Inside the Root headquarters.
"Danzo, is this your research result?"
Danzo, his expression dark and brooding, examined the object in his hand, his brows furrowed and eyes sharp with scrutiny.
It was called a "result," but it didn't look particularly groundbreaking.
A small green vial filled with a liquid laced with unknown pale pink impurities.
"Danzo, this thing took me a long time to develop—it can greatly enhance the overall strength of Konoha's ninja forces."
"Don't underestimate it just because it looks simple—its creation required hundreds if not thousands of painstaking procedures."
Orochimaru, his pale face expressionless, spoke in a calm tone.
As he finished speaking, he withdrew another small green vial from his sleeve.
"This is a ninja weapon forged from the cells of the First Hokage. It possesses immense destructive power—I've named it the 'Konoha Bomb.'"
He channeled a wisp of chakra into the small green vial before tossing it toward an empty space nearby.
Hiss!
The glass shattered on impact, breaking into sharp pieces, as thick dark-green wooden trunks shot out like blades.
In an instant, the open area was transformed into a massive wooden spike sphere roughly five meters wide.
The spiked sphere was perfectly spherical, its trunk-tips razor-sharp, like countless sharpened weapons.
Due to the explosion's force, the ground had cracked open, revealing a gaping crater.
Its destructive power far surpassed that of standard explosive tags.
Danzo stared at the aftermath of the Konoha Bomb, his pupils slightly constricted.
He hadn't expected such a tiny object—one that emitted no detectable chakra whatsoever—to unleash such devastation.
Still, something felt off.
This wasn't exactly what he had ordered Orochimaru to research, was it?
"Orochimaru, your creation is indeed impressive, but it's not quite what I expected," Danzo said.
He had assigned Orochimaru to conduct human experimentation specifically for developing elite super-ninjas.
When did it turn into weapon development instead?
"Wrong? Don't you want to use the First's cells to enhance our ninjas' abilities and strengthen Konoha?"
"With the Konoha Bomb, the effect is the same—a single bomb given to a Genin can match or even surpass the destructive power of a Chunin or Jonin," Orochimaru explained proudly.
"Besides, using these bombs won't harm our own Konoha ninjas, nor will they draw opposition from the old man."
"Just imagine—if we spread these across the entire village, how much stronger our forces would become."
His words made perfect sense, making even Danzo feel intrigued.
Ninjas were tools—they should be ready to sacrifice themselves.
But if they didn't have to die, wouldn't that be better?
Constantly sacrificing his subordinates meant he always needed fresh replacements.
Plus, judging by the bomb's sheer devastation, it could take down most ninjas outright.
Don't let the spectacle of ninjas darting like the wind or conjuring fire and water illusions fool you.
They may be formidable attackers, but defensively, they're as fragile as paper.
Getting hit by a Konoha Bomb left little chance of survival.
"Danzo, how much does each unit cost to produce?"
At this question, Orochimaru lifted his head slightly, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes.
"If mass-produced, the production cost is extremely low—just half that of an Explosive Tag. Fifty silver coins will do."
"If you think the power is too weak, we can add some poison to it. That'll be eighty silver coins."
"If even that's not enough, we can upgrade it further for more money. A custom-built enhanced Konoha Bomb will cost two hundred silver coins."
"But this version requires special adjustments, so only I can make it when I have free time."
He presented the idea as his apprentice Satori Hyūga's.
The three-tiered Konoha Bombs were classified by power level and sold accordingly, with him maintaining full control over production.
In reality, each bottle cost only twenty silver coins to produce.
And that was before mass production—prices would drop even further once large-scale manufacturing began.
Just a small bottle plus some nutrient solution—the production costs were absurdly low.
Hearing how inexpensive they were, Danzō straightened his posture and immediately saw its potential.
Low-cost, mass-producible, and powerful—it seemed perfectly suited for Konoha ninjas' use.
With the Konoha Bomb, the overall combat effectiveness of Konoha ninja would significantly increase.
Even unranked ninja wielding Konoha Bombs could pose a threat to Chunin—or even Jonin.
He coughed lightly and said in a disinterested tone, "Your invention isn't bad. Produce some for testing first."
"I'll allocate fifty million silver coins first. Make some for trial usage."
"Of course, the Konoha Bomb isn't our final goal. My objective is to analyze and extract the Wood Release power from the Genes of the First, making it usable by us."
"I don't intend to let my investment go to waste."
Orochimaru gave a slight nod, disregarding Danzō as he cast his gaze downward and began mentally calculating.
Out of fifty million in funding—after deducting equipment purchases, setting up a custom production line, and other incidental costs—he estimated he'd still pocket around thirty million in profit.
Once everything ran smoothly, net profits could reach forty million.
This deal was undeniably profitable.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru recalled his apprentice Satori.
"Satori, you really are a born businessman."
Even his failed experiments could be rebranded and turned into profitable products.
No wonder he'd merged his meridian-targeting techniques with machinery to invent massage chairs and sell them.
Always came up with bizarre yet brilliant ideas, spotting opportunities others couldn't see.
Inside the Laboratory.
When Satori saw Orochimaru entering the corridor with an unusually cheerful expression, he immediately realized things must have gone well.
"Teacher, did it work?"
Orochimaru nodded and tossed him a scroll.
"This is the order I received from that old man Danzō. Prepare accordingly and find some suitable manufacturers."
"Eh? Me?" Satori blinked at the scroll in his hand.
"Of course it's you. Professors have their duties, so apprentices handle the work."
Satori reluctantly agreed with a frown. "Fine, I'll contact them."
He came here to study, so why was he always stuck doing chores?
Although contacting those rich merchants benefited him somehow, it still wasn't related to what he was studying at all.
Seeing his unwilling expression, Orochimaru patted his shoulder, saying, "Work hard—there'll be something in it for you once it's done."
"I'm off to conduct some snake experiments now. Since you don't like [Snake-Based Techniques] anyway, do me a favor and handle the arrangements. Just wait for your share of the money."
At the mention of snake experiments, Satori Hyūga instantly lost interest.
Orochimaru's promise of profit was far more enticing than those eerie and creepy snake-based experiments.
No matter where you were in the world, money always had immense allure.
With a large sum of cash, Satori might even unlock access to another money-driven figure—Kakuzu.
Previously, through Orochimaru's network, Satori had already made contact with several merchants.
This time around, negotiations and haggling flowed naturally and smoothly.
He expanded his connections while securing valuable resources.
After comparing several options, Satori chose a reputable merchant from the Land of Fire and placed an order for glass vials.
As for the [Nutrient Solution], he decided to purchase it within the Land of Rain.
...
Meanwhile, back at the lab...
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