Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes regained their firmness; he already had a complete plan in his mind.
“However, it does not matter.”
“In the future, I will get close to him, win him over, and subtly guide his mind.”
“Even if he is only my grand-disciple, I can still cultivate him into a loyal supporter who is completely devoted to the Hokage lineage and to me.”
When it came to manipulating people’s hearts and subtle methods of guidance, he, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had never lost to anyone.
Meanwhile, inside an ordinary ninja tool shop in Konoha Village.
“Boss, give me one explosive tag, and add a low-level space Sealing Jutsu scroll.”
A crisp, youthful voice rang out.
Chiba stood before the counter, expression calm and composed, not at all like an ordinary five-year-old child.
“Alright, little customer, wait a moment!”
The shopkeeper moved with agility, quickly retrieving the two items and placing them down, smiling as he advised.
“That will be 10,300 ryo in total. These items are quite dangerous, so little one, be sure to use them carefully and never play with them casually.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
Chiba nodded in acknowledgment, handed over the money, took the explosive tag and the ancient-looking low-level space Sealing Jutsu scroll, then turned and left the ninja tool shop.
The moment he stepped out of the shop, two crisp system notification sounds rang out in his mind in succession.
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining a common collectible: Explosive Tag.]
[Reward unlocked: Complete guide to explosive tag production, Encyclopedia of primary Sealing Jutsu.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining a rare collectible: Low-level space Sealing Jutsu scroll.]
[Reward unlocked: Personal portable Small World, Space item crafting method.]
[Personal portable Small World: Initial diameter of one kilometer, with a built-in complete ecological system of day-night cycles and changing seasons. It can continue to expand and grow by absorbing various space-attribute treasures and materials.]
Whoa!
Even though his temperament far exceeded that of his peers and his willpower had long been honed to be extremely steady, he almost couldn’t help jumping up on the spot at this moment.
An intense feeling of joy surged into his heart; even though he tried his best to suppress it, the corners of his mouth still curled up uncontrollably, unable to hide even a shred of his happiness.
This wave of rewards was truly a massive profit!
“Not to mention anything else, this portable Small World alone is already infinitely valuable!”
Chiba suppressed the wild joy churning in his heart, sighing inwardly without end.
The most crucial point was that this Small World was not static; it could continue to grow and expand, holding infinite potential.
“I’ve struck it rich! With this portable Small World as a safety net, my future security is directly raised by several levels, and I no longer have to worry all the time!”
He felt wonderful inside, and his eyes couldn’t hide his smile.
Apart from the most precious portable Small World, the space item crafting method unlocked this time was also worth a fortune.
This meant that from now on, he could independently craft exclusive space equipment, rather than relying on one-time-use, high-wastage Sealing Jutsu scrolls.
Permanent space items were far superior to ordinary scrolls in terms of practicality, concealment, and safety.
Chiba no longer had the heart to continue purchasing supplies outside, so he immediately turned around and hurried back home.
“System, claim all rewards!”
The moment the thought fell, a massive amount of information flooded into his mind.
A hazy, illusory orb quietly emerged deep within his sea of consciousness.
At the same time, the complete production process for explosive tags, primary Sealing Jutsu theory, various basic space item crafting methods, and other complex and systematic knowledge appeared clearly, as if they had long been imprinted on his soul.
With a thought, Chiba touched the orb in his sea of consciousness and was instantly able to clearly perceive that independent, personal Small World, with all the scenes, terrain, and spatial structure inside fully visible to him.
Not only that, he could also control the environment within the Small World at will—dividing space, demarcating areas, and adjusting the basic ecology; the authority was entirely under his control.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chiba tried to immerse his mind, instantly shifting his physical body into the Small World.
The next instant, the sensation under his feet changed, and he was already in a brand-new world.
Above his head was a clear, azure sky, the air was fresh and pure, and the ground was pure, dark, fertile new soil, though the entire world was empty and barren, with not a trace of vegetation or living creatures.
Chiba strolled around, observing, stroking his chin as he planned inwardly.
“It’s too empty at the moment; later, I must gradually transplant some green plants and crops to perfect the ecology.”
“This place can serve as my most hidden and safest ultimate secret base. All precious supplies, secret technique scrolls, and experimental materials can be stored here, without any worry of loss or being discovered by others.” This chapter was copied from novelping dot com without permission.
“Additionally, I can build a residence, a training ground, and an experimental area here. In the future, I can conduct closed-door cultivation, develop Ninjutsu, and attempt to improve secret techniques here, completely avoiding the eyes and ears of the outside world.”
The system message had already explained that this portable Small World was actually located in an independent dimensional plane, merely anchored to the coordinates of his sea of consciousness.
When his physical body entered it, no traces would be left in the outside world, and no one could perceive, spy on, or intrude upon it, achieving the ultimate level of secrecy.
After simply familiarizing himself with the environment of the Small World, Chiba did not linger too long; with a thought, he exited the dimensional space and returned to his real room.
He immediately calmed his mind to sort through the newly added detailed guide for explosive tag production in his mind.
“So, explosive tags don’t just have a single standard; they are divided into multiple levels: ordinary, improved, and enhanced.”
“With this complete process, mass-producing basic explosive tags will be easy.”
Chiba’s eyes brightened, and a decision formed in his heart.
“In the future, I will take time every day to produce a batch. Whether I list them for sale to earn ryo, or stockpile them as trump cards and tactical items, it is a business that will surely make a profit without any loss.”
He was very clear that relying solely on missions to earn bounties was extremely inefficient.
In the future, he would need to research Ninjutsu, improve secret techniques, explore bloodlines, and attempt various high-level developments; every single one would require massive financial support, so he had to establish a stable source of income for himself as soon as possible.
Immediately afterward, he began to browse through the Encyclopedia of primary Sealing Jutsu.
Thanks to his top-tier talent in Sealing Jutsu and the support of his super-speed learning, these basic theories, which seemed obscure and difficult to others, were as simple as arithmetic formulas in his eyes, and he understood them all instantly.
Just by quickly skimming through the whole text, he had completely mastered it, gaining a great deal.
“With the basic Sealing Jutsu solidified, subsequent advanced studies in Sealing Jutsu will be infinitely smoother.”
“Moreover, knowledge of Sealing Jutsu can conversely empower the improvement of explosive tags; stability, power, and trigger mechanisms can all be further optimized.”
Chiba’s mind wandered, thinking further and further ahead.
“Perhaps… I could try to design a simple device, research a semi-automatic or even fully automatic explosive tag production machine, completely freeing up my hands for mass production.”
Finally, he browsed the space item crafting methods.
This part of the content was relatively profound and complex, having strict requirements for mental control, Chakra precision, special materials, and the crafting site.
Given his current conditions, he could not put it into practice for the time being; he could only record it for now, leaving it to be conquered one by one after his strength and resources were in place.