In that mindscape, which rippled like a pale-gold lake surface, the Sage of Six Paths wore a white robe, his hair and beard as white as snow. He was gaping, utterly dumbfounded at the person before him.
Right across from him stood a blond-haired shinobi – actually sporting the Rinnegan!
Inside, the Sage of Six Paths felt like his head was exploding.
"What is this situation? Why are Asura and Indra fused together? I was asleep for just a bit – what's been going on in the shinobi world?"
He understood that the Rinnegan was the result of combining Asura's power and Indra's power. But he was at a loss. Why could they fuse in a manner he completely didn't get?
He figured he hadn't slept that long, so how was it that upon waking, he found things had gotten so bizarre?
Meanwhile, "Narusuke" also looked perplexed. Staring at the Sage of Six Paths, he was thinking: "Where is this place? And who's that white-bearded old man? I was in the middle of a fight, so how'd I get yanked here?"
Despite his confusion, Narusuke asked aloud, "Hey, white-bearded Grandpa, who are you? And where is this?"
The Sage of Six Paths was about to answer, but Narusuke's fusion time abruptly ran out. That mental realm vanished in a flash.
Narusuke split back into two people – Naruto and Sasuke.
Once they separated, Naruto was still in a fog, while Sasuke cautiously scanned the surroundings to ensure their safety.
After looking around, Sasuke relaxed. Sure enough, that unknown Uchiha was gone.
Meanwhile, inside Naruto's own mental space, the Nine-Tails was bawling its eyes out. A moment earlier, when Narusuke had encountered the Sage of Six Paths, the Nine-Tails was inside him as well, seeing the very old man who'd brought them into this world. To all the Tailed Beasts, that "old Sage" was practically their parent. It had been ages since the Nine-Tails last saw the Sage of Six Paths, so it was overwhelmed with tears.
In the outside world, Naruto was still totally stumped as to that white-bearded old man's identity. He had zero recollection. So he asked Sasuke, "Sasuke, got any idea who that white-bearded Grandpa was?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No clue. I don't have any intel on him at all. But you remember that massive power we had just now?"
Sasuke was referring to that moment when Asura's and Indra's chakra resonated, making Narusuke briefly awaken the Rinnegan. Though Narusuke didn't actually use the Rinnegan in the fight, Sasuke had clearly sensed its terrifying might.
Naruto scratched his head uncertainly. "You mean those special eyes? Right, I remember noticing them."
Naruto had perceived the same thing Sasuke had. In his mind, those eyes were practically off-the-charts powerful. If they'd been able to use that Rinnegan power mid-battle, it probably would've sent that masked man packing.
Sasuke nodded at that, grabbing Naruto in excitement. "Come on, we're going to find that man!"
"Huh? Who're we finding?" Naruto asked blankly.
Gritting his teeth, Sasuke spat out a name: "Uchiha Itachi. I want to use Narusuke's power to kill him… avenge the entire Uchiha clan!"
Naruto scratched his head again. "But do we know where he is right now? And… shouldn't we tell Sensei about this first?"
He was more than willing to help Sasuke, but he felt they should at least check in with Sensei before setting out.
Hearing that reminder, Sasuke realized he'd been so fired up by Narusuke's power that he'd lost his cool. And truly, he had no idea where Uchiha Itachi might be hiding at the moment…
…
Meanwhile, in Amegakure, Senshi was happily watching the bustling scene around "Senshi Bank." From day one, business was booming.
By now, many villagers had gotten interest-free loans from Senshi's bank. They were incredibly grateful, wearing bright smiles of relief. Leaving the bank in groups of two or three, they chatted excitedly, brimming with hope for the future:
"Aren't we lucky to have Lord Senshi in Amegakure? No other village has anything like this!"
"For real! Before I wandered here, I was a refugee in Kusagakure. Back there, loan shark gangs were everywhere. People in trouble had no choice but to borrow from them, and ended up crushed under relentless debts."
"With Lord Senshi around, that could never happen here. Thanks to the interest-free loan from his bank, I can buy more seeds and new farm tools!"
That villager's comment got the others even more fired up, since they, too, could now buy better tools and more seed stock for a bigger harvest. Plus, they could afford to improve life for their families: buy some new clothes, get more nutritious food.
It wasn't just farmers benefiting. Everyone in Amegakure was gaining from "Senshi Bank." With sufficient funding from Senshi, Ame—already seeing decent growth—now felt like it had hopped onto a rocket, accelerating at breakneck speed.
