"The Land of Waves can only reach other countries by sea. Can using trucks as vehicles for transporting goods work?"
Kakuzu's keen sense for money quickly noticed the problem.
The most important issue was the roads.
Goods transported from the Land of Waves to other countries were primarily by sea, then by land, delivered to various towns and Various Ninja Villages via carriages.
"When transporting goods from the Land of Waves to other countries, we'll still use cargo ships. Trucks will be used when transporting to various towns. Building transportation hubs for goods in each country will not only increase efficiency but also make our people safer."
Orochimaru was truly fed up with the previous method of transporting goods; it was slow and more prone to being targeted.
The small trucks developed this time could carry some weapons, such as the shuriken-firing guns used by Sky Ninja, which would be good for firing small explosive projectiles made from Chakra explosives.
She had dismantled countless of those things at the Root base; they looked intimidating but their actual power was not great.
Danzo Shimura originally wanted to know how to make those guns, intending to create them for the Root Ninja to use. After hearing Orochimaru's evaluation, he abandoned that idea.
He wasn't short on money, but he wouldn't waste it on useless research.
From aiming to firing, such a long time, the person holding the gun would have been killed many times over.
"This is the proposal."
Orochimaru took out the proposal and placed it on the coffee table, detailing how to build transportation hubs and their functions.
According to her estimates, once transportation hubs and small trucks were put into use, the speed of transporting goods could increase several times over compared to the old methods.
Considering potential Ninja attacks, traps with exploding tags would be set, and the materials for manufacturing the trucks must be able to withstand the explosion of exploding tags. The wheels were also a top priority and absolutely could not burst from being punctured by a caltrop.
Based on the principle of Ninja concentrating Chakra on their feet to walk on water, it was not impossible to create trucks that could run on water. The tire material would need to be reactive to Chakra.
This would allow Chakra to better condense on the tires, enabling them to travel on the sea.
Regarding materials, various materials had been tested during the research on liquid invisible contact lenses.
The nesting fluid of Chimera Bugs was an excellent material. It was already a highly viscous nesting material produced by the combination of Chakra and secretions, and it became extremely tough when dry.
Tires made with nesting fluid as the main material, let alone caltrops, might even repel a Kunai if someone tried to stab the tire with it, sending the Kunai flying out of their hand.
The bustling port had many merchant ships docked at the pier.
Is this the Land of Waves?
A young man with a mask covering his face, breathing through his mouth, disembarked from the ship. His long yellow hair gave off a warm feeling in the sunlight. He looked at everything around the port; the highly modern facilities were different from the poor Land of Waves he remembered.
Was this the change brought about by the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company for this country?
Hanzou, the leader of the Hidden Rain Village in the Land of Rain, known as Hanzou of the Salamander, became the de facto ruler of the Land of Rain after the Daimyo of the Land of Rain went missing in another attack.
The source of his 'Salamander' title was the highly toxic black salamander's poison sac implanted in his body. With every breath, the toxins would blend into the air, causing people nearby to unknowingly be poisoned.
Over time, he earned the title of Hanzou of the Salamander, and to avoid affecting others, he wore a mask year-round and breathed through his mouth.
Hanzou inquired about the location of the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company along the way, observing as he walked. He noticed that this small island nation had transformed from poverty to extreme wealth, which was evident from their clothing and the smiles on their faces—smiles of prosperous living.
If only the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company were established in the Land of Rain.
Hanzou thought of his homeland, the Land of Rain, which was sandwiched between the three great nations of the Land of Wind, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Earth, with one side facing the sea, and which rained year-round. Minor conflicts between the great nations had become much more frequent than before, and as the leader of a small nation, he sensed something was amiss.
To avoid being destroyed in a war, they needed to seek change. With this thought, he came to the Land of Waves.
(The scene of Jiraiya's demise at sea is enough to prove that one side of the Land of Rain faces the sea. Maps found online can only serve as a reference; the actual environment of the Land of Rain still needs to be seen in the manga and anime.)
