"Hokage-sama."
Kiyohara suddenly spoke.
Every eye in the room turned toward him.
By now, this young Uchiha was a name everyone in Konoha knew.
Killing members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, seizing their blades, personally beheading the Third Mizukage in battle—any one of those feats was enough to go down in history.
What made him even more awe-inspiring was the fact that he was still so young.
If he didn't die early, he would undoubtedly become one of Konoha's greatest pillars in the future.
"Kiyohara, what are your thoughts?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked warmly.
He had always been gentle with geniuses, especially a once-in-a-generation talent like Kiyohara.
In Hiruzen's mind, Kiyohara was basically Minato Namikaze 2.0.
"I think a joint Chunin Exam is a good idea," Kiyohara said slowly.
"But if we simply invite Sunagakure's examinees to Konoha, it might make them uneasy. They may think we have ulterior motives."
He paused, then continued,
"So how about this? Konoha sends a diplomatic delegation to Sunagakure. On the one hand, we can negotiate the details of the peace talks, and on the other, formally invite them to participate in the exam. That would show sincerity while also allowing us to see Sunagakure's current situation firsthand."
The conference room fell quiet for a moment.
Hiashi Hyuga, head of the Hyuga clan, frowned slightly.
"Sending a delegation to Sunagakure carries risks. If Sunagakure and Kirigakure strike some kind of deal and suddenly turn on us…"
After all, backstabbing was practically a Sand tradition.
Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law had died at Konoha's hands, and her grandson had even been beaten up by Kiyohara.
That kind of hatred hadn't disappeared. It was only being held down temporarily by the village's interests.
And really, Chiyo's case was just the tip of the iceberg. Most ninja had grudges against someone.
"Sunagakure has no capital to turn on us right now."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Sunagakure would only betray an ally if they thought there was an opening, or if they had no other choice.
Like when the daimyo of the Land of Wind cut their funding in advance, forcing Sunagakure to launch the Konoha Crush just to prove their worth.
Of course, they could also have chosen to pressure the daimyo of the Land of Wind instead and secure benefits that way.
Unfortunately, a thousand years of ingrained thinking in the shinobi world had left most people believing that daimyo were rightful rulers, and few dared challenge that tradition.
"They just suffered a major defeat. What they need most right now is room to breathe."
Then Kiyohara turned to Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama, I'm willing to be part of the delegation."
Hiruzen thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Kiyohara has a point. Sending a delegation to show sincerity is indeed more appropriate than extending a simple invitation. As for the delegation itself…"
"I'm going too."
Tsunade suddenly raised a hand.
"As head of the medical corps, going to inspect Sunagakure's medical system is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"
Hiruzen rubbed his forehead and let out a helpless sigh.
"All right, Tsunade, you'll go too. The delegation will be centered around the two of you, with a few clerks and guard ninja assigned alongside you. You leave in three days."
"Yes."
After the meeting ended, Kiyohara and Tsunade walked side by side out of the Hokage Building.
"You brat, asking to go to Sunagakure like that… are you scheming something?"
Tsunade glanced sideways at him, a teasing smile on her lips.
"I just want to help Rin learn more about medical Water Release. Besides, aren't you doing the same thing?"
Kiyohara shot back.
"You say you're going to inspect their medical system… but you don't even know which way the door to the Sunagakure hospital opens."
"Hmph. Mind your own business."
Tsunade turned her face away, but then leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"But seriously, how's that Flying Thunder God Technique training going? If you could leave a few marks near the casinos in the Land of Wind…"
Kiyohara's steps paused. He looked at her in resignation.
"Sensei, don't tell me that's the real reason you want to go."
"Of course not!"
Tsunade declared with complete confidence.
"Do I look like that kind of person?"
The two of them looked at each other in silence for three seconds.
"…Yes."
"You little brat!"
Tsunade made a motion to smack him on the head, but Kiyohara dodged.
By the time they finished bickering, they were almost home.
"Be careful on the way to Sunagakure. Kirigakure will probably hear about it too. They may not dare make a move openly right now, but they definitely won't stop making little moves in the shadows. Especially you…"
Tsunade's expression shifted, growing more serious.
"You made too much noise when you killed the Third Mizukage. It's only natural that some people will want to make trouble for you."
