Creating a virtuous cycle of "better than me but more expensive, cheaper than me but less profitable" was child's play for Hiruko.
Take his beverage company as an example. Hiruko directly slashed prices to a rock-bottom level, earning a meager profit of only 3 Ryo per bottle of Coca-Cola. He knew perfectly well that as the purchasing power of the younger generation grew, the carbonated drink market would explode. Sooner or later, it would transition from a novelty to a staple in every household.
As for ice cream, it was a delicacy no girl could resist. Its market prospects were equally boundless. With his companies rooted in basic necessities—food, clothing, housing, and transportation—amassing wealth was an absolute certainty.
However, the real cash cow remained the tech sector.
While Hiruko's technology company kept fees as low as possible, they were still a significant expense for the average person. Cybernetic prosthetics were simply too costly for ordinary ninjas, even the most basic models.
Currently, Hiruko was pouring all his resources into locating the Hidden Sky Village. He needed their aeronautical and automation technology to see if he could drive down the production costs of his prosthetics. The Sky Village's tech was a crucial piece of the puzzle for his planned Industrial Revolution.
At the moment, Konoha's technological investment couldn't yet compete with established scientific factions. If they could secure the Sky Village's data, Konoha might achieve a "leapfrog" development.
The problem was, their location was a complete mystery. The Hidden Sky had been decimated by Konoha during the Second Shinobi World War, with only a few survivors escaping. They were elusive ghosts. Their last recorded sighting wouldn't be until Naruto's youth; god only knew where they were hiding now.
Though he recalled some clues from the movie versions of his past life, finding them in the vast world was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Hiruko had dispatched several elite tracking squads, but there was still no word. This was to be expected; for a village to survive in hiding for decades, they had to be incredibly cautious. It would be weirder if he found them instantly.
During the days spent waiting for news, every second felt like a slow burn. Hiruko knew that if he couldn't acquire the Sky tech, he would have to find other ways to push the village's advancement.
But if Konoha started aggressively absorbing foreign scientific talent, the Land of Fire wouldn't just let them go. The Land of Fire was a true industrial power; its high command understood the value of researchers perfectly. Smoothing over relations with the Daimyo to allow for a "talent drain" became Hiruko's biggest headache.
He promptly dumped these problems onto Minato Namikaze, hoping the Fourth could figure out a way to poach people.
Danzo, that old fox, showed a surprising enthusiasm for "talent recruitment." He quickly dispatched a large number of Root agents to apply "pressure" and issue threats to researchers across the Land of Fire, attempting to coerce them into working for Hiruko.
While Danzo's methods were overly aggressive and blunt, Hiruko figured that if these researchers couldn't be used by Konoha, it was better to let the old man burn off some of his excess energy. If anything went wrong, the blame would rest squarely on Danzo's shoulders anyway.
That night, Hiruko spent a considerable amount of effort "comforting" the jealous Tsunade. At her age, she still pouted like a little girl.
How should one educate a disobedient child? With "rod education," of course. After a few strikes, Tsunade's Water Style nature was fully activated.
Tsunade wasn't one to submit easily. Her eyes sharpened as she flickered, launching an immediate counterattack. She wove Water Style into her strikes, sending currents surging toward Hiruko like living serpents. Hiruko dodged nimbly, his staff whistling through the air as he engaged her in a fierce exchange.
After several rounds, Tsunade spotted an opening and lunged forward. Hiruko didn't expect the sudden tackle; he stumbled, and Tsunade pinned him firmly to the ground, sitting squarely on top of him. The two tumbled across the floor. Not one to remain under the "Five Finger Mountain," Hiruko began a tactical rotation for a counter-offensive.
The next morning.
A now-docile Tsunade accompanied Hiruko as he once again stepped into the mist-shrouded, primeval environment of the Shikkotsu Forest. She still felt uneasy and insisted on traveling with him, fearing some sudden catastrophe in this treacherous place.
Hiruko turned to the small slug on his shoulder—a division of Katsuyu—and said, "Take me to your main body."
"Be careful," Tsunade hesitated, but ultimately didn't follow further. With her current strength, entering that core region was far too dangerous; even a slight mistake in the primeval marsh could lead to a dead end.
Man and slug trudged forward through the mire. Katsuyu whispered softly to Hiruko, "Lord Hiruko, you must be extremely careful."
"No problem."
One had to admit, the voice of the slug was exceptionally pleasant.
As they delved deeper, the marsh became increasingly difficult to navigate. A bizarre yellow mist filled the air—this wasn't normal air. If an ordinary person inhaled it, they would die instantly, their body evaporating until not even a drop of blood remained. However, Hiruko—using the bloodline data from Mei Terumi and his own synthesized serums—was temporarily immune to the Shikkotsu Forest's harsh environment. Of course, the serum's effect was limited by time.
Hashirama Senju, the most powerful medical ninja in history, possessed medical skills that transcended almost all other masters. While Wood Release cells did have regenerative properties, they were merely a "boosted" version of normal healing. For example, Obito Uchiha, despite his Wood Release transplants, only had a slightly faster recovery rate—a fact clearly stated in the official databooks.
What was truly formidable was Hashirama himself and the medical techniques he mastered. He didn't even need the Strength of a Hundred Seal; his base medical ninjutsu allowed him to crush opponents on the battlefield, rendering them helpless. His healing was so absurdly potent that the natural healing of the Wood Release seemed like a mere afterthought.
If one still didn't understand Hashirama's greatness, they only needed to compare the "Wood Release" shown by Yamato to that of Hashirama. It wasn't that the Wood Release was weak; it was that Hashirama was a literal god amongst men. Even without his special bloodline, he probably would have dominated the world; the Wood Release was just a convenient tool that allowed him to absorb chakra and manage both offense and defense.
