Chapter 15: The Secret of Longevity and the Burden of Blood

"Haha! Wonderful, just as I hoped!"

The elderly healer, Kureha, grinned widely as she stood in the main room of her wooden house nestled deep in the forest of Drum Island. Her sharp eyes gleamed as she gestured for them to come closer.

"Alright, let me examine you both properly."

She liked this boy—Gin—his calm gaze and mature presence. There was something old and knowing behind those young eyes. Without wasting time, she checked Gin first, then Hikari, spending less than ten minutes in total.

After finishing her examination, Kureha exhaled in pleasant surprise.

"This is better than I expected! Looks like you've been recovering well these past two weeks. Tell me, kid—how did you treat yourself? This isn't just regular medical practice… You must be cultivating some secret technique for health maintenance…"

Then, she paused. A flicker of realization crossed her wrinkled face.

"Forget it. I won't pry," she muttered. "What matters is, your condition's much better than I anticipated. I'll prescribe two special medicines to accelerate your recovery. With your methods and my prescriptions, Gin, you'll be back to full health within a month."

She turned to Hikari. Her tone shifted—still professional, but more gentle.

"And you, Hikari… With the combination of Gin's methods and mine, your life force should restore within ten days. But your soul source—that's much trickier. Even with specialized medicines, full recovery could take six months or longer. Only then can we begin restoring your right eye."

Hikari's expression tightened, but Kureha continued.

"Your blindness is closely linked to both soul and life force damage. Don't use that forbidden technique again—it shortens your lifespan drastically. Also, your left eye and surrounding meridians are severely damaged. I can tell your vision has worsened."

She glanced at Gin.

"Though his method helped repair part of your vitality and stabilized your left eye, it's not enough. I'll prescribe a long-term medicinal formula to strengthen both the eyes and the meridians. You must take it regularly until they're reinforced enough to prevent permanent harm."

Kureha squinted slightly as she analyzed Hikari again.

"You… have a bloodline ability related to your eyes, don't you?"

Hikari didn't respond. But her silence confirmed it.

"Most likely, it's either an unstable mutation… or it's been weakened due to thinning bloodlines. That's why every time you use it, your eyes deteriorate further."

The old doctor sighed.

"I can give you something to delay the damage… but for a true solution, you'll need to purify your bloodline and eliminate the defect at its root. The materials needed for that are incredibly rare. That's Gin's problem to solve. If he masters even 80% of my knowledge, he'll figure it out."

Gin remained silent, but nodded once.

Kureha also noticed something else—but chose not to speak of it openly. A strange lack of chakra. But in her opinion, with the right diet and rest, that could be corrected. Nutrient depletion, soul damage, and overuse of internal energy—none of it was incurable.

"Can it really be done…?" Hikari finally spoke, her voice soft but hopeful. "If I take this formula to strengthen the eyes… will I overcome the Mangekyō's blindness? Maybe even reach the level of the Eternal Mangekyō, like Madara Uchiha?"

Her heart pounded with excitement. As a direct descendant of the Uchiha clan's elder line, Hikari had heard whispers of that ultimate evolution. But after Madara left Konoha, he had taken all ancient scrolls and research with him. Their clan's younger generations were left in the dark.

"Tch. Such a small thing," Kureha scoffed. She quickly scribbled down several medicine formulas, including one for eye restoration.

"Here. You'll find the ingredients on Drum Island. Prepare them yourself. One is a nutrient formula for the soul, the other for strengthening your eyes. As for the medicine of longevity… come with me."

Gin and Hikari followed her through a corridor into a vast room. One wall was lined with towering bookshelves packed with ancient medical texts.

Kureha walked to the far corner, activated a hidden switch, and opened a secret compartment in the floor. From within, she retrieved a sealed parchment and handed it to Gin.

"This is the Longevity Elixir formula. Write it down and give it back—I'm not in the mood to write another one. With your memory and soul strength, one glance should be enough to remember it, right?"

Gin took the parchment. His eyes scanned it once, twice—and then he handed it back.

Kureha laughed loudly.

"Hah! You really did memorize it! Good kid. But let me warn you…"

Her face grew serious.

"With the tripled number of cells I found in your body during the exam, your physical potential is far beyond ordinary. If you train properly, your strength, durability, and even your Haki will grow at a monstrous pace. But be careful. If word gets out, you'll become a target."

She narrowed her eyes.

"There was once a clan called the Lunarians—blessed by fire and known as gods. Because of their talents, the World Government hunted them to near extinction. Only one survivor remains… serving under Kaido, the Emperor of the Beasts."

Gin's expression darkened. He nodded slowly.

"I understand. I'll keep it quiet. Thank you… for the warning."

As he walked away with the ancient formula engraved in his mind, Gin felt the pulse of something awakening inside him. Not just strength—but responsibility.

To protect those he loved.

To solve the riddles of blood and fate.

And perhaps…

To change the future itself.