In the lobby of the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, a front desk receptionist with excellent looks and personality noticed Hanzou walking into the lobby and asked with a smile, "Hello, how may I help you?"
"I am Hanzou from the Land of Rain, and I would like to meet your company's president."
Hanzou stepped forward and stated his identity. He didn't believe he could meet the president of the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company by concealing his identity.
"Hanzou?"
The merchants in the lobby immediately looked over upon hearing Hanzou's name. When they spoke of Hanzou of the Land of Rain, there was only one—Hanzou of the Salamander!
They were shocked by Hanzou's appearance, never expecting that Hanzou, the leader of the Land of Rain, would come to visit the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company in the Land of Waves.
"Please wait a moment."
The front desk receptionist also recognized Hanzou's identity and informed the president's secretary via radio that Hanzou, the leader of the Land of Rain, had arrived.
"Hanzou? Why would he be here?"
Orochimaru was very surprised to learn that Hanzou was visiting. At Hanzou's current age, he should still be a very young man.
"Orochimaru-sama, should we see him?"
Aokawa inquired. Since Orochimaru-sama was at the company, everything followed her orders. He would not overstep his bounds.
"Let him in."
Orochimaru formed a hand seal, and with a puff of smoke, transformed into Mi.
Mi adjusted her glasses and said to the three, "From now on, I am Mi, here from the Laboratory Base to request funding. Understand?"
Lord Orochimaru, you're putting a lot of pressure on me!
Aokawa looked at Lord Orochimaru, who was about to put on an acting show, and felt immense pressure.
"Funding? Hmph! Your research hasn't made any progress in a long time, and you still want so much funding? The company's money doesn't grow on trees!"
Kakuzu adopted his usual attitude towards those who came asking for funds. In his view, the company's profits were directly linked to his own. The more the company earned, the more salary he would receive.
If the company didn't make money, he would earn less.
Hanzō, led by the President's secretary, arrived outside the President's office. Before he even entered, he heard a fierce argument inside.
"What do you mean my research is useless! My research is indispensable to the company! Kakuzu, do you have the guts to say that again in front of President Aokawa?"
"What exactly is the use of the Chakra Battery you're developing? Besides wasting funds, I see no purpose for it."
"Stop arguing, stop arguing… Mi, Kakuzu, calm down. This is the President's office! President Aokawa, please say something!"
A strong-willed woman and a cold, stern man arguing, and a woman trying to mediate and calm them down.
This… Hanzō stood at the door, unsure whether to go in or not. He looked at the President's secretary beside him, "Am I here at a bad time? Perhaps I should visit later?"
Hanzō felt it would be too awkward to go in now, having witnessed something he shouldn't have.
"Please don't mind it."
The President's secretary tried to maintain a straight face, opened the door to the President's office, and gestured for him to enter.
Hanzō, extremely reluctant to enter, walked in with a nervous heart. He felt he had come at the wrong time today and would have been better off spending a day in the Land of Waves and coming back tomorrow. Given the current situation, his objective was likely to end in failure.
"Mr. Hanzō, what brings you to our company?"
Aokawa looked at Hanzō, who had walked in, and smiled as if seeing a close relative. He cleared his throat, reminding the two arguing individuals that they had an important guest.
"President Aokawa, I wish to propose a partnership with your company on behalf of the Land of Rain."
Hanzō said sincerely. To avoid becoming a battlefield for the great nations, the Land of Rain had to grow stronger.
Given the Land of Rain's geographical location, it certainly couldn't grow stronger on its own. Rely on the Land of Wind? The Land of Wind's own environment was extremely harsh; relying on them was worse than relying on themselves.
Rely on the Land of Earth?
Given Iwagakure's style in the Land of Earth, it would be good if they didn't have the idea of annexing the Land of Rain.
Rely on the Land of Fire?
Konoha, rich in resources and having produced Orochimaru, a scientist with extraordinary research capabilities, simply didn't care for the Land of Rain.
What's more, once the Various Ninja Villages of the three countries engaged in small-scale warfare, the Land of Rain would very likely become a battlefield for Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha. Aligning with any of them would only worsen the Land of Rain's situation.
