As Ishiki dedicated himself to the arduous task of village reconstruction, a sharp, familiar throbbing resonated through his body.
It was the delayed consequence of his earlier, intense battle injuries that his current exhaustion and focus had momentarily suppressed.
Looking around, he observed a similar plight among the villagers; their weary faces and slow movements betrayed the cuts, bruises, and deeper internal shock they had sustained.
The sheer magnitude of the suffering pressed down on him, and a wave of helplessness washed over his relief at their survival.
How could he possibly treat so many, so quickly, and with his limited medical knowledge?
Lost in this urgent contemplation, a subtle, almost imperceptible chime echoed in his mind.
He recognized it instantly: the sound of new gadgets being unlocked, a reward from the system for overcoming a significant trial and demonstrating compassion.
He immediately focused his attention inward, his consciousness connecting to the mysterious system interface.
Two distinct icons now glowed brightly.
He hurriedly inspected the first one:
Doctor's Kit: A compact, versatile medical bag equipped with an advanced sensor. Upon placement near a patient, the sensor instantly diagnoses any illness, injury, or physical anomaly. Crucially, the kit can autonomously dispense the exact medicine or treatment required to effect a complete cure.
A profound sigh of relief escaped his lips. This was a godsend, a miracle.
With this gadget, he could finally address the immediate medical crisis facing the village. The burden of treating dozens of injured people lifted instantly.
Calming his racing heart, he turned his attention to the second unlocked gadget.
Infinity Lasso: A mystical rope that, when thrown, will unerringly capture whatever the user desires. Its unique property allows it to defy straight lines, making turns and navigating complex environments to secure its target.
Ishiki studied the description of the Lasso, his brow furrowed in deep thought. An idea, daring and unconventional, began to crystallize in his mind a plan for its future use that went beyond simple retrieval.
He was suddenly wrenched from his strategic thinking by a blinding flash of agony. The pain, sharp and pervasive, surged through every nerve and muscle fiber.
He realized he had pushed his severely injured body past its breaking point.
With an immediate, panicked urgency, he snatched the Doctor's Kit and instinctively channeled a burst of his remaining chakra into the gadget.
The Kit immediately responded. Its outer shell glowed faintly, and the sensor, attaching to him, whirred softly. It diagnosed his condition with lightning speed.
The Kit instantly activated its treatment protocol.
Bandages began to dispense, wrapping themselves precisely around the most serious contusions, and a few small, chalky tablets were ejected into his waiting palm.
A relieved smile touched his lips.
The gadget's performance was flawless.
Yet, he noticed a significant drain on his internal energy reserves.
"It uses a substantial amount of chakra," he murmured, concern creasing his forehead.
A scientific hypothesis formed in his exhausted mind.
Could the Kit diagnose something other than physical ailments? To test his theory, he deliberately poured the last vestiges of his chakra into the device.
The Doctor's Kit responded once more, its diagnosis swift and absolute: "Severe Chakra Depletion. Immediate recovery required."
It dispensed a single, glowing, blue pill.
He swallowed the pill without hesitation.
The effect was instantaneous and electrifying.
A warm, surging tide of energy rushed through his Chakra Pathway System. His reserves, which had been dangerously low, began to regenerate at an astonishing and exponential rate.
Overjoyed by this revelation, Ishiki recognized the profound implications of this gadget.
It was not merely a healing tool; it was a potent Chakra Recovery Device, offering him virtually limitless medical self-sufficiency.
The possibilities for its use in future battles and missions were staggering.
He took a moment to compose himself, pushing the excitement aside.
The present was what mattered.
With his chakra restored and a fully operational medical tool at his disposal, he descended into the settlement and began treating the villagers.
He moved methodically, applying the Doctor's Kit to each injured person.
The Kit diagnosed broken bones, internal bleeding, shock, and chakra exhaustion, dispensing the necessary treatments in seconds.
Whenever he felt his own chakra beginning to dip, he would quickly diagnose himself, take a recovery pill, and continue his work.
The villagers were shocked by the function of the gadget.
This relentless, cyclical process continued until every last villager was stabilized and on the path to recovery.
As the last rays of sunlight bled from the sky, casting long, purple shadows over the rebuilt homes, a sudden, sharp memory struck him. Hashirama and Madara.
He had been so focused on the villagers that he had forgotten the two most powerful shinobi still carried severe injuries.
The cool serenity of the night had settled when he sought them out.
He found Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha exactly where he had left them: atop the rocky outcrop that provided a panoramic, silent view of the newly formed settlement.
They were statuesque, immersed in thought, their gazes fixed on the distant horizon, a profound, unbroken silence between them.
Ishiki walked over and sat down calmly between the two legends.
They acknowledged his presence with a glance but did not speak.
Without a word, Ishiki pulled out the Doctor's Kit.
He first placed it near Hashirama, allowing the sensor to do its work, and then moved it to Madara.
The Kit hummed, diagnosed the extensive trauma, the fractured bones, and the severe chakra drain, and began administering the treatments and tablets.
Both Hashirama and Madara were visibly surprised, but not just by the act of being healed, but by the sheer efficiency and power of the gadget.
It was a level of medical technology that transcended anything they, or even the most skilled medical ninja, possessed.
Once the treatment was complete, Ishiki, as a precaution, performed one final diagnosis on himself and took another recovery pill, allowing his chakra to surge back to full power.
Silence returned, thick with unspoken questions.
Both Hashirama and Madara turned their recovering bodies toward Ishiki, their eyes demanding an explanation for the unbelievable power they had just witnessed.
They were on the verge of speaking, ready to finally break the silence and discuss the future of their fledgling village, the mysterious gadget, and the nature of this strange newcomer.
But before a single word could be uttered, a sudden, jarring noise echoed from the valley floor.
All three heads snapped toward the village entrance.
Emerging from the shadows were two distinct, organised groups of ninjas.
They stopped abruptly at the mouth of the settlement, their postures immediately stiffening, hostility radiating between them like heat from a forge.
The recognition was immediate for the two founders.
Hashirama and Madara knew these were the scouts, the advance forces, one group from the Senju Clan, the other from the Uchiha Clan.
The fragile, newly forged peace was about to be tested.
With their bodies now restored to health thanks to Ishiki's intervention, the two formidable shinobi rose in unison.
Their recovered strength lending urgency to their movements, they descended the rocky incline toward the village entrance.
Ishiki looked at the brewing conflict, let out a deep sigh of resignation, and trailed quietly behind them.