"I never use any skincare products—this is all natural!"
Ye Cang raised her chin proudly. As a kunoichi of the Scorch Release, she, Ye Cang, would never rely on those frivolous things.
"That's a shame… No, I mean, it's a shame there aren't better skincare products," Tamura Hao said with a tinge of regret. If something like that truly existed, it could make a fortune. He could easily market it to the wealthy aristocrats of the Five Great Nations.
"But then again, you're right. If skincare with real results existed, those nobles would've monopolized the market long ago. There'd be no room left for us."
"If you want to make money off beauty," Hao mused, "start with medical ninjutsu—especially the Yin Seal. You don't even need an ambassador. Just look at Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade-hime of the Legendary Sannin, with her eternally youthful appearance thanks to chakra-enhanced regeneration, was the epitome of beauty through medical ninjutsu. Hao felt nothing but envy for her prowess—and her Yin Seal.
"I won't keep you. You must be heading to the Raikage Building," he said, ending the small talk.
There was no point in talking more with these three visitors—Ye Cang, Karura, and Rasa. His own strength was still too lacking, and he could do little even with clever ideas.
Still, Hao eyed the trio thoughtfully. Their presence was a signal—a ripple in the destined plotline. To awaken his golden finger and gain strength, he had to change the flow of fate. These three were ideal targets.
Take Karura for instance: If he could prevent her death, or even eliminate Rasa before he fathered Gaara, he could alter the future of the Sand siblings and shift Ye Cang's tragic end. It would definitely generate enormous karmic feedback for cultivation.
"That boy—is he a genius from Kumogakure?"
Rasa, quiet until now, finally spoke, watching Hao leave.
The boy's closeness with A, son of the Third Raikage, was telling. No ordinary ninja would be so casual with such a figure.
"Ahao? His talent as a ninja is just average," A replied, shaking his head slightly. "But he's… interesting. I think it'd be fun to be his friend."
Of course, A wouldn't reveal sensitive details to foreign shinobi, even to high-ranking envoys from Sunagakure.
He'd known Hao for a while, but hadn't approached him earlier because of the diplomatic guests. If Hao hadn't looked over first, A wouldn't have spoken.
In truth, Hao's chakra capacity was indeed limited. A wasn't lying. Even if his comprehension and perseverance were superb, his innate chakra pool was underwhelming.
The three Suna nin didn't seem to care. Strength, not talk, determined status in the shinobi world. Without talent, one couldn't reach the top—especially with another war looming.
A felt a tinge of frustration. Hao had the heart and mind of a great ninja, but his chakra bottleneck held him back. Secret clan medicines could help slightly, but not enough.
To truly overcome it, they'd need a different approach. But what?
Elsewhere, Tamura Hao wandered briefly before heading home. He resumed practicing his Lightning Release chakra nature transformation while waiting for the mysterious figure from last time.
After assimilating several Sharingan, the image of Kaguya in his spiritual space now bore a three-tomoe Sharingan on her forehead. If he could acquire a proper Uzumaki-style tailed beast sealing technique, he might even gain direct access to her ocular powers.
At the very least, he could use the Sharingan's dynamic vision enhancements.
The tailed beast sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan were unique: they didn't just imprison the beast but allowed chakra to circulate between the jinchūriki and their tenant, forming a bridge for power-sharing—crucial for achieving "perfect" jinchūriki status.
Hao needed such a method to link himself with Kaguya's phantom, enabling him to borrow her power continuously.
To acquire it, he'd need to tip off Danzō Shimura—an act that would set the wheels in motion.
Still, Hao didn't lock himself indoors all day. He often went out for meals or to spar with his teacher, Fukai. His actual combat skills still needed polishing, but his golden finger's assistance drastically shortened the learning curve—so much that even Fukai was shocked.
That evening, while strolling through the village's bustling snack street, he heard a gentle voice.
"Miss Karura, you haven't left yet?"
Hao turned and saw Karura, with Rasa and Ye Cang at her side.
Surely, Kumo's Anbu were tailing them; foreign shinobi were never trusted blindly.
After all, shinobi villages were military entities brimming with secrets. Information warfare was at the heart of any ninja conflict.
"We're resting for a few days," Karura said kindly. Her soft tone and gentle demeanor were comforting to all who heard her.
"I understand completely. The journey from the Land of Wind to the Land of Lightning must've been harsh. You probably relied on soldier pills."
Hao's tone was polite and warm.
"Would you like to try some of our local delicacies? Lightning Country's beef and wine are famous. You could bring some jerky and sake back as gifts."
He remembered Karura—not just for being Gaara's mother, but because she was Yashamaru's sister.
Two of the greatest traps in the shinobi world were Haku and Yashamaru. Their androgynous beauty had fooled countless fans, including Hao's past-life self. He'd once double-checked on Baidu, only to spiral into existential doubt.
"We were thinking about that," Karura said with a smile that curled her eyes like crescents. She was indeed interested in the local goods.
The Land of Lightning was far from home, and everything here was fascinating and new.
"Do you have enough funds for this trip?" Hao asked. He didn't want any unnecessary drama.
He felt fond of Karura. The sight of her gentle, golden hair reminded him of the kind blonde kunoichi he once encountered at Root.
Blonde women always seemed gentle—except for a certain gambler he didn't want to name.
"Enough," said Rasa firmly. His confident tone left no room for doubt.
Hao nodded. In the previous world's fan analyses, Rasa was known as the one-man economy of Sunagakure, funding the village via his Gold Dust technique. It was truly extravagant ninjutsu.
"I see. As they say, you get what you pay for. Quality has a price." Hao smiled.
"Come on—I'll treat you to the best hotpot in Hidden Cloud. It'll be a feast you won't forget."
With a cheerful wave, Hao led the trio to his entertainment district.
It had all started with his investment in Xiaofei Niu Hotpot. Using knowledge from his previous life's culinary culture and hiring top kitchen-nin, Hao recreated a line of Chinese-style delicacies that quickly conquered the local food scene.
The hotpot's success funded expansion after expansion, all poured into the development of the entertainment district. Now, the food and leisure hub was nearly complete.