"Huh?" Jiraiya stared at the lump of dirt in Hiruzen's hand, completely baffled.
Since when did Mount Myoboku produce something like this?
He was part of Mount Myoboku too, so how the hell had he never heard about it?
Orochimaru and Tsunade looked just as confused.
Clearly, they had no idea what was going on either.
Hiruzen pinched the dirt clod between his fingers, letting a sprinkle of grit fall across the table.
Jiraiya pressed a fingertip into the powder, lifted it to his nose, and sniffed. Only after checking again and again did he finally say, "Sensei… this is literally just dirt, isn't it?"
"It's dirt." Hiruzen nodded. "But we're going to sell dirt at the price of gold. Maybe several times the price of gold."
Jiraiya scratched his head. "Sensei… I mean, yeah, a lot of nobles are pretty dumb, but they're not dumb enough for that, right?"
Hiruzen chuckled.
"We're shinobi who command Chakra. We hold the most cutting-edge technology in the shinobi world. And when it comes to biological medicine, we've got an advantage so far ahead it might as well be a cliff."
"Even if the raw materials are cheap, once technology gives it an irreplaceable scarcity value, pairs it with precisely matched effects, and adds a premium tied to identity… turning stone into gold isn't hard at all."
"This is pricing by technology, not by cost."
The moment "technology" entered the conversation, Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
And this was exactly the kind of project Hiruzen had chosen after doing deep research.
It wasn't that he underestimated the heroes of the world.
Kumogakure's taijutsu. Iwagakure's Dust Release. Kirigakure's bloodlines. Sunagakure's puppet techniques. Every village had its own specialties, and it wasn't like they were incapable of innovation.
But their strengths were almost all military.
When it came to medicine tied to civilian life, their development was basically nonexistent.
Compared to Konoha, which had been building its biological research from the Second Hokage's era onward, they simply couldn't compete.
And on top of that, Konoha had two geniuses in biomedicine, Tsunade and Orochimaru, plus the Nara and Akimichi clans, who already had a foundation in medicine and pharmaceuticals.
Monopolizing the "noble health" market wouldn't be difficult.
Hiruzen continued, "So what do nobles want most?"
"Nothing more than a healthy body so they can keep their privileges going, and a status symbol they can show off to others. If we cover those needs, we won't have to worry about them not throwing money at us."
"The effect doesn't need to be dramatic. As long as they feel something right away, and we sell it with the right pitch, they'll pay."
"That immediate sensation represents 'it works.' And the gentle long-term effect isn't 'weak,' it's slow nourishment, it's strengthening the foundation, it's a design language that screams 'no side effects.' It actually looks even more high class…"
Orochimaru nodded slightly.
It sounded a lot like the kind of lines he used when he was stringing his subordinates along.
Tsunade's eyes brightened. "I think I get what you're saying, sensei!"
This was the sort of thing Tsunade had done before.
Because she loved gambling, she sometimes racked up huge debts at casinos. Some nobles would seize that chance, pay off what she owed, and then ask her to treat them.
Others would take the opportunity to beg for medicine. Tsunade would use medical ninjutsu to patch them up a little, then pinch a mud pill together at random, and the noble would still be so grateful they'd hand over silver like it was nothing.
Jiraiya had complained about it more than once.
He was Konoha's workhorse and a novelist, but his money-making speed wasn't even in the same league as Tsunade's.
"The specifics of the effects, you two can put your heads together and study in detail," Hiruzen said. "I'm giving you the general direction."
"The core is building a purchasing cycle. All that stuff I mentioned about the First, the Second, the three sage regions, that's meant to bind the nobles' premium needs."
Orochimaru let out a dark little smile. "That fits how nobles think perfectly…"
"If we can find a lot of cheap materials that still sound impressive, that's even better." Hiruzen smiled. "Like harmless snake scales. Leave one or two pieces uncrushed on purpose, and the nobles will think the product is made with real ingredients."
"Konoha's reputation for having once been glorious, plus the resources of the three sage regions, we have to use them."
He pointed at himself. "I'm a living advertisement too."
"Even if other hidden villages try to copy us later, with that moat, they still won't be able to compete. Of course, that also depends on your medicine being good enough to hit the nobles where it hurts."
"Keep raw material costs as low as possible. We're here to make money, not to break our backs for them."
