Chapter 125. I Heard that Danzo is Quite Valuable?

Chapter 125. I Heard that Danzo is Quite Valuable?

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A few days after returning.

After handling his affairs, Orochimaru was secretly led by Root ninjas to a hidden laboratory.

As one of the Sannin and the student of the old man (Hiruzen), Orochimaru was well aware of the dark organization that bore Konoha's burdens—Root.

But this time…

Danzo actually sent Root ninjas to pick him up and made everything seem incredibly secretive. Judging by the setup… something big was about to happen!

Of course.

Orochimaru didn't think Danzo was trying to recruit him into Root—because that was simply impossible.

So, the only thing that old schemer could be interested in was the knowledge inside Orochimaru's mind.

In an instant, Orochimaru analyzed what Danzo was likely after. He had long seen through that man's ambitions.

But in the end, he was just a rat hiding in the sewers all day. Not worth worrying about.

Besides, the recent rumors that Danzo's bounty had risen to one billion had reached Orochimaru's ears.

After all, this was unprecedented in the history of the ninja world! Even the so-called "God of Ninja World" had never been worth this much!

Considering Danzo had suffered two terrifying ambushes recently, it was clear—

If he wasn't valuable, why would people take such huge risks?

So.

No surprise.

That old man must be scared!

He craved power.

He craved the power that could suppress everything!

Only then would others not dare to make a move against him.

And in Konoha…

There just so happened to be a power capable of doing that.

The First Hokage's Wood Release!

Back in the day, Hiruzen had already attempted to revive Wood Release through human experimentation. But the price was simply too high.

Countless manpower and resources had been wasted with no success. Then, when Tsunade discovered the secret experiments—resulting in the deaths of many clan members—the project had to be abandoned.

However, all research data had been preserved.

So.

There was no doubt.

That old man had his eyes on this power once again!

"Hehehe… how interesting~" Orochimaru licked his lips, squinting slightly, his face revealing a deep, meaningful smile.

After all, he was quite curious about the secrets of Wood Release too!

As for offending Tsunade or making Hiruzen uneasy? He didn't care at all!

Because what he sought… was the ultimate mysteries of the ninja world!

Everything else was irrelevant!

At this moment.

Just as Orochimaru was contemplating where to begin—

Should he start with dissection and analysis?

Or go straight to human experimentation?

Suddenly—

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A few Root ninjas arrived.

Carefully and respectfully, they held a small iron box with sealing inscriptions.

No need to guess.

It definitely contained the cells of the God of Ninja World.

That former student of the Second Hokage sure had guts!

Orochimaru's smile widened, his eyes locking onto the box like a snake fixating on its prey.

The Root ninjas didn't hesitate either.

With a "click", the box was opened.

Immediately, a thin mist drifted out, carrying a faint chill.

It seemed they had preserved it well.

"Tell Danzo that I accept the deal. Rest assured, I will definitely—" Orochimaru's gaze was locked onto the slowly opening box, about to agree to the cooperation when…

His smile suddenly froze.

His narrowed eyes widened as he stared inside.

As if he had seen something unbelievable.

Hashirama's cells…

Look like this?!

Why did they seem… kind of sticky?

Did they go bad?

And what was with that powdery substance on top?

Was this the secret behind the First Hokage's unrivaled power?!

Orochimaru was stunned.

Just as he was about to marvel at the legendary cells of the God of Ninja World, his brows furrowed.

Why did these cells seem… familiar?

It was as if he had seen something similar before?

Especially… that subtle yet distinct smell…

He hesitated for a moment, extended a hand, and carefully touched the so-called "Hashirama Cells" and the Root ninjas made no effort to stop him.

Then, he brought his finger to his nose and sniffed—showing no concern about being poisoned at all! But instead of clarity, his frown deepened.

"…This smell…"

It was… familiar!

His face stiffened. As if recalling something, he brought the reddish, sticky substance closer to his lips. 

Then— 

Extending his long tongue, he lightly licked it. 

And instantly— 

His entire body froze! 