In that boom, all sorts of unusual commissions sprang up like bamboo after the rain. Merchants soon discovered that Karin could speed-deliver their shipments. They reacted like they'd stumbled on buried treasure. Before, it took a wagon caravan ages to haul goods from other villages to Amegakure. Now, they just posted a request for Karin, who'd whisk the cargo over in no time.
Every sector in Ame was bustling. Businesses rushed to buy raw materials, or to sell finished goods—everyone was up to their ears in work.
Karin herself was thrilled, swimming in new commissions as though she'd stumbled upon free loot. Her scratch-off cards soared – easily hitting her initial target of saving up one hundred. But in fact, one hundred wasn't enough. She had completed well over three hundred million ryō in tasks total, piling up a mountain of scratch-offs – fully 160 cards!
Inside Kamui space, Karin was grinning from ear to ear in front of that big stack of cards. The three little Tailed Beasts poked out their heads curiously, but without her permission, they only dared huddle in the corner, watching eagerly.
Shukaku glanced at Karin, then at that small mountain of cards, muttering, "Oy, Old Six, whaddya reckon she's up to?"
Saiken retorted, "No idea. I've never seen these card things." Then it turned to Matatabi in another corner. "Old Two, you got a clue what Karin is doing?"
Matatabi shook its head fiercely. "No, but I get a bad feeling about it!"
At which Saiken turned pale. "Old Two, I'm begging you not to have any 'bad feelings.' Every time you do, something awful happens!"
Matatabi nodded in agreement – yes, if it didn't think those thoughts, maybe nothing bad would happen. Shukaku, watching the other two cowering, scoffed, "Bunch of cowards! What's there to be scared of from that woman?"
"Correction," Saiken said, "she's not a woman, she's still a young girl. You got that wrong."
Shukaku sneered. "I'll call her whatever I want!"
He'd just said that when Karin piped up happily, "Shukaku, c'mon over here, I've got your lunch all set!"
Shukaku: (O_O)???
That raccoon dog's face, so haughty a moment before, instantly drooped like a wilted gourd. Still, it didn't keep her waiting, gingerly shuffling over to Karin. At a glance it spotted some "oil-flavored cooking" on a plate. Its voice trembled:
"Karin-chan, d-did you make that? If you didn't, I won't eat it—it'll definitely make me cough!"
The reason it asked was that just now, Shukaku noticed Karin hadn't gone to the "kitchen hazard zone" to brew any of her usual "dark cuisine." So that weird oily dish had to have come from who-knows-where, not from her own cooking.
Hearing Shukaku's question, Karin beamed and replied, "Of course I made it. One bite and you'll know it's the same taste as always!"
Shukaku's back instantly broke out in cold sweat. "B-but I didn't see you cooking anything earlier, Karin-chan?"
Karin showed off one of her scratch-off cards with a casual wave. "You didn't see me cook because I scratched off a card, and that's how I got this dish!"
Shukaku: (O_O)???
That just baffled it more. "Scratch…a…card? What is that, exactly?"
Karin smiled. "Give it a try first, and I'll explain while you eat."
Shukaku hastily shook its head. "Karin-chan, this dish is huge—there's no way I can finish it alone. Why not get Old Two and Old Six to join me, okay?"
Hearing that, Matatabi and Saiken each froze. Which of us is arrogant again? If you're going down, why drag us with you? But seeing Karin nod, motioning for them to come sample the 'delicacy' with Shukaku, they could only shuffle over, trembling, to share the meal. As they ate, Karin cleared up Shukaku's confusion.
She picked up one scratch-off card and said, "This is from Senshi, the mercenary group's supply of scratch-off cards. Once scratched, it transforms into the prize."
Saying so, she casually scratched it. Right before the Tailed Beasts' disbelieving eyes, the card changed into another dish of that "oil-flavored cooking."
All three Tailed Beasts nearly blacked out with despair. Meanwhile, Karin was delighted. "Sweet! Now you three can eat two servings. Let's see if I can scratch off a third portion so each of you can have one!"
The moment they heard that, Shukaku & Co. inwardly wailed. Oh, please spare us! That oily stuff is a horror…
Naturally, their silent pleas had no effect. Karin was fully into "scratch mania," determined to snag a third helping of 'dark cuisine.'
After burning through seven or eight scratch-off cards, she actually succeeded in getting another. The Tailed Beasts felt their last hopes crumble to dust. What awful sins did we commit to be locked in Kamui space, forced to endure her dark cuisine every day?
