"Lord Hokage."
Kiyohara suddenly spoke.
Everyone's eyes instantly gathered on him.
This young Uchiha had already become a figure known throughout all of Konoha.
Slaying members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, seizing their legendary swords, and even killing the Third Mizukage directly on the battlefield. Every single achievement was enough to be recorded in history.
What inspired even greater awe was the fact that he was still so young.
As long as he did not die prematurely, he would inevitably become one of Konoha's greatest pillars in the future.
"Kiyohara, what are your thoughts?"
Hiruzen asked gently.
He had always treated geniuses with patience and kindness, especially a monstrous talent like Kiyohara.
In Hiruzen's eyes, he was already a second Minato.
"I think the joint Chunin Exams are a good idea."
Kiyohara spoke slowly.
"But inviting Sunagakure's examinees directly to Konoha may make them uneasy. They could think we have ulterior motives."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"How about this. Konoha sends a diplomatic delegation to Suna. On one hand, we can discuss the details of the peace negotiations. On the other, we can formally invite them to participate in the exams. That way we can both demonstrate sincerity and gain a better understanding of Sunagakure's current situation firsthand."
The meeting room fell silent for a moment.
Hiashi, the clan head of the Hyuga Clan, frowned slightly.
"Sending a delegation to Suna carries considerable risk. What if Sunagakure reaches some sort of deal with Kiri and suddenly turns on us..."
After all, betrayal was practically a Suna tradition.
Chiyo's son and daughter in law had died at Konoha's hands, and her own grandson had even been beaten up by Kiyohara.
That kind of hatred was only being suppressed temporarily by the interests of the village. It did not mean old grudges had been forgotten.
Yet Chiyo's case was only the tip of the iceberg. Most shinobi on all sides carried blood feuds against one another.
"Suna currently has no capital to betray us."
Kiyohara shook his head.
The prerequisite for Sunagakure stabbing others in the back was always that they believed there was an opportunity to exploit, or that they had no other choice.
For example, when the Daimyo of the Land of Wind reduced their funding in advance, Sunagakure launched the Konoha Crush in order to prove its own value.
Of course, they could also have chosen to pressure the Land of Wind's Daimyo instead and fight for greater benefits that way.
Unfortunately, a thousand years of ingrained ideology within the shinobi world had already conditioned most people to believe that the Daimyo were rightful rulers. Very few dared challenge such deeply rooted traditions.
"They've just suffered a crushing defeat. What they need most right now is time to recover."
Kiyohara then turned toward Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama, I'm willing to join the diplomatic delegation."
Hiruzen contemplated for a moment before slowly nodding.
"Kiyohara makes sense. Sending a delegation to demonstrate sincerity is indeed more appropriate than simply issuing an invitation. As for the members of the delegation..."
"I'm going too."
Tsunade suddenly raised her hand.
"As captain of the medical division, it's perfectly reasonable for me to inspect Sunagakure's medical system, isn't it?"
Hiruzen rubbed his forehead helplessly and sighed.
"Fine. Tsunade, you can go too. The delegation will center around the two of you, with several clerks and escort shinobi accompanying you. You depart in three days."
"Yes."
After the meeting ended, Kiyohara and Tsunade walked side by side out of the Hokage Tower.
"You brat, volunteering to go to Suna. Are you plotting something?"
Tsunade glanced sideways at him, a playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"I just want to help Rin study Water Release medical ninjutsu. Besides, isn't Sensei doing the exact same thing?"
Kiyohara countered.
"You said you wanted to inspect their medical system... but you probably don't even know which direction the entrance to Sunagakure Hospital faces."
"Hmph. Mind your own business."
Tsunade turned her head away, but soon leaned closer again and lowered her voice.
"But seriously, how's your Flying Thunder God Technique progressing? If you could leave a few marks near the casinos in the Land of Wind..."
Kiyohara's footsteps halted for a second as he looked at Tsunade helplessly.
"Sensei... don't tell me this is the real reason you insisted on going?"
"How could that be!"
Tsunade answered with complete confidence.
"Do I look like that kind of person?"
The two stared at each other for three seconds.
"...Yes."
"You little brat!"
Tsunade raised her hand as if to smack Kiyohara on the head, but he easily dodged.
While joking and bickering, the two of them were already close to home.
"Be careful on the way to Suna. Kiri might also hear the news. Even if they don't dare attack openly right now, there'll definitely be dirty tricks in the shadows. Especially you. Killing the Third Mizukage brought you too much attention. It's inevitable some people will want to target you."
Warmth rose in Kiyohara's heart as he nodded.
