Do We Have a Deal?

Takara wasn't pleased.

Whether it was the Ryuichi Cave or Mount Myoboku, he believed that based on the ecosystems surrounding them and the clues from the series, they should be quite easy to find, just a few weeks if he deployed enough noxins.

But there's no information to base on to locate the Shikkotsu Forest!

And due to the uniqueness of the sage regions, it could be almost anywhere.

There are some exceptions, for example, it's a safe bet that it won't be in the desert. At the end of the day, Katsuyu is still a slug and will seek a more pleasant environment for her.

Wait a second...

Takara recalled that according to official information, the Ryuichi Cave was only a couple of days away from Konoha and the reason why it hasn't been found easily is because the snakes only allow those who seek the place expressly to pass.

People who would change everything for power.

The Ryuichi Cave also constantly conflicts with Mount Myoboku because their borders seem to be close, which makes one think that if two sage regions are so close, the third shouldn't be far off either to also have its territory influenced by the natural energy of the place.

Additionally, considering the ecosystem of their proximity, Katsuyu would probably be comfortable in a place like that.

"I guess I can only wait for Kushina's return and finish the most urgent matters before searching for Katsuyu's home," Takara sighed.

With these thoughts in mind, there was a possibility he could find her, although it might be prudent to prevent her from encountering Tsunade's puppets.

You never know if she might sense or suspect something before he convinces her and teaches her the sage mode.

After returning to pick up the puppet that had done the patrol task for him, Takara went back to the village to report, and the next morning, he attempted to take another mission near the point where he had told Kushina they would meet.

"Does Granny Chiyo want to see me?"

"Yes, it seems someone was sent to find you at your house, but they couldn't locate you and gave us notice if you came here."

Takara pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Alright, I'll go now, just confirm the mission so I don't have to make two trips."

"Okay."

Takara left the mission office and headed to the Puppet Department of Sunagakure, something like the niche of the village's unique specialty.

He couldn't help but look around a bit curiously; after all, his puppets are made by mixing Nox's knowledge, the fuinjutsu he learned from Maki, and the information contained in the scrolls left by Pakura.

He never had the need to come to this place to surpass them all.

Precisely because he never came, he had no idea where Granny Chiyo's office was and had to stop someone from the staff to ask for directions.

Interestingly, the entrance to Granny Chiyo's office wasn't closed by a door but by a curtain. Since he couldn't knock on wood, he entered directly.

"Did I hear you were looking for me?"

Granny Chiyo was motionless with her eyes closed on a comfortable-looking armchair and didn't react to Takara's entrance. Knowing her fondness for playing dead, Takara turned around to pretend to leave without saying a word.

"Hold it right there!" Chiyo didn't expect Takara not to follow the script. "Shouldn't you check my condition?" the old woman protested.

"Shouldn't you know I detest wasting time?" Takara countered impatiently. "What do you want?"

Chiyo's eye couldn't help but tremble; for things like this, she couldn't help but overlap her grandson with Takara, their customs were unexpectedly similar in some aspects.

"Let me be direct then, what do you want in exchange for the plans for the centipede carriage?" she decided to expose the central issue without mincing words.

After listening to the back and forth, Chiyo compared the travel speed between normal caravans and the centipede carriage, discovering immense commercial potential in saving time, being able to carry more weight, and the lack of need for rest or food unlike horses or camels.

And all that with the only requirement of adding chakra and knowing how to drive!

"I want two techniques," Takara already expected the request and premeditated what he would ask for in return. "In exchange, I'll give you the puppet plans and a version that will make it easier to handle their chakra reservoirs."

The current plans have noxins as their central technology, so naturally he'll be "generous" enough to give them a primitive version of chakra batteries instead.

"Oh~?"

Chiyo was delighted inwardly; asking for a couple of techniques was the same as saying that he was going to give them the plans for free.

He didn't even ask for a percentage of the profits!

Maybe he wasn't as similar to Sasori as she thought.

"Fuinjutsu: Shishi Heiko and..." Takara narrowed the eyes of his mask. "The Technique of the Reincarnation of One's Own Life."

Chiyo withdrew her last thought upon hearing the request from the now Chunin of her village.

Yes, Takara had an immense interest in Chiyo's technique capable of reviving the dead at the cost of their own life force using chakra as a medium. Not only that, the original intention of this technique was actually intended for puppets.

Granting true life to Sasori's "Father" and "Mother" puppets.

If he could acquire this technique, as the saying goes, it would be like giving wings to a tiger!

As for the sealing technique, it was one of the few he hadn't studied because like the other, it was a technique that Granny Chiyo developed personally. This technique was used against Sasori, and if it hadn't been for the transformation to which she subjected her body, he would have been defeated after being hit by her with the Lion-Headed Kannon tool.

"Your appetite is not small..." Chiyo had no problem with the sealing technique; she knew Takara was one of the most skilled in sealing among the new generation. "But let me tell you this: the technique won't serve to bring Maki back!" she pointed out mercilessly what she believed was the hidden thought of the chunin.

Takara clenched his fists tightly behind his back.

"Do we have a deal or not?" he asked, looking coldly at Granny Chiyo.

Chiyo held the gaze for a long minute before sighing and nodding.