Right then, Senshi used his Kāma's space-warp to teleport in. Seeing him, Karin exclaimed, "Senshi, have you eaten lunch yet? If not, I can scratch off a dish I 'cooked' for you!"
Senshi immediately shook his head like a rattle. "No, no! I'm good—I've eaten. I'm here to ask if you want to come with me to see Snake-bro. I've got a business deal with him."
Karin's eyes lit up as she nodded hard. "Sure! I wanna go do missions with Senshi!"
Actually, besides wanting to do missions, she also just wanted to see how Senshi might trick Orochimaru again.
After all, every time Orochimaru made a deal with Senshi, it cost him dearly. The mere thought of Orochimaru's frustrated face, yet with no choice but to give in, made Karin snicker inside. That kind of wicked guy needs a good beating by Senshi!
Karin and Senshi then left to visit Orochimaru's lab. This time, Senshi had a particular item perfect for Orochimaru and was planning to "offer" it at a "friendship price" – in other words, extort a bunch of money.
Having set up Senshi Bank, jump starting Amegakure's economy and collecting heaps of employment points, he was still impatient for more. He wanted to unlock the advanced draw to get his Infinity Stones. So yes, no time to rest – he had to earn more points fast.
Having made his plan, he took Karin along to see Orochimaru without delay.
…
Inside Orochimaru's lab, both Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto were grinding away at the eternal puzzle of the "Eternal Chakra Elixir," working round the clock to crack it. They were in the thick of their research when suddenly an ominous, swirling red-black vortex appeared behind them. Out of it came Senshi and Karin as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Seeing them, Karin hopped over to Orochimaru's side. Alarmed by their arrival, Orochimaru swiftly shut off the instrument in front of him. Addressing Karin, he said, "Assistant-chan, you'd better not randomly touch anything here in my lab. A lot of dangerous materials are lying around. Any mishap could be trouble."
That was a direct lesson learned from their last visit, when Karin had wreaked no small havoc. Karin frowned slightly. "Are there really that many hazards?"
Orochimaru nodded gravely. "Absolutely. You see that green beaker over there? Just one drop of that toxin could easily kill a shinobi. And that's just one of eight or nine deadly samples we have in here."
He was trying to warn her up front, so she wouldn't cause any nonsense. But no sooner had Orochimaru spoken than Karin abruptly summoned a pink, translucent skeleton around herself.
Boom!
Her Susanoo exploded into existence, right then and there, blowing a giant hole through the lab's ceiling.
Orochimaru:凸(艹皿艹) Argh, she's wrecking my place again!
Kabuto: ╮(╯▽╰)╭ Just like before. She never forgets a grudge.
Senshi quickly stepped in. "Karin, calm down. You don't need to put up Susanoo as protection against hazards. Just don't tamper with Snake-bro's lab supplies, okay?"
He felt his eye twitch. He'd come here to strike a deal, not have her demolish the place.
But from within her Susanoo, Karin shook her head vigorously. "Nope, no way. If there's this much danger lurking around, I don't feel safe without Susanoo!"
Orochimaru gnashed his teeth, but there was nothing he could do. He turned to Senshi in frustration. "So, Senshi, what brings you here?"
He guessed there was some favor Senshi wanted and was hoping to get them out as soon as possible, especially that destructive Karin. There was no relaxing in the lab with her around.
Senshi, hearing Orochimaru's question, beamed. "Snake-bro, I've got top-notch intel. I guarantee you'll find interesting!"
Orochimaru frowned. "Oh? And what intel is that?"
Still smiling, Senshi went on, "I heard there's some secret organization in the shinobi world that spent a fortune developing a virus called the 'Blacklight Virus.' It's pretty remarkable—lets organisms evolve infinitely!"
At that, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. Infinite evolution? He'd never heard of anything like that. He turned serious. "I'm listening."
Senshi elaborated, "Snake-bro, a virus is a non-cellular microbe, extremely tiny compared to most organisms. It survives by using genetic material wrapped in a protein shell."
Orochimaru felt a flicker of surprise – the shinobi world's science was chaotic and unstructured, yet Senshi had described "virus" in a concise manner that made sense. Orochimaru grew more attentive, letting Senshi continue:
"That Blacklight Virus invades a host and starts assimilating it, using the host's nutrients to replicate itself. Even more impressive, it can devour other organisms to absorb their best genes, continuously getting stronger. Meanwhile, its infected host also grows stronger, evolving all sorts of abilities."