Warmth stirred in Kiyohara's chest, and he nodded.
"I understand, Sensei."
"Good."
Tsunade waved a hand.
"Go get ready. See you in three days."
…
That afternoon, in Orochimaru's lab.
The air carried the faint smell of preservatives, mixed with the oddly sweet, fishy odor unique to biological tissue.
Kiyohara stood beside a machine that was recording the fluctuation patterns of curse mark chakra, making adjustments.
At this stage, chakra and science had already begun to intersect.
Only in the future would that fully develop into chakra technology specifically meant for ninja tools.
That future tech would even allow ninjutsu to be stored inside scrolls and later released, giving even ordinary people the combat ability of ninja.
Of course, the storage capacity would be limited, and once it was used up, it would need to be refilled. It wouldn't come cheap.
"It looks like Orochimaru-sama is only a few key experiments away from fully stabilizing the curse mark."
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and spoke calmly.
"Heh heh, Kiyohara-kun's eye for detail really is as sharp as ever."
Orochimaru turned around, his golden slit pupils fixed on Kiyohara.
"It's just a pity how many test subjects it takes."
He licked his lips, completely unmoved by the state of the animal test subjects.
Orochimaru also had facilities for human experimentation, but he had never shown those to Kiyohara.
Kiyohara nodded, then smoothly changed the subject.
"Orochimaru-sama's equipment is truly impressive. To be honest, I've been working on a few projects of my own, but my current equipment is rather crude. It's hard to gather precise data."
Kiyohara was planning to get another batch of better equipment for the orphanage lab and speed up Nono Yakushi's research.
He paused, letting his eyes drift over the high-precision chakra microscope and the incubators for cell cultures nearby.
Then he said,
"Does Orochimaru-sama happen to have any outdated or idle equipment lying around? I'd be willing to buy it at market price."
Orochimaru's narrow brows twitched slightly.
Of course he knew Kiyohara had made a lot of money from mission rewards over the course of several wars.
And after mastering Magnet Release gold dust, Kiyohara's finances were on an entirely different level.
But right now, what interested Orochimaru more was Kiyohara himself.
Compared to a little money, making Kiyohara owe him a favor might yield far more interesting returns later.
Besides, those machines really were about to be replaced anyway.
"Kiyohara-kun, why be so distant?"
Orochimaru waved a hand, his sleeve stirring the air slightly, wearing the air of a detached master.
"They're just some old things. If they can be of any use to your research, that alone gives them value. Anything you like, just take it.
As it happens, I've been planning to replace a batch of equipment anyway. If you don't mind taking the old ones, it would even save me the trouble of disposing of them."
A trace of surprise appeared in Kiyohara's eyes.
Orochimaru was being this generous?
Research equipment was expensive, no matter where you were.
In any field, funding was always one of the biggest drains on scientific work.
"Then… thank you very much, Orochimaru-sama."
Kiyohara selected several pieces of lab equipment. They weren't the most cutting-edge anymore, but they had been maintained well and were exactly what he needed right now.
Watching what Kiyohara chose, the appreciation in Orochimaru's eyes deepened.
He liked smart people who knew exactly what they wanted.
"Do you need someone to help transport them?"
"That won't be necessary. I have my own methods."
Kiyohara took out several sealing scrolls from his robes and skillfully sealed the equipment into them one by one.
After watching him put away the final scroll, Orochimaru asked casually,
"If your own research bears fruit, then when you have some free time, perhaps we might exchange a few ideas."
"I'd be glad to, Orochimaru-sama."
Kiyohara inclined his head slightly.
After continuing to assist Orochimaru with research for a while longer, Kiyohara took his leave.
Originally, he had only intended to buy a batch of equipment. But seeing how generous Orochimaru was, he took more than planned.
Now not only was the orphanage lab taken care of, but even the equipment Kiyohara used for Samehada cloning could be upgraded.
…
The next day.
Orochimaru went to the capital of the Land of Fire.
He walked alone through a busy commercial street.
It was the district for advanced biological instruments.
The shop windows on both sides no longer displayed only traditional ninja tools and medicinal herbs. Instead, they were filled with gleaming precision instruments made of metal.
In recent years, the Land of Fire seemed to have been investing heavily in technology, especially in chakra-related applied science.
