After talking with Orochimaru, I somehow managed to convince him.
It wasn't that difficult. After all, he needed a stable income too.
Plus, all the ninjas he sends to protect the caravan will gain some fame.
In short, everything worked out perfectly for Orochimaru. As usual, I'll be the one suffering the most.
In short, everything worked out in Orochimaru's favor. As usual, I'm the one who'll suffer the most here.
When I return to Konoha, I'll have to explain where I've been all this time. Then, Hiruzen and Danzo, who've heard about my grand plan, will start pressuring me.
Ultimately, they will want the ninjas responsible for protecting this caravan to be Konoha ninjas, and they are quite right about that. After all, in their eyes, even I belong to Konoha.
But they are wrong...
Konoha, under the leadership of Sarutobi and Shimura, is the most untrustworthy village in the Shinobi world. Working with them, I never know when a dagger will be thrust into my back.
That's why I need to secure my own back first.
"I'm heading straight to the capital of the Fire Country. Are you sure you want to come? Orochimaru won't be pleased about this."
Kabuto looked thoughtful when he heard this.
Probably the reason he had accompanied me until now was that he still couldn't completely break away from Konoha. Now he probably wanted to use this opportunity to visit Konoha.
"I really don't need protection, Kabuto. I know the safest routes very well. I'll just dress like an ordinary villager and go on my own. You don't need to accompany me."
Of course, Kabuto wasn't convinced so easily.
He kept saying he would protect me and that he owed me in this matter. Besides, when he used the excuse that I might suddenly fall ill during the journey, I had no choice but to shut up.
Of course, I still didn't want to go to Konoha with Kabuto.
I don't know why, but I wanted to be alone for a while and clear my head. Even though being alone in a world like this is dangerous to a certain extent, I needed silence and time to work on my plans.
So, ignoring all of Kabuto's insistence, I went to the central building of the Sound Village and hired two ninjas, promising to pay them later.
After talking to Orochimaru, the elders in charge of village administration didn't cause much trouble.
Finally, I said goodbye to Kabuto and left the Sound Village.
As soon as I left the village, I told the ninjas with me that they had completed their mission and asked them to leave.
Of course, my behavior seemed suspicious to them, so they politely* offered to escort me out of the country formerly known as the Land of Rice Fields, now known as the Land of Sound.
Well, they offered so politely that I had no choice but to accept.
After about a few days of walking and a few days of sour faces, they finally left me alone and returned to their village.
I must say that there are real reasons why this country used to be called the Land of Rice Fields. Until the very last second I was in the country, all I saw everywhere were rice fields and the people working in them.
Despite the two ninjas who never left my side, I found an opportunity to visit a few shacks next to the fields and asked the people living there about their rice production.
Production is abundant, and they have no trouble selling it. This isn't very good news for me. If they were having trouble selling, I would have brought the caravan here to buy rice at very cheap prices.
Of course, the rice they sell is still quite cheap due to its abundance and the suitability of the region. Buying it here and selling it in the Wind Country and the Stone Country brings good profits. But selling it to other countries in this area is not very profitable.
After writing down the information I had gathered in a notebook, I looked around, breathed in the fresh air, and stretched my body.
According to the system's routine, a new system template won't be here for at least another three weeks.
This means I have at least three weeks to go to the capital and convince the Daimyo.
Well, that time is probably quite sufficient. In fact, while I'm there, I can also make contact with some major merchants.
Hmm, actually, it's too early to contact them. If I tell them this early, I'll awaken their greed.
After all, to make them part of my plan, I first need to convince them of the plan's feasibility. And once they're convinced of the plan's feasibility, why would they want to stand behind me in this plan?
All the major merchants in the capital have their own connections, and most of them are related by blood to the Daimyo.
After I tell them everything, the only thanks I'll get will probably be extra spices added to my food.
The more I think about it, the more ridiculous my idea of talking to a few high-level merchants early on seems.
The best thing to do would be to withdraw some money from my bank account in the capital and take a vacation there until a new template arrives.
I guess I should also send a letter to Konoha telling them not to worry about me. Hiruzen will be happy to hear that he can keep owning the market.
After opening my map, I calculated my current location and where I needed to go. It should be noted that the map I currently hold is my original map.
Orochimaru returned my map when I asked for it, with the reliable trade routes marked.
Orochimaru probably made a copy for himself, but since we're business partners now, it's not a problem. After all, he's my security captain now.
I managed to establish a business relationship with Orochimaru while I was an abducted test subject...
Fortunately, I didn't try to do anything like increase the similarity level of the template provided by the system.
Thanks to both the punishment I received and my own actions, I managed to escape from there.
"Hahahaha! I'm really lucky these days."
[Congratulations, host, you've obtained a new template]
"Ahhhh! You bastard system!"