[Isn't this… Yuto BBQ's barbecue sauce?!] 

He had eaten this before! 

What the hell was going on?! 

Did the First Hokage eat this too?! 

And this sticky consistency… 

Was the entire body soaked in barbecue sauce or what?! 

Before Orochimaru could recover from his stunned disbelief— 

"Temperature is correct! Timing is correct! No color changes! No foul odor detected! Mission complete!" One of the Root ninjas calmly reported. Then, he turned to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru-sama, Danzo-sama requests that you immediately analyze this barbecue sauce. The sooner, the better—it must be perfectly decoded!" 

"…" 

It really was barbecue sauce! 

Orochimaru's mouth twitched. His smile suddenly looked forced… and ominous. 

Did he hear that right? 

That old man wanted him to do what?! 

Crack the recipe for barbecue sauce?! 

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. [Danzo seems to be quite valuable.] 

… 

"Ah-choo!" 

Shimura Danzo rubbed his nose but didn't pay much attention to it. Right now, he had more important matters to handle. 

Looking at his best friend in front, who was deep in thought, he quickly poured him a cup of hot tea and spoke with great enthusiasm. "What are you still thinking about? This is money! If we act fast, we can make even more of it!" 

"But… barbecue business… we…" Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Danzo a helpless smile. "We've never done this before!" 

"So what if we haven't done this before? That Uchiha kid—do you think he had experience before opening his first restaurant? No, he hadn't! But look at him now—his business is booming, and he's making a fortune! You and I, working together—are we any worse than him?" 

"But I'm the Hokage—" 

"And so what if you're the Hokage? There's a golden opportunity right in front of you, and you're hesitating? Hiruzen, you'll regret this!" 

"I am the Hokage!" 

"I'm not talking about politics—I'm talking business! Come on! Let's do this together! If I had enough funds, I wouldn't even need to ask you!" 

His tone grew darker. 

And finally— 

"I… fine!" Hiruzen saw the serious look in his friend's eyes and knew that Danzo was absolutely committed to opening this barbecue restaurant. 

It reminded him of that time… 

The rainy day.

It was drizzling. 

When he had asked Danzo to bear the darkness of Konoha, and Danzo had agreed without hesitation. 

Now that Danzo had come to him for help, how could he refuse? 

Besides, Danzo was right—if that Uchiha brat could succeed, why couldn't they? 

His heart began to burn with excitement. "Alright! I'll do it with you!" 

"How much money do you have on hand?" 

"I-I still have… 80 million ryo. Hard-earned savings." 

Silence. 

The previous excitement seemed to vanish into thin air. 

Danzo stared at Hiruzen in silence. Hiruzen, feeling guilty, avoided eye contact. Then Danzo sighed. "Root still has a little over 80 million left. I'll put in 80 million as well. We'll split it equally. Don't worry, I've already secured over a hundred locations across the Land of Fire. Once we have the funds and the recipe, we can start immediately. And when that happens… the money will come rolling in, right?" 

"This…" Hearing about Danzo's large-scale preparations, Hiruzen was shocked. His hand, holding his pipe, trembled slightly. "Aren't we… taking too big of a first step?" 

"Not at all! Remember, we're already behind that kid! We have to move fast! I've already planned it all out—for the grand opening, we'll copy his tactics! Discounts! Coupons! Free beer! We'll steal all the business! And with your face on the ads and my brilliant ideas… we'll crush him!" 

As he spoke, Danzo's eyes lit up with determination. He stared forward, a confident smile on his face. 

It was as if— 

A bright tomorrow awaited them. 

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, sitting across from him, got infected by that confident smile. 

Yes. That's right. 

How could they possibly fail if they worked together? 

Suddenly— 

Their chests filled with ambition! 

They were going to succeed! 

… 

One month later. 

Across the Land of Fire. 

Over one hundred branch locations of [Root BBQ] officially opened on the same day! 

It was the first barbecue chain in the ninja world to be personally endorsed by the Hokage and specialized in ninja-themed barbecues! 

For a time— 

The people of the Land of Fire were curious.