His purpose in coming this time was to replace the outdated equipment in his lab.
The moment he entered the largest and most futuristic-looking shop, a neatly dressed attendant with a professional smile came forward at once.
"Orochimaru-sama, what can I help you with? Our store carries the most advanced biological research and chakra analysis equipment from every nation. The newest line comes from the Land of Frost—"
The attendant launched into an enthusiastic explanation.
She recognized Orochimaru.
He was a regular customer here.
And beyond that, he was a famous figure in the Land of Fire's scientific circles.
Orochimaru raised a hand to cut her off, his pale face expressionless, and simply listed several technical model numbers and parameter requirements.
Hearing that, the attendant grew even more respectful and led him into the inner hall.
Even someone as well-traveled and knowledgeable as Orochimaru couldn't help showing a trace of surprise at the equipment on display there.
Some of the design concepts behind the new machines felt novel even to him.
"These devices… where were they produced?"
Orochimaru's fingers brushed across one metal surface as he read its simple description.
"Sir, these are all the latest models independently developed and manufactured by Fire Country Future Tech. Their performance is already at the top international level, and some metrics even exceed that."
The attendant answered proudly.
"Independently developed?"
A sharp light flashed in Orochimaru's golden slit pupils.
He knew the Land of Fire's prior industrial level well. There was no way it could have advanced to this degree in such a short time.
Unless…
Unless some extraordinary genius had appeared.
"Has someone's research made a major breakthrough recently?"
Orochimaru asked with interest.
"Yes. Most of this is thanks to our chief scientist, Dr. Sanzu Amado. Many of these designs came directly from him."
The attendant's voice carried open admiration when she spoke his name.
"Sanzu Amado…"
Orochimaru frowned. He had never heard that name before.
When had someone like this appeared in the shinobi world's scientific community?
He thought about it for a moment, then quietly committed the name to memory.
"I'd like to meet this Dr. Amado. Perhaps we could have a deeper… technical exchange."
The attendant looked apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sama. Dr. Sanzu Amado is deeply absorbed in research and rarely meets outside guests. However, if you're interested in the equipment, we can of course give you a full explanation…"
Orochimaru felt a little regret, but did not press the matter.
Geniuses always had their eccentricities. He understood that.
For now, the equipment came first.
He examined some of the key machines more closely, and the more he looked, the more satisfied he became.
With these, many of the experiments that had previously stalled because of equipment limitations could be restarted—or even accelerated.
A long-forgotten kind of excitement quietly rose within him, the pure thrill of a researcher.
"These."
Orochimaru pointed at over a dozen of the machines he wanted and grandly declared,
"I'll take five sets of each."
The attendant's eyes lit up.
A major sale.
She quickly ran the numbers, tapped a few things into a flat tablet device, and gave him the total:
"That will be sixty-five million ryo, Orochimaru-sama. Will that be cash or check—"
Even with Orochimaru's self-control, his pupils narrowed for a moment when he heard the number.
Sixty-five million ryo.
He knew the new equipment would be expensive, but he hadn't expected it to be expensive to this extent.
Between the fortune he had accumulated through years of S-rank missions and the research funding secretly provided by Danzo, it was enough money for ordinary ninja families to live on for generations.
And yet, because of how much research he had been doing lately, it still wasn't enough.
A nearly absurd feeling rose in Orochimaru's chest.
He, one of the legendary Sannin, feared across the shinobi world, was actually running short on money?
All because of research.
Those alluring but bottomless experiments had already evaporated his funds like droplets of water in a desert.
The attendant picked up on his silence right away. Her smile stiffened slightly, though she kept her professional composure.
After all, even if he bought less, Orochimaru would still be a major client.
Orochimaru suddenly felt a trace of regret.
If only he hadn't acted so lofty with Kiyohara yesterday.
When Kiyohara had offered to buy the old equipment at market price, he had turned him down.
He simply hadn't anticipated that the performance jump in the new equipment would be so drastic—or that the prices would have climbed this high.
If he hadn't refused just to preserve a certain image and gain a bit of personal leverage, he could have recovered a large portion of the funds.
Enough, perhaps.
For the first time in his life, Orochimaru—who usually calculated everything ten steps ahead—felt that he had miscalculated when it came to something as vulgar as money.
