Chapter 86: Where Did the Teacher Learn His Barbecue Skills?
"How about I blow up Konoha too?" Kenichi scratched his head and asked tentatively.
He really wanted Konoha's bounty money, because he was genuinely short on funds.
Experiments cost money, and making thermobaric bombs was even worse. Right now, he did not have the resources to build a second one. If he wanted another, he would have to buy a mountain of raw materials, and it would drain his savings in one brutal sweep.
When the cannons roar, gold becomes priceless. That saying was not exaggeration.
"There's no bounty on that right now," Nagato said, sounding almost delighted, "but if you're interested, I can ask the Hidden Cloud Village. They should be very interested."
He still kept Akatsuki's true purpose hidden to ensure the plan could move forward later.
But he would be more than happy to cause Konoha some trouble.
It was a war mission anyway. The great nations loved fighting each other, and they never minded throwing money around when blood was on the table.
"Maybe we should ask Konoha first," Kenichi muttered, rubbing his chin. If he went to Kumogakure to claim anything right now, he was afraid he would be greeted by the enraged Fourth Raikage, A.
The moment A saw him, Kenichi could easily imagine a lightning charged blade coming down without a single word.
After all, the thermobaric bomb had caused serious damage. Part of it was simply because it was the ninja world's first time seeing a weapon like that. They had no intelligence, no concept of defense, and heavy losses were inevitable.
It was like the first time nuclear weapons appeared. Most people did not even understand what they were dealing with.
Once you understood, fear came naturally.
Still, as long as you updated faster than your enemies could adapt, the problem became manageable.
And as a conventional weapon second only to nuclear weapons in raw terror, a thermobaric weapon was more than enough to make the great villages sweat.
"Fine. I'll ask around for you," Nagato said, nodding. A quarter of Kumogakure had been wrecked. If they did not demand a high price, it would be an insult to the sacrifices Akatsuki's members had made.
Konoha would need to offer a bounty worthy of that damage.
"You can do your own thing for now," Nagato continued, waving a hand. "I'll keep you updated. If I hear anything, I'll let you know."
He sounded pleased that Kenichi had done something practical for the organization, but he still did not want to talk to him for too long.
Otherwise, it was easy to get angry.
Kenichi was more than happy to leave. He did not like staying there, and he had not eaten lunch. Since his teacher had called him, he fully intended to go freeload and treat himself properly.
"Sooner or later we need to invent a self heating hot pot," Kenichi muttered, rubbing his hands together. "Otherwise missions are just torture."
Sasori went in as well, and he and Kenichi had to enter separately.
Kenichi did not care. He had nothing to hide, and even if someone saw the Shinigami Mask, they would not understand what it was for.
Amegakure was not small, but there were not many barbecue places. Based on what Kenichi knew about Orochimaru, his teacher would definitely pick the restaurant closest to the base.
Before long, Kenichi found Orochimaru at a barbecue restaurant in Amegakure.
"This little village actually has some decent barbecue," Orochimaru said. His posture was elegant, like someone who had been trained in etiquette from the cradle.
Kenichi was already used to it and sat down directly across from him.
"Teacher, I…" Kenichi started to talk about his recent trip, but before he could finish, Orochimaru calmly placed a slice of beef into his bowl.
"Eat," Orochimaru said with a smile, cutting him off.
Kenichi froze for a beat, then did not insist. He happily ate the beef his teacher had grilled.
Orochimaru's grilling was genuinely good.
Kenichi could not help thinking it was absurd. His teacher was not great at cooking, yet when it came to grilling meat, he was frighteningly skilled. The beef was cooked perfectly. Each bite was tender, and the juices spilled out with heat and flavor.
After years of traveling and disguises, Orochimaru had clearly picked up more than just jutsu.
Kenichi also wondered, with a faint chill at the back of his mind, whether the meat itself was completely legitimate. His teacher was a rare kind of scientist in the ninja world, and sometimes his ideas went to uncomfortable places.
For example, Orochimaru had once talked about building a giant ship to explore what the ocean was really like, and whether the world truly contained only these landmasses.
Fortunately, his teacher had given up later. There were still too many problems to solve on land, and too many techniques he had not mastered yet.
If Orochimaru had actually sailed away, the entire shinobi world's story would have become hard to predict.
During the meal, Orochimaru did not discuss anything serious. He only chatted with Kenichi about missions he had taken after joining Akatsuki. The rest of the time, he simply smiled, as if they were just two travelers sharing an ordinary meal.
Kenichi understood what that meant.
Orochimaru did not want to talk about sensitive matters inside Amegakure. It was hard to say what Nagato's Rinnegan could do, or whether there were ways to monitor conversations.
Only after they left Amegakure did Orochimaru finally shift to the real topic.
"Our main base will be moved to the Land of Rice Fields," Orochimaru said. Once they were outside, his expression cooled into something distant. "I plan to build a more complete experimental base there."
"Okay, Teacher," Kenichi replied without argument.
He had guessed Orochimaru would choose the Land of Rice Fields. There was no major hidden village there, so it would be far more convenient. The location was good, supplies would be easier to obtain, and there would be fewer eyes watching.
"Kenichi," Orochimaru said, then stopped and looked at him with a smile. "How about we spar after all this time?"
Kenichi paused and scratched his head.
"Teacher, is that really necessary?" he said, smiling. "I enjoy doing research with you."
He understood what Orochimaru meant. His teacher was testing whether his fledgling student wanted to fly on his own.
Orochimaru crossed his arms and watched him quietly.
Kenichi met his gaze without hesitation. That was exactly what he was thinking.
In the end, Orochimaru was silent for a long time, then nodded once.
"Fine. You provide the funding," he said. "I'll have someone set up a laboratory for you."
"Huh?" Kenichi stepped closer, blinking. "Teacher, you're not going to sponsor me?"
Orochimaru squinted at him.
Kenichi immediately straightened up and became far more obedient.
He nearly forgot.
Teachers needed money too.
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