"Yo~ our celebrity is here!"
Orochimaru walked into the Nara Pharmacy and heard Nara Matsuka's teasing, laced with a smile.
"Matsuka-nee, I didn't want to go; Hiruzen-sensei insisted I go along."
Orochimaru shook the snow from her hair, looking rather helpless at Nara Matsuka, who was teasing her. Along the way, many people stared at her as if she were a rare animal, a feeling she truly disliked.
"That scarf looks great! It suits you very well."
Nara Matsuka was practically leaning on the counter, resting her chin on one hand, looking at the purple scarf around Orochimaru's neck.
"This was given to me by a friend."
Orochimaru touched the purple scarf around her neck.
"Is it that perverted white-haired brat?"
Nara Matsuka's few impressions of Jiraiya were his perversion and his unparalleled self-confidence.
"It's Tsunade."
Orochimaru waved her hand, correcting her.
"Ah! The First Hokage-sama's..."
Nara Matsuka thought of something and didn't continue speaking.
"Matsuka-nee, it seems the skincare products I gave you are quite good."
Orochimaru looked at Nara Matsuka's face; her skin was noticeably much better than before.
"Is that so?"
Nara Matsuka cupped her cheeks, her smile gentle and radiant. She raised a finger and suggested, "Many customers have been asking me what I use. Are you interested in selling skincare products in Konoha?"
"Selling skincare products in Konoha... Is that feasible?"
Orochimaru had never included Ninja in her target consumer group. Her target group had always been wealthy individuals. Moreover, with Ninja's purchasing power, she didn't believe any Ninja would spend a lot of money on skincare products.
Simply put, she didn't make money from the poor.
To put it more bluntly, the skincare products she wanted to sell were unaffordable for Ninja, so she had excluded Ninja from the start.
Only Ninja from prominent families could afford them.
"Orochimaru, don't underestimate Ninja's pursuit of a good life!"
Nara Matsuka shook her finger, an expression of 'you don't understand' on her face, and spoke eloquently, "Female Ninja are also women. Good skin can make their beauty last longer; no woman can resist that. And men will spend a fortune to buy things women like to please them."
"No... worthy of the Nara Clan, worthy of being a medicinal herb magnate..."
Orochimaru listened to Nara Matsuka's words dumbfounded. Truly, listening to her was better than ten years of studying. Her previous thinking was too narrow-minded.
Ninja also needed to live and have a daily life, so why wouldn't they need skincare products?
As the saying goes, everyone loves beauty. Her previous thinking was simply wrong.
In the original work, Sakura Haruno used the same brand of shampoo as Pakkun, the Ninja dog summoned by Kakashi Hatake.
"Matsuka-nee, a partnership?"
Orochimaru held Nara Matsuka's hand and sincerely invited her.
"That's exactly what I had in mind."
A golden goose was right in front of her; how could Nara Matsuka miss such a good opportunity to make money?
"Then, let's call the Akimichi Clan and the Yamanaka Clan. We'll all make money together."
Orochimaru decided to use Konoha as a testing ground for selling skincare products. If they were popular in Konoha, there would be no problem selling skincare products in the Land of Fire.
To sell them in other countries, the formula would need to be modified. Different living environments meant different skin types. Skincare products suitable for the Land of Fire might not be suitable for people in other countries, especially those in extreme environments like the Land of Wind.
"Orochimaru, you're really generous!"
Nara Matsuka looked at Orochimaru in surprise, not expecting her to be willing to share such a money-making opportunity.
Konoha Hospital
Hiruzen Sarutobi held a pipe in his mouth, wanting to light it and take a puff, but considering it was a hospital, he suppressed the urge to light it. He looked at Furofuki, who was walking over, and asked, "Furofuki, is the medicinal tea I'm drinking alright?"
Ever since drinking the medicinal tea given by Orochimaru, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been full of energy every day. His many days of harmonious marital life made him a little suspicious: what kind of medicinal ingredients did Orochimaru's tea contain, and would drinking it for a long time overdraw his body?
Thinking of this, he couldn't sit still. He didn't care about himself at his age, but Orochimaru was different. What if her body really had problems, what then?
If nothing unexpected happened, with Orochimaru's prestige in Konoha, it was almost certain that she would become the Fourth Hokage after she grew up and gained more experience.
Hiruzen Sarutobi certainly didn't want Orochimaru to mess up his body.
"Hokage-sama..."
Furofuki hesitated, as if debating whether to ask, then couldn't help but inquire, "Where did you find the doctor who formulated this medicine?"
"Is, is there something wrong with the medicinal tea?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sank, his expression turned serious, and he prepared himself for bad news.
"No, the doctor who formulated this medicinal tea must be a renowned divine physician. It would be wonderful if you could buy the formula from him. This medicinal tea not only nourishes the body and invigorates the spirit, but it also possesses..."
Furofuki's face flushed. She struggled with how to describe it; even as a doctor, saying such things in front of Hokage-sama felt a bit too much.
"Possesses what?" Hiruzen Sarutobi pressed.
"I imagine you've already experienced it. Your recent marital life with Biwako-sama must have been quite delightful."
Furofuki blurted out the sentence, her face beet red, and hid her face behind a document.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils trembled. He feigned composure and lightly coughed, asking, "Does it have any negative effects on the body?"
"Hokage-sama, that is the brilliance of this medicinal tea. It is harmless to the body, and long-term consumption is beneficial for one's health."
Long-term consumption is beneficial for one's health... Hiruzen Sarutobi kept replaying this sentence in his mind. If this medicinal tea could be promoted throughout the Village...
This was a medicinal tea that nourished the body, invigorated the spirit, and was beneficial for one's health with long-term consumption!
Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't expected the medicinal tea Orochimaru had casually concocted to possess such value. Most importantly, with its effects in that particular area, wouldn't Konoha's new generation be entering a peak period?
Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to envision the Ninja Academy overflowing with students.
In his excitement, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the ingredients Furofuki had analyzed in the medicinal tea, and it was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, calming him down.
The cost of the medicinal ingredients alone was not something everyone could afford. While he genuinely wished to provide it for free to everyone in Konoha, he simply didn't have the financial resources.
If the Land of Fire's Daimyo found out he was spending the budget on such matters, wouldn't he be impeached?
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to abandon that unrealistic idea.
---
"Orochimaru-sama."
Smoke coalesced, forming into a human shape from its misty state. Chiriu knelt on one knee, his head respectfully bowed.
"How did it go?"
Orochimaru, who had been meditating, opened his eyes.
"The resettlement funds have been distributed to all clan members who have arrived in Konoha. The clan land has been chosen, located in the central area of Konoha, and construction of our residences will begin once the snowstorm ceases."
"The central area, a good location. Chiriu, just bring your clan members to settle down peacefully. You are now a part of Konoha."
Orochimaru was very satisfied with the clan land Konoha had arranged for the Iburi Clan.
The central area of Konoha was perfectly situated at the edge of the most bustling district, neither too noisy nor too quiet, just right for the Iburi Clan, who had long resided in caves.
Konoha's higher-ups had clearly given careful consideration to the choice of clan land.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
Chiriu nodded, transformed into smoke, and disappeared.
Ding-dong—!
The doorbell rang. Orochimaru rose and walked to the door. Upon opening it, he saw Hyuga Mio, her face ashen, her eyes bloodshot. She seemed to have endured immense pain not long ago, with traces of blood seeping from the edge of her forehead protector.
"Come in and speak."
Orochimaru turned and returned inside the house. Hyuga Mio followed her, closing the door behind her.
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