Time flowed quietly, and before anyone realized it, another year had passed.
During this year, the Land of Snow once again leapt forward in rapid development.
The reason was simple...the train project.
What began as a bold innovation had now become a phenomenon that shook the entire ninja world.
Last year, the Land of Earth was the first to import the Snow Country's railway system.
At first, they laid only two lines, one running east to west, the other north to south and commissioned four trains to run on them.
The results were immediate.
Travel became swift, transportation of resources was streamlined, and the efficiency of moving troops and supplies improved beyond imagination.
With better circulation of goods, the nation's commerce blossomed at a rate never before seen.
The Daimyō of the Land of Earth, delighted beyond belief, wasted no time in giving the order: expand the railways in all directions!
The demand was so overwhelming that the Land of Snow could barely keep up.
Workers had to be recruited locally within the Land of Earth itself just to keep construction moving.
The other great nations watched closely. Seeing the prosperity the Land of Earth had gained, the remaining four powers could no longer hesitate.
One after another, their envoys sought out the Land of Snow.
Among them, only the Land of Fire and the Land of Water had their orders accepted.
The Land of Fire's request was a natural choice. Wealthy, fertile, and politically stable, it was an ideal place to lay tracks little risk, maximum benefit.
The Land of Water's project was even simpler. With its territory limited to a main island, the rail network required far less effort compared to the sprawling mainland nations.
The Land of Wind's order, however, was rejected outright. A railway across endless deserts was far too impractical and resource-intensive.
As for the Land of Lightning? Their request was refused for an entirely different reason.
The Snow Country bore grudges like carved stone. Until Kumogakure formally apologized for their past hostility, he declared, there would be no cooperation.
This decision left the Fourth Raikage, A, seething.
He had already dispatched spies to infiltrate the Land of Snow countless times, only for every single one of them to vanish without a trace.
Eventually, he stopped sending them altogether.
Though his fury nearly drove him to storm the Land of Snow personally, his advisors restrained him.
Even the reckless Raikage had to acknowledge that launching a large-scale invasion across the sea was unrealistic.
And so, the Land of Snow stood untouchable.
Every new contract, every completed railway line brought them staggering profit.
Of course, not everyone was content to simply pay. Many coveted the railway technology and tried to steal it for themselves.
But those who dared to reach for it soon found their hands cut off, sometimes literally.
The example made of Kumogakure's failed infiltrators was enough to silence the rest.
The Land of Snow was no longer a backwater nation to be trifled with, it was a rising power to be feared.
On this particular day, deep in the frozen wilderness of the Snow Country…
A column of blinding light tore through the sky.
"Boom!"
The earth shook violently as a distant hill exploded in a blaze of fire, scattering snow and rock in every direction.
"It's quite good."
Obito lowered the heavy gun in his hands, grinning as he surveyed the hill that had just been reduced to rubble.
After a year of relentless tinkering, the Snow Country's research division had finally completed the weapon he wanted most: a portable artillery battery.
Of course, it came with problems.
The cost was absurd. The frame required chakra metal, and every single precision part demanded the highest quality alloys.
Money wasn't the real issue though, Snow Country had plenty of that now.
The real flaw was the chakra consumption.
"An ordinary shinobi wouldn't be able to fire more than a few shots," Obito muttered, rubbing his chin.
"If we can't advance it further, my dream of a proper thermal weapons army will stay a dream…"
He sighed, though the smile never left his face.
"That's amazing! Let me try!"
Yugao's eyes lit up as she rushed forward, unable to contain her excitement.
From the sidelines, Terumi Mei and Pakura exchanged glances, their expressions equally eager.
Obito smirked and passed the weapon over.
"Careful. This thing guzzles chakra like sake at a festival."
"Bang!"
The night sky lit up again. Another hill in the distance vanished under an explosion, snow and earth scattering like feathers in the wind.
"…You weren't kidding," Yugao muttered, her shoulders rising and falling. She shook her head in pity before handing the weapon to Terumi Mei.
"The firepower is incredible, but the chakra drain is brutal."
She tilted her head, curious. "Does this thing have a name?"
