Naruto rebirth! Born again with a system.

Chapter 45: The solider pill!

The mission office buzzed with its usual afternoon activity as Team 15 approached the familiar chunin clerk's desk. The successful completion of their courier mission had taken most of the day, but they had managed to visit all seven departments with time to spare before the official end of their assignment.

"Team 15 reporting mission completion," Tatsuma announced, presenting the signed confirmation slips they had collected from each department. "All deliveries completed successfully, no delays or complications."

The clerk examined their paperwork with the methodical precision of someone who had processed thousands of such reports. "Excellent work," he said, stamping their mission scroll with the official completion seal. "All departments confirmed receipt of their materials. Mission classified as successfully completed."

[Quest Complete: Message Courier - Deliver scrolls and messages between Konoha departments. Reward: 500 EXP]

The system notification appeared in each of their minds as the experience points were added to their totals. While not the massive reward they had missed out on during the bell test, 500 EXP was still a respectable amount for what had essentially been a walking tour of the village's administrative infrastructure.

"Is Minato-sensei back from his mission yet?" Kōzaru asked, his senses automatically scanning the area for their sensei's distinctive chakra signature.

"Not yet," the clerk replied, consulting a scheduling board behind his desk. "His assignment was classified as potentially extending into the evening. You're dismissed until he returns."

The three teammates exchanged glances, each processing the implications. Their sensei was still out there somewhere, handling the kind of dangerous B-rank mission that required his legendary skills. Meanwhile, they had successfully completed their own assignment and had the rest of the day free.

"So we have some time to ourselves," Aotaka observed, his hand unconsciously moving to his sword hilt, becoming a habit now more than anything. "What should we do?"

"Training," Tatsuma said immediately, his voice carrying determination. "We have the rest of the day, and there's always room for improvement."

"Agreed," Kōzaru replied, his partnership with Yuki and Riku evident as both ninken perked up at the mention of training. "Plus, we should test out that soldier pill Chōza gave us. I'm curious to see how effective it really is."

"Good idea," Aotaka said, patting the small package that still rested in his weapons pouch. "If they're as useful as he claimed, we should definitely try to stock up on some before our next mission."

As they left the mission office and made their way toward the training grounds, their conversation turned to the day's experiences. The courier mission had given them a new appreciation for the village's complexity, but it had also left them eager for more challenging assignments.

"You know what I realized today?" Tatsuma said as they walked through the afternoon streets. "We've been thinking about missions in terms of combat, but there's so much more to being a shinobi. Intelligence gathering, logistics, medical support, communications..."

"All important," Kōzaru agreed. "But I still prefer the fighting aspects. That's where we really get to test ourselves." He said, excited to see how his growth would effect his conduction in more challenging missions.

"Speaking of testing ourselves," Aotaka said, his voice carrying a note of anticipation, "I've been thinking about something. We've all improved significantly over the past few days, but we haven't really tested our abilities against each other since we started training seriously."

"What do you mean?" Tatsuma asked, though his tone suggested he was already following Aotaka's line of reasoning.

"I mean sparring," Aotaka replied, his eyes moving to meet Kōzaru's gaze. "Real sparring, not just technique practice. I want to see how much stronger we've all become." He said, getting a look from the others.

Kōzaru felt a familiar surge of competitive excitement at the suggestion. The friendly rivalry between the three teammates had been one of the driving forces behind their individual improvement, and the idea of putting their enhanced abilities to the test was immediately appealing.

"I'm up for it," he said, his voice carrying the confidence that had come from learning the enhanced Fang Over Fang technique. "Especially after seeing how we worked together against Minato-sensei. I'm curious to see how we match up individually."

"Perfect," Aotaka said, his hand moving to rest on his sword hilt. "But first, let's test that soldier pill. I want to see exactly how effective it is."

They reached their usual training ground as the afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cleared area. The familiar space held memories of countless practice sessions, but today felt different. Today, they were returning as shinobi who had faced more tests and earned the respect that came with it.

"Alright," Tatsuma said, retrieving the small soldier pill from his weapons pouch. "Let's see what this thing can do."

The pill was small and round, with a slightly red-brownish colour that suggested it was made from compressed herbs and chakra-enhancing compounds. It didn't look particularly impressive, but Chōza's confidence in its effectiveness had been convincing.

"How should we test it?" Kōzaru asked, his scientific curiosity overriding his usual impulsiveness.

"Simple," Tatsuma replied, his mind already working through the logistics. "I'll create a bunch of shadow clones to drain my chakra, then take the pill and measure the restoration effect."

"How many clones?" Aotaka asked, understanding the plan.

"Eight should do it," Tatsuma said, his voice carrying the confidence of someone who had become intimately familiar with his own chakra reserves. "That'll cost me 200 points out of my 220 total, leaving me nearly exhausted." He said.

"That's cutting it close," Kōzaru observed, detecting the determination in Tatsuma's chakra signature.

"That's the point," Tatsuma replied, moving to the centre of the training ground. "I want to test the pill's effectiveness when I'm genuinely low on chakra, not just slightly tired." Getting an agreement from the others as it made sense.

He formed the familiar hand seal, his movements precise and confident. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Eight perfect duplicates of Tatsuma appeared around him, each one solid and fully functional. The chakra cost was immediate and significant, and the original Tatsuma swayed slightly as his reserves dropped to critically low levels.