Orochimaru found himself stunned. Most people might not realize the gravity of this, but as a pioneer in shinobi research, he instantly grasped how overpowered it sounded. Unable to contain himself, he asked, "Got more intel on the Blacklight Virus?"
Senshi nodded. "Sure, Snake-bro, let me fill you in."
Pausing as though to organize his thoughts, he continued, "Once a human is infected, boom, it assimilates them. Then that person can feast on organic matter, gleaning superior genes. They can go from genin to chūnin, jōnin, even 'elite jōnin' in one unstoppable rush – maybe beyond Kage level, depending on luck!"
He wasn't exaggerating: in certain cases, hosts of the Blacklight Virus had evolved to the point of tanking a nuclear strike in close quarters – which in many ways outstripped the average Kage-level ninja.
Eyes bulging, Orochimaru thought, Is this a joke? Because in Konoha, raising a single genin from scratch takes around six years. A Kage-level ninja typically needs a prodigious talent plus unwavering support from the village. Yet Senshi was saying that with enough luck, an ordinary person might become Kage-level through the Blacklight Virus?
Seeing Orochimaru's shocked face, Karin butted in, hands on hips, "Tsk, you look so clueless! Senshi has tons of intel, not to mention he's got an endless stash of treasures. He even knows plenty of things on par with the Blacklight Virus."
She spoke like this because, as Senshi's little assistant, she felt she needed to be the backup chatter at times. And in her heart, she was thinking that if Senshi said it, it was probably true.
At first, Orochimaru was blown away by the news of the virus. Gradually, he forced himself to calm.
If anyone else told him such a story, he'd doubt every word. But this was Senshi – and from what he knew, Senshi never spouted nonsense. Possibly some secret group truly had created a monstrous virus. After a moment's thought, Orochimaru asked, "So how much? What sort of commission cost are we talking about to get hold of the Blacklight Virus?"
Senshi waved it off. "Snake-bro, it's not about money, it's about whether our little boat of friendship can be upgraded into a big cruise ship."
Orochimaru froze, a twitch pulling at his mouth. "So…this time you don't want money, just 'friendship?'"
Senshi sighed melodramatically. "Snake-bro, if you don't put effort into deepening our friendship, what motivation do I have to risk my neck snatching the Blacklight Virus for you?"
Orochimaru could only roll his eyes inside. The guy kept circling around but in the end, it was still about money. So he asked straight out, "Then how much money does it take to upgrade our 'friendship boat' into a big cruise ship so you'll bring me the Blacklight Virus?"
Senshi did not state a price directly, only responded with a genial smile: "That depends on how far you want to go in building our friendship. Let me just say, the Blacklight Virus is absolutely insane – definitely a huge boon for you."
Frowning, Orochimaru tried, "One hundred million ryō?" Because in his mind, 100 million ryō could actually buy a Tailed Beast. That amount should be more than enough to pay for the Blacklight Virus. Hearing that figure, Senshi put on a mournful face.
"Snake-bro, you already know how incredible the virus is. I don't need to repeat it. It's also unbelievably hard for even me to acquire. That group who developed it wouldn't let outsiders get it easily, right?"
Orochimaru felt decidedly skeptical. He tried raising it to "two hundred million ryō." Senshi sighed even more sadly. "This is even more difficult than catching the wind with a net.! The virus is extremely dangerous. I'll probably pay a huge price to lay my hands on it!"
Hence Orochimaru thought for a while, saying tentatively, "Could it be worth three hundred million? But you said earlier, you need good luck for the host to evolve to Kage level. If the luck isn't there, or we run out of samples and only manage a jōnin or even a chūnin, wouldn't that be a huge loss?"
Senshi shook his head. Orochimaru felt a bit relieved, thinking if Senshi had asked for three hundred million, he might have refused outright. He just didn't believe a single virus sample could be worth that much.
But Senshi's head-shake didn't mean the virus was cheaper than three hundred million – it was that it was worth even more. Or in other words, this time Senshi intended to gouge him for more than three hundred million.
With a straight face, he said, "Snake-bro, let me give you a bit more confidential intel. Not only does the Blacklight Virus let hosts evolve continuously, it also grants the body bizarre transformations surpassing even your snake arts – your arms can turn into claws, iron fists, blades, anything. And as it keeps upgrading, the host can spawn shields, set off bio-explosions, and so on. Seriously, even five hundred million ryō is a steal for a virus that can so powerfully catalyze evolution. You'd make a killing!"
