Traveling through three generations: Making Konoha great again!

Hiruzen Sarutobi examined the pills closely.

Classic ninja practical and rugged style.

Although it's clear that everyone has tried their best to make it meticulous.

For example, the surface was polished to a certain extent, and some snake scale elements were added in accordance with Hiruzen Sarutobi's previous intention.

But it's still not quite there.

"Is there anything else that needs to be adjusted, Master?" Orochimaru asked earnestly. "In terms of efficacy, I am confident that I can make these nobles indispensable and generate continuous demand."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a while.

The chakra gathered and coalesced into a rectangular rock box.

"Go get some dry ice, a few colored pens, and a scalpel. You should have all of those, right?"

"Yes, I have everything." Orochimaru said with a smile, "Teacher, please feel free to ask. I've spent all the funding in the lab without hesitation."

His lab, which Jiraiya jokingly referred to as a giant treasure trove, could be found there, whether it was related to scientific research or seemingly unrelated...

"You brat, no need for such nitpicking explanations..." Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed and scolded.

He is not Danzo Shimura and cannot understand financial statements.

Even if he has some shortcomings, he still has a professional team like Nara by his side.

"Give me another piece of quartz."

"Understood, teacher!" Orochimaru replied, quickly fetching the items that Hiruzen Sarutobi had used.

Quartz is an excellent and inexpensive insulator, making it ideal for testing lightning strikes.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is holding a small knife.

Although he didn't have much expertise in carving, he had a foundation in physical skills and hand seals, making him extremely accurate.

Chakra slowly permeated the quartz, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's sword flashed, transforming the quartz into the shape he envisioned.

It's not difficult; it's essentially a manual "carved dog head on a mud wall".

The quartz raw material was processed and transformed into a crystal-clear rectangular box.

The inside of the box lid is engraved with mountains and flowing water, creating a classical atmosphere, and also features a leaf icon.

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the pill and did a similar treatment, carving out patterns of a toad, a snake, and a slug in three equal parts, each occupying a different area.

Then, a creamy white pigment was applied to the surface of the pill to make the snake scales inside curl slightly and slightly reveal the surface.

Dry ice is filled into the box.

The way everyone was looking at the packaging had changed...

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a new pill and chewed it.

The drug's effects were essentially negligible for his constitution, but the problem lay in its taste.

"It's alright. If the flavor could be achieved by first being bitter and then sweet, this contrast would create a sophisticated psychological suggestion..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the box and held it up to the laboratory lights.

Instantly, wisps of mist drifted out of the box, and the three pills inside glowed, their patterns so lifelike that they truly seemed to be products from a sacred land…

"Isn't this much more expensive?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a smile.

"I have faith in your products and technology, but you need to work on the packaging. It's about capturing a sense of sophistication and atmosphere."

"It may seem troublesome, as it's just making two sets of molds, but the emotional value it generates is immense..."

Akimichi Torifu stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi in astonishment.

Old classmate, no wonder you became Hokage, you're just full of tricks!

Nara Kashiyama, who was standing nearby, suddenly brightened up and suggested, "Third Hokage, how about adding a touch of fragrance? The Yamanaka clan's flower shop has many elegant designs..."

"Excellent suggestion, Shikayama," Hiruzen Sarutobi praised. "We should join in!"

Tsunade clicked her tongue in amazement. Before the modification, the pill looked like it weighed a thousand taels, but after this drastic change, it looked like it weighed ten thousand taels!

"Teacher, you've thought of everything!" Orochimaru nodded slightly. "I understand your thoughts..."

"How are the costs under control? Can you achieve sustainability?" Hiruzen Sarutobi continued to ask.

Orochimaru pondered:

"Even with the packaging included, a gross profit margin of nearly 85% is not a problem... You can rest assured about sustainability, as we have sources from both the Akimichi and Nara clans, and these are relatively common materials in the ninja world."

"We've already negotiated with the three holy sites, and there are no problems."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "Shikayama, Torifu, I, as the Hokage, have seen the sincerity of your two clans in bringing out their family secrets."

"The village will not treat any member with the will of fire unfairly. You will be responsible for supplying raw materials. Deliver them at the centralized purchase price as usual, without any special discounts."

"The processing will also be handled by you, Pig-Deer-Butterfly. The craft is not complicated, and it will be a good job for those of you in your tribe who lack talent."

"But the vetting process must be carried out effectively, and only those from respectable families with clean records and reliable character should be selected."

Akimichi Torifu and Nara Kazan exchanged a glance.

The Third Generation Lord is truly a kind and honest man!

"Thank you, Hokage-sama! The Ino-Shika-Cho trio will definitely do their job well! As for the raw materials..." Nara Shikayama and Akimichi Torifu exchanged a glance and said:

"We will make money, but please ask Ino-Shika-Cho to give some of their profits to the village."

Akimichi Torifu said in a gruff voice, "Hiruzen, this money is too hot for us to handle!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled to himself.

That's really clever.

The Hokage pursed his lips, seemingly moved, and patted the two of them heavily on the shoulders.

"Orochimaru, I have another idea. Do you see any technical problems with it?"

"Teacher, please speak."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly said, "Add trace amounts of substances to the formula that have no practical effect but obvious detection characteristics to guide those who want to reverse engineer the product away from the right path."

"Although we have the backing of the Holy Land and the predecessors of Konoha, making it impossible for them to compete with us, we must have a long-term vision. If other hidden villages want to imitate us in the future, it would be good to set them up as a stumbling block."

Orochimaru stroked his chin: "That's very meaningful, teacher! But in this respect..."

He looked at Tsunade.

Tsunade affirmed, "I'll take care of it, old man."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very pleased.

His three disciples each played a role…

No, what about Jiraiya?

"Who is it then?"

Although it wasn't explicitly stated who it was, Tsunade and Orochimaru instantly deduced from the tone of the voice that Hiruzen Sarutobi was asking about Jiraiya.

This is the tacit understanding between master and apprentice.

Tsunade rolled her eyes: "They just delivered the oil and ran off, saying they were going to create a masterpiece and become the world's greatest novelist..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and chuckled.

If this kid can't write anything, I could at least give him a start...

—Chapter One, Young Azi.

"You've wanted this for a long time, haven't you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a scroll from his robes and handed it to Orochimaru: "The Second Hokage's analysis of the soul is very insightful. You have good taste, kid. Some of your techniques could be improved..."

A glint of light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

Hey, is the teacher researching these things too?

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi was also observing Orochimaru's reaction.

Sure enough, his apprentice was secretly researching techniques related to the soul.

"When you have some free time, come chat with me about your experiences and insights, let's learn and grow together..."

Orochimaru's heart skipped a beat: "Then I'll thank you in advance for your guidance, teacher!"

The master and apprentice looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

#

Ten days later.

Shimura Danzo, who was gathering intelligence near Kumogakure, was organizing the information gathered from his contacts, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light:

"Hiruzen was right! Those beasts from Kumogakure really can't control their tailed beasts! They nearly went berserk more than once..."

"Let's go, get back to Konoha at all costs!"