When talking about Kakuzu and the Akatsuki organization, it's impossible not to think of their founders, the three young prodigies from Amegakure. Although they were all big shots in the mid-stage, when they founded the Akatsuki, they were still just young and somewhat strong individuals.
Mentioning the three prodigies, one can't forget the only rose among them—Konan.
Speaking of Konan shining moment, it wasn't playing with a puppy, sending origami flowers to Tsunade as a token of gratitude, or nearly kissing Nagato, nor was it later recruiting talents for the Akatsuki.
It was that utterly absurd—six hudred billion explosive tags!.
Speaking of these six hundred billion explosive tags, Kagura once, on a night when she couldn't bear to sleep and, at twenty-three, still hid under the covers to play with her phone for fear of her mother discovering, came across many bloggers discussing explosive tags.
Some more leisurely bloggers even meticulously calculated how long it would take to produce six hundred billion explosive tags, how heavy they would be, and how much money it would cost.
Without a calculator here, Kagura couldn't verify, but she remembered one blogger using A4 paper as an example. If one A4 sheet weighs over four grams, and assuming an explosive tag is half the size and weight of an A4 sheet, that's over two grams.
So, a thousand tags would weigh two kilograms, a million tags two tons, a hundred million tags two hundred tons, a hundred billion tags twenty thousand tons, and six hundred billion tags would be one hundred and twenty thousand tons...
This one hundred and twenty thousand tons sounds abstract, but the blogger also mentioned that if a truck's load capacity is thirty tons, it would take forty thousand trucks to carry them.
Forty thousand trucks! Alright, let's just assume they were transported using space-time ninjutsu. Just imagining such a massive quantity is mind-boggling.
Although Konan ninjutsu allows her body to turn into paper and freely manipulate it, this isn't ordinary paper—it's explosive tags, and they can't be produced overnight.
If someone were to specifically make explosive tags for her, how long would it take? Assigning ten thousand workers, each capable of making one tag per second, working non-stop twenty-four hours a day without eating or drinking, it would roughly take forty-one thousand six hundred and sixty-seven days, which is about one hundred and sixteen years.
Wow, Kagura thought, wouldn't they have to start making them from the Warring States period to be ready to blow up Obito?
After discussing the production time, let's talk about the cost. Assuming one tag costs one ryo, six hundred billion tags would be six hundred billion ryo. In modern society, six hundred billion ryo is roughly equivalent to ninety-two point eight billion US dollars. The blogger mentioned that Bill Gates' net worth is eighty-seven point nine billion dollars, making the Akatsuki richer than Bill Gates.
As for the Akatsuki money, it was mostly managed by Kakuzu. This really shows how strong Kakuzu is. In the ninja world, ninjas earn bounties through missions, with Asuma thirty-five million ryo being a benchmark.
Using him as an average unit of measurement, the organization would have to kill two thousand six hundred and seventeen Asuma to earn that ninety-two point eight billion dollars. I mean, even the hardest-working donkey in the production team isn't that capable, right?
And this doesn't even account for Konan statement:
"I've experimented with this many times before!"
A sudden thought flashed through Kagura mind: If Kishimoto-sensei wasn't just spouting nonsense, and if Konan really used six hundred billion explosive tags, then she couldn't have possibly prepared all those tags by herself.
It was completely impossible for humans to achieve, so they would need to purchase some from the outside. Even if ten thousand people made one tag per second without stopping for 24 hours, it would still take 116 years. That meant if she started making explosive tags now and sold them to Konan before the Fourth Great Ninja War, it would be a brilliant move!
"Ah, I'm such a genius!"
Kagura smile stretched so wide it almost reached her ears. She fantasized about piles of ninja coins in front of her, and even thought that Kakuzu face looked handsome now. He wasn't making money for the Akatsuki—he was making money for Kagura!
After happily daydreaming for a while, a very practical problem presented itself to Kagura.
Despite the business opportunity, her biggest issue was the lack of startup capital. What money would she use to buy paper? Who would she hire to make the tags? How would she build a factory? All of this required money, and it was a long-term investment.
There would be no returns in three to five years. Even if she could sell to other ninjas, it would only be small change compared to the $92.8 billion.
But when faced with such a staggering number, anyone would be tempted, especially someone who often didn't know where their next meal was coming from.
Once the idea of making explosive tags and selling them to Konan took root in Kagura mind, it began to grow wildly, like leeks after the rain, sprouting rapidly with every breeze.
Even the drawing paper in the counter seemed like something she should save for making explosive tags later.
