What Orochimaru didn't realize was that this chunk of flesh composed of fat cells contained a tremendous amount of energy and nutrients.
In the outside world, artificial creations like this were regarded as rare treasures.
If consumed by an animal, it could evolve a wild beast into a ninja beast.
If eaten by a ninja, it could boost chakra reserves and replenish physical vitality and energy.
Orochimaru had just completed a body transformation. With natural nutritional deficiencies within his body, he couldn't properly suppress his cells, which naturally triggered a feeling of hunger.
The warnings from his own cells and Satori Hyūga's presence made him realize something was off.
It seemed the impact of this physical transformation on him was greater than he had anticipated.
He pushed these thoughts aside, gazing silently at the fat cells, caught in a wave of doubt and hesitation.
This thing—why did it arouse such a craving to devour?
It looked familiar, yet he couldn't place what it was.
Satori said, "This is a mixture of flesh and fat cells cultivated from my own cells. Pretty interesting, huh?"
"After special refinement using chakra energy, it can serve as both food and medicine."
"I plan to use this substance as a cooking oil base for seasoning packets in instant noodles. It's sure to be a hit and generate enough profit to fund more experiments."
Though it appeared miraculous, for Orochimaru, a little investigation would quickly reveal its truth.
So there was no harm in simply telling him directly.
Moreover, Satori planned to release this simplified version of this fat-cell-based flesh as a commercial product, unafraid of others discovering its secret.
For instance, take the now-nearly perfected instant noodle production process.
At present, the ingredients and production methods for making instant noodles had been determined, including ideas for flavor seasoning with monosodium glutamate.
Even so, delicious instant noodles still suffered from one unavoidable flaw—nutrition.
To a ninja, the nutritional value of instant noodles was indeed inferior to that of Military Rations Pills.
They might not taste great, but the nutrient content in those pills was high. Eating just a few could fully meet the body's nutritional needs.
Instant noodles, on the other hand, required eating several large bowls to satisfy the appetite of a ninja engaged in intense training or combat.
That was the disadvantage of instant noodles—they would never fully replace Military Rations Pills.
Therefore, if Satori wanted to popularize instant noodles as staple field rations like in his past life, he needed alternative solutions.
Either increase the portion size, or add an extra ingredient.
Thus, Satori intended to extract his own specialized fat and use it as cooking oil added into the noodles.
When solidified, this specialized fat would coat the noodles, and when consumed, instantly convert into energy and heat.
This approach ensured both flavor and rich nutrition—even surpassing the nutritional content of Military Rations Pills.
Orochimaru: "..."
"You...have you secretly conducted human experimentation on yourself?"
He fixed Satori with a complex gaze, his expression unreadable.
Looking puzzled, Satori glanced back at Orochimaru and replied, "Nope, I'm still young. Right now, I have no intention of modifying my body, although I may consider human experimentation later on."
The existing body modification technology was not yet fully mature, and Satori Hyūga had no intention of undergoing early modifications.
If he were to modify his body, it would have to be a flawless transformation—one that wouldn't result in a grotesque state like Orochimaru's.
"Good thing you haven't modified yet. It'd be best if you didn't recklessly tinker with your body at all," Orochimaru said.
He looked at the chunks of fat, the sensation of hunger now entirely gone.
As for those so-called delicious instant noodles, they were instantly deemed inedible by Orochimaru.
He found his apprentice's thinking rather different—not like an ordinary villager. When he thought about it, though, he himself wasn't all that normal either.
Was it possible that geniuses were always different from ordinary villagers in some way?
Satori looked at him in confusion, unsure of his meaning.
A week passed quickly.
Jiraiya's team—Minato Namikaze and Kushina—had completed their mission in the Land of Rain and quickly returned at the urging of the Caravan Leader.
After handing over the mission report, the Caravan Leader gripped Minato's hand and pleaded, "Please, you must ask how I can purchase more of those instant noodles! I'm willing to pay top dollar!"
Throughout the journey, he had been driven nearly mad by the smell of the seasoning, yet never even getting a taste.
Jiraiya, taking advantage of being the teacher, drank every last drop of the broth, leaving absolutely nothing behind for the caravan leader.
This left the Caravan Leader furious but too intimidated to complain, silently hoping he could eventually buy a few packs to taste.
Other members of the caravan also longed for them but lacked the courage of their leader to ask outright.
Ever kind-hearted, Minato comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, my friend made these specifically for sale."
After calming down the Caravan Leader, Minato headed toward the Hyuga Clan compound to look for Satori Hyūga.
Satori's original body had always remained hidden within the clan. Therefore, he became immediately aware of Minato's return.
"Satori, I'm back. This mission was completed successfully," Minato said with a smile.
Satori replied, "That's great. Anything interesting happen on the way back?"
Minato responded, "Professor Jiraiya's reputation echoes throughout the ninja world. Hardly any bandits dared to cross us, making the journey a bit dull instead."
"But your instant noodles were amazing. Professor Jiraiya couldn't stop praising them. The caravan members also wanted to try some, but there wasn't enough to go around."
"They asked me to check if they can buy instant noodles now."
After hearing Minato's words, Satori knew his instant noodles had clearly gained widespread acclaim, and it might be time to consider mass production.
However, the machinery and materials he had ordered had not yet arrived, so production wouldn't begin until a few days later.
Besides that, hiring many workers for manufacturing was still on his to-do list.
He replied, "Not yet. What I gave you before was just a sample. Once production starts in a few days, I'll sell some first for them to try out."
"That's fine. I think they'll be willing to wait," Minato said with a soft smile, recalling the reactions of the caravan members.
"You seem more like a merchant than a ninja."
Minato Namikaze felt that Satori Hyūga was different from run-of-the-mill ninja—he didn't seem enthusiastic about taking missions or completing client requests.
Now even manufacturing instant noodles was a way for him to invest and turn a profit through sales.
Satori smiled faintly and said, "Being a ninja is way too dangerous. You barely make enough to cover costs, and you might easily lose your life."
"If I had the choice, I'd rather be a merchant—wealthier and easiergoing."
"But it's not like I'm doing this for luxury. After all, as the Hyūga Main House, food and shelter have never been issues. My goal is to conduct scientific research, striving to transform the entire ninja world and ultimately bring peace to this world."
Ninjas accept client commissions and complete tasks—sounds impressive at first but in reality, it's just another job.
At the end of the day, it's still working for someone else for a paycheck.
If that's the case, Satori might as well be his own boss.
By establishing family assets, accumulating wealth and resources, he could pour significant resources into scientific experiments and world transformation—perfectly aligning with his vision.
While acquiring power, he sought to awaken the bloodline limit of the Hyūga Clan, evolving it further into the Tenseigan.
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