Cooperation and Business

A few days later, Konoha, at the entrance of Orochimaru's home.

Several masked Anbu ninjas wearing standard tactical vests appeared silently, handed a few well-sealed scrolls to Orochimaru, and then vanished just as quietly, as if they had never been there at all.

"Heh, Danzo is truly 'generous'."

Orochimaru looked at the contents of the scrolls, a playful curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The information recorded in these scrolls mostly consisted of research data regarding a special type of cell; it possessed significant vitality and could absorb chakra to reproduce at an extremely rapid rate...

If he wasn't mistaken, what was described here must be the First Hokage Cells.

But Orochimaru only glanced at them for a few moments before tossing the scrolls aside.

"What a pity..."

He shook his head, feeling a bit regretful.

These materials, while seemingly precious, were actually nothing more than scraps.

The crucial core data—such as the control of the First Hokage Cells' vitality, solutions for cellular rejection, and experimental data on their fusion with the Sharingan—were all missing.

In other words, this was bait Danzo had set for him...

Orochimaru sneered inwardly; he could guess Danzo's intentions to a certain extent.

However, there was no reason to refuse something delivered right to his doorstep.

Orochimaru formed hand seals with both hands.

"Poof! Poof! Poof!"

As several puffs of smoke dissipated, a number of Shadow Clones appeared in the room.

"You are responsible for organizing these materials, along with those obtained from the Senju clan earlier. Sort them by category and create an index."

Orochimaru issued instructions to his Shadow Clones.

"Understood."

The Shadow Clones immediately began to busy themselves, meticulously sorting through the mountain of scrolls and documents.

Orochimaru then turned his attention to another matter: a stable source of funding.

After all, research was an incredibly expensive endeavor, and the money earned from writing novels and gambling could only be considered startup capital.

The skincare business he had planned earlier needed to be put on the agenda.

However, he had no interest in personally handling production or sales.

His time should be spent on more valuable research.

Wasting precious research time just to make money would be putting the cart before the horse—it would be utterly foolish!

"Cooperation for mutual benefit is the most efficient way."

Orochimaru quickly settled on a plan.

He needed partners.

He would provide the technology.

As for raw materials and processing... within the village, the Nara clan was skilled in medicinal herb cultivation, while the Aburame clan was proficient in the breeding and utilization of various insects. Their clan lands surely contained many unique biological resources that could serve as raw material sources for the skincare products.

As for the venue and sales channels... naturally, the official Konoha administration was the most convenient choice. With the support of the Third Hokage, everything would go much more smoothly.

A few days later, the Hokage office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the several exquisite porcelain bottles placed before him, then glanced at the calm-faced Orochimaru, as well as the Nara Luchong (Nara Clan Head) and Aburame Zhijie (Aburame Clan Head) standing to the side with subtle expressions.

"Hoo~"

Nara Luchong took a deep breath; he hadn't expected the Third Hokage to summon them for something like this.

He picked up a porcelain bottle from the table, opened it, and took a sniff; a refined, herbal fragrance wafted out.

"This product is formulated from special herbs and biological extracts, possessing certain whitening, moisturizing, and anti-wrinkle effects."

Orochimaru nodded and replied.

"And the... results?"

Nara Luchong adjusted his glasses, his eyes flashing with shrewd light behind the lenses.

Orochimaru didn't speak, merely giving a signal.

An Anbu ninja standing by immediately stepped forward, took a small amount of the cream, and gently applied it to the back of his own rough hand, which was exposed to the elements year-round.

In just a few moments, the skin where the cream had been applied became visibly more delicate and hydrated, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding skin.

"Hiss!"

Nara Luchong and Aburame Zhijie both stared, wide-eyed.

This effect... wasn't it a bit too immediate?!

"What about the cost?"

Nara Luchong immediately pressed, his tone somewhat hurried.

Based on this point alone, he had already caught the scent of a massive business opportunity!

If this thing were to be promoted, let alone Konoha, women across the entire world would likely go crazy for it!

"The cost is not high; it mainly involves some relatively common medicinal herbs and secretions from insects that require special cultivation.

I will provide the specific formula and production process."

"I have already communicated the cooperation method with the teacher."

"I will provide the core technology and the formula."

"The Nara clan will be responsible for cultivating the herbs and providing some of the raw materials, while the Aburame clan will be responsible for providing the special biological materials and assisting with processing."

"The village will provide the production site and be responsible for sales channels and brand promotion."

"We can discuss the profit distribution further."

Orochimaru said indifferently. According to his plan, this product would be divided into two production lines.

The low-end version would be aimed at the general public; its effects would be slightly weaker, but it would rely on high-volume sales with thin profit margins.

The other version would be aimed at wealthy kunoichi and noble ladies, such as the wives of feudal lords.

"No problem! Our Nara clan agrees to the cooperation!"

Nara Luchong made the decision almost without hesitation.

Are you kidding?

This was practically a pie falling from the sky!

With the intellect of the Nara clan, how could they not see the terrifying profits contained within?

With this business, they wouldn't have to worry about the development of their clan for the next few decades!

"Our Aburame clan agrees as well."

Seeing that the Nara clan head had agreed, Aburame Zhijie also nodded.

The Nara clan had always been known for their wisdom; agreeing so readily meant that this cooperation was extremely favorable for them.

Moreover, looking at the contract, they only needed to help raise insects as biological materials, which was not difficult for the Aburame clan.

"Very good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with satisfaction.

That Orochimaru could take the initiative to share such a large profit with the village and other clans made him very gratified.

It seemed that although this child was obsessed with research, he was not without a sense of the bigger picture.

A smile also appeared on Orochimaru's face.

Although his share of the profits would be reduced significantly this way, the advantage was that it saved him worry and effort.

He only needed to provide the technology, and then he could sit back and wait for the money to roll in.

With this stable and massive source of funding, his subsequent research plans could proceed smoothly.

For a long time to come, he would no longer need to worry about the issue of money.

Under One Person, Zhuge Village.

In a simple and ancient Quiet Meditation room, sandalwood incense curled, and light filtered through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on the floor.

"In the cultivation of a warlock, the most important thing is a calm mind."

Zhuge Gong sat cross-legged on a cushion, looking at his eight-year-old son, Zhuge Qing, who was also sitting cross-legged opposite him, his face filled with irrepressible pride.

"If the mind is not calm, the qi will not condense, let alone sensing heaven and earth or manipulating Wuhou Qimen!"

He stroked his chin and continued:

"Which child from an ordinary family isn't jumping around like a monkey?

They have to wait until they are in their teens, when their temperament has settled slightly, before they can even reach the threshold of practicing this Quiet Meditation."

"But you, kid, you're only eight and you can already calm your heart. This talent, tsk tsk..."

"So, starting today, I will officially pass on to you the secret of our Zhuge family—Wuhou Qimen!"

Zhuge Gong shook his head, his tone quite smug.

After all, with his own son being so talented, he, as a father, felt very honored.

"Wuhou Qimen..."

Zhuge Qing's eyes lit up, unable to hide the excitement within them.

It's here!

Finally, I am about to come into contact with the supernatural power system of this world!

In his view, the so-called Quiet Meditation was actually quite similar to the state of high focus he pursued when conducting scientific research in his past life.

By using specific breathing rhythms and mental guidance, he could cast aside all those messy, distracting thoughts and sharpen his concentration.

In psychological terms, it was about training his ability to actively enter a state of "flow."

For someone like him who loved to learn, the entry-level requirements were not particularly difficult.

What he was truly looking forward to was what came after Quiet Meditation—Wuhou Qimen!