"Dr. Brief, huh? I'd say I got pretty lucky with this one."
After spending some time sorting through his newly acquired memories, Hyuga Mirai finally spoke.
Dr. Brief was one of the top scientists in the Dragon Ball world—brilliant but somewhat eccentric. Had he focused solely on his research, his achievements might have outshone most of his peers. However, he had… other interests.
In the memories Mirai received, Dr. Brief believed his greatest invention wasn't interstellar technology or energy reactors—but a bookshelf system that could instantly swap adult magazines with regular ones in 0.1 seconds, ensuring that his collection remained undiscovered by his family.
As a result, his stash of explicit material was impressively vast—so much so that he eventually had to store it inside his personal capsule storage.
Of course, beyond his unconventional priorities, Dr. Brief was a genius. The first time he examined both Androids and Saiyan spacecraft, he immediately made improvements to their designs. His learning ability was on par with even someone like Tony Stark.
The system's scientist selection was highly random, capable of drawing from anyone, anywhere, at any time. Mirai considered himself fortunate—he had consecutively drawn scientists with game-changing inventions. If his luck had been worse and he had pulled a Nobel Prize-winning economist, things might have been disastrous.
"18, I've got good news for you. I can give you another upgrade now—a serious enhancement."
Mirai immediately linked to his database, pulling up every self-improvement plan for 18. After reviewing them, he discarded most of the previous designs and prepared to redesign the entire approach.
"Sir, may I make a request?" 18's voice came through the communicator.
"Of course. But keep running calculations while we talk—I need some numbers crunched."
As Mirai spoke, he realized he had his hands full again.
His ideas on laser compression had evolved. If his latest modifications were successful, he could shrink the laser cannon's barrel to within three centimeters while maintaining both range and destructive power.
Once the orbital space station was fully operational, there would be no one in the Shinobi World he couldn't eliminate. From high-altitude precision strikes, he could eliminate an Uchiha before they even activated Susanoo—and even if they managed to, the outcome would be the same.
As for the Otsutsuki Clan… without comparative data, Mirai couldn't be too confident.
However, once he fully upgraded 18, he could use Android data from his memories as a benchmark.
"The energy core needs optimization. There's still room for improvement in the Starstone Energy Furnace. For now, I'll leave the main body as it is—fully mechanical Androids don't adapt as well as bio-nano hybrids. But 19… I could convert him into a pure combat model."
Mirai had already confirmed that 19's AI chip was simply a subsystem of 18—meaning his entire behavior pattern was under her control.
Once 19's combat capabilities were enhanced, there would be no one in the Shinobi World who could be a true threat to 18.
"And I should implement anti-gravity technology. Maybe I'll build a floating base… Call it the Supreme Temple? Heh, with that in place, even if the Shinobi World wakes up one day and decides to revolt, they won't be hanging me from a streetlamp anytime soon."
With so many useful technologies flooding into his mind at once—and Dr. Brief's inventions overlapping with those of Stark and Gero—new ideas kept exploding in his brain like fireworks. Some ideas collided, generating even better concepts, while others fizzled out, discarded as impractical.
"Not enough time… Should I use Shadow Clones?"
Mirai hesitated.
Using clones would be convenient, but it also meant sticking to a rigid, pre-set workflow. The feedback would only come after everything was completed.
"18, move the cloning project up the schedule. Prepare the lab—I'll start tomorrow."
Roran didn't yet have the ideal environment for cloning. He would need to make a trip back to the Land of Tea.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru's clones had been wandering the Shinobi World, searching for talented individuals—those with unique bloodlines or mastery of secret arts—to "recruit" back to his genetic collection.
And Orochimaru wasn't satisfied with just the human race. He had already begun extracting genes from other species, hoping to engineer the ultimate life form.
In terms of his own power, Orochimaru wasn't particularly invested. Ever since mastering Sage Mode, he had immersed himself fully in research.
As he put it, "Aside from Hyuga Mirai, no one in this world poses a threat to me."
That didn't mean he ignored his "students", though.
He frequently sent shadow clones to train the children he abducted, molding them into valuable assets.
Currently, Orochimaru was preparing his third clone—an effort to expand the manpower of Otogakure.
Meanwhile, Sasori was continuing his own projects—his mechanized army was coming along nicely.
And beyond that, he had been using his old connections in Sunagakure to secretly pull some of its Jōnin and Chūnin under Mirai's influence.
Since Sasori was both an elite ninja and a master puppeteer, he had once been considered a prime candidate for the Fourth Kazekage position. Had he not defected and assassinated the Third Kazekage, his chances of taking the title would have been far greater than Rasa's. With the backing of Chiyo and Ebizō, there was no way they would have chosen Rasa over Sasori.