Jiraiya nodded like he half understood, then blurted, "I don't know about the rest, but Mount Myoboku has this kind of toad oil that helps with… you know… boosting yang. I've been taking it the whole time…"
"There's so much piled up behind the mountain it's basically firewood. The boss lady dumped a ton on me…"
Tsunade gave him a disgusted look. "You look pretty sturdy, but wow… I didn't expect you to be like that."
"Hey, this is health maintenance! I'm not sick!" Jiraiya's face went bright red instantly, and he started sputtering as he tried to defend his dignity.
"Enough, idiot. How exactly are you planning to prove it? This isn't a bathhouse."
Orochimaru laughed a little too loudly. "I'll give you credit for that. Negotiating Mount Myoboku's endorsement should be no problem for you, right?"
After Jiraiya gave an emphatic nod, Orochimaru continued, "Ryuchi Cave has tons of shed snakeskin. It's good for calming the nerves. Perfect for wasting on nobles."
"As for Shikkotsu Forest, I don't know what kind of 'scrap' you could use… since every slug is basically part of the Great Sage's body."
Tsunade laughed. "Honestly, whether it's really from the three sage regions doesn't matter. What matters is using waste materials, not burning too many medical resources, and still producing the pill, right?"
"Sensei, don't worry about that. Nobles without Chakra can't handle the kind of medicine shinobi use," Tsunade said, her thoughts branching out. "That's an advantage in cost, but it's also a technical hurdle. We'll have to adjust it to what their bodies can endure."
Hiruzen nodded at Tsunade in approval.
As expected, she was a specialist. Say one line and she got it.
"For the base of the pill, we can reference the Akimichi clan's Spinach Pill," Tsunade said, already brainstorming out loud. "And the Nara clan's calming drink is pretty good too…"
"This time, Tsunade and Orochimaru, you two lead it," Hiruzen said. "And take this cooperation with the Akimichi and Nara seriously."
"Tsunade, I know you've always wanted to form a medical unit, but you also know a purely medical ninja in a three-man team just isn't realistic."
"Not everyone has your talent. Combat ability and medical skill at the same time."
Tsunade sighed and nodded.
She knew her idea back then had come from a good place, but it didn't fit reality.
If two three-man teams fought, and the medical ninja lacked firepower and also needed protection, they'd obviously end up at a disadvantage.
The shinobi world didn't have the concept of a "tank." There was almost no situation where someone could heal and soak damage at the same time. It was all dodging and mobility.
"Once the project officially starts, I'll support you. The village medical department will train one member from every squad, and every Jonin will receive village first-aid instruction."
Tsunade grinned wide. "That's perfect! Leave it to me, old man!"
"Orochimaru, you handle the pricing," Hiruzen continued, assigning tasks. "Be clear about one thing. We're only targeting high nobles. We can't pull too many shinobi into this project and disrupt normal village operations."
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Orochimaru nodded. Shinobi were combat assets at their core, and precious medical ninja were needed to keep the village hospital running day to day.
It was impossible to spare huge manpower to make medicine for nobles.
A target group of high nobles meant fewer customers, higher prices, and less labor spent. It also fit the logic of a "three sage regions jointly endorsed" pill.
Scarcity was an essential piece of the project.
Orochimaru was already thinking that if the pill built a reputation, they could even use it to infiltrate enemy daimyo courts and collect intelligence from the heart of hostile territory.
No need to dig deliberately. A few tiny clues could reveal a lot.
said slowly.
"Not just to squeeze funds out of nobles. The techniques that come out of this partnership, optimized ingredients and dosages, reinforced functions, they might be transferable to military use too."
"Special-effect Food Pills. Stimulants that keep you sharp. Painkillers…"
"You need to build a higher strategic view. This is military technology pre-research and iteration. Aim for one research investment, two-way returns."
He paused. "For example, that medical tag you mentioned before. As far as I know, the difficulty is storing medical Chakra and releasing it slowly, right?"
Tsunade nodded. Sensei really did know a lot.
"Yes. Compared to a Paper Bomb releasing fire-nature Chakra in an explosive burst, making a medical tag… both the 'slow release' and the 'storage' are hard."
Hiruzen smiled. "If we can successfully take over 'noble health,' then I don't think the medical tag is far away."
"Once our pill wins the approval of high nobles, their retainers will naturally develop the same demand."
