Kushina went out shopping with her two friends, Uchiha Mikoto and Hyuga Mihui. With nothing else to do, Nawaki and Minato Namikaze ended up together, sitting on the ground and chatting for a bit before running off hand-in-hand, looking like they were up to mischief.
Watching the two boys dash away like a couple of conspirators, Shinki could only shake his head. He silently hoped Nawaki wouldn't drag Minato into any questionable activities or bring him to buy strange books.
*But Nawaki doesn't have any money...* Shinki thought. *Well, that's fine. Little Minato is just as broke, so at least they won't be wasting money on trouble.*
With the children off causing harmless mischief, a special visitor arrived at Shinki's house.
"Shinki-kun, it's been a while."
Shinki opened the door to see Orochimaru standing there with his usual smile. "Long time no see. I thought you might have changed your mind," Shinki said, inviting him in.
*Do you think I'd miss this?* Orochimaru thought, suppressing his excitement at the thought of dissecting the puppets. He'd been saving up for this, which explained his recent absence.
Now that he'd gathered enough funds, Orochimaru placed a scroll on the table, his expression turning serious. "Shinki, 10 million ryo. I need three puppets."
*Classic Orochimaru.* Shinki wanted to give him a thumbs up for being so straightforward. But he shook his head. "No can do. I can only sell you two."
"Three," Orochimaru insisted. Money didn't come easy, and he wasn't looking to suffer a loss. He'd already swallowed his pride when he agreed to this. Spending 10 million ryo for just two puppets felt like a rip-off.
"Two."
"Three!"
"Two!"
After a brief standoff, Orochimaru finally relented with a sigh, and Shinki nodded. "Alright, three it is, but let me be clear—whether you research them or play around, if they break, don't come to me for a refund or repairs."
"Deal. If they break, I'll just buy more," Orochimaru said nonchalantly, already envisioning his experiments. He had made quite a bit of money recently and anticipated even more from future projects and missions. The trio of Sannin were not exactly strapped for cash, provided they put in the work.
Publicly, Jiraiya was considered the wealthiest, with his popular book series earning him significant royalties. He also undertook more missions than either Tsunade or Orochimaru. However, Orochimaru, if he avoided expensive and dubious experiments, could easily out-earn Jiraiya. And Tsunade? If she simply announced her services, nobles and feudal lords would throw money at her for medical treatment.
"Choose your three, then," Shinki said, tossing him a scroll.
Shinki's puppets were divided into three categories: reconnaissance, expendable, and main battle. The main battle puppets were the most powerful and numerous, made with top-quality materials. The reconnaissance and expendable puppets were fewer in number and crafted from leftover parts.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he looked through the scroll. "Fascinating. As expected of you, Shinki-kun."
*Pick your three and be done with it,* Shinki thought, gesturing for Orochimaru to make his choices quickly.
Orochimaru selected a wolf, a small boar, and a crow. Shinki noted with some amusement that two of the chosen puppets had been crafted from creatures Orochimaru himself had hunted, now sold back to him at an inflated price.
The puppets emerged from the scroll, stepping over to stand by Shinki's side.
"Can I control them?" Orochimaru asked, a glint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Sorry, no. Only I can control these puppets, but don't worry—they won't attack you and will cooperate during your research. Even if you dismantle them, they won't resist."
Shinki believed in full transparency. He wanted Orochimaru to know up front that he couldn't manipulate the puppets himself, discouraging any nefarious plans.
Orochimaru, however, smiled knowingly. He was confident that he could crack the code.
Puppets with life... the thought of studying them thrilled him. He left quickly, brimming with ideas for his research.
As Shinki watched Orochimaru's retreating figure, he couldn't help but worry a little. *Hopefully, he doesn't hit a wall and spiral into frustration.* It was fine if Orochimaru became obsessed with his work, but Shinki feared that frustration might lead him down a darker path. Fortunately, with Danzo still locked away in Anbu prison, there were fewer temptations luring Orochimaru toward unethical research.
"Senior," a voice called out.
Shinki turned to see Minato standing in the yard, looking up with a smile.
Ever since the last dinner, Minato and Nawaki had become closer friends. They whispered together often and trained diligently, though Shinki couldn't tell if Nawaki had genuinely reformed or if he was just trying to avoid social embarrassment.
"Minato, come over whenever you can. Nawaki's fine, but Kushina doesn't have many friends and gets lonely," Shinki said warmly.
Minato scratched his head, embarrassed. "Yes, I will."
*He really is like Jiraiya,* Shinki thought, noting the similar habit of head-scratching when embarrassed. Jiraiya had the same tic, whether he was feeling awkward or caught in a lie.
As Shinki left to wash up, he heard Nawaki's voice shouting from the yard.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 130 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
Gimme power stonesssss