Orochimaru nearly had a meltdown. He wants five hundred million?
Buying the "Yamata no Orochi Fruit" had cost him only one hundred million.
Now an alleged virus was five hundred million? The Snake Fruit had direct, guaranteed effects – but for the virus, you needed luck. Senshi, that rascal, wasn't just treating him like a sucker, but an utter fool.
He was about to refuse when Senshi spoke again: "And that's not even all. The Blacklight Virus itself has huge untapped potential. For instance, if its host ever got strong enough to devour you, Snake-bro, he'd incorporate your prime genetic features, effectively gaining many of your abilities. You're a total techie; think how beneficial that might be to your own research."
Orochimaru had just been about to say no. But hearing that, his heart quivered. He knew from experience that Senshi, for all his occasionally crazy talk, never actually lied about the items he sold. Admittedly, the price was astronomical, but with his current finances, he could manage. After a short pause, he nodded, "All right, I'll hire you for five hundred million ryō to get me that Blacklight Virus that's as hard to obtain as you say."
"Awesome."
[Mission accepted!]
[Client: Orochimaru!]
[Goal: Obtain the nigh-impossible Blacklight Virus!]
[Reward: 500 million ryō]
[Rank: S-rank]
[Bonus: 500,000 Employment Points!]
Hearing that system prompt in his head, Senshi nearly jumped for joy. As expected from Snake-bro: a big spender with plenty of cash.
Orochimaru, also straightforward, pulled out five 100-million-ryō checks in a row, handing them over like handing out pocket money. "So, Senshi, how long will it take to see this so-called virus? Could we wrap it up in, say, three months?"
After all, while Senshi's mission success rate was stellar, he himself had said the virus was tough to obtain. Orochimaru assumed it might be a while. But right after he asked, Senshi acted like a magician, taking out several vials containing a crimson substance – exactly the Blacklight Virus. He smiled broadly, "Snake-bro, look – the Blacklight Virus!"
Orochimaru froze. (O_O)???
What happened to " more difficult than catching the wind with a net?" How'd you just whip it out instantly, Senshi?
Inside, he was so annoyed. Senshi, apparently reading his mind, quickly remarked, "Hey, I really had to go through all kinds of trouble to get this stuff! It wasn't easy at all!"
He internally lamented that he'd had to do fifteen rounds of hundredfold lotteries just to draw the virus. Not easy indeed.
Orochimaru snorted – sure, as if he believed a word. Senshi didn't push the matter. After all, simply handing Orochimaru the Blacklight Virus would complete the quest. Still, considering how dangerous it was, Senshi spoke quite solemnly:
"Snake-bro, that virus is every bit as I described – extremely transmissible. Till you understand it thoroughly, handle it with the utmost caution or you might turn the entire shinobi world into a horde of mutants! Your early research on it should be done under fully contained conditions. If it leaks, the outcome could be catastrophic."
Senshi's serious tone made Orochimaru a bit more careful. He still felt skeptical that a few test tubes of red liquid could be so apocalyptic, but he decided to treat it carefully – no point risking an irreversible disaster.
With that, the Blacklight Virus was in Orochimaru's possession, the five-hundred-million-ryō deal sealed. Five hundred thousand Employment Points went straight into Senshi's account. Achieving his purpose, he was about to take Karin and leave, when Kabuto suddenly spoke: "Lord Senshi, please wait a moment. I have a favor to ask!"
Hearing that, Senshi was delighted. Yakushi Kabuto was potentially even more important than Orochimaru, given how in the later timeline, anything Orochimaru could do, Kabuto could do – plus some. Genuinely an upgraded version of Snake-bro.
Senshi smiled. "Kabuto, what do you need me for?"
Kabuto had coveted the Yamata no Orochi Fruit ever since it appeared, wanting to buy something like that from Senshi. He'd spent a long time gathering funds – following Orochimaru far and wide, running various ventures, and at last saved up enough. Now that Senshi was here, Kabuto was gathering his courage, hoping to buy some item akin to the Yamata Fruit to level himself up.
Senshi didn't know exactly how much money Kabuto had squirreled away, but he'd only had one Orochi Fruit. Nonetheless, thinking about Kabuto's aesthetics of sticking heads on his belly, an idea suddenly popped into Senshi's mind: he did have an item that would perfectly suit Kabuto – if Kabuto could pay.