"…Four sets of each."
Orochimaru corrected himself smoothly, without changing expression.
Even then, though, he was still short.
Ask Danzo for more money again?
That old man would definitely accuse him of skimming funds unless he already had concrete experimental results to show.
People like that—outsiders—had no understanding whatsoever of how much research truly cost.
Sell off some non-core research results or collections?
That would take too long.
In the end, he had no choice but to use another method.
"I'll need time to gather the funds. Put the order in first. This is the deposit."
He took out a box of cash, then pulled out a check as well.
"I'll settle the remainder within half a month."
Orochimaru had decided he would simply take on more missions in the next two weeks.
With his strength, S-rank missions were still well within his ability.
The attendant accepted the cash and the check, verified them, and her smile became natural again.
"Of course, Orochimaru-sama. We'll hold the order for you. We look forward to doing business with you again."
For an established customer like Orochimaru, his credit was more than trustworthy enough.
So the attendant agreed immediately.
When Orochimaru left the store and walked back out onto the busy street, his mood was far less light than when he had arrived.
He needed money.
A lot of money.
Just updating his laboratory equipment had already put him in this position.
Then what about the far grander research—his research into immortality?
That would require resources on an astronomical scale, far beyond what personal wealth or Root funding alone could support.
A thought, like fire poured over hot oil, began burning brighter and brighter in his mind.
Only by becoming Hokage, by controlling the wealth, resources, and manpower of all Konoha—
only then could he completely escape these suffocating limits.
Only then could he gain true freedom in his experiments.
Only then could he pursue the endless truth of ninjutsu.
At that moment, Orochimaru's desire for the Hokage's seat became absolute.
…
The next day.
Kiyohara, as usual, went to help out in Orochimaru's lab.
But something left him a little puzzled.
It was as if Orochimaru had been jolted by something—he had begun researching practical, openly beneficial things.
Medicines that could rapidly heal wounds, stop bleeding, and so on.
You could tell that all of them would genuinely help ordinary ninja.
At a glance, Kiyohara guessed Orochimaru was preparing to win votes?
With that thought in mind, Kiyohara found himself looking at Orochimaru with a trace of pity.
Truthfully, if Kiyohara himself ran for Hokage right now, he'd probably still have a better shot than Orochimaru.
After all, Kiyohara was part of the Hokage line.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, had shifted from being squarely in the Hokage line to basically being one of Danzo's people.
"Orochimaru-sama, aren't you eating lunch?"
When it was time for the midday break, Kiyohara planned to head home for food.
"There's food."
Orochimaru shook his head.
"All right, then."
Kiyohara waved and left.
Only after Kiyohara was gone did Orochimaru casually tell Anko Mitarashi to bring out the food.
"Orochimaru-sama, why did my allowance go down this month?"
Anko asked, genuinely confused.
Orochimaru-sama didn't exactly look like someone short on money.
"Funding's a little tight lately."
Orochimaru shook his head.
For his first disciple, Orochimaru's attitude toward Anko at this stage was actually pretty decent.
He even gave her an allowance.
"All right…"
Anko could only nod.
She had noticed something herself.
In the past, Orochimaru's meals had always been rich and well-balanced.
Now the food was noticeably cheaper—its only real virtue was that it filled your stomach.
Basically… bargain-bin meals.
Konoha didn't actually have a concept like that, of course, but somehow the phrase had popped into her mind.
Now that she thought about it, hadn't she heard Kiyohara use that phrase before, when talking about cheap food?
Apparently, before Kiyohara made a name for himself, he used to eat that kind of thing all the time.
…
For the next stretch of time, aside from helping Orochimaru, Kiyohara devoted the rest of his days to training.
At Training Ground Three, he constantly experimented with more advanced applications of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Flying Thunder God could branch into many uses, such as Flying Thunder God: Second Step, Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder, Flying Thunder God: Mutual Instantaneous Revolving Technique, and so on.
Different derivative techniques could be used in different combat scenarios.
Of course, the Flying Thunder God Technique itself didn't naturally produce golden flashes or any other particularly flashy visual effect.
The reason Minato Namikaze had become known as the Yellow Flash was because of his blond hair—
and because he so often used "Spiraling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Style Three."
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!