As a transmigrator with a sort of "clairvoyant" ability, it was only natural for her to seize this business opportunity. It was practically free money, and she had to grab it. In the real world, she couldn't be a rich second-generation heir or spend money freely. But in the Naruto world, she was determined to use her knowledge to fulfill her dream of becoming a wealthy woman. If she couldn't be a rich second-generation heir herself, she could at least make her children one.
She had to become the kind of wealthy woman who could casually throw out 200,000 for a genin to find a cat!
Kagura seemed to see a bright future ahead. While others who transmigrated here were busy collecting ninjutsu, secret techniques, and forbidden techniques, or hunting for Byakugan, Sharingan, and Rinnegan, she was different.
She just wanted to be a happy wealthy woman, wandering between countries, shipping couples, and watching exciting battles. With her immortality, she could live freely for as long as possible.
For the first time, she began to hope that Hashirama and Tobirama would return soon. Tobirama was in charge of finances—would he lend her money? In the real world, her actions would at least qualify her as an industrialist. Shouldn't the authorities support entrepreneurship?
As for building a factory, she wondered if Hashirama's Wood Release could create buildings out of thin air like Yamato.
They always said Hashirama Wood Release conquered the world, while Yamato Wood Release was used for landscaping.
Asking the God of Shinobi to use Wood Release to build a factory for her was definitely overkill. Hashirama probably didn't even know Wood Release could be used like that.
Thinking about other things was too far-fetched—
"Maybe I should start by making a few tags myself to test it out?" Kagura muttered to herself.
When it came to making explosive tags, Kagura was quick to act. She grabbed a few sheets of paper, bought some gunpowder from the old man at the village entrance who made firecrackers, and started using a brush dipped in glue and then in gunpowder to scribble on the paper.
Only after she finished did she realize she looked like an idiot.
If explosive tags were made this way, wouldn't everyone need a lighter when using them?
Ah, if I were to rummage through my ninja tool pouch looking for a lighter, I'd probably be instantly killed by the enemy.
She hadn't seen a real explosive tag in this world yet, but many people said it was a fire-style ninjutsu sealed onto paper, which could be released when needed. For ninjas who weren't skilled in fire-style techniques, this was undoubtedly a blessing.
Kagura thought that, by the same logic, any ninjutsu could be sealed into paper following the method of explosive tags. Upon closer consideration, it should be similar to the scientific ninja tools in Boruto.
No, no, she still needed to visit a factory that produced explosive tags to see for herself.
Since arriving in Konoha, Kagura could count the people she knew on one hand. The Hashirama and Tobirama brothers weren't in the village, and a high-and-mighty goddess like Biwako would definitely ignore her.
That left only Uchiha Kagami. That man always had a smile on his face and seemed quite gentle. He probably wouldn't refuse if she asked for his help, right?
....
Kagura wandered around the village for three days before finally spotting Kagami one afternoon.
At the time, Kagami had just returned from outside the village, exhausted from a long mission. When he saw Kagura, the first thing that came to mind was her connection to Tobirama, and his expression turned slightly awkward.
The companions who had returned with him noticed a woman approaching Kagami and started whistling or whispering among themselves. An ordinary person might have felt the need to explain, but Kagami wasn't ordinary—he was as composed as an eighty-year-old man.
"It's been so hard to find you, big bro!"
"I'm an only child. I'm not a big bro, and I don't have a big bro."
"…"
'This guy has no sense of humor.'
The two of them stared at each other, while a group of ninjas nearby started jeering, making the atmosphere even more awkward.
Being career-driven, Kagura didn't forget her purpose for seeking him out. She quickly pulled him aside.
"Lower your head and lean your ear closer."
"Huh?" Though surprised, he obediently bent down.
"I need to ask you for a favor."
"What is it?"
"I want to see how you guys make explosive tags."
"Huh?" Kagami looked at her with confusion. "Why do you want to see that? What's your goal? Are you planning to blow up Konoha?"
-_-||
"Let's just say your imagination doesn't need to run that wild."
"Kagami, what are you two whispering about?" One of his nosy companions teased with a laugh.
Uchiha Kagami turned to look at him and chuckled.
"This is the girl Tobirama-sensei brought out of prison."
His words were like a thunderclap, causing the ninjas to widen their eyes in shock. Those who had been casually chatting now focused their gazes on Kagura. Their eyes were filled with blatant curiosity, as if saying,
"Aside from her pretty face, she doesn't seem to have any other merits. How did she manage to make the eternally stoic Tobirama bloom like a barren tree?"
Their gazes were so direct that Kagura immediately understood—this was gossip, right? A fabricated romance, even if it's just gossip, right?
"I'm not, I don't, stop imagining things!" A triple denial, though late, still arrived.
But it was useless because their eyes told her they didn't believe her.
Kagura shook her head helplessly and muttered to herself, "A name without substance, just a name without substance."