So, upon hearing Senshi's question, Kabuto respectfully replied, "Lord Senshi, please allow me a moment to fetch my money."
Then he rushed off, returning from his room with box after box of cash. After all, it was rare for him to see Senshi, so he intended to buy all the good stuff he could afford and significantly upgrade himself.
Senshi and Karin both stared as Kabuto lugged out crates of money. Karin, however, was an old hand at this – she morphed into a "human money-counter," her fingers dancing with speed.
Back in the days of mission grinding with Senshi, she'd perfected her counting skill. Kabuto had quite a lot of money, but it was still child's play for Karin, who finished counting fast. After finishing, she reported triumphantly, "Senshi, this totals over three hundred million ryō!"
Senshi raised his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. If Kabuto's budget was that high, everything would go smoothly. Once Kabuto put all the money out, he gazed at Senshi eagerly, saying, "Lord Senshi, I want a Yamata no Orochi Fruit – and anything else that might suit me! I desperately want to become stronger!"
Senshi patted his shoulder with a grin. "Kabuto, wanting to improve is a good thing, but I don't have any more Yamata Fruits left."
At those words, Kabuto looked like lightning had struck. If even Senshi doesn't have another Orochi Fruit, who else could possibly get it?
Orochimaru heard this and merely shook his head, disappointed as well; Kabuto was his right-hand man, and he wanted to see him get stronger fast. If it wasn't an option, oh well. Orochimaru's gaze drifted to the Blacklight Virus on the lab table, half thinking they could maybe glean something from that.
But just then, as if performing another magic trick, Senshi produced two "Sukuna's Fingers," hooking an arm around Kabuto's shoulder, wearing a mischievous smile. "Kabuto, I'm out of Orochi Fruits, but I've got something better: Sukuna's Fingers!"
He wasn't lying that these were even more formidable than the Yamata Fruit. Yamata no Orochi might have been a big shot in Orochimaru's hands, but in the original One Piece story, Kurozumi Orochi was basically a chump. Sukuna's Fingers, however, belonged to the fictional "Cursed King" Ryōmen Sukuna.
Kabuto blinked. "Lord Senshi, wh-what is that?"
He just wanted the Orochi Fruit. Why was Senshi offering him some weird set of fingers? And after seeing Orochimaru cough up half a billion earlier, how could Kabuto not feel a little wary?
Reading Kabuto's apprehensive eyes, Senshi silently lamented I should have made a deal with him first, before ripping off Orochimaru. But hey, money's money. He pressed on, hooking Kabuto's shoulder while holding up the fingers.
"Kabuto, these are Sukuna's Fingers, top-tier treasure. Eat one and you become the Jinchūriki of Ryōmen Sukuna! That kind of Jinchūriki would easily overpower most folks. You'd wreck most other Jinchūriki in a heartbeat!"
Kabuto: (O_O)???
Orochimaru: (O_O)???
They both found that pitch pretty baffling, though it also piqued their interest. Karin, too, was intrigued—until Senshi's next line snuffed out any thoughts she might have had about the item.
Holding the two fingers, Senshi said solemnly, "But, Kabuto, there's a side effect. If your willpower isn't rock-solid, Sukuna's consciousness can erode your mind. But if you can handle it and become Sukuna's Jinchūriki, oh man, you'll be thrilled with the results."
With that, he felt Kabuto would be a perfect candidate: to learn Sage Mode at the Ryūchi Cave required a robust will. Kabuto managed that, so he should have iron fortitude.
After hearing the benefits and side effects, Kabuto sank into thought. He was very confident in his own mental resolve. So after some moments, he looked up and respectfully asked, "Lord Senshi, what's your asking price?"
Senshi lit up. "Normally, it's two hundred million per finger. But I like you, Kabuto, so we'll call it a buddy discount: three hundred million for two. Deal?"
Internally, Senshi was well aware how Kabuto's future potential was huge. Once he got stronger, his research abilities and cunning might even surpass Orochimaru's.
And that meant his capacity to earn money would be no less. Since there were twenty total Sukuna's Fingers, if Kabuto tasted how good they were, he'd likely keep wanting more. At that point, Senshi could say, "Well, obtaining the rest is extremely difficult," and keep jacking up the prices.
Even if he stuck to the same price, that was still 3 billion for the full set. If he raised it in tiers, it might climb to 10 billion sums. There was enormous profit ahead!
~~~
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