't need deep scientific texts, but I was hoping to find information on plants that could affect chakra recovery and those commonly used in such supplements. Spending time searching wasn't the best option, but I wanted to make sure everything was safe.

After a few minutes, I found several books that not only covered medicinal herbs but also more specific supplements, describing their properties and effects. I opened one of the books and began reading quickly.

At one point, I came across information on supplements that enhance chakra. It sounded a lot like what I had bought. It mentioned herbs that increase energy levels and speed up recovery, but they don't harm the body when taken in moderate doses. Everything seemed quite harmless as long as you followed the instructions.

I finished with the books and was about to leave the library when I remembered the other product. After all, I had also bought a regular toning supplement that needed to be added to the bath. It promised to speed up body recovery twice as fast, which also sounded very tempting. In fact, this supplement was quite popular among shinobi — many used it after intense training to recover faster. It was essentially a safe addition that didn't raise any concerns.

Realizing that nothing dangerous had happened so far and that I had done everything possible to be sure, I headed home to start using the supplements. It was time to relax and give my body some time to recover.