Maki pulled out a ball of thread.
It was white and undyed, though she had dye if she wanted to use it. The forests around Konoha were full of rare plants and animals—some familiar, others that didn't exist on Earth at all.
She'd spent a long time gathering these little creatures, sending her swarm of insects to search again and again. One species, in particular, was a natural dye source, producing the three primary colors: red, green, and blue.
On Earth, it would've been called cochineal—a natural, non-toxic biological dye used in food, medicine, cosmetics, and more.
Maki hadn't yet discovered the full potential of all her insects; their habitats and behaviors still needed careful observation. Originally, she'd planned to use this dye-producing insect as her secret weapon to make money.
But now she had something better.
Rather than investing in large-scale production and building a global dye empire, she preferred fast, easy profits. Long-term business just didn't appeal to her.
No amount of money meant much to Maki—even if she was short on it right now.
The shopkeeper gave her an awkward look. "Little ninja, you might want to try the clothing store next door."
"Aren't you even going to look at it?" Maki said flatly.
He hesitated, then gave in. "All right, let's see what you have, little ninja-sama."
Maki drew a blade, unspooled the thread, and gave it a sharp slash.
The thread held firm.
The shopkeeper's eyes widened.
"This… is amazing…"
Orochimaru, watching from nearby, looked intrigued.
"What is this? How did you make it?" the shopkeeper asked, clearly impressed. "Is this… steel wire?"
He reached out to take the spool, fingers testing its texture.
"It's too soft… this doesn't feel like any steel I know."
"Biosteel," Maki said. "To put it simply, it's silk spun by a special type of insect."
Unlike Earth's synthetic biosteel, her insects secreted it in finished form.
"Insects?" the shopkeeper echoed, curious. "Where did you find these?"
"That's an Aburame clan secret," Maki said coldly. "Are you sure you want to die for asking again?"
The shopkeeper immediately backed down. "Apologies! I didn't mean any disrespect."
"Ninja-sama, I only meant—this is your exclusive product, right?"
"Correct," Maki nodded. "You can tell buyers it's a special consignment from Aburame Kurohime."
The shopkeeper turned back to his shelves of ninja tools. The possibilities were dawning on him—he was beginning to sweat.
"If this thread was made into clothing…"
He trailed off, clearly doing the math.
"How much are you selling this for, Lady Mushi-hime?"
"Ten million per bundle," Maki replied coolly. "How you resell it is your business."
"This bundle?"
"One pound," she said. "And I forgot to mention—it conducts chakra."
That detail hit hard.
For most ninja, forming chakra armor over the body was nearly impossible. But inputting chakra into conductive thread that formed armor on its own? That was doable.
Her technique, Dance of the Armored Chrysalis, relied on exactly this principle: chakra-conductive parasites.
The shopkeeper whistled under his breath, eyes locked on the thread in his hands.
"It's a bit thin… adult clothing would take around three pounds. That's over 30 million. Kind of steep…"
S-rank missions started at one million—with no upper cap. But still, thirty of them? That was insane.
"Could you lower the price, Lady Kurohime? Regular ninja could never afford this."
"Who said you're selling it to regular ninja?" Maki said. "Sell it to noble families and ninja clans—they have money."
"Do you have a limited supply of this silk?"
"Very limited," Maki said. "It depends on my mood."
Naori, standing nearby, clicked her tongue. She knew just how much Maki actually had—piled high in that underground den of hers.
And it was all thanks to her efforts.
She just hadn't expected it to be worth this much.
After hearing the offer, the shopkeeper thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I want this. It's just… the money—I'll need some time to prepare it."
"Leave the goods here. I'll come by in a few days to collect the payment," Maki said calmly, then turned and walked out of the store.
Once outside, Hitomi Hyūga looked dazed.
That… was a lot of money.
She lived off the clan's monthly allowance—not too little, but not much either. She had never seen a sum that large in her life.
As expected of you, Maki. You're incredible…
Orochimaru, meanwhile, was far more focused on something else.
He stepped closer to Maki. "That thread you mentioned—Biosteel. What exactly is it? How did you make it? You've got a lot of it, right?"
Maki turned to look at him.
Facing her mask, Orochimaru forced a stiff smile. He wasn't dumb—he knew how to ask for favors. Even if his personality was cold, he understood humility.
"Interested?" she asked.
"I am," he replied seriously. "Very interested."
Maki did want to use that clever little brain of his—but not now. The current Orochimaru wasn't ready. Sure, she could teach him a few beginner lessons, but she barely had time to study for herself.
Better to let him grow wild for now… then cut him down when the timing's right.
"Orochimaru-kun, was it?"
"Yeah."
"Poor kids like you shouldn't study biology, Orochimaru-kun," Maki said plainly. "Even if I told you how I did it, you wouldn't be able to replicate it."
Orochimaru froze.
He expected rejection—but not that reason.
Maki went on, "Just forget it. Even if you learned everything, you wouldn't get anywhere. You'd probably end up on the streets, begging for scraps."
To be fair, Orochimaru didn't have the same resources Maki did. She had free access to experimental materials. He'd have to scrape by and make do with whatever he could get his hands on. No funding, no lab, barely any supplies.
The best-case scenario? He might gain some experience.
Success? Results? Discoveries?
Dream on.
Orochimaru fell silent, eyes glinting.
He felt provoked.
He was a genius—Sarutobi-sensei said so himself. Just because she was ahead now didn't mean he'd stay behind forever.
Biosteel, huh…?
He licked his lips.
"I'm telling you not to follow in my footsteps," Maki said, glancing at his face.
She could practically smell it in the air—youthful pride boiling over. Ah, the passion of a future mad scientist. That classic "just you wait" energy.
She nodded, secretly satisfied.
So cute. You took the bait just like that. Let him chase it. Who knows? He might pull something off.
Suddenly, from down the street—
"You two! Where did you go?! I've been looking everywhere!"
Tsunade came sprinting up, glaring daggers at Maki.
Maki looked up at the sky. "That's it for today."
"Huh?" Tsunade blinked.
"Disbanded," Maki said flatly.
"Disbanded?!"
Tsunade wasn't ready to stop. But Maki had plenty on her plate.
There were books to memorize. Sword forms to practice. Physical drills to grind through. Experiments to run. A hive to finish. Species to observe. Data to record.
And sleep. Sleep was nice.
She wasn't as carefree as Tsunade.
Without waiting, Maki turned and walked off.
"Aaargh!! Damn bug girl!"
Watching her retreating figure, Tsunade ground her teeth in frustration.
I can't get along with her at all!
Next time, I'm ignoring her for sure!
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