Tamura Hao was not discouraged. He calmly began explaining the contents of the second sealing scroll.
"It contains special ninja tools that I created. They're strong enough to kill a jonin-level opponent."
"You made a ninja tool capable of killing a jonin?"
Yeyoi Ai couldn't hide her disbelief.
She had only recently been promoted to jonin herself, but this ten-year-old boy claimed to have built something that could take down a seasoned shinobi? It sounded absurd.
The Third Raikage and Dodai exchanged glances, more intrigued than skeptical. With someone who could casually present a billion ryo in gold-backed ryo bonds, it was difficult to dismiss him as a mere braggart.
"I'll need an open and secure area to demonstrate it," Tamura Hao said simply.
There was no point explaining in theory—showing was better than telling. Though the weapon lacked refinement due to limited materials, he was confident in its destructive potential.
"Use my personal training grounds," said the Third Raikage, standing up.
Clearly influenced by the financial weight of Hao's offering—and perhaps a sliver of curiosity—the Raikage strode from the office, signaling approval.
Tamura Hao followed. Tutai sealed up the billion-ryo cache and grabbed both scrolls, trailing behind with Yeyoi Ai.
They soon arrived at one of the Raikage's private training chambers, carved into the mountain beneath the main tower. The room fit the aesthetic of the Hidden Cloud—spacious and rugged, with fitness equipment and reinforced walls designed to withstand chakra-enhanced blows.
The space measured roughly 100 meters long, 100 meters wide, and 50 meters tall—large enough for training bijū-class techniques. The walls were reinforced with chakra-conductive steel alloy, designed to withstand even high-level Lightning Release jutsu.
The three Cloud shinobi stood back, watching Hao with unreadable expressions.
Wasting no time, Hao took Scroll Two from Tutai and unsealed it, revealing three large contraptions—metal tubes mounted on sturdy wooden bases.
"These were inspired by childhood games using blow darts and fireworks," Hao began, pointing at the smallest one. "They use detonating tags to propel metal projectiles from these reinforced barrels. The power depends on the strength of the explosive tags and the quality of the ammunition."
He lifted one of the weapons.
"This one is called the Vulcan Gun. It's designed for long-range, pinpoint shots."
Hao picked up the smallest model—a two-meter-long sniper-type rifle—and showed the three onlookers a thumb-thick metal cartridge.
"Due to my limited resources, I could only use low-tier detonating tags. Each round contains ten tags stacked together. Ideally, I'd use higher-quality ones, but those aren't available to students."
He inserted the cartridge into the chamber, locking the bolt with a clunk. Then he raised the weapon and aimed at a wall 50 meters away.
He hesitated.
The design was copied from a WWII-era anti-tank rifle he'd seen in a war documentary from his past life—specifically the ones used by Soviet or Chinese forces. Its structure was crude—essentially a reinforced steel tube—but its recoil was legendary. If the original could pierce tank armor, this chakra-world knockoff was even less forgiving.
With ten explosive tags packed into one bullet, even low-grade ones, the force would be enormous.
"I don't think I can fire this myself," Hao said after a pause. "The recoil is... dangerous. And I don't know if the barrel can take it."
His eyes settled on the hulking form of Yeyoi Ai.
"This weapon requires high physical strength to operate safely. Will you try?"
Yeyoi Ai didn't hesitate. She stepped forward and accepted the weapon, her eyes gleaming with interest.
Though impulsive, she was no fool. Even with Hao's simple explanation, she quickly deduced the principle—detonating tags pushed the projectile forward with raw force. The theoretical power was considerable.
"Feed chakra into the channel here," Hao instructed, pointing at the ignition node on the stock. "That'll activate the detonating tag inside the bullet. Just... be careful. I've never tested it at full power."
He backed away, taking cover behind a waist-high observation platform.
Tutai noticed Hao's cautious retreat and snorted with amusement but remained focused on the scene.
The Third Raikage narrowed his eyes, watching intently. The theory was novel. The question was: could it deliver?
Yeyoi Ai took aim at one of the steel-reinforced pillars in the distance, braced her stance, and activated the bullet.
BOOM!
A violent flash and a thunderous crack filled the chamber. The gun bucked backward, and a faint plume of smoke emerged from the barrel.
On the far wall, a crater the size of a walnut dented the steel plate.
The Cloud shinobi moved quickly to inspect the impact. Their faces shifted from interest to seriousness.
The metal plates in this room were 10 centimeters thick—denser than average battlefield-grade steel.
For a makeshift bullet to cause such a dent spoke volumes.
Dodai extracted the warped bullet with a kunai and turned it over.
"The projectile's core is too soft. A denser alloy would pierce deeper. Still, this is impressive."
Compared to a manually thrown kunai or shuriken—which could barely penetrate muscle—this weapon had enough force to shatter bones or destroy organs outright.
"It's powerful... but the accuracy's garbage," Yeyoi Ai muttered. She gestured toward the pillar. "Ten meters off-target."
She looked at the Vulcan Gun again—the barrel slightly bent, the ejection mechanism jammed.
It had clearly been damaged by the shot.
"Accuracy can be fixed," Hao said confidently. "If I can engrave spiraling grooves inside the barrel—like a rifling pattern—the bullet would spin, stabilize, and fly straighter. But... I haven't figured out how to craft the grooves precisely."
He stepped forward, now speaking with greater excitement.
"Beyond that, we can apply chakra nature transformations. With Earth Release, we can harden the barrel and bullets. Lightning or Wind Release can improve penetration and control. Wind also reduces air resistance, increasing velocity."
"Water Release could be used to cool the barrel for rapid fire, and Fire Release... well, that could mimic a detonating tag sealed into the bullet head. If we compact it properly, it could explode after hitting the target—like a delayed detonation."
Dodai's eyes lit up at the possibilities. Hao wasn't just a wild inventor—his concepts aligned well with ninja principles.
The Vulcan Gun clearly had potential. Its effective range might exceed 100 meters, perhaps even reaching 1,000. If equipped with stronger seals or higher-quality tags, it could become a long-range death sentence.
No ninjutsu, even most S-rank ones, had that kind of precision or distance.
Yeyoi Ai affectionately stroked the weapon, her expression almost... reverent.
She clearly wanted it for herself.
The Third Raikage turned his attention to the two larger machines still sealed behind Hao.
Judging by their size, they were even more powerful.
Tutai and Yeyoi Ai followed his gaze, equally eager to see what came next.