Danzo's act of imitation set a precedent, and coupled with Satori Hyūga's inaction, prompted all the major clans of Konoha to follow suit in quick succession.
One factory after another sprang up, bringing new vitality to Konoha, the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
On the streets, rows of recruitment posters lined the walls from the commercial districts all the way into quiet alleys, plastered so densely that no space was left uncovered.
Factories that once had strict entry requirements now opened their doors to more people, sparking desire among the common folk.
Previously, few had expected such generous welfare and benefits from factories. Most simply watched and waited, only realizing their missed chances when it was too late.
Others failed to meet requirements or possessed dubious character, which led to their rejection during applications.
The new round of factory hiring immediately gave them another shot.
The dizzying number of job offers left them overwhelmed.
With large and small factories rising everywhere, most residents of Konoha found employment.
Refugees who fled from the Land of Fire, hearing of these opportunities, rushed to sign up, hoping only to secure a position.
Since these factories were desperate for manpower, they naturally accepted whoever came.
Inside the Fire's Root Factory:
Tatsuma Aburame, wearing neat formal attire, sat at the head of the table, bursting with youthful energy as he surveyed the applicants before him.
"Now that I've joined management, I must squeeze every ounce of sweat from each employee, making them contribute fully to Root."
Being an ordinary worker was exhausting and mentally draining, but ever since Tatsuma became part of the supervisory team, his whole demeanor had completely transformed.
He radiated vitality and confidence, commanding the room.
He vowed to carve out a domain and generate massive profit for Root—and especially for Danzo-sama.
And he truly believed he could do it, having already mastered the factory's core Ultimate Art.
[Death Assembly Line]
Relentless internal competition pushed employees to work harder than ever, yielding output far surpassing others'.
With efficiency like this, earning profits would certainly not be a concern.
Wave after wave of applicants were taken on under his leadership, and following his arrangements, were assigned directly to the assembly lines.
Inside the factory, brand-new machines formed seamless, interlinked rows, connected without a single gap.
All of this stemmed from his hard-earned experience.
So long as positions were arranged properly and internal competition pushed relentlessly, every ounce of labor could be wrung out of every employee.
Watching workers take their places, Tatsuma revealed a satisfied smile brimming with confidence as he declared, "Danzo-sama, I definitely won't disappoint you."
At his command, the newly purchased machines roared to life, beginning their operation.
From that day forward, the Root Factory never ceased its mechanical clamor, churning out countless mass-produced goods.
Root may have lacked many things, but not special talents.
To enable imitation, Danzo recruited numerous research specialists.
Though their scientific aptitude didn't match Orochimaru's, they still had strong analytical skills and managed to identify several food ingredients.
While monosodium glutamate remained out of reach for now, similar alternatives were possible—albeit with compromised flavor quality.
Under threat of death, they quickly replicated similar spice formulas and began modifying them accordingly.
Aburame Tatsuma used these recipes to ramp up frantic production at Fire's Root Factory, mass-producing at a rapid pace.
The daily output of goods surpassed other factories by many times in efficiency.
The instant noodles produced at Satori Hyūga's factory were branded as Ichiraku Instant Noodles, while those from the Fire's Root Factory became Niile Instant Noodles.
They didn't have to be identical—the main goal was to aggressively cash in on the name.
Meanwhile, Danzō controlled the Root division, who commanded countless connections that linked the Land of Fire to other nations.
Through Danzō's extensive networking, many merchants traveled great distances from foreign lands just to purchase these cheap imitations.
Watching money pour into his account like a river, Danzō felt an unprecedented sense of bliss.
The money he earned himself—he could spend it however he liked, and it felt incredible.
Before, when he begged Hiruzen Sarutobi for funding, that old monkey had always been stingy, doling out only tiny scraps.
Now with his own profitable channel, he no longer had to grovel before Sarutobi every single day.
He also didn't have to listen to that guy constantly remind everyone he was Hokage.
It was incredibly satisfying.
Just as he was enjoying this blissful state, worker strikes and a wave of resignations erupted within Root (Fire's Root Factory).
Inside the Fire's Root factory building, the vast interior had been partitioned into sections, each packed with machinery and workers.
Each employee worked not far from another, forced to work relentlessly just to keep pace with the machines' punishing workload.
But humans weren't machines—they couldn't endure this for long.
When one exhausted worker finally collapsed from fatigue, eyes glazed and lifeless, a courageous soul stepped forward.
Watanabe Tianyi was a refugee who had fled to the Land of Fire. Introduced by relatives, he joined the factory.
He joined Fire's Root Factory mainly because they promised accommodation support to employees.
Most other factories only provided meals, but Fire's Root offered the generous benefit of full room and board—seemed like manna from heaven.
After starting work, though, he quickly realized there was no such thing as free manna from heaven.
The cafeteria food was bland, completely devoid of meat—even worse than what he cooked himself.
Other factory cafeterias usually served meat at least once every week or month—that would've been acceptable.
Even the accommodation was a scam. A tiny, cramped room crammed ten people inside—it was utterly absurd.
This was nothing like what they'd promised during hiring.
Plus, the workload on the assembly line was shockingly heavy—nothing like what he'd heard about from others working at different factories.
Fire's Root Factory was seriously deceptive.
Unable to bear the hardship any longer, he and many fellow workers suffered under this brutal grindwork and planned to quit.
Yet the Fire's Root factory gates remained locked tight—no approval for resignations, nobody allowed to leave.
Finally driven past his limits, he stood up and led everyone in protesting and going on strike at the entrance.
He believed that if they stood together, they could overthrow this heartless factory and transfer to another workplace.
There were plenty of factories in Konoha, many of which offered decent benefits and treatment. They didn't have to be trapped working at Fire's Root Factory forever.
Standing at the factory gate, Watanabe Tianyi held a protest sign and led the employees in loudly voicing their demands.
"You executives at Fire's Root Factory better listen up! We demand days off and raises, or we'll quit and take our skills to other factories!"
"Other factories offer lighter workloads and better benefits. We deserve the same treatment too!"
Inside the second-floor office, Tatsuma Aburame stood wearing black sunglasses, his expression frozen in fury as he glared down at the commotion below.
"Ungrateful brats! You're already getting paid, but you still aren't satisfied—now you want time off and more benefits too?"
"Your hard work is all for preserving Konoha's peace. How can you show so little gratitude?"
He had just reported good news to Danzo-sama. This incident would make him lose face.
Tatsuma Aburame waved his hand, instantly summoning several cold-eyed Root members.
"If these slackers think they can slack off after joining Fire's Root Factory, they're sorely mistaken."
"You lot grab that ringleader and punish him severely—make an example of him to warn the rest."
Tatsuma Aburame had become the very image of a capitalist, utterly focused on work efficiency and output.
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