Shortly after the closure of the Root Factory, a new production base emerged—this time in the Land of Waves.
In just a few days, the market was flooded with goods produced at the new facility, quickly spreading across the three great nations. While there was no official connection to Konoha's infamous capitalist, Shimura Danzo, most of the three nations were well aware that it was merely a shell operation orchestrated by Danzo himself.
However, given the ongoing tensions between Konoha and the Grass Village, many chose to turn a blind eye to the situation. After all, there was little love lost between the nations and the Grass Village, making them more than willing to stay out of this operation.
Meanwhile, in Konoha, the date for the village's lockdown was rapidly approaching. Although the Third Hokage had suspected Danzo's covert actions, he chose not to address them. As long as everything appeared officially unrelated to Konoha, he let it slide, secretly hoping nothing else would go awry within the village. He had enough to deal with.
After receiving reports about Danzo holed up in his underground hideout, Sarutobi Hiruzen decided not to pursue the matter further. Instead, he spent his days wandering the village, reflecting on Konoha's many struggles over the years. The village had endured countless hardships, and it seemed that no matter how much it recovered, new challenges always arose.
At last, the time came, and Hiruzen began overseeing the village's closure. He issued the order to seal Konoha, forbidding any ninja from entering or leaving. For the time being, Konoha would be forced into a quiet and isolated existence.
Standing before the protective barrier now encircling the village, Hiruzen felt a deep sense of melancholy. Who could have ever imagined that the greatest ninja village would find itself needing to seal its gates?
He sighed quietly to himself, "From now on... those annoying journalists won't be able to sneak in, right?"
As for when the village would reopen? That, too, remained uncertain.
…
The news of Konoha's impending lockdown had been widely publicized in advance, leaving the ninja world prepared for what was to come. The Shinobi Times, as always, had been covering the closure non-stop. This marked Konoha's first lockdown in over fifty years since its founding, making it the second major ninja village to take such a drastic measure after Mist Village. This underscored just how critical the situation had become in the ninja world.
In response to the closure, the leader of Grass Village made another public statement, emphasizing the long-standing friendship between Grass Village and Konoha. He solemnly urged all villages to cherish peace, maintain harmony, and work together to create a new era of peace in the ninja world.
On the day the statement was released, the heartfelt call for peace moved the leaders of Cloud and Stone Villages to tears, their emotions spilling onto the newspapers as they wept.
Or at least, that's how it was portrayed. In reality, the leaders of the Cloud and Stone Villages were enraged, cursing Grass Village for their shamelessness. They were infuriated by the audacity of Grass Village to call for peace when they were, in fact, the ones responsible for the most damage. Since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, how many major incidents have been triggered by Grass Village's blatant disregard for ninja ethics? Grass Village had only made matters worse. Konoha's lockdown was, in their eyes, mostly was their fault.
Meanwhile, since Konoha's lockdown and the scandal involving the Root organization, the Root-affiliated newspaper had been tainted by the controversy. As a result, the Shinobi Times had risen to dominate the ninja world, now unchallenged in influence.
…
On the other side, after the revelation of the human experimentation, Orochimaru, who had chosen to flee, received news of Konoha's impending lockdown.
As he stared at the Shinobi Times in his hands, a deep contemplation crossed Orochimaru's face. After a moment, he shook his head softly and muttered to himself, "I never expected... Sensei actually had this kind of resolve."
It seemed that the Third Hokage couldn't bear Danzo's bad luck any longer. After all, just look at what Danzo had been involved in these past few years. He had been captured three times, nearly bankrupting them in the process.
Initially, it seemed like Danzo, having pocketed billions, was finally beginning to turn things around. But who could have predicted that the worst was still ahead? Over twenty billion ryō—gone, just like that.
Orochimaru couldn't help but think that Danzo had been cursed by the Grass Village. It was the only explanation that made sense.
In order to continue his experiments, Orochimaru had taken the remaining funds and fled. He had no choice but to run. If he didn't, he feared he would be left to shoulder Danzo's debts. His dream was to explore the truth and achieve immortality—not to get tangled in business affairs. Staying there, in that mess, would only hold him back.
"Production Base in the Land of Waves?" Orochimaru glanced at the newspaper, his eyes narrowing as he pondered for a moment. A smile slowly formed on his lips, and he muttered to himself, "Looks like it might be worth a visit." It was obvious this was Danzo's backup plan.
With that thought, Orochimaru surveyed his surroundings. It seemed it was time to find a secure place to lay low for a while.
…
Meanwhile, despite the new Production Base in the Land of Waves seemingly operating independently from Konoha and appearing to be a secret operation run by Danzo, it was, in reality, part of the Grass Ninja Village—a fact known to only a select few within the village.
Danzo remained unaware of this connection, but if the truth ever surfaced, he would likely struggle to maintain his composure. Given the current circumstances and the closure of Konoha, the revelation could prove disastrous for his health, likely driven by anger and frustration.
As for the new Production Base, Akihiko saw it as a strategic move to foster controlled, beneficial competition between the two sides. By preventing monopolies and encouraging development, both Konoha and the Grass Village could thrive until the time came for Konoha's reopening.
