Transmigrating as the Third Hokage: Make Konoha Great Again!

Jiraiya once made fun of Tsunade.

Despite being a model worker in Konoha and a novelist, he earns money much faster than Tsunade.

"You should meet up and study the specific effects in detail."

"What I'm giving you is the general outline."

"The core point is to establish a purchasing cycle. What I mean by the first generation, the second generation, the three holy lands, etc., are tied to the 'premium demand' of the nobility."

Orochimaru gave a sinister smile: "That's exactly what those nobles think..."

"If we could find plenty of cheap, high-profile materials, that would be ideal." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.

"For example, we can deliberately add one or two unbroken snake scales to make these nobles think that our products are made of high-quality materials."

"We must make use of the glorious reputation of Konoha's ancestors and the resources of the Three Holy Lands."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pointed to himself: "I'm a 'living advertisement' too!"

"Even if other hidden villages follow suit in the future, with this moat, they still won't be able to compete with us. Of course, this also requires that the medicines you produce can effectively address the pain points of these nobles."

"We need to keep the price of raw materials as low as possible. We're here to make money, not to actually work hard for them."

Jiraiya nodded as if he understood, and said, "I don't know about others, but there's a kind of toad oil from Mount Myōboku that's effective for boosting yang energy. I've been taking it..."

"That stuff was piled up on the back hill so much it was only good for burning, and the eldest sister gave me a lot..."

Tsunade gave Jiraiya a disdainful look: "You look pretty strong, I didn't expect you to be like this, sigh~"

"No, I'm just doing this for health maintenance, I'm not sick!" Jiraiya's face immediately turned bright red, and he hurriedly tried to defend his dignity.

"Alright, you idiot, how do you want to prove this isn't a bathhouse!"

Orochimaru laughed rather loudly: "I'll remember this favor. You should have no problem negotiating the recitation with Mount Myōboku, right?"

After receiving Jiraiya's affirmation, Orochimaru also said, "Ryuchi Cave has a large number of snake molts, which have a calming effect. It would be perfect to use them to feed those nobles."

"As for the Wet Bone Forest, I don't know what kind of waste materials can be utilized... After all, every slug is actually the original form of a great immortal."

Tsunade smiled and said, "Actually, whether it's from one of the Three Sacred Lands or not doesn't matter. What matters is that we can make this pill by utilizing waste materials without spending too many medical resources, right?"

"Teacher, there's no need to worry about that. Those nobles without chakra can't handle the drugs used by ninjas..." Tsunade's thoughts wandered.

"This is the advantage of cost-effective procurement, but it is also a technical challenge, and adjustments need to be made according to their affordability."

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Tsunade a thumbs up.

As expected, everyone has their own expertise; Tsunade grasped this concept immediately.

"If we're talking about pills, the Akimichi family's spinach pills could be a good option, and the Nara clan's calming drink is also quite good..." Tsunade's thoughts were wandering; she had already begun a brainstorming session.

"This time, Tsunade and Orochimaru, you two will take the lead. You must pay attention to this cooperation with Akimichi and Nara."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Tsunade, I know you've always wanted to form a medical team, but you also know that a pure medical ninja in a three-person team is unrealistic."

"Not everyone has your talent, possessing both combat prowess and medical abilities."

Tsunade sighed and nodded.

She knew that her suggestion when she was young was well-intentioned, but impractical.

In a clash between two three-person teams, if the medical ninja lacks firepower and also needs protection, then they will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.

After all, the concept of 'tank' doesn't exist in the ninja world. There's almost no situation where someone can heal while taking damage at the same time. It's more about dodging and mobility.

"Once the project is officially launched, I will support you in leading the medical department to select one member from each team and have each Jonin receive first aid training from the village."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade exclaimed, "That's great! Leave it to me, old man!"

"Orochimaru, you're in charge of pricing..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued assigning tasks: "To be clear, we are only targeting the noble families. We cannot use too many ninjas for this project, as it would disrupt the normal operation of the village."

Do you know what I mean?

Orochimaru nodded. Ninjas are essentially primarily combat-oriented, while precious medical ninjas are also used for the daily maintenance of hospitals.

It's impossible to allocate a large number of people to make medicines for these nobles.

Targeting a small, aristocratic demographic, with a higher price, would reduce the manpower required, which logically aligns better with the quality of this 'three holy lands co-branded' pill.

Scarcity is an indispensable part of this project.

Orochimaru even thought that if the pill successfully made a name for itself, it could be used to infiltrate the daimyo's residence in an enemy country and obtain information about the enemy's headquarters.

Without even making a special inquiry, a few clues can reveal a lot about the situation.

"You should take this opportunity to cooperate with Nara and Akimichi seriously."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly said:

"It's not just about getting funding from the nobility. Some of the technologies that your collaboration has developed, with targeted optimization of ingredients and dosages and enhanced functions, may very well be applicable to the military field."

