Scientific Equipment
After leaving the Hokage's Office, Shuichi asked Orochimaru about the mission.
"It's just a normal escort mission, but the journey is a bit long." Orochimaru's expression was somewhat mysterious. "If we had enough time, we might even see something interesting."
"Just as I expected," Shuichi thought to himself.
Orochimaru seemed to be planning something and wasn't going to hide it from his disciple, so there was no harm in going along to see it. "Okay, I'll go back and prepare right away."
That afternoon, after leaving the village, the two arrived at the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. Surprisingly, this mission was related to an old acquaintance of theirs.
"Uncle Danza, it's you!" At the VIP reception in the Daimyo's Mansion's residence, Shuichi was pleasantly surprised to see Inoue Danza, who had been on the escort mission to the Land of Iron, as the people from the Daimyo's Mansion's residence were quite generous.
"Haha, so it's Shuichi-kun and Lord Orochimaru! I really didn't expect that." Inoue Danza hadn't expected that these two would accept the mission issued by Konoha again, which meant that everything was going perfectly.
Shuichi asked, "Are we escorting you again this time?"
"No, no, no." Inoue Danza's reply was quite unexpected. "This time, I was just helping a friend of mine post a mission. He's not very familiar with the Land of Fire and doesn't know much about the ninjas of Konoha, so he wanted me to help him check things out. Now that it's you guys who came, I'm completely at ease."
Not long after, a well-dressed man walked in, carrying a large package on his back. He looked similar to Inoue Danza in appearance.
"Kazuhiko, you've arrived!" Inoue Danza greeted everyone immediately upon seeing the newcomer. "These are the top Konoha shinobi I found for you. Their strength can ensure this trip goes smoothly."
After a friendly conversation among the group, the details of the mission became clear.
Asama Kazuhiko is the Minister of Commerce and Trade of the Land of Snow. Several years ago, he met Inoue Danza by chance, and the two hit it off because they worked in the same industry.
This time, Asama Kazuhiko brought a large amount of funds from the Land of Snow to the Land of Fire, intending to purchase a large number of cutting-edge technological products in this center of the Shinobi World, including various experimental equipment and high-grade materials, before returning to the Land of Snow.
"Besides Daimyo's Mansion, I also plan to purchase some materials in other cities, such as Rock Mountain City," Asama Kazuhiko explained.
He bowed to Orochimaru and Shuichi and said, "I'll be relying on you two for the next while. After all, this is a fund that our Land of Snow managed to scrape together with great difficulty. If anything goes wrong, I can't atone for it even if I die."
"Don't worry, Uncle Kazuhiko!" Shuichi felt that the people in the Shinobi World were being too polite. "Leave it to us, we'll definitely handle it. If you're ready, let's set off."
After paying the commission fee, Asama Kazuhiko got to work.
It's clear that the Land of Snow went to great lengths for this batch of supplies, even providing him with Storage Scroll.
After the mission began, Orochimaru and Shuichi followed him to the bank in the Daimyo's Daimyo of the Land of Fire and withdrew a large amount of funds from the account.
This is why strong and reliable Konoha Ninja are needed; if you hire ninjas whose backgrounds are unclear, the possibility of them committing murder and robbery is quite high.
"I'm going to buy equipment now, please look after me."
Top-tier scientific equipment in the Shinobi World cannot be purchased through ordinary channels; it is certainly not available on the general market. The three of them arrived at a magnificent building very close to the center of the capital.
According to Asama Kazuhiko, their Land of Snow sent people to the Land of Fire multiple times over the course of a year to inquire about the sale of relevant materials, and finally managed to reserve a batch.
During the transaction, he produced several official documents from the Land of Snow, which were verified by the staff before the transaction began.
"Hmm?" Not far from the trading point, Shuichi was dutifully protecting his employer when Orochimaru suddenly gave him a few hand gestures in secret.
Orochimaru then created a Shadow Clone at lightning speed, while his real body vanished before anyone could notice.
"As expected, Teacher Orochimaru's purpose is quite clear; this time-consuming mission wasn't taken lightly," Shuichi thought to himself.