"Name, huh…?" Obito tapped the barrel thoughtfully. "Guess it's about time to ditch 'chakra cannon.'"
Then a sly grin spread across his face as a memory from his past life flickered through his mind.
"Let's call it… Romantic Fort."
"…What's so romantic about this thing?" Yugao deadpanned immediately, her arms crossing.
"Hmph, you don't understand." Obito puffed out his chest, eyes gleaming.
"For men, big caliber and overwhelming firepower...that is romance."
Yugao groaned. Terumi Mei and Pakura, however, laughed softly as they each took their turn at the weapon, reducing more of the snowy hills to smoking craters.
Later that night…
Back at the fortress, Obito sat in his room, a book open in his hands. The crackle of the fireplace was the only sound until a gentle knock came at the door.
"Enter," he said without looking up.
The door opened, and Terumi Mei stepped in. The flickering firelight outlined her silhouette, casting long shadows across the room.
"My lord," she said, voice smooth as ever. "Did you summon me for something?"
She gazed at Obito with a mix of curiosity and expectation as he slowly closed his book.
"Well, it's… a spiritual thing."
Obito closed the book in his hand with a soft thud as Terumi Mei shut the door behind her.
"I've developed a new method of fu—" he coughed lightly, correcting himself with a mischievous glint in his eye,
"...ahem, training. I'd like to test it out with you… if you're willing."
His tone was playful, but his gaze was piercing.
"A new way of training?" Terumi Mei blinked in surprise, then her lips curled into a delighted smile.
"Is it like the Sage Art method you showed before?"
Obito rubbed his chin theatrically. "Hmm… you're not wrong. There are similarities between the two."
"I'll do it!"
Her response came instantly, her eyes lighting up as if she had been waiting for this very moment. She stared at him with burning anticipation.
Obito's lips curved beneath the mask, a sly grin tugging at the corners.
"Then… look me in the eye."
The crimson glow of the Sharingan swirled to life.
Terumi Mei, trusting, locked her gaze with his and in the next instant, the illusion snapped shut around her.
Obito leaned back slightly, amused.
Hope you don't cry later…
As he watched her fall deeper into the genjutsu, his eyes danced with mockery and intrigue. For others, genjutsu was a weapon to incapacitate.
For Obito, it was also a medium to imprint knowledge an… unconventional way to force someone to grasp the true essence of a technique.
His fingers tapped lightly against the arm of his chair as Terumi Mei's expression shifted, her mind dragged into the strange "training ground" he had prepared.
"Learn well," Obito muttered under his breath, his tone equal parts banter and amusement.
After a few moments, Terumi Mei's lashes fluttered as she slowly came back to her senses, the illusion unraveling.
The instant her gaze met Obito's, her composure shattered. The woman who usually carried herself with such confidence and poise flushed scarlet, her dignified aura melting away.
"T-This… this approach… is it really… feasible?" she stammered, words tumbling over each other. Then, biting her lip, she added with nervous suspicion:
"My lord, you didn't just make all that up as an excuse to… to bed me, right? You're not lying to me?"
Obito leaned forward slightly, amused by her rare panic. The joy in his expression was impossible to hide, and the smile behind his mask was practically audible.
"Not at all. You know the truth already, don't you?"
Her flushed reaction only deepened his satisfaction. So even the great Terumi Mei can look like a shy little girl…
Heh. The youth hidden beneath the onee-san mask...it's even better than I imagined.
"The illusion… just now…" she murmured, her voice faltering.
"What's wrong? Don't want to?" Obito asked casually, his tone calm.
"N-No… it's not that I don't want to, it's just…" Mei shook her head, torn between embarrassment and desire.
Then, lowering her eyes, she whispered:
"Why not go to Yugao instead? My lord, you must have noticed… she likes you."
Her words carried both reluctance and a hidden hope. She didn't truly mind being with him but she didn't want to betray her friend either.
"She's too young."
Obito's answer came bluntly, almost flat, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
What am I, some dimension-hopping predator? No way. The last thing I need is to be chased down by the Time-Space FBI.
The thought made him snort softly beneath the mask, though his gaze on Mei never wavered.
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