"I understand, Sensei."
"Good."
Tsunade waved her hand casually.
"Go prepare yourself. See you in three days."
That afternoon, inside Orochimaru's laboratory.
The air carried the faint scent of preservatives mixed with the sickly sweet smell unique to biological tissue.
Kiyohara stood beside an instrument displaying charts of cursed seal chakra fluctuations, carefully adjusting the settings.
At this stage, chakra and science had already begun intertwining.
It was just that in the future, specialized chakra technologies for shinobi tools would develop even further.
Those technologies would eventually become advanced enough to store ninjutsu within scrolls and release them later. Even ordinary civilians could wield combat power comparable to shinobi.
Of course, the amount of chakra stored within them would be limited. Once depleted, they needed to be recharged, and the manufacturing costs were extremely high.
"Looks like Lord Orochimaru is only a few crucial experiments away from fully stabilizing the cursed seal."
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and spoke calmly.
"Hehehe, Kiyohara-kun's insight is always so sharp."
Orochimaru turned around, his golden vertical pupils staring directly at Kiyohara.
"It's just unfortunate that so many test subjects were used."
He licked his lips, completely indifferent to the miserable state of the animal test subjects.
Orochimaru also possessed hidden laboratories dedicated to human experimentation, though he had never brought Kiyohara there before.
Kiyohara nodded, then suddenly changed the subject.
"Lord Orochimaru's facilities are truly remarkable. To be honest, I've also been conducting research projects recently, but my equipment is rather crude. Many sets of data are difficult to measure precisely."
Kiyohara planned to acquire another batch of high quality equipment for the orphanage to accelerate Nono's research progress.
After a brief pause, his gaze swept across the nearby high precision chakra microscope, the constant temperature cell culture incubator, and other advanced devices.
"Does Lord Orochimaru perhaps have any outdated or unused older model equipment? I'm willing to purchase them at market price."
Orochimaru's slender brows twitched slightly.
Naturally, he knew Kiyohara had earned enormous sums through rewards from multiple wartime missions.
And after mastering Magnet Release Gold Dust techniques, Kiyohara's financial resources had grown even more astonishing. He was no longer remotely comparable to his former self.
But at this moment, Orochimaru cared more about Kiyohara himself.
Compared to a bit of money, making Kiyohara owe him a favor might yield far more interesting returns in the future.
Besides, these machines were indeed about to be replaced anyway.
"Kiyohara-kun, there's no need to be so formal."
Orochimaru waved his sleeve lightly, creating a faint gust of wind. His demeanor carried the effortless elegance of a detached master.
"If some old equipment can aid Kiyohara-kun's research, then that alone gives them value. Take whichever ones catch your eye."
"As it happens, I was planning to replace this batch with newer models soon. If Kiyohara-kun doesn't mind, taking them off my hands would actually save me the trouble of disposing of them."
A trace of surprise appeared in Kiyohara's eyes.
Orochimaru was being this generous?
These experimental instruments were incredibly expensive.
No matter where one looked, scientific research always consumed massive amounts of funding.
"In that case... thank you very much, Lord Orochimaru."
Kiyohara proceeded to choose several pieces of equipment. Though they were not the absolute latest models, they had been maintained extremely well and were exactly what he urgently needed right now.
Watching Kiyohara's selections, the appreciation in Orochimaru's eyes deepened even further.
He liked intelligent people with clear goals.
"Do you need someone to help transport them?"
"There's no need to trouble anyone. I have my own methods."
Kiyohara pulled out several sealing scrolls from his robe, formed hand seals skillfully, and sealed each machine into the scrolls one after another.
As Kiyohara stored away the final scroll, Orochimaru casually remarked,
"If Kiyohara-kun obtains any interesting results from your research, perhaps we can exchange ideas sometime."
"I certainly will, Lord Orochimaru."
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
After assisting Orochimaru with further research work for a while longer, Kiyohara finally took his leave and departed from the laboratory.
...
Originally, Kiyohara had only planned to purchase a single batch of equipment, but seeing Orochimaru being so generous, he ended up selecting quite a bit more.
With this, not only were the orphanage laboratory facilities finally settled, but Kiyohara's own cloning research regarding Samehada could also undergo another round of upgrades.
The next day.
Orochimaru headed to the capital city of the Land of Fire alone.
He walked leisurely through a bustling commercial district.
A high end biotechnology equipment sector.
The display windows on both sides no longer showcased merely traditional shinobi tools or medicinal herbs. Instead, they were filled with precision instruments gleaming with metallic luster.