[Chakra: 220/220 - 20/220]

"Status check," he said, his voice carrying the strain of someone operating on minimal chakra. "I'm down to about 20 points. I can feel the exhaustion setting in."

His teammates watched with interest as Tatsuma dismissed the clones with a simple gesture, the chakra they had represented returning to him but not restoring his original reserves. The technique's cost had been paid, and he was left operating on fumes.

"Alright," Tatsuma said, retrieving the soldier pill with slightly shaking hands. "Let's see what this thing can do."

He placed the pill on his tongue and swallowed it dry, his face immediately scrunching at the bitter taste. For a moment, nothing happened, and he began to wonder if Chōza had been overstating the pill's effectiveness.

Then it hit him.

A surge of energy flowed through his system, starting in his stomach and spreading outward through his chakra pathways. It wasn't the gentle restoration of natural recovery, but rather a powerful boost that felt like lightning in his veins. His chakra reserves, which had been hovering at critically low levels, suddenly surged upward.

"Whoa," Tatsuma said, his voice carrying amazement as he felt the restoration taking effect. "This is... incredible."

"What's happening?" Kōzaru asked, his enhanced senses detecting the change in Tatsuma's chakra signature.

Chakra points restored. 150 points.

[Chakra: 20/220 - 170/220]

"It's working," Tatsuma replied, his voice growing stronger as the pill's effects continued. "My chakra is being restored. 150 points extra to be exact."

"150 points?" Aotaka said, his voice carrying disbelief. "From one pill?"

"I can't believe it," Tatsuma said, his exhaustion completely gone as his chakra reserves settled at nearly full capacity. "This is like getting a full night's rest in thirty seconds. No wonder jōnin carry these things!" Tatsuma said, also seeing that his Chakra was recovering at a faster rate than before.

Both Kōzaru and Aotaka stared at their teammate in amazement. The transformation was remarkable—from exhausted and chakra-depleted to fully energized and ready for combat in the space of a few moments.

"That's... that's incredible," Kōzaru said, his voice carrying genuine awe. "If we could get our hands on more of these..."

"We should definitely stock up before our next mission," Aotaka agreed, his mind already working through the implications. "Having that kind of chakra restoration available could be the difference between success and failure in extended combat."

"And training," Tatsuma added, his energy levels now fully restored. "Imagine how much more efficient our practice sessions could be if we didn't have to wait for natural chakra recovery."

"We need to find out where to get more of these," Kōzaru said, his competitive spirit already imagining the possibilities. "This could change everything."

"Agreed," Aotaka said, his hand moving to his sword hilt as his anticipation for the planned sparring session grew. "But for now, let's put that restored chakra to good use. I believe we had some sparring planned?"

Tatsuma grinned, the soldier pill's effects having completely eliminated his earlier exhaustion. "Absolutely. I'm ready for anything now."

"Perfect," Aotaka said, his eyes moving to meet Kōzaru's gaze directly. "Because I've been thinking about this for a while now. Kōzaru, I want to test myself against you. One on one sparring, no holds barred."

Kōzaru felt his competitive instincts flare at the challenge. There had always been a friendly rivalry between the three teammates, but this felt different. This felt like more than just training—it felt like a test of how far they had each come in their individual development.

"You sure about that?" Kōzaru asked, his voice carrying the confidence that had come from mastering his Inuzuka techniques. "I've made some pretty significant improvements recently."

"So have I," Aotaka replied, his hand still resting on his sword hilt, gripping it slightly tighter. "That's exactly why I want to test them. We've all been training separately, developing our own strengths. I want to see how we match up now."

"This should be interesting," Tatsuma said, moving to the edge of the training ground to give them space. "I'll referee if you want." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fair enough," Kōzaru said, his partnership with Yuki and Riku evident as both ninken moved to flanking positions. "But I'm not going to hold back. If you want to test your new skills, you'll get the full experience of what we can do." He said, getting a bark from Yuki while Riku growled toward Aotaka as a warning.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Aotaka replied, his sword sliding partially from its sheath as he prepared for combat. "This is about seeing how strong we've become. No holding back."

"Wait, are you going to use your real sword?" Tatsuma asked.

"I'll reverse the grip so I attack with the blunt edge, it should still do damage but not kill, that fair?" Aotaka asked, looking at Kōzaru.

"That's fine with me." Kōzaru said, feeling confident in this fight.

"Alright, then how about no ninja hounds?" Aotaka then said, getting a raised eyebrow from Kōzaru and Tatsuma.

"That's not fair is it?" Tatsuma said, knowing that Kōzaru fought with his ninja hounds.

"That's fine by me, gives me a chance to see what I can do on my own without their help." Kōzaru said. "That alright with you two?" Kōzaru said, looking at his dogs.

Both Riku and Yuki didn't like it but did as their master asked, walking slowly over toward Tatsuma as they sat down, watching from the side lines.

The two friends faced each other across the training ground, their earlier camaraderie replaced by the focused intensity of serious competitors. This wasn't just friendly sparring—this was a test of everything they had learned, everything they had developed, everything they had become.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cleared ground as they took their positions, each reading the other's stance and preparing for what promised to be their most intense sparring session yet. The courier mission was forgotten, the soldier pill's effects were noted, and now it was time to see what Team 15 was truly capable of when they tested themselves against each other.