He was in Konoha, and his domineering aura was overflowing.

But the main purpose was to observe how far Isogen's condition had progressed.

As a result, he not only put his own will to the test, but also dragged down the future of the entire Hidden Leaf Village and suppressed the present generation.

Ruthless to the enemy, even more ruthless to oneself.

We can only guide, not force.

This can be seen from his ability to develop the 'Ultra Bomb,' a secret technique that transforms the body into an explosive tag.

Normal people practice ninjutsu with great care, and the Kage of the Five Great Villages don't immediately use their own bodies to study ninjutsu. However, Isogen starts by applying pressure to his body and then uses a modified Healing Palm Technique to repair it.

He was injured while repairing himself, and his mental state was far ahead of others.

He doesn't endure the pain; he accepts it as part of his body.

Fujiwara Osamu's heart skipped a beat.

He understood clearly; Tsunade meant that even the Konoha leadership couldn't handle the Fifty Strings.

A powerful individual whose behavior would make it unsurprising for him to defect at any moment, and this powerful individual is also excessively young...

grunt.

After warning Fujiwara Osamu, Tsunade gestured for Isogen to agree: one hundred million!

Even Orochimaru couldn't help but be tempted.

However, Wu Shixian frowned slightly, showing dissatisfaction: "Only one hundred million?"

"No!" Fujiwara Osamu jolted, nearly sending his folding fan flying.

"That was the price just now. How could a mere 100 million yen be worthy of the noble status of Mr. Wuxian!?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Chapter 69 This pot is big and round

"Sigh~~"

"call--"

Orochimaru glanced at the object emitting the mysterious sound—Tsunade's mouth.

"Ten billion! That's ten billion!" Tsunade's eyes turned into the shape of money.

Moreover, it's not a simple one-time transaction; there's a subsequent profit-sharing arrangement!

Under the persuasive and reasoned influence of Isogami Akira, Fujiwara Osamu realized that money, such an evil thing, should never be possessed by himself alone. He immediately began to spend lavishly. The other officials who came with him did not have such wealth, but they also contributed a lot.

And since Jingyin isn't here this time, she's definitely going to get the money! Grandpa's here too... Oh, Grandpa's here, we'll go into the casino together and wreak havoc.

She grinned, rubbing her hands together like a fly, and said, "Hehe, my share."

"Take it or leave it. If you don't want it, I'll buy dog ​​food."

"Alright, alright, this is fine as it is." Tsunade raised her hand in a French military salute.

A hundred million is enough to make me happy.

You're too happy now.

Fifty Strings grinned.

He wanted to make Tsunade so happy she was practically dizzy, and then have everything taken away from her when she was at her most excited!

Orochimaru realized this early on and didn't intend to warn him.

It's such a waste for Tsunade to give so much money to the gambling den; it would be better for Mito to keep it as New Year's money.

As for Tsunade's feelings.

What is that?

"By the way," he cleared his throat and began, "Has Mr. Isogen considered how to deal with the officials' contingency plans?"

Fifty strings tilt their heads.

"...So you didn't think about it?"

"Why even think about it? If they dare to jump, give them another beating. If that doesn't work, just find another noble. If they don't want to be nobles, there are plenty of others who do."

That's true...

So you really want to kill them?

Orochimaru knew that the reason this went so smoothly was due to both the intimidating power of the Fifty Strings and Tsunade's identity.

Otherwise, if a different ninja did this, it could very likely trigger a huge conflict between the ninja village and the nobles.

In reality, the relationship between ninja villages and nobles was more about the latter needing the former. However, most ninjas did not engage in production and needed to be supported by the state. Coupled with ideological constraints, many ninjas believed that the daimyo was the true ruler and that ninjas should be completely loyal to the daimyo.

This idea also has a strong foundation in the Great Ninja Village.

It's just a matter of opinion; the ninja who ignored it was truly a terrible daimyo.

If Isogen were just an ordinary genius, he might have been pushed out to appease the anger, but he is not. Not only does he have a top-tier ninja behind him, but he is also equally powerful himself.

At the same time, they have strong mental fortitude and do not suffer from internal strife.

Anyway, he believed that the Daimyo's intelligence channels already had information on Fifty Strings. It was undeniable that most nobles were good-for-nothings who were just waiting to die, but becoming a true ruler was definitely not that easy.

Therefore, the choice regarding this issue never lies with the ninja village, but with the daimyo.

Do you dare let a powerful figure who could blow up the capital and the daimyo into the sky escape?

To be honest, he really wanted to see that scene.

clap clap.

The pain in his shoulder pulled Orochimaru back to reality.

Completely unaware of being the culprit, Isogen asked, "How are your preparations going?"

Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled, "Everything is ready, just waiting for the funding and materials to arrive."

"Okay, I believe in you. Keep up the good work, and you'll definitely get promoted and a raise in the future. Just be a good workhorse." Ishigami accidentally revealed his true thoughts.

Orochimaru: "..."

Did you just hear some incredible words?

The cash that was received was quickly divided up by Wu Shixian.

Even little Hinata Mizuki got a share.

He doesn't have many flaws, but he's very clear about rewards and punishments.

He is very satisfied with the little girl's progress.

Orochimaru received the money, and his cold face melted like ice cream under the scorching sun.

The warmth of cash still managed to open the door to a cold heart.

As for whether this way of making money will affect his future path to becoming Hokage.

It probably exists, but it's also unlikely.

First, it's important to understand that while the Daimyo controls the financial support for the ninja villages, it doesn't mean they have absolute control over them.

The head of a ninja village is the Kage, and becoming the Kage requires the support and approval of everyone in the village. Once a candidate is chosen, the Daimyo is informed so that he can make the final decision.

That being said, the daimyo has the final say, but in practice, the ninja villages still govern themselves. Informing the daimyo of the candidates is just a formality; they simply sign and stamp the document.

If the daimyo really thinks he can control who gets chosen as the leader of the ninja village, then the ninjas in the village who don't care about the daimyo won't mind showing off their ninja prowess.

Killing the daimyo directly is unrealistic unless one possesses the power of a ninja god or a ninja world savior; otherwise, other ninja villages will be eager to launch a siege.

But threatening him and then releasing Danzo behind closed doors is still something he can do.

These unspoken rules will be naturally understood once you reach a certain level.

Therefore, Orochimaru only found this behavior novel and was not afraid. At most, he would be called over by his teacher and scolded for not only failing to stop them but also participating in it.

Orochimaru scoffed.

stop?

How can stopping this allow me to secure hundreds of millions in research funding, with a continuous stream of additional funding following?

Of course, there will be some turmoil, but it's highly unlikely that it will affect the 50th string.

Looking at Igogaku, who suddenly didn't realize how outrageous his beating of the nobleman was, Orochimaru suddenly remembered a sentence Igogaku had once said.

"Hokage? I wouldn't even be a dog in the Inuzuka family."

"I'd be fine as the man behind the Fifth Hokage."

Isogen truly didn't want to be Hokage, but why did he choose to become the man behind the Fifth Hokage? Why the Fifth Hokage?

Orochimaru was puzzled, Orochimaru was confused, and Orochimaru stopped thinking about it.

Tsunade, excited to get the money, was about to head to the casino to wreak havoc when Orochimaru quickly stopped her.

"Someone will definitely complain to the teacher. If you go to the casino now, wouldn't you be walking into a trap?"

“That’s right.” Tsunade tapped his palm with his left hand and right hand.

We can't let the money that finally arrived be taken away again.

“I have to hide. The old man is looking for me, so I told him I wasn’t home.”

Isogen looked at these spineless words with disdain and admonished Hinata Mizuki who was standing next to him.

"Ugh~~ Tsunade is so bad, you can't be like her."

Hinata Mizuki nodded obediently.

Tsunade glared at him, "Don't set a bad example for the kids!"

Is Isogen still a child?

Ha, whose child is like him?

For the sake of the large sum of money, she stopped arguing and ran away before the old man could react.

……

The Thousand Hands Old House.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been summoned without reason, was bewildered.

Normally, when they see Mito Uzumaki, a veteran with both strength and seniority, they come in person. The fact that Mito Uzumaki appeared at the Hokage Building before was an extremely low probability event.

To some extent, it was her way of giving them a fright; she may be old, but she's young at heart.

Why were you called here this time?

Looking at the energetic Mito Uzumaki, he was very puzzled, but dared not speak or ask.

Here he dared not touch his pipe, so he picked up his teacup and pondered what it was all about as the warm tea flowed down his throat.

The peace was shattered only when the secret agents protecting the officials of the Land of Fire, along with the officials' messengers, arrived.

What do you mean by saying that no official who came to Konoha escaped unscathed!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face darkened as he looked at the silent, head-bowed Anbu members.

Where is Tsunade?

"Lord Tsunade's whereabouts are unpredictable."

Where is Orochimaru?

As soon as he said that, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew he had asked a stupid question.

If even Tsunade is hiding, then Orochimaru is even more likely to be hiding.

That's called swaggering around, openly walking in the sunlight with the fifty strings?

Putting aside whether we can even get them here, what can we do even if we do get them here?

Based on his limited understanding of the fifty strings, he knew that when the person arrived, it wouldn't be to admit their mistake, and someone would definitely be in trouble. In any case, it wouldn't be him first.