This was the sorrow of a small country caught between great powers.
Therefore, after much deliberation, Hanzō thought of the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, which had never interfered in the internal affairs of the Land of Waves and focused solely on doing business and making money.
Why say this? One could tell from the increasingly corpulent and oblivious Daimyo of the Land of Waves that he had received no small amount of money from the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company.
"Mr. Hanzō, how do you envision this partnership?"
Aokawa made a show of listening attentively.
Honestly, the Land of Rain, with its constant rain, humid climate, and location between three major nations, was perpetually embroiled in conflict and highly unsuitable for building factories. He couldn't imagine what kind of beneficial partnership they could have with the Land of Rain.
"This…"
Hanzō was at a loss for words about what good partnership the Land of Rain could have with the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company. The main reason was that the Land of Rain had nothing to offer. He couldn't possibly say, 'We, the Land of Rain, have many people, so come build factories in our country!'
It would be good if President Aokawa politely asked him to leave.
Is this how you negotiate a partnership?
Orochimaru looked at Hanzō, who couldn't even complete a thought, and truly wondered what he was thinking.
It was clearly a decision made in a moment of passion, and then he traveled from the Land of Rain to the Land of Waves.
If you want to talk about cooperation, you should at least plan what to say, right?
Orochimaru saw through Hanzō's ambition: to use the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company to develop the Land of Rain. The escalating friction between Various Ninja Villages of various countries had the greatest impact on the Land of Rain.
There was no other way. The Land of Rain's geographical location was simply too good—it was the most suitable place for the three countries to fight without damaging their own territories.
Hanzō, knowing he had no conditions that could persuade the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company to cooperate with the Land of Rain, sincerely said, "President Aokawa, I want to use the power of your company to develop the Land of Rain. I want to protect my homeland!"
Has he only recently become the leader of the Land of Rain?
Orochimaru realized that only a young Hanzō in his twenties could do such a thing. An older Hanzō would never make such a plea.
"Mr. Hanzō, do you mean you want my company to develop in the Land of Rain?"
Aokawa looked at Hanzō, who wanted to protect his homeland, and thought of the recent escalation of friction between Various Ninja Villages of various countries, assuming the Land of Rain had been significantly affected. He said apologetically, "I apologize, Mr. Hanzō, I cannot make this decision alone. I am the company's President, but that doesn't mean I can unilaterally decide on this matter… At the latest, I will give you an answer tomorrow. Mr. Hanzō, what do you think?"
Aokawa deeply admired this man who worked tirelessly for his country, but he couldn't make a decision that would harm the company's interests just because of admiration. Moreover, Lord Orochimaru was watching, and this matter also depended on Lord Orochimaru's decision.
Author's Note
PS:
During the Second Shinobi World War, when the Sannin fought Hanzō, they were all twenty-four or twenty-five years old, while Hanzō was around forty.
The Hanzō in this text is in his twenties, full of vigor and easily hot-headed.
If you feel the character is OOC, then he is OOC. His total screen time in the anime is less than that of original comedic characters.
Before going on sale, I considered skipping ahead to the time when the protagonist goes to Ryūchi Cave. After Ryūchi Cave, it would be the escalation of friction between Various Ninja Villages of various countries, followed by the Second Shinobi World War.
If the time skip is too long, the protagonist couldn't have done nothing during that period, right? He could improve the soldier pill formula, but couldn't create other things?
Also, if you find it boring and can't continue, don't force yourself. I said in my on-sale message, don't auto-subscribe, read what you like. If you really can't stand it, I can't help it; this is how I write.
I've failed countless times and also written profitable books.
I'm quite puzzled why other authors have so many 'wise sons and filial grandsons.'
Why do people get so obsessed with reading? I can understand arguments about the plot, but I can't understand some people treating the author like their father.
Are they that deprived of paternal love?
It's truly awesome how they swagger on a small, obscure website like Hedgehog Cat.
Why don't they learn from the top students and go to the 'righteous path' next door?
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