CHAPTER 183

"Boom!"

The sound of a body hitting the wall echoed, followed by the sensation of being embedded within it.

But why does it hurt a little?

Jiaodu, who had been submerged in the lake, heard the crash and felt a sharp pain.

"Damn it, I hit the wall!"

He quickly regained consciousness and remembered what had happened before.

"Tushi, you bastard! We agreed on the payment, but you still attacked me! Also, what the hell did you just do?!"

Jiaodu angrily cursed at Tushi, believing he had broken their agreement despite their prior negotiations.

At the same time, he instinctively checked his wallet.

Seeing that his money was still there, he sighed in relief.

Tushi didn't bother explaining.

How could he? Should he admit that he wanted to study Jiaodu's body?

Or rather, that he knocked him out for the sake of research?

It would be strange if Jiaodu didn't fight him over that.

Not that Tushi was afraid.

Jiaodu's discreet movement of checking his wallet didn't escape Tushi's sharp gaze.

Was that really his first concern?

Did Jiaodu think he would rob him while he was unconscious?

Then again, Tushi realized he had been careless. He had forgotten to loot the body—

No… it wasn't looting. It was just collecting spoils.

He wondered just how much money was in that thick wallet.

It looked pretty full.

Maybe a lot?

"Alright, you didn't forget our deal, did you? Take me to get the money."

Jiaodu hesitated.

"Money for what?"

"…What do you mean? Are you trying to back out?"

Seeing the dangerous glint in Tushi's eyes, Jiaodu swallowed hard and quickly explained.

"No, no, I'm not going back on my word."

He pulled out a thick stack of banknotes from his wallet.

"Here! Your 400 million! Take it and let me go."

...

An awkward silence followed.

So…

Jiaodu carries 400 million ryo in cash on him?

Could there be more?

Tushi's eyes flickered.

Should he capture him again?

The temptation was strong.

But he ultimately dismissed the idea.

Jiaodu had limits.

Taking 400 million was already pushing it.

If he squeezed him further, they would end up fighting.

Besides, teaching a man to fish was better than giving him a fish.

Tushi didn't want to learn Jiaodu's methods of making money.

He wanted to turn Jiaodu into his personal money-making machine.

Jiaodu's financial prowess was well-known.

In the original timeline, he handled Akatsuki's entire financial management.

Tushi's main body and clones generated income through various means,

but it was barely enough to sustain their needs.

As his experiments became more complex—requiring new instruments and upgrades—his financial demands would only increase.

Of course, this was all assuming he didn't sacrifice training for money-making.

If he had to choose between earning money and strengthening himself,

he would always prioritize training.

Which made Jiaodu the perfect partner.

Whether it was the gold dust Ma Jia extracted after mastering Sand Release,

or the explosive tags Tushi could mass-produce,

Jiaodu could sell them—and they could share the profits.

Of course, Jiaodu would have to contribute as well.

For instance, if Tushi was too busy to make explosive tags himself,

he could simply provide the necessary talisman paper for Jiaodu to craft them.

After all, the biggest constraint in making explosive tags was obtaining high-quality rune paper.

"Hey! I already gave you the money. Now let me go!"

Jiaodu's impatient voice interrupted Tushi's thoughts.

"You seem to like money."

"Of course. Who doesn't?"

"I have a highly profitable business opportunity for you. Interested?"

Jiaodu's eyes lit up greedily—then narrowed cautiously.

"What kind of business?"

"Explosive tags."

"I provide the talisman paper, you manufacture and sell them. We split the profits 50-50."

To ensure Jiaodu grasped the significance, Tushi added:

"You'll have an unlimited supply of talisman paper. You can make as many as you want."

Jiaodu was initially indifferent, but upon hearing Tushi's last sentence,

his eyes widened in shock.

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. Long-term supply guaranteed."

"Deal!"

Jiaodu assumed Tushi had mastered an advanced method of talisman paper production,

far surpassing existing technology.

But that wasn't his concern.

He couldn't defeat Tushi, nor could he rob him,

so cooperation was the only logical choice.

Plus, a 50-50 split wasn't bad.

Little did he know, that "equal split" was highly deceptive.

Tushi's five-part share was essentially free money.

After all, producing talisman paper was laughably simple for Uchiha Kiyo.

A single shadow clone could manufacture an entire day's worth of explosive tag paper with minimal effort.

Since Uchiha Kiyo was maintaining thirty such clones at once,

dedicating one to this task wasn't a significant loss.

It was far more efficient than sacrificing a Ma Jia clone for the same purpose.

"Alright, I'll contact you when I'm ready."

With that, Tushi vanished before Jiaodu's eyes.

Jiaodu's expression darkened as he clenched his fists.

"Damn it! What did he leave on me?"

Although he wasn't sure, Tushi's confidence that he could track him down meant one thing:

He had been marked.

"Damn it all!"

Jiaodu felt exhausted.

He had been completely outmaneuvered.

The way Tushi vanished—it wasn't a simple Body Flicker Technique.

If his guess was right,

it was a space-time ninjutsu.

He didn't expect to meet someone who had mastered such an ability.

Not to mention the magma giant…

Could this guy become the next 'God of Shinobi'?

Jiaodu fell into deep thought.

Not necessarily a bad outcome if that were the case.

...

While Tushi and Hui were handling matters in the Land of Lightning,

the real Uchiha Kiyo was undergoing a crucial phase of his training.

"Kaleidoscope Sharingan… I've been waiting for this moment."

His voice carried a mix of anticipation and solemnity.

Which Naruto fan hasn't dreamed of having a pair of these legendary eyes?

Uchiha Kiyo had fantasized about unlocking the Kaleidoscope ever since arriving in this world.

Yet, the harsh awakening conditions always troubled him.

The idea of having to lose someone close to him to awaken his eyes was terrifying.

But now, at this very moment, those concerns no longer mattered.

He had found another way.

After discovering that the violent aura within natural energy could stimulate the Sharingan,

he conducted extensive research.

He confirmed that this method was beneficial for enhancing his eyes.

At the same time, he conducted rigorous studies on the Kaleidoscope's activation conditions.

If opening the Kaleidoscope required overcoming a "bottleneck"—

say, a requirement of 1,000 stimulation points—

his initial exposure to natural energy had only accounted for about 5 points.

But repeated exposure had gradually chipped away at the bottleneck.

Now, his remaining requirement was below 100.

Which meant he could awaken the Kaleidoscope without suffering permanent damage.

Uchiha Kiyo's heart steadied.

"The time has come."

More than just awakening his eyes, there was something else.

The rules.

According to his theory, the moment the Sharingan evolved into a Kaleidoscope,

it would form a connection with the world's fundamental laws.

Would he finally catch a glimpse of those elusive rules?

No more hesitation.

The answer would reveal itself soon.

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