The code just now was "I have to leave for a while, you cover for me." He quickly realized that Orochimaru must also have his eye on some scientific equipment. As for how he would get his hands on Shuichi, he didn't know, but he guessed that Orochimaru had already made preparations in advance.
"Secretly controlling staff with Genjutsu? Information provided by the local thug from the Daimyo's Mansion who we let go last time? Or perhaps a legitimate purchase?..."
While keeping an eye on Asama Kazuhiko's safety, Shuichi's mind was already conjuring up all sorts of outrageous schemes Orochimaru.
Paying for it with your own money would be incredibly painful, just like how the Land of Snow spent years of savings on it. Even if Orochimaru had a lot of money, he would definitely have to think carefully before spending most of his mission bonus at once.
"Moreover, once the subsequent research begins, the financial drain is like a bottomless pit, and even the wealthiest ninja would find it difficult to sustain." In my previous life, a single research project would cost an unknown amount of money, and there was no guarantee of any results. The pressure of working alone is unimaginable.
"I'm Orochimaru's disciple, so I'll definitely get to enjoy any of the rewards." With that thought, Shuichi immediately perked up and earnestly began to cover for Orochimaru.
As for how Orochimaru obtained this equipment, he didn't care.
The Shinobi World is still in chaos, and he is a ninja with blood on his hands. He has basically thrown his moral fastidiousness from his previous life to the back of his mind, and his actions are very much driven by self-interest.
After a while, Asama Kazuhiko's deal seemed to be completed, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face. Shuichi greeted him warmly upon seeing him.
"How did the transaction go, Uncle Kazuhiko?"
"Ah, everything went very smoothly," Asama Kazuhiko replied truthfully. "If possible, I hope we can reach the next city as soon as possible, because the journey back to the Land of Snow is very long, and this will save you both some time."
Shuichi and Orochimaru's Shadow Clone exchanged a quick glance, then immediately said, "No problem, we can set off right away."
The three left Daimyo Daimyo's Mansion. Judging from Asama Kazuhiko's pace, he planned to reach another major city that evening.
Fortunately, Orochimaru was well-prepared for this operation, and this Shadow Clone possessed a considerable amount of chakra, allowing it to be maintained for a long time.
At the same time, the probability of an accident occurring within the Land of Fire is very small, so there was no embarrassing situation of it exploding in front of the client.
After walking for quite some time, taking advantage of Asama Kazuhiko's suggestion to rest, Shuichi again cooperated and provided cover.
"You Konoha Ninja are truly dedicated!" Asama Kazuhiko remarked with admiration. "You're so cautious even within the Land of Fire. I was absolutely right to seek out Danza."
"Of course," Shuichi broad smile.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Orochimaru suggested scouting the surrounding area to ensure safety, successfully deceiving his client. "After all, this world isn't very safe; there are bound to be people blinded by greed everywhere. It's always better to be careful."
Soon, Shuichi saw Orochimaru return. He nodded slightly to him and realized that this was the real Orochimaru. He had just finished exchanging places with the Shadow Clone when he left, so it seemed that the research equipment had been successfully obtained.
Perhaps it was the performance of the Konoha Ninja that made Asama Kazuhiko relax a lot. He was no longer tense and began to calmly search for the supplies he needed in the Land of Fire.
Two weeks later, he had spent almost all the money he had brought, and the three of them began their journey to the Land of Snow.
On the east coast of Konoha, Shuichi stood on a cliff, gazing at the sunset where the sky and coastline merged into one. The Seawater lapped against the rocks beneath his feet, splashing white waves, and a faint fishy smell filled the air. This was the first time he had ever seen the ocean in this world.
"Apart from the lack of pollution, there's no other difference." After looking at it for a while, Shuichi thought to himself.
The next morning, the three boarded the booked ship and headed north to the Land of Snow. This journey would take a long time, which was one of the more frustrating aspects of the mission, since it wasn't on land, and even if they wanted to run away with the client, it wouldn't work.
After a few days of adjustment, Shuichi was very glad that he did not experience seasickness; otherwise, it would have been an indescribable journey.
Freshwater resources are scarce at sea, so taking a bath is definitely out of the question. In addition, the air humidity is quite high, making you feel sticky all over.