Kushina was out shopping with her two friends, leaving Nawaki bored and without plans. He decided to hang out with Minato Namikaze. The two sat on the ground, whispering for a while before they sneaked away together.
Watching the two boys scurrying off like thieves, Takashi could only hope that Nawaki wasn't taking the blonde kid anywhere strange or buying any weird books.
No money on Nawaki?
Oh, well then, nothing to worry about!
After all, Minato was also broke, and he wasn't Nawaki—there was no way he'd spend his pocket money on erotic novels.
So, with that settled, Takashi let them be.
Not long after the group of troublemakers dispersed, a special guest arrived at the house.
"Takashi-kun, long time no see."
Seeing Orochimaru with a smile on his face, Takashi stepped aside to let him in. "It's been a while since I've seen you. I thought maybe you'd changed your mind."
"Do you think I would?"
Just thinking about the prospect of dismantling the puppets for research made Orochimaru's heart race with excitement—he wasn't about to miss out on such a fascinating study. The reason he hadn't appeared for so long was simply because he had been working hard to make money.
Now that his wallet was full, Orochimaru naturally had to pay a visit.
He pulled out a scroll and placed it on the table, his smile vanishing as he spoke seriously, "Takashi, ten million ryo. I need three puppets."
Classic Orochimaru.
Hearing the price, Takashi almost wanted to give Orochimaru a thumbs up—what generosity!
But he still shook his head. "No, I can only give you two."
"Three," Orochimaru insisted. Earning money was no easy task, and he didn't want to suffer any losses. Besides, he'd already waived a considerable debt for Takashi. Paying ten million for just two puppets was daylight robbery.
If the puppets weren't so fascinating to him, Orochimaru would never be willing to spend that much.
"Two," Takashi reiterated.
"Three!"
"Two!"
The two haggled back and forth until Orochimaru showed no signs of budging. Takashi eventually nodded in agreement.
"Alright, three then. But let me make it clear, whether you're researching or just playing around, if you break them, don't come running to me."
No returns allowed.
"If I break them, I'll just buy more," Orochimaru replied dismissively. He had figured it out—Takashi was after money right now. If money could solve the problem, then there was no need to worry. If they got damaged, he'd simply buy replacements.
Over the past half year, he'd made quite a bit of money, and with future profits from his other ventures, as well as mission rewards and new projects, money wouldn't be an issue.
In the future, it could be said that as long as the Sannin were willing to work hard, none of them would lack money.
On the surface, Jiraiya seemed to be the wealthiest. His novels were highly popular, and he earned the most income from them. On top of that, he completed more missions than Tsunade or Orochimaru.
But that didn't mean Orochimaru and Tsunade couldn't make as much.
If Orochimaru stopped his strange and extravagant research and experiments and simply focused on missions and research that paid well, his income would surpass Jiraiya's.
As for Tsunade, she just needed to announce her services, and people from all over the Fire Country—even beyond—would eagerly line up to pay for her medical expertise. Don't underestimate the money-making potential of a talented medical ninja—with skill and a bit of a ruthless streak, money would roll in quickly.
"Choose three, then," Takashi said, tossing a scroll towards Orochimaru, gesturing for him to pick.
Takashi's puppets came in three varieties: reconnaissance puppets, expendable puppets, and combat puppets.
Combat puppets were the most powerful and the most numerous, made from high-quality materials. There were fewer reconnaissance and expendable puppets—the latter being crafted from leftover scraps and thus of lesser value.
Orochimaru opened the scroll, glancing at the various puppets within, his smile turning a bit peculiar.
"Interesting. As expected, Takashi-kun is a fascinating person."
As long as you're happy. Pick three, and only three.
Takashi held up three fingers, signaling Orochimaru to hurry up and pick, not wanting to waste time.
A wolf, a small boar, and a crow—except for the crow, the wolf and boar appeared to be made from creatures Orochimaru had personally hunted.
Now, as puppets, they were being sold back to him at an exorbitant price.
When the three puppets emerged from the scroll, they immediately stood beside Takashi.
"Can I control them?" Orochimaru asked curiously.
"Sorry, no. Only I can control these puppets. But don't worry—they won't attack you and will even cooperate in your research. They won't resist, even if you dismantle them."
Since it was a sale, Takashi wanted to make sure the customer was satisfied. He was also upfront with Orochimaru: only he could control the puppets, so there was no point trying anything sneaky.
Of course, if Orochimaru managed to crack their secrets, Takashi would admit defeat.
Orochimaru smiled confidently and left with his new puppets, eager to start his research.
As for Takashi's claim that only he could control them, Orochimaru wasn't fully convinced. He had confidence in his own abilities to unlock their secrets.
Puppets with a semblance of life—researching these would be extremely exciting.
Watching Orochimaru rush off, full of confidence, Takashi could only hope he wouldn't get too obsessed and drive himself into a corner.
Obsession was one thing, but what if Orochimaru started down a darker path? That would be bad.
But with Danzo Shimura still locked in the Anbu prison, unable to interfere for the time being, there was a good chance Orochimaru wouldn't be lured into darkness.
Without Danzo's shady support, conducting human experiments in the village wouldn't be so simple.
"Senpai."
Seeing Takashi get up, Minato immediately stood and greeted him.
After their last group dinner, Minato and Nawaki had grown closer. They now spent a lot of time whispering, training, and working hard together.
Takashi wasn't sure if Nawaki had turned over a new leaf or was just trying to save face, but he seemed to be sticking close to Minato.
"No need for formalities. Come by often. Nawaki is fine, but Kushina doesn't have many friends and gets lonely."
"Yes, sir."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly, this habit of his was exactly like Jiraiya's—whenever Jiraiya felt awkward or embarrassed, he'd scratch his head. He also did it when he was lying.
By the time Takashi finished freshening up and stepped outside, he heard Nawaki shouting loudly in the courtyard.