Chapter 6: Herbal Bath

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In the evening, after dinner, Uchiha Tōshirō sat on the veranda outside the house, his legs dangling and swinging back and forth.

In his hands was a book about Uchiha Clan History, which he was reading intermittently.

"Tōshirō, everything is ready. Come over quickly."

Uchiha Mika's voice came from inside the house. Following the sound, Tōshirō entered the bathroom. Uchiha Mika, with her hair tied up, was busy by a large wooden tub. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, whether from the steam-filled bathroom or from fatigue.

"There are a few herbs that can only be added after you successfully extract chakra. This will enhance the efficacy of the bath."

Looking at the large tub in front of him, Tōshirō hesitated. On one hand, the brownish "bathing water" emitted a strong herbal scent, which made him feel uneasy. On the other hand, the temperature of the liquid in the tub was scalding hot.

The last reason was that he, a 30-year-old man in terms of mental age, had to undress in front of a 16- or 17-year-old girl. How awkward was that? Although he had gradually given up on treatment over the past few days (▽)

Seeming to notice Tōshirō's hesitation, the girl named Uchiha Mika narrowed her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips. She grabbed him and, in a few swift movements, stripped off his coat, shirt, pants, and even his last line of defense. She then "threw" him into the tub.

"Ah! It's too hot! Too hot! Too hot!" Instinctively, Tōshirō grabbed the sides of the tub and leaped out, trying to escape the scalding water.

At that moment, a snow-white arm reached out and pressed his head down, forcing him back into the tub.

"Tōshirō, if you can't endure this pain, you might as well give up on becoming a ninja," Uchiha Mika said, looking at Tōshirō, who was now red from the heat. She did not release her hand from his head.

Being a ninja means learning to endure pain, and this is the first lesson. A ninja's life is filled with physical pain, such as body training, learning ninjutsu, injuries, bleeding, and even death. There is also mental pain, such as the loss of teachers, teammates, friends, and even lovers, which are all too common.

"Okay, Mika-nee. You can let go of my head now; I'm starting to get used to it." Tōshirō, almost standing in the tub, gasped for breath, his skin red from the hot water.

"Oh, you're getting used to it? Then I'll move on to the next step..." She withdrew her right hand, bent down, and pulled out a few pieces of wood from somewhere. She waved them in front of Tōshirō and inserted them into a stone door at the bottom of the tub. She then made a hand sign and spat out a hot flame to ignite the wood.

Next, she took out a thermometer and handed it to him.

"Watch it. If the temperature exceeds 70 degrees, Tōshirō will be cooked... But the higher the temperature of the herbal bath, the better the effect!"

Watching Uchiha Mika's actions, Tōshirō suddenly regretted becoming a ninja. Maybe he should just be a regular ninja and not push himself so hard.

At the same time, he couldn't help but curse in his heart. Others who transmigrated had golden fingers or grandfathers, or at least a system! But he had nothing except a troublesome Uchiha identity.

Cursing, Tōshirō felt tears welling up in his eyes. Others transmigrated, graduated at five, killed chūnin at six, became jōnin at seven, and reached Kage level at eight. Their training was smooth sailing, filled with easy victories. But he was about to become a boiled lion's head, and this was just the first step of a long journey. A deep sigh escaped his lips—different lives, indeed!

Uchiha Tōshirō relied on complaining to distract himself, enduring step by step. Meanwhile, Uchiha Mika closely monitored the thermometer, one hand on Tōshirō's back, feeling his heartbeat, and adjusting the temperature of the flames to control the water. She was also drenched in sweat.

Time always seems to move slowly in pain. But even the longest pain has an end. Just as Tōshirō felt he couldn't hold on and was about to faint, Uchiha Mika pulled him out of the tub. Tōshirō was now bright red, like a boiled shrimp, and his head was dizzy.

"Tōshirō! Tōshirō! Are you okay?" Tōshirō, wrapped in a blanket, finally breathed a sigh of relief and regained some clarity.

"Mika-nee, will every herbal bath be like this?" If every herbal bath was this painful, he felt he wouldn't need to become a ninja; he would be done for in no time.

"Of course not. As Tōshirō successfully extracts chakra, he will find it easier to handle the high temperature of the herbal bath." Uchiha Mika, carrying Uchiha Tōshirō, walked towards the bedroom, answering as she went.

Seeing the child in her arms relax, she smiled teasingly. "The clan's medicinal formula has been improved many times. The higher the temperature, the longer you can endure, and the longer the duration, the better the effect."

"Most children can't last more than three years, and the temperature of the herbal bath never reaches the optimal high temperature."

Hearing this, Tōshirō couldn't help but frown. Higher temperature, longer duration, better effect—feeling like the more he tortured himself, the better the result.

"Who came up with this formula? Did they use it themselves?"

"Stop complaining. It's time for the second part now."

"The second part? Don't we just rest and absorb the effects after the herbal bath?"

Laying Tōshirō on the bed, she said, "To better absorb the effects, we have the second part."

"Starting now," she announced and began her work. With a crisp sound, Uchiha Tōshirō's right hand was twisted in the opposite direction of the joint.

"Mm! Hmph!" Ignoring the child's pained groans, Uchiha Mika continued her actions, explaining, "The best time for stretching the bones is right after the super-high-temperature herbal bath." She then helped him sit up, and another crisp sound was heard. She proceeded to perform high-difficulty stretches like backbends, high kicks, and splits, which he had never even dared to think about in his previous life.

(End of Chapter)