Since Konoha had sealed its borders, the income of the Grass Village had significantly dropped, and the entire ninja world had grown quieter. Akihiko found this to be a regrettable consequence.
However, once the Production Base began to operate smoothly, Akihiko felt his concerns ease, and he allowed himself to relax, confident that the plan would bring stability and growth in due time.
Today, Akihiko was reluctantly dragged out by Kushina, who told him that Tsunade wanted to meet him. Initially, Kushina had turned down Tsunade's request, but the woman had been so persistent that Kushina had no choice but to ask him.
After thinking it over, and realizing he had nothing else pressing on his schedule, Akihiko agreed to meet with her. At first, he assumed Tsunade wanted to discuss matters concerning Konoha. But when they sat down...
"I want to make money!" Tsunade said, leaning forward slightly, her expression intense and determined. "Teach me how to make money!"
Akihiko couldn't help but sigh as he looked at her. She truly lived up to her reputation as a master of the Hundred Healings Technique—it not only kept her youthful but seemed to have enhanced her beauty as well.
However, if Tsunade wanted to make money, why didn't she just get a job? Why was she coming to him for advice?
Even Kushina, hearing Tsunade's blunt request, felt a bit awkward. She couldn't help but shout at Tsunade, who had gotten too close to Akihiko, "Hey, why are you getting so close?"
Akihiko looked at Tsunade in confusion, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you already playing an extra role? Isn't that what making money is?"
Before he could say more, Tsunade sighed, her expression filled with melancholy. "The pay is terrible, the work is grueling, and the competition is fierce."
Thanks to the success of Grass Movies, it has become the heart of the ninja film industry. Not only did ninjas from the three villages of the Land of Grass fight for roles, but outsiders from all over were also drawn in.
"The money I make doesn't even cover a decent meal," Tsunade lamented, casting him a pitiful look.
Akihiko raised an eyebrow. "That shouldn't be the case. As far as I know, they provide meals for the actors." He couldn't help but wonder what was really going on.
Seeing Akihiko's confusion, Shizune, who was holding TonTon, lowered her voice and whispered in embarrassment, "Lady Tsunade tends to slack off and isn't serious about her acting, so she's usually cast as a corpse. She's been blacklisted."
It wasn't that Tsunade lacked beauty; on the contrary, many people noticed her stunning figure and pretty face. In fact, some had even tried to get close to her, but Tsunade quickly knocked them out, leaving her with a poor reputation in the industry.
Later, Tsunade had tried to leverage her status as the Grass Village leader's sister-in-law to gain better treatment. However, due to her laziness and volatile temperament, no one dared to hire her anymore. Naturally, Shizune would keep these details to herself.
After Shizune finished speaking, Akihiko and Kushina both stared at Tsunade, their faces expressionless. So, it was because she wasn't putting in the effort.
Tsunade gave a sheepish smile, shot a glare at Shizune, and then looked at Akihiko, saying confidently, "Akihiko, you should know that Kushina is like a sister to me. Even though we're not blood-related, I treat her as if she were."
Kushina, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but sneer at Tsunade's words.
"Alright, I understand what you want." Tsunade, noticing she wasn't getting the reaction she wanted, adjusted her collar nervously and glanced around. "Shizune, Kushina, could you both step outside for a moment? I need to speak with Akihiko alone."
Akihiko's mouth twitched. He hadn't said anything, so why was she suddenly acting like this? Before he could respond, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He turned slightly and saw Kushina's red hair beginning to float, her fists cracking as she flashed Tsunade a mischievous grin. "Tsunade-sister, what exactly are you planning to discuss?"
"I-I-I'm just joking!" Tsunade stammered, sitting up straight. "I was just kidding, really!"
"Don't joke like that. Do you have any idea how much trouble you will cause for Akihiko?" Kushina scolded Tsunade firmly, then turned to Akihiko. "Let's go, Akihiko. Don't mind her."
"No, wait, I really need money!" Tsunade quickly stopped them, her tone pleading. Though she had been joking earlier, she was serious about needing a job or some way to earn money.
Kushina sighed helplessly, eyeing Tsunade with a mixture of amusement and concern. She couldn't help but wonder what Tsunade had been through these past years since leaving the village.
Before Kushina could speak, Akihiko interjected, "Hold on a second."
He stopped Tsunade from pleading further, feeling a bit annoyed by her persistence. After clearing his throat, he asked, "So, you don't want to be a medical ninja, don't want to be a regular ninja, and don't want to work in a factory?"
Honestly, Akihiko wasn't keen on the idea of Tsunade working in a factory. With her lazy tendencies, she might influence the workers in a less-than-ideal way.
A thought crossed Akihiko's mind, and he looked at Tsunade with a grin. "I've got it! How about making a movie?"
Tsunade, however, immediately waved her hand, clearly uninterested. "No more acting, Akihiko. I told you, I don't want to be some extra."
"This time, you won't be an extra," Akihiko said with a confident smile. "You'll be the lead."
Tsunade's interest piqued, and she leaned forward, excitement in her voice. "You mean like the one with Jiraiya, The Three Ninjas in Grass?"
"Exactly," Akihiko nodded. "A gambling-themed movie with you as the protagonist. What do you think?"
Tsunade's eyes lit up, her excitement palpable. "Yes! I'm in!"