"Special 'military ration pills,' medications with energizing and pain-relieving effects, etc..."

"We need to develop a higher strategic vision. This is about conducting preliminary research and iteration of military technology, and striving to achieve two-way technological benefits from a single R&D investment."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment: "For example, the medical talisman you mentioned before... As far as I know, the difficulty lies in storing and slowly releasing medical chakra, right?"

Tsunade nodded. "My teacher really knows a lot."

"Yes, compared to the explosive release of fire-attribute chakra in explosive tags, creating medical talismans is more difficult in terms of both 'slow release' and 'storage'."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile, "If we can successfully acquire 'Noble Health Care,' then I think the advent of 'Medical Talisman' won't be too far off."

"Once our pills gain the approval of these great nobles, their vassals will naturally have a demand for them."

"Closest to them are their women."

Tsunade looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a puzzled expression. What was the connection between the two?

"Break down the medical talisman and first solve the storage and slow release technology of the smallest unit of medical chakra to meet the needs of those noble ladies, which is the so-called 'cosmetics'."

Hiruzen Sarutobi patiently explained, "And the funds recovered will be used for research and development in the military field..."

Noblewomen, though their status was highly tied to and dependent on their husbands, did not lack purchasing power.

In the feudal system, the makeup and beauty of aristocratic women were a symbol of power for men, representing their strength and a necessary expenditure to maintain family dignity and personal authority.

It is similar in nature to repairing a mansion or procuring ceremonial regalia.

For them, beauty can also increase their bargaining power in marriage alliances, just like a ninja's strength.

Therefore, if there were 'super cosmetics' that could make them look beautiful, wealthy women would certainly not hesitate to spend their money.

Tsunade suddenly realized: "Not to mention noblewomen, even many female ninjas have asked me about the secret of immortality..."

"That's right. These small but beautiful projects that don't require too much manpower and can be converted between military and civilian uses will bring huge benefits to the village once they are running."

Tsunade slammed her hand on the table and then patted Orochimaru's shoulder heavily with her other hand: "We'd better do a good job!"

Orochimaru's face darkened; this woman had no mercy. But he still forced a smile and said, "Of course..."

He was also extremely envious of the continuous stream of cash in the future.

Scientific research, ninjutsu improvement and development, apart from the occasional stroke of luck, mostly require a large amount of manpower and material resources.

"Then what should I do, teacher?" Jiraiya pointed to himself.

"Your words..." Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered, "I heard you write books, how are they selling?"

Jiraiya said with a long face, "It's not selling too well, but I believe it will definitely become a bestseller in the future!"

"Aren't your anonymously written short stories about relationships quite popular?"

Orochimaru's expression was mocking: "How about we change tracks? Something too serious doesn't suit you..."

"What?! You stinking snake, how did you know what I wrote?!" Jiraiya roared like a cat with its fur standing on end. "Are you secretly in love with me? You're spying on my privacy!"

As we all know, one of the most embarrassing situations for novelists is when their relatives and friends see what they've written.

"Don't underestimate my intelligence network..." Orochimaru raised an eyebrow mysteriously:

"Getting back to the point, I think you have a great talent for this. Including the pills and cosmetics we're going to make in the description will be very helpful for publicity."

Jiraiya asked suspiciously, "Do I really have talent? To be honest, even I think what I wrote is too fake."

He glanced furtively at Tsunade: "I've never been in a relationship..."

"No, you have it, Jiraiya."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up, and he encouraged him, "It's precisely because I've never been in a relationship that I have such a futuristic longing for that kind of beauty!"

"Do as Orochimaru says, Jiraiya! Your teacher hopes you'll become a renowned romance novelist in the ninja world..."

Jiraiya said with a bitter face, "This doesn't sound like a nice thing, teacher!"

"However, since it's for the village, I'll have to sacrifice my literary talent..." Jiraiya instantly went from dejected to confident:

"First, write about emotions to gain fame and fortune, accumulate fans, and help the village. Then, write serious literature to become a master of your generation!"

"Yes, it's decided, that's it!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were half-closed.

Even in the ninja world, is there such a hierarchy of contempt between novels and authors?

That's reality...

"Let me choose a pen name... Let me think, what should I get..."

Jiraiya muttered to himself, "The Myōboku Golden Toad, a celestial being who shakes the heavens and shatters the earth? The Oshino Flowing Scholar, a carefree wanderer in the mortal world?"

"You're past the age of being a chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) kid, Jiraiya... Won't you be setting a bad example for your student, my grand-student?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand dismissively and said quietly, "I think we should call him 'Young Aji'!"

"This name isn't bad..." Jiraiya paused, "It sounds quite innocent, which suits me..."

"I'll handle taking care of the Daimyo; you guys will handle the actual research and development..."

"For Konoha, Team Sarutobi reunites! Let's work together!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi extended his palm, and Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya were taken aback at first, but then understood and put their hands together.

They used to do this often when they were kids.

"Go Sarutobi Class!"