In recent years, the Land of Fire had clearly invested tremendous resources into technological development, especially in fields related to chakra applications.
Orochimaru's purpose this trip was naturally to replace the outdated equipment in his laboratory.
After entering the largest and most technologically styled shop in the district, a neatly dressed attendant with a professional smile immediately came forward to greet him.
"Mr. Orochimaru, how may I assist you today? Our store represents the most advanced biological research and chakra analysis equipment from every nation. The newest models from the Land of Frost..."
The attendant spoke endlessly with practiced fluency.
She recognized Orochimaru.
After all, he was considered a regular customer here.
Moreover, he was also a highly famous figure in the scientific research community of the Land of Fire.
Orochimaru raised a hand and interrupted her. His pale face remained expressionless as he directly listed several specialized model numbers and technical parameter requirements.
Upon hearing this, the attendant's attitude became even more respectful as she guided him toward the inner showroom.
The equipment displayed inside caused even the well traveled Orochimaru to feel slightly moved.
Some of the design concepts behind the new devices seemed innovative even to him.
"These machines... where were they manufactured?"
Orochimaru's fingers brushed lightly across a metallic surface as he read the simple descriptions attached to the equipment.
"Sir, these are all the latest independently developed products from our Land of Fire Future Technology Company. Their performance has already reached first class international standards, and some specifications have even surpassed them."
The attendant answered proudly.
"Independently developed?"
A sharp glint flashed through Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils.
He knew the Land of Fire's previous industrial standards very well. There was absolutely no way they could achieve this level in such a short amount of time.
Unless...
An extraordinary genius had appeared.
"Whose research has made major breakthroughs recently?"
Orochimaru asked curiously.
"Yes. This is mainly thanks to our chief scientist, Lord Amado Sanzu. Most of these designs were personally created by him."
The attendant's voice carried deep reverence when mentioning the name.
"Amado Sanzu..."
Orochimaru frowned slightly.
He had never heard this name before.
Since when had such a figure appeared in the shinobi world's scientific research community?
After thinking for a moment, Orochimaru silently committed the name to memory.
"I would like to meet this Doctor Amado. Perhaps we could engage in deeper... technical exchanges."
The attendant revealed a troubled expression.
"My apologies, Lord Orochimaru. Lord Amado is deeply devoted to his research and rarely receives outside visitors. However, if you are interested in the equipment, we can provide you with a detailed introduction..."
Orochimaru felt somewhat regretful but did not insist.
Geniuses always had eccentricities. He understood that well.
For now, the equipment itself was the priority.
He carefully inspected several core devices again, and the more he looked, the more satisfied he became.
With these, many experiments that had previously stagnated due to equipment limitations could finally restart and even progress at an accelerated pace.
A long forgotten excitement, one belonging purely to a researcher, quietly rose within him.
"These ones."
Orochimaru pointed toward more than ten machines he had taken a liking to and waved his hand grandly.
"I'll take five sets of each."
The attendant's eyes lit up instantly.
A huge order!
She quickly performed calculations, tapping rapidly on a tablet like instrument before reporting the total.
"The total comes to sixty five million ryo. Will Mr. Orochimaru be paying in cash or by check..."
Even with Orochimaru's composure, his pupils contracted slightly upon hearing the number.
Sixty five million ryo!
He knew new equipment was expensive, but he had not expected it to be expensive to this extent.
The fortune he had accumulated from years of S rank missions, combined with the research funding secretly provided by Danzo, was enough money for ordinary shinobi to live comfortably for several lifetimes.
But his recent large scale research projects had consumed massive amounts of resources, leaving those funds utterly insufficient.
An almost absurd emotion surged through Orochimaru's heart.
He, one of the legendary Sannin famous throughout the shinobi world, was actually finding himself strapped for cash?
Those alluring yet terrifyingly expensive research projects had long since evaporated his finances like droplets of water in a desert.
The attendant keenly sensed Orochimaru's sudden silence. The smile on her face stiffened slightly, though she still maintained her professional demeanor.
After all, even if he purchased fewer units, Orochimaru would still remain a major customer.
For the first time, Orochimaru felt a hint of regret.
If only he had not acted so pretentious in front of Kiyohara yesterday.
When Kiyohara had offered to purchase the old equipment that afternoon, he had been willing to pay full market price.
But Orochimaru had not anticipated that the performance increase of these new generation devices would be so dramatic, nor that their prices would exceed previous standards by such a ridiculous margin.
If he had not refused back then simply to preserve his image and secure a favor, he could at least have recovered a considerable portion of his funds.
Perhaps it would even have been enough.
