One Hundred Million Ryō a Year

"What, me?"

Orochimaru stared in surprise. Recalling the way Uchiha Makoto had just scrutinized him, he silently took half a step back and unconsciously clenched.

Friends who often dealt with the Uchiha knew that after their Sharingan evolved, their personalities often underwent changes, large or small...

Could it be that Uchiha Makoto...

At that thought, Orochimaru swallowed. Surely this man had not set his sights on his modified body, whose flexibility had been pushed to the limit?

"What are you afraid of now?"

Uchiha Makoto frowned, glaring at Orochimaru with an unhappy expression.

Orochimaru inwardly cursed. This bastard truly had ill intentions. Yet he still forced himself to remain calm and said coldly, "Heh, why should I be afraid?"

Seeing Orochimaru's reaction only irritated Uchiha Makoto further. He snorted, his eyes instantly shifting into the Mangekyō Sharingan as he rewarded him with a genjutsu.

"Genjutsu: Sharingan!"

Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply. He tried to resist, only to find that the instant he moved, his entire body had completely stiffened.

Orochimaru had not yet used Impure World Reincarnation, so his soul was still intact. Besides, this was merely a basic Sharingan genjutsu.

"Y-you... what do you want?"

Orochimaru's voice trembled slightly, and he clenched even harder. Was the pure body he had preserved for decades about to be "given over to a single rod" today?

Uchiha Makoto stared at him with his Sharingan and said softly, "I'm very curious what you're afraid of..."

"I'm afraid that after saying all this, you're coveting my body."

Orochimaru's blank voice stabbed deeply into Uchiha Makoto's heart.

No, man... do you have some kind of serious illness? I'm coveting your body? Is that even something a human being would say?

Uchiha Makoto gritted his teeth, veins bulging across his forehead as he spoke to the restored Orochimaru. "How can you slander my innocence out of thin air?!"

Orochimaru turned his head away, avoiding Uchiha Makoto's gaze. In the end, he said nothing.

Watching this scene, Uchiha Makoto's speechlessness was written all over his face. He even began to laugh.

"Orochimaru, you truly are worthy of being Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple!"

He had always thought only Jiraiya had inherited Hiruzen Sarutobi's essence. Who would have thought Orochimaru had grasped its spirit as well?

If the Uchiha did not have so few researchers, if he did not distrust the people he had elsewhere in the shinobi world, and if Orochimaru's research ability were not so outstanding...

Otherwise, he truly wanted to chop him down with a single slash right now!

In that instant, Uchiha Makoto thought of many things.

He thought of Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation, Orochimaru's Reverse: Dead Demon Consuming Seal, and Orochimaru's cursed seal, whose function was virtually identical to a "Karma"...

Finally, after considering Orochimaru's outstanding achievements, Uchiha Makoto managed to calm himself.

"Remember this, Orochimaru. Don't insult my noble character with those suspicious eyes of yours!"

Hearing the inexplicably emotional note in Uchiha Makoto's voice, Orochimaru hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"My Shadow Clone Technique doesn't have much chakra left. Let's keep this short."

Just as Orochimaru was about to reply, Uchiha Makoto's words left him instantly stunned.

A Shadow Clone Technique?

A mere shadow clone had used nothing but a low-level genjutsu to utterly grind him into the dirt?

So this was the same pair of eyes possessed by the legendary Madara Uchiha...

The Mangekyō Sharingan?

Ignoring Orochimaru's chaotic thoughts, Uchiha Makoto continued.

"Your talents have been greatly restricted by the research environment in Konoha. Join us, and we can provide you with better conditions, allowing you to fully display your abilities!"

"And there is one thing I can guarantee you. None of the research you conduct after joining me will be for war. We do not want war, nor will we start one."

Uchiha Makoto delivered the pitch he had prepared in advance. He secretly glanced at Orochimaru, and seeing that he had no further objections, he nodded to himself.

Although people in the shinobi world had a peculiar love for war, most shinobi still longed for a peaceful life.

Orochimaru, who had lost his beloved disciple in the Second Shinobi World War, was clearly among them.

"So long as you do not cross the relevant bottom lines, I will not interfere excessively in your daily life."

"Do you understand, Orochimaru?"

"Of course, if you have any other requests, you may raise them. I can accommodate them as appropriate."

Uchiha Makoto looked calmly at Orochimaru, anticipation glimmering in his eyes.

Orochimaru remained silent, weighing the pros and cons.

Uchiha Makoto's actions had undoubtedly piqued his curiosity, and Uchiha Makoto had surely made thorough preparations.

Otherwise, he would not have spoken so candidly to him.

At last, he raised his head and looked at Uchiha Makoto with a complicated expression. "I can join, but I have one condition."

"What condition?"

Uchiha Makoto asked.

"You must provide me with sufficient funding, and I must have full authority over my research."

Orochimaru's tone was resolute.

"Having full authority over the research you're responsible for is a small matter. I agree."

"As for research funding..."

As Uchiha Makoto's voice slowed, Orochimaru's heart rose into his throat.

Research funding was the lifeblood of scientific work. Without sufficient funding, even he could not cook a meal without rice.

At last, beneath Orochimaru's eager gaze, Uchiha Makoto slowly spoke.

"Let's start with the base funding. I'll give you one hundred million ryō a year. If I assign you any research projects, there will be additional research funds of an unspecified amount. You can also report any related issues directly to me at any time. How does that sound?"

Facing Orochimaru's gleaming eyes, Uchiha Makoto spoke with a smile.

Times had changed. In the past, the Uchiha had always represented arrogance, rudeness, and insolence in the shinobi world.

But the flourishing growth of Uchiha commerce over the past few years had greatly changed that impression.

Konoha Catering, Konoha Second Hospital, Uchiha Ninja Tool Shop, and other enterprises had combined to form the Uchiha Consortium, powerful enough to influence the daimyō of every nation.

Together with the mining industry the Uchiha had managed for generations, the Uchiha Clan, whose wealth had now doubled, had gained another label: affluent.

It was precisely because of this robust economic foundation that Uchiha Makoto dared offer Orochimaru the extravagant annual salary of one hundred million ryō.

An ordinary S-rank mission only paid one million ryō!

One hundred million ryō was enough to issue one hundred S-rank missions!

Sure enough, after Uchiha Makoto finished describing those generous terms, Orochimaru's breathing grew noticeably heavier.

"Deal!"

It was no wonder Orochimaru agreed so eagerly.

After all, for all the research he had done over the past few years, excluding machinery and equipment, the rest of the funding combined might not even have totaled one hundred million ryō!

The corners of Orochimaru's mouth lifted. He was clearly extremely satisfied with the terms.

"Good. Then, farewell!"

Uchiha Makoto nodded in satisfaction. Before his words had even faded, he dispelled the shadow clone.