A Change of Plans

"Over half a month! I thought you weren't coming back!"

Seeing Karn again, Tsunade finally relaxed after so long on edge. Then she gave him a moderately firm punch and complained, "Kushina's been asking about you nonstop, too. She's been so down lately. Since when did you two get so close?"

"Isn't it just that everyone else treats her badly? Kushina's always saying no one in her class wants to be friends with her. I'm just the best of a bad bunch, so it looks like we're close."

Karn shrugged as he explained, then returned to business.

"I brought some serum and experimental equipment back this time, but Tsunade, I have a request."

Tsunade had a bad feeling when she heard that, but she still asked, "What is it? As long as it's not unreasonable, I'll agree."

Karn smiled and told her, "That's great. It shouldn't be much trouble for you. Let's relocate the laboratory and build it outside Konoha."

"Why outside? We've already picked a site, and I-"

"It'll be safer outside. Please, Tsunade. I rarely ask you for anything. I also want to install a lock on the laboratory door. No one except authorized personnel will be allowed inside."

Karn was adamant. This was also a test of Tsunade. No matter how reassuring her words were, she was still a Konoha ninja. With a fingerprint lock and an iris lock, Karn would block every means of infiltration short of forcing their way in.

Tsunade frowned slightly. She knew the recent incident had made Karn wary, to the point that he might no longer want to enter Konoha at all. She sighed and agreed to his request.

"All right. I'll have Orochimaru build another underground laboratory later. By the way, I'd like him to take part in the project, too. That's fine, right?"

Karn had no objection. He had wanted Orochimaru involved from the start. "Of course. I'll have people help with the construction of the underground laboratory. We need better security, at least..."

If it was built with Earth Release alone, infiltrating it would be far too easy. At the very least, the walls, floor, and ceiling needed to be lined with another material, such as sheet metal. Before coming, Karn had already asked Kawaki Miwa to contact people. Once Orochimaru used Earth Release to lay the groundwork for the underground laboratory, a construction crew could handle the rest.

"I've also arranged for the death-row prisoners. There are thirty in the first batch, all being held in Kawaki Town. As for laboratory funding, just go straight to Nanami. After funding the Orphanage, the income from my dozen or so shops in Konoha should be enough to cover the experiments."

The more Tsunade heard, the more something felt wrong. Why did this sound like he was putting his affairs in order? Was he never going to visit Konoha again?

She hurriedly asked, "Hey, hey, are you never coming to Konoha again?"

"I'll still visit, but I'll leave as soon as my business is done. I'm an outsider, after all. Staying in Konoha isn't very safe."

Karn gave Tsunade a helpless look. "I hope you can understand. It won't affect the research on the Extremis Virus, though. I'll still deliver serum regularly."

"All right. I understand."

Tsunade answered helplessly, though she still couldn't accept it. He could have become a friend of Konoha, yet now he had been pushed to the point where he was afraid to even enter the village. It was almost laughable.

Then Karn took out several gifts and letters. The gifts were for Kushina, Yakushi Nonō, the Uchiha, Tsunade, and others. The letters were for Nanami, granting her a degree of autonomy and explaining that he would rarely visit Konoha in the near future.

Karn also had a reason for giving gifts to the Uchiha Clan. During his last encounter with the Cloud Ninja spies, the Konoha Military Police Force had been the first ninja to arrive apart from the ANBU lurking in the shadows. Although they had only been doing their duty, they had at least intimidated the other Cloud Ninja spies.

Tsunade merely grumbled in displeasure about him making her, a member of the Senju Clan, deliver gifts to the Uchiha.

Karn had been taking too much for granted. Putting all his eggs in one basket was foolish.

What merchant didn't trade goods across several countries? Doing business in just one country would earn him little more than a living at best. In particular, Konoha's medicine market was already nearing saturation, and purchases would no longer surge as they had before.

It was time for Karn to expand his business into other countries, and he already had a target.

He would use the Land of Waves as his base and springboard, then enter the Land of Water's market and establish ties with Kirigakure.

Come to think of it, when did the Blood Mist Policy begin? Surely the Third Mizukage didn't start it right after the Second Shinobi World War? If it hasn't begun yet, perhaps I could recruit some people with kekkei genkai...

Karn shook his head at the thought. It sounded simple, but carrying it out would be anything but easy. Ninja with kekkei genkai had their own clans. His chances of running into one who was disillusioned with both their clan and their village were far too slim.

Still, he could recruit plenty of other ninja. Not everyone could endure such oppression, especially a policy sustained by killing their comrades.

There's no point thinking about this now. I should investigate the situation first.

For now, Karn's main priority was waiting for the research on the Extremis Virus to succeed, which would greatly improve his chances of survival. Building a power base in the shinobi world and acquiring resources came second.

At first, he could earn money, then gradually move on to chakra metal. Eventually, even tailed beasts might not be out of reach.

Xia Chuan had been working hard in the Land of Waves for some time. With two Konoha chunin squads and more than twenty samurai guards at her side, her safety was assured. With no shortage of cash, she soon recruited a group of shipwrights and carpenters and purchased a shipyard.

She never forgot Karn's instructions. Shipping was the easiest industry to develop in the Land of Waves. Traveling by sea from the Land of Waves to either the Land of Hot Water or the Land of Lightning was faster than going overland.

The sea routes also led to the Land of Water, the Land of Rainbows, and other places. Once the shipping business was established, it would effectively give them a monopoly over a port's trade. Gato had built his business on a port, too.

Now that Karn was preparing to expand into other countries, he could have Xia Chuan return. She was from the Senju Clan, so she certainly wouldn't be targeted back home.

"Orochimaru, sorry to trouble you again. We're not using the original research facility anymore. We're moving it here."

After finding Orochimaru, Tsunade handed him a map and the plans for the research facility, then waved a hand and said, "As soon as possible, please. The sooner it's built, the sooner we can start our research. The serum, research equipment, and death-row test subjects are all ready."

"So far away. Heh... It seems this Karn is very wary of Konoha."

After examining the map, Orochimaru let out a hoarse chuckle. He didn't mind using a few Earth Release techniques; they wouldn't cost him much chakra. Things were simply getting more interesting.

"Tsunade, I'm afraid Teacher Sarutobi won't let this go. Prey can't pass right before a predator's jaws and expect to escape so easily. Until it has the prey in its mouth, the hunter won't give up."