For the first time in his calculating life, Orochimaru realized he had made a mistake regarding something as vulgar as money.
"...Four sets of each."
Orochimaru corrected himself without changing expression.
Even then, he still lacked some funds.
Should he continue asking Danzo for money?
That old bastard would definitely accuse him of embezzling funds again if he demanded more before producing experimental results.
After all, outsiders completely failed to understand how terrifyingly expensive scientific research truly was.
Sell off some non essential research results or collectibles?
That would take too much time.
In the end, he had no choice but to resort to another method.
"I'll need time to gather the funds. Put these on reservation first. This is the deposit."
He pulled out a box full of cash, then produced an additional check.
"The remaining balance will be settled within half a month."
Orochimaru decided that over the next two weeks, he would simply take on more missions.
With his strength, completing S rank missions was still easily within his capabilities.
The attendant accepted the cash and check. After confirming everything was correct, her smile once again became natural.
"Of course, Lord Orochimaru. We'll reserve the order for you and look forward to our next cooperation."
For a long standing customer like Orochimaru, his credit was still more than trustworthy enough, so the attendant agreed immediately.
After leaving the store and walking through the bustling streets, Orochimaru's mood was far heavier than when he had arrived.
He needed money.
A tremendous amount of money!
Merely upgrading laboratory equipment had already pushed him into such an awkward position.
Then what about the grander research projects involving immortality?
The required resources would become astronomical, far beyond what personal wealth or Root's funding could ever sustain.
A thought began burning hotter and hotter within his mind like flames splashed with oil.
Only by becoming Hokage and taking control of the entire Konoha's wealth, resources, and manpower...
Could he completely free himself from these cursed limitations.
Only then could he truly achieve unrestricted experimental freedom.
Only then could he explore the endless truths of ninjutsu.
At this moment, Orochimaru's determination to seize the position of Hokage became absolute.
The following day.
Kiyohara went to assist in Orochimaru's laboratory as usual.
What puzzled him somewhat was that Orochimaru seemed to have received some sort of stimulation. He had suddenly begun researching far more positive projects.
Medicines capable of rapidly healing shinobi injuries and stopping bleeding, among other things.
It was obvious these developments would genuinely benefit ordinary shinobi.
The moment Kiyohara saw this, he roughly guessed that Orochimaru was preparing to gather support and win votes.
Thinking of that, Kiyohara's expression toward Orochimaru carried a trace of pity.
To put it bluntly, even Kiyohara himself had a higher chance of becoming Hokage than Orochimaru did.
After all, Kiyohara currently belonged to the Hokage faction.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru had gradually shifted from being part of the Hokage faction into becoming one of Danzo's people.
"Lord Orochimaru, aren't you eating lunch?"
During the noon break, Kiyohara prepared to head home for a meal.
"There's food."
Orochimaru shook his head.
"Alright then."
Kiyohara waved casually.
Only after Kiyohara left did Orochimaru casually instruct Anko to bring out the meal.
"Lord Orochimaru, why has my allowance been reduced this month?"
Anko asked in confusion.
No matter how she looked at it, Lord Orochimaru did not seem like someone lacking money.
"Funds have been somewhat tight recently."
Orochimaru shook his head.
Toward his first disciple, Orochimaru's attitude toward Anko was still rather good at this stage.
He even provided spending money for his student.
"Alright..."
Anko could only nod helplessly.
She had noticed it a little as well.
In the past, Orochimaru's meals had always been fairly rich and nutritious.
But now, the meals had become much cheaper, with the main focus simply being to fill the stomach.
In other words... discount group meal deals.
Even though Konoha obviously did not have such a thing, that phrase suddenly popped into Anko's head for no apparent reason.
After thinking carefully, she vaguely remembered hearing the term from Kiyohara before, used specifically to describe cheap food.
Apparently, before Kiyohara rose to prominence, he had often eaten meals like that himself.
During the following days, aside from assisting Orochimaru with research, Kiyohara spent all his remaining time training.
At Training Ground Three, he continuously experimented with advanced applications of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The Flying Thunder God Technique could branch into many derivative forms, such as Flying Thunder God Second Step, Flying Thunder God Guiding Thunder Technique, and Flying Thunder God Mutual Instant Revolving Technique.
Different derivative techniques could be used under different circumstances.
Of course, the Flying Thunder God Technique itself did not naturally emit golden light or any other flashy visual effects.
The reason Minato had become known as the Yellow Flash was not only because of his blond hair, but also because he frequently used the technique known as Spiraling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Style Three.
(End of Chapter)