"And the people closest to them are their women."
Tsunade looked at Hiruzen, confused. What did that have to do with anything?
"Break the medical tag down," Hiruzen said patiently. "First solve the smallest unit: storage and slow-release technology for medical Chakra. Use it to satisfy noble ladies' needs."
"In other words… cosmetics."
"And then the returning funds go back into research for the military…"
Noblewomen, even though their status was tightly bound to their husbands, didn't lack spending power.
In a feudal system, a noblewoman's appearance and beauty were a man's power on display. It was proof of strength to the outside world, a necessary expense for maintaining family prestige and personal authority.
It was the same kind of spending as renovating an estate or outfitting ceremonial processions.
And for the women themselves, beauty raised their value in marriage alliances, just like strength did for shinobi.
So if there was a "miracle cosmetic" that could keep them youthful and stunning, those noble ladies would not hesitate to pour out silver.
Tsunade's eyes widened in realization. "Forget noblewomen. Even plenty of female shinobi have asked me about staying young…"
"Exactly." Hiruzen nodded. "Projects like this, small but valuable, not too labor-intensive, and easily convertible between civilian and military use. Once it's running, the benefits to the village will be enormous."
Tsunade slapped the table, then brought her other hand down hard on Orochimaru's shoulder. "We've gotta do this right, the two of us!"
Orochimaru's face darkened. This woman never knew her own strength. Still, he forced a smile. "Of course…"
He was just as eager for that endless stream of cash in the future.
Research, jutsu improvement, development, unless you got lucky once in a while, most of it required mountains of manpower and resources.
"So what am I doing, sensei?" Jiraiya pointed at himself.
"As for you…" Hiruzen considered. "I hear you write books. How are they selling?"
Jiraiya's face drooped. "Not that great… but I believe they'll be bestsellers someday!"
"Aren't those anonymous romance short stories you wrote getting a lot of attention?" Orochimaru's expression turned teasing. "Why not switch tracks? Serious stuff doesn't suit you…"
"Wait, Snake, how do you know what I wrote?" Jiraiya bristled like an angry cat. "Are you in love with me? You're spying on my privacy!"
Everyone knew one of the most humiliating moments for a novelist was having friends and family read what they wrote.
"Don't underestimate my intelligence network," Orochimaru said, lifting a brow mysteriously. "Anyway, I think you've got real talent in this. Write our pill and cosmetics into your stories. It'll help publicity a lot."
Jiraiya eyed him suspiciously. "Do I really have talent? Honestly, I think what I write sounds fake."
He sneaked a glance at Tsunade. "I've never even been in a relationship…"
"No, you have, Jiraiya."
Hiruzen's eyes gleamed, encouraging him. "Because you've never dated, you can fantasize about that beauty with the kind of sci-fi longing ordinary people can't match."
"Do what Orochimaru said, Jiraiya. Sensei is looking forward to you becoming a famous romance novelist across the shinobi world…"
Jiraiya grimaced. "That doesn't sound like a compliment, sensei!"
"But if it's for the village, then I'll just have to sacrifice my literary genius…" In the blink of an eye, Jiraiya went from depressed to confident. "I'll get famous through romance first, build a fanbase, help the village, and then I'll write serious literature and become a true master!"
"Yep. That's the plan!"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
Even in the shinobi world, did novels and authors have that kind of snobbery chain?
Reality really was brutal…
"I need a pen name…" Jiraiya muttered to himself. "Let's see, what sounds good…"
"Golden Toad of Mount Myoboku, Heaven-Shaking Sage of Earth-Splitting Might? The Wandering Ink Sage Who Drifts Through the Mortal World?"
"You're past the age for that, Jiraiya," Hiruzen said, waving a hand in disgust. "At this rate, won't you corrupt your student, my grand-student?"
"I think you should go with… Young Jiraiya."
Jiraiya blinked. "That name's not bad… it actually sounds pretty pure. Kinda fits me…"
"I'll handle the daimyo. You handle the research and development," Hiruzen said, his tone steady.
"For Konoha, Team Sarutobi is reuniting. Let's work hard together."
Hiruzen held out his hand. Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya hesitated for a beat, then understood and stacked their hands on top of his.
When they were kids, they used to do this all the time.
"Team Sarutobi, let's go!"