Sasori had already voiced his frustrations to Hyuga Mirai multiple times. He was fully confident that he could single-handedly take down the entire Sand Village. In his mind, there was no need to keep delaying—he could simply strike now.
However, Mirai had no interest in starting a war. If he relied solely on brute force, he could annihilate the entire village in a single day—but that would only cause Sunagakure to unite in resistance against an external threat. If he took that route, he would have two choices: either wipe them out completely or capture and re-educate them one by one.
Neither option appealed to him.
External enemies only strengthened a ninja's resolve. If the Sand Village produced a few more "talk-no-jutsu" experts, Mirai would be left with nothing but ruins after the battle. There was no point in rushing just to deal with someone who was already on borrowed time. The outcome was inevitable, but dirtying his own hands prematurely was unnecessary.
On the surface, Sunagakure appeared to be thriving. The village lacked neither funds nor supplies, and despite its desert location, it competed with Konoha in terms of military expenditure.
However, Rasa's entire economic model depended entirely on Keikou Trading Company. If that support vanished, Sunagakure would collapse almost instantly, and internal backlash from the reforms would tear the village apart.
"18, what do you think of this optimization plan?"
After nearly ten days of testing and refining, Mirai had finalized his design. The main upgrades included
An enhanced anti-gravity system Increased weapon output Optimized Starstone energy core Refined hand-to-hand combat analysis
Once upgraded, Android 18 would be capable of firing a full-power thermal energy beam capable of erasing an entire country from the Shinobi World.
Of course, this was just a calculated estimate—he hadn't actually tested it. Firing at full power would completely drain her energy, requiring five to ten minutes of recovery time.
"I have full confidence in your design, sir."
18's voice was calm, but her actions completely contradicted her words.
She carefully accepted the blueprint, studied it meticulously, and even ran a simulation before finally relaxing.
Mirai's eye twitched at the sight. He reached out, grabbed her face, and gave her cheeks a firm tug.
"You say you trust me completely, yet you double-checked everything yourself. Who taught you to be so two-faced?"
18 blinked, her simulated expression shifting slightly. "From Ayaka Uzumaki, sir."
She paused before adding, "And for the record, I have not simulated pain receptors. This is pointless, sir."
Mirai let out a cold chuckle before narrowing his eyes.
"Go get everything ready. This time, I'll be personally overseeing the modifications. Let's see if I can simulate pain receptors for you."
"Sir—"
"Request denied. Move."
Shoving 18 out the door, Mirai had barely settled back down before Sasori walked in.
The puppet master was not in a good mood.
"You're using me as a workhorse, aren't you?" Sasori scowled. "You said this plan targeted the Land of Wind, but I'm the only one doing all the work."
Mirai chuckled. "Now, now. I've had plenty of people working on this. But let's be honest—only the great Sasori of the Red Sand can handle the most critical parts."
Classic mind games. This kind of psychological manipulation worked perfectly on someone like Sasori, though Orochimaru was far less susceptible.
Sasori clicked his tongue, but threw a scroll onto the table.
"It's nearly done. Here's the list of people I've recruited—mostly those pushed out by Rasa's reforms. More than half of them now have my seal planted in their brains. The rest can be trusted, but it's up to you what to do next."
As he spoke, a small smirk flickered across his lips. Though he tried to hide it, Mirai caught it immediately. Clearly, Sasori enjoyed the praise—even if he pretended otherwise.
Mirai unrolled the scroll, skimmed through it, and nodded in approval.
"Not bad. But really, you should start using data transfers instead of old-school scrolls. It's much more efficient."
Then, he glanced at Sasori. "By the way, have you met Chiyo yet? You must be dying to see her again."
"Tch. You think I have time for that?" Sasori scoffed. "Just sorting all this out took forever. I'll go when I feel like it. Right now, I need to finish my mechanized puppet army."
With a huff, he turned and left.
Mirai shook his head with a smirk. Classic Tsundere.
Still, Sasori's efficiency was unmatched.
Judging by the sheer number of defectors listed, he had successfully recruited nearly 80% of the Sand Village shinobi who had been sidelined by Rasa's policies.
These recruits came from various factions, but they all had one thing in common—they were either skeptical of or outright opposed to the reforms.
Every major change in history had winners and losers. Rasa's strategy was to crush dissent with his own power and status, forcing reforms through without opposition.
If not for Pakura's apathy toward politics, Sunagakure would have already split into two factions.
Mirai cracked his knuckles and smiled.
"Looks like it's time. Let's start with Shukaku."
(End of Chapter)
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