Chapter 23: Bargaining Over Science!

Join my patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel along with weekly chapters mass release:

patreon.com/ZeroMoney

I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated. 

*****

"Now that we've discussed the timeline, let's talk about the yield!" Hashirama said, nodding in satisfaction.

Three months seemed reasonable. He then gestured toward the storage cabinet containing the Hashirama cells, casting a meaningful glance at Orochimaru.

"How much can you multiply these Hashirama cells in three months?" Hashirama's voice echoed through the lab, filling the silence.

Orochimaru's mouth twitched violently. He had never heard such a question before. Was this farming? Harvesting crops every three months? This was cloning, not agriculture! How could he possibly multiply them several times over?

"Ahh!" Orochimaru took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He could only mutter these thoughts to himself—he couldn't say them aloud. His life depended on it.

"Lord First..." Orochimaru composed himself and looked up at Hashirama, quickly organizing his thoughts. "Currently, the cloning process cannot achieve such multiplication."

Orochimaru pursed his lips, feeling this was the most challenging moment of his life. After a brief internal struggle, he made a decision.

"In three months, we can... we can achieve a yield of... one-tenth!" Orochimaru almost bit his tongue as he said this. In the past, he would never have made such a promise. Who could guarantee such a result? But now, he had no choice.

"Too little!" Hashirama shook his head without hesitation. This fell far short of his expectations. Orochimaru had already said they didn't have as many cells as in Konohagakure. He had obtained 23% of the Hashirama cells from Konoha. Assuming Orochimaru had half of that, it would be about 10% of the total Hashirama cells. One-tenth of that in three months meant only 1%—far too slow and unacceptable!

Hashirama raised three fingers again. "Orochimaru, let's not haggle. Three months! One-third! If you can do it, we have a deal. If not..."

Hashirama didn't finish his sentence, but the lab's atmosphere became oppressive, filled with a strong sense of foreboding.

Orochimaru felt a strong sense of injustice, but he couldn't argue. Could science be negotiated like this? Three months for one-third—this wasn't just difficult; it was almost impossible! However, faced with Hashirama, he regretted using the Impure World Reincarnation technique for the N+1th time.

"I'll try my best..." Orochimaru began, but he immediately felt the air growing heavier and colder.

"I can do it!" Orochimaru quickly corrected himself, giving a firm commitment.

"Hahahahahaha!" Hashirama burst into hearty laughter, and the oppressive atmosphere vanished instantly.

This sudden change left Orochimaru and Kabuto bewildered and drenched in cold sweat, unsure how to respond. The tension and uncertainty in the lab were palpable, but Hashirama's laugh made it clear: he expected results, no matter the cost.

Immediately, Hashirama walked over to Orochimaru and patted him on the shoulder.

"Orochimaru, you never fail to impress!" Hashirama said, giving Orochimaru a thumbs up after two pats.

Orochimaru didn't react much to Hashirama's gesture, but Kabuto, watching, felt a burning sensation in his throat and almost wanted to cough up blood.

"So..." Hashirama continued, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Orochimaru, his expression now less severe but still intimidating. "It seemed you didn't finish your self-introduction earlier. What else were you going to say?"

"N-nothing more," Orochimaru felt a pang of frustration. He had initially intended to use his self-introduction to demonstrate his worth to the First Hokage, showing that he could proliferate Hashirama cells, hoping to secure his life.

He didn't dare give all the Hashirama cells to Hashirama outright, fearing that he would be disposed of once he handed them over. Instead, he aimed to negotiate. But now, he wondered if it might have been better to gamble by handing everything over immediately.

"If there's nothing more, open the storage cabinet," Hashirama said, eager to see Orochimaru's stock.

"Yes!" Orochimaru walked to the storage cabinet at the back of the lab, tracing a few special patterns on its surface.

Click, click, click…

The locks on the storage cabinet opened sequentially, revealing a circular door that swung open. Inside, rows of test tubes filled with green liquid were neatly arranged, identical to what Hashirama had seen in Konohagakure.

As the cabinet door opened, Hashirama felt a surge of excitement within himself. The Hashirama cells he had absorbed, about 23%, seemed to be singing within him, reacting strongly to the presence of these cells.

"Lord First, would you like to use these Hashirama cells now, or shall I use them for further cultivation?" Orochimaru asked, watching Hashirama intently.

"I'll absorb a small portion," Hashirama decided after careful consideration. He needed to verify the cell quality and also complete the Ying Ying Monster's task. The quantity here wasn't as vast as in Konohagakure, so even if he absorbed all the cells here, his body's Hashirama cell concentration wouldn't exceed 50%. The remaining cells would be difficult to find in large quantities.

Though the task system was unreliable, it was worth a shot. Gaining more Hashirama cells would bring him closer to full recovery.

"Understood," Orochimaru responded, relieved. The fewer cells left for cultivation, the lower the cloning requirement, increasing the chances of success within three months.

Orochimaru retrieved the box containing the test tubes and placed it on a nearby table.

"One, two, three, four... seventeen, eighteen," he counted. "There are 18 test tubes in total."

"I'll absorb three, leaving 15. Every three months, I'll come to collect five tubes," Hashirama said, his thinking very strategic, almost like a modern investor. He considered the remaining 15 tubes as being stored in Orochimaru, collecting interest every three months in the form of five test tubes of Hashirama cells.

"Understood," Orochimaru replied, feeling the immense pressure. His future tasks would be daunting.

"Hand me three test tubes," Hashirama instructed, standing at a safe distance. Getting too close to the live cells could result in them breaking through the tubes and entering his body directly.

"Yes!" Orochimaru immediately picked up three test tubes. As he took a step forward, the liquid inside the tubes, which had been level, began to tilt sharply toward Hashirama as if drawn by a magnet.

(End of chapter)