The end of the alley was a mottled wall. He reached out and lightly tapped on several bricks according to a specific rhythm.
Immediately, the wall slid open a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through. Sora's expression unchanged, he slipped inside.
Behind the wall was another world.
The light was dim. The passage extended downwards. On both sides were densely packed stalls and shops. Most people wore masks or hoods, talking in low voices, trading various unsavory things.
This was one of the underground black markets within the Land of Earth.
Sora did not waste time. He walked directly towards the areas specializing in experimental equipment and rare materials.
His objective was very clear.
'First, prepare a set of entry-level equipment for Kabuto.'
Sora stopped in front of a stall displaying various microscopes, petri dishes, and dissection tools.
He carefully selected a light microscope, a complete set of glassware, a set of fine steel surgical instruments, a constant temperature incubator, and a large quantity of basic chemical reagents and common herb samples.
The stall owner was a taciturn middle-aged man. Seeing the items Sora selected were basic yet comprehensive and of high quality, he knew a big customer had arrived. He quoted a hefty price.
Sora did not bargain much. He readily paid eight hundred thousand ryo.
This amount was but a drop in the bucket compared to his current total funds.
Next, that was the main event.
Sora walked deeper into the black market. There were several shops with discreet signs but larger storefronts, specifically serving "researchers" with special needs.
'Cell cloning, the required equipment is much more complex.'
'An aseptic operation table is mandatory. Otherwise, any contamination will ruin all previous efforts. A centrifuge is for separating cells. A carbon dioxide incubator simulates the internal environment. A liquid nitrogen tank is for long-term preservation of cell samples...'
Sora entered one of them, silently reciting the list in his mind.
In the Naruto world, this equipment clearly belonged to the high-end category. The prices were shockingly expensive.
The most basic aseptic operation table started at three million ryo. A centrifuge with decent precision was two million five hundred thousand ryo. A small carbon dioxide incubator was four million ryo.
A liquid nitrogen tank capable of long-term sample preservation, along with the first fill of liquid nitrogen, cost another three million ryo.
This was only the main equipment. Supporting consumables like special culture media, enzyme preparations, trypsin, etc., each were expensive. Sora purchased in bulk, spending nearly two million ryo more.
Watching the money flow out like water, even though Sora was mentally prepared, the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly.
Scientific research was indeed a money-burning bottomless pit.
And this was only the most basic initial hardware investment.
Sora even saw more advanced equipment, such as precision instruments capable of analyzing chakra nature transformations, and special materials for energy conduction and sealing formula inscription. The string of zeros behind those prices made him feel dizzy. He dared not consider them for now.
Finally, when Sora finished procuring all the cloning equipment he needed and additionally purchased some basic materials for sealing technique research, the money he had on hand had drastically shrunk.
Walking out of the last shop, Sora silently took stock of his remaining assets. His face was somewhat dark.
The huge sum of over fifty million ryo, after just one trip to the black market, was now less than five million ryo left.
'This... almost all gone?' Sora felt a pang of distress.
The experiment hadn't even officially started yet. Subsequent maintenance, consumable replenishment, deeper research... would only require more money.
He originally thought fifty million ryo was a huge sum sufficient to last a long time. Now it seemed, before the grand goal of "Kekkei Mora", it was still a drop in the bucket.
A strong sense of financial crisis surged in his heart.
'No, I must get more money quickly.' Sora's eyes grew sharp.
'Here in the Land of Earth, it seems I have to take up the old trade again.'
With his mind full of the idea of "getting money", Sora immediately set off for the Land of Earth branch of the Bounty Exchange.
...
Unlike the "favorable conditions" in the Land of Water, currently in the heartland of the Land of Earth, even though Iwagakure was fighting on two fronts, its defensive forces remained strict.
Although Sora was confident in his own strength, he didn't want to attract excessive attention from the upper echelons of Iwagakure at this time. Especially from Ōnoki of the Two Scales, who could also fly and mastered Dust Release.
Putting on the Vermilion Bird mask again, Sora entered the Land of Earth Bounty Exchange located deep within an abandoned mine pit.
The atmosphere here was similar to that of the Land of Water branch, but the gathered missing-nin and rogue ninja had a more rugged and fierce temperament, fitting the regional characteristics of the Land of Earth.
Sora walked straight to the mission bounty board. His eyes quickly scanned over it.
His criteria for selecting missions were very clear:
First, high bounty, at least five million ryo starting.
Second, target location relatively remote, far from Iwagakure's core areas and main traffic routes, convenient for action and withdrawal.
Third, the mission itself is not too attention-grabbing. Either pursuing a long-dormant missing-nin, or exterminating bandits entrenched in remote areas, not immediately touching Iwagakure's sensitive nerves.
Soon, Sora locked onto three missions:
Mission One: Bounty for a defected Iwagakure Explosion Corps member, suspected to have mastered some Explosion Release secret techniques. Bounty seven million ryo. Last known location in the desolate mountains of northwestern Land of Earth.
Mission Two: Exterminate a group of bandits roaming the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass. Their leader's strength is approximately equivalent to a Special Jonin, proficient in Earth Release stealth. Bounty five million five hundred thousand ryo.
Mission Three: Obtain fifty kin of a rare ore, "Star Pattern Iron", that only grows deep in the "Valley of Death" in southern Land of Earth. Mission bounty six million ryo. The "Valley of Death" has a harsh environment, inhabited by poisonous creatures.
The combined bounty for the three missions is eighteen million five hundred thousand ryo. The Bounty Exchange takes a twenty percent cut, leaving close to fifteen million ryo. This is enough to alleviate Sora's current financial pressure and support the initial operation of the laboratory.
Sora silently calculated, reached out, and tore off these three bounty posters.
However, this time he did not take on the missions simultaneously to attract attention like in the Land of Water. Instead, he went to the counter in separate batches, leaving intervals between accepting the three missions one by one, trying to be as low-key as possible.
Even so, the codename "Vermilion Bird" accepting three difficult missions with a high total bounty still attracted the attention of some observant individuals.
However, after sensing Sora's restrained yet subtly dangerous aura, most people only observed secretly and did not make any out-of-line moves.
Getting the token wooden tags representing mission acceptance, Sora quickly left the Bounty Exchange.
'Time is tight. First go to the northwestern mountains, deal with that defected Explosion Corps member. Then the border bandits. Finally go to the southern Valley of Death to get the ore.'
After planning the route, Sora swiftly rushed towards the northwestern direction of the Land of Earth.
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