Hiruko also placed great importance on the Dust Release he planned to acquire. Its molecular decomposition would be a vital asset. If Hashirama had possessed Dust Release, even Madara's Susano'o would have been nothing but tinder. Hashirama had mastered the Shikkotsu Forest through his own talent and effort, and now Hiruko, with his scientific prowess, was walking that same path.
After traveling dozens of kilometers, Hiruko stopped. The black and yellow mists surged like a tide, swallowing everything in sight. It was a world of total darkness, like the end of days.
"Then, I wish you success," the Katsuyu division offered a final blessing before merging back into the main body.
Hiruko looked up at the vast, dark environment looming above him. This was the gargantuan body of the Katsuyu Sage. He knew that the slug Tsunade and Sakura summoned—which was only a tenth of the entity—stood 140 meters tall, towering over Madara's Perfect Susano'o. The Katsuyu Sage's total length was measured in kilometers—an ultimate, primeval behemoth. Even in a Tokusatsu or Ultraman set, she would be a final boss.
How powerful was such a creature? The Toad Sage possessed chakra so vast it triggered a qualitative change, allowing him to see the future. The Snake Sage's tail merged with the earth like a terrestrial deity. And the Slug Sage, due to her sheer mass, occupied the top tier of terrifying lifeforms. Even without specialized attacks, her size alone commanded the awe of every living thing.
Would the Infinite Tsukuyomi even work on a monster that viewed all life with such indifference? No one knew; likely not. These Sages didn't care about the Otsutsuki; they were the true, hidden foundations of the planet.
"Katsuyu Sage, I am Hiruko. I have come seeking the Sage Art of Shikkotsu Forest," Hiruko spoke calmly, without a trace of fear.
Seconds later, a voice like rolling thunder descended from the clouds—melodic, yet echoing like a god speaking to a mortal.
"You have passed the first trial." The voice was devoid of joy or sorrow, perfectly detached. This was the essence of the Katsuyu Sage. Having witnessed countless eons, she was beyond emotion. Only her small divisions retained fragments of feeling, as they hadn't yet been worn down by the passage of time.
Approaching her main body was indeed the first trial. Almost no one could survive the trek through the corrosive environment; the mere approach filtered out the vast majority of seekers. Hiruko was the first since Hashirama to achieve it.
Hiruko knew the next trial would be even more dangerous. The main body was the unification of all consciousness. When mass reaches such a level, what does it think as it looks down upon the world? Perhaps humans were merely ants to her, not even worth a glance. But Hashirama had succeeded, so Hiruko expected guidance.
Hiruko was intensely curious about the Slug Sage. It was common knowledge that the Toad Sage's energy was gathered through meditation and mimicking a toad. The Snake Sage... well, she just bit you. How did the Slug Sage impart natural energy?
Strictly speaking, these Sage regions taught power in a way similar to Yokai sorcery—absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. The White Snake Sage bit practitioners with venomous fangs to inject natural energy, much like how Orochimaru's Curse Mark worked.
Hiruko wondered what the Slug Sage's method was.
"The last human who came to train did not possess your level of resistance," the booming voice echoed as the massive shadow above shifted. "Seeker, you may become an existence that surpasses the last."
Before Hiruko could parse the meaning, the second trial began. A subtle sound hissed from thousands of meters above. Hiruko's senses spiked.
He looked up, eyes widening. A mass of crystalline, amber-colored fluid was falling from the sky like a meteor. Hiruko's mind raced through descriptions of the "Slug Acid." Orochimaru had told him that the Slug Sage's internal acid was the only thing in the world that could truly kill him. It could instantly evaporate rock and steel; an ordinary human would be vaporized in a heartbeat. Even Hashirama would have been partially dissolved if he took a direct hit.
Hiruko instantly wove signs, deciding to counter with Wood Release. He was here to replicate Hashirama's path, after all.
The earth groaned as a 50-meter-tall Wood Golem erupted from the marsh. Normally, the cockpit was in the head to protect the user, but Hiruko opened a protective cavity in the golem's chest.
As the amber acid fell, the golem stood tall, taking the brunt of the spray. The physical impact made the wood creak under the weight, but the corrosion was worse—the golem began to evaporate. The wood, harder than steel, struggled like a child caught in a mudslide.
Pssh—Pssh—! Massive clouds of steam turned the area into a boiling cauldron. In the blink of an eye, the humanoid golem was nearly destroyed.
But in the next instant, a colossal wooden hand burst through the wreckage, followed by a structure rising over 80 meters. It was a golem similar to the one "Tobi" (Zetsu) would later use to hold back the Shinobi Alliance.
Hiruko launched a counter-offensive. Whirlwinds carrying soil, lightning accompanied by fire—all five chakra natures surged from the golem. It was the Five-Element Great Combo Jutsu he had learned from the Old Man Third.
The terrifying jutsu was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the gloom, racing into the mists. On a normal battlefield, it would have wiped out an entire army. The light illuminated the sky, briefly clearing the despair-inducing fog.
However, the Katsuyu Sage didn't even flinch. She stood like an unmoving mountain. Then, a second spray began—like the waters of the Yellow River pouring from the heavens.
Just as Hiruko prepared his next move, the Sage's voice rang out: "Do not resist. The power of the acid will allow you to go further. Adapt to it."
The voice carried an inexplicable power, injecting the intent directly into Hiruko's mind. From a scientific perspective, it was like a specialized communication via chakra electromagnetic waves.
Hiruko began to understand the vast, mysterious will of the Slug Sage. Meanwhile, at the edge of the marsh, Tsunade watched with bated breath, her sensory abilities pushed to the limit, deeply shaken by the monster that dwelled at the heart of the world.
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