"Put it underground?"
Sarutobi Asuma nodded and said with a smile, "That's a good idea."
The sphere created by Uchiha Sasuke's Chibaku Tensei had a diameter of a thousand meters. Halving it meant a depth of five hundred meters.
If the living and working areas were all hidden underground, it would indeed make full use of the regional space.
Soon, Sarutobi Asuma followed Konan and the others to the underground entrance.
They descended a full 50 meters to reach the first underground level.
Konan said, "The underground space is an inverted cone shape. The first level is the widest, and the last level is the smallest."
"For the first three levels, we plan to build them as areas combining living and office spaces for the alliance headquarters."
"Or rather, some regular departments of the alliance will be on the upper three underground levels."
Sarutobi Asuma's gaze swept across the first level, which was already filled with buildings. However, they were all made of wood, indicating they were built by Yamato using Wood Release.
Walking on the street, Konan continued, "Starting from the fourth level, it will be used as office areas for some special departments, as well as facilities like ninja training grounds."
"Currently, eleven levels have been developed underground. A large-scale Space-Time Teleportation Array is set in the middle layer, but on each of the other levels, we plan to set up smaller teleportation platforms to prevent the worst-case scenario, but also to facilitate timely personnel transfer."
Sarutobi Asuma nodded and then asked, "What about the attack and defense systems?"
"Each level has reserved space!"
Yamato answered.
He said, "A large-scale Perception barrier, which is used to prevent enemy infiltration."
"A large-scale Defense barrier, which can cover the entire aerial fortress, but its construction is not simple, especially if the aerial fortress's area increases."
"Moreover, the more massive the barrier, the more ninjas are needed to maintain it. Of course, according to the initial plan, the Sage Tree can also serve as a Chakra provider."
"As for offense, and other defenses, designs are in place from the first ground level to the deepest underground level, especially the first and last levels."
Konan chimed in, "The buildings on the first ground level, except for the water towers, are either for ninja garrisons or for the design of offense and defense systems."
"The last underground level is the same. Additionally, the areas along the rock walls on each level are reserved spaces for offense and defense systems."
As they walked and introduced, Sarutobi Asuma quickly toured all eleven underground levels.
Overall, it was still an empty shell.
But he already felt quite good about it. At least the spatial arrangements on each level had been practically divided.
It's just that the buildings and such were still quite rudimentary.
And the various offense and defense systems were only on paper.
After all, only three months had passed.
Returning to the surface, Konan asked, "Lord Asuma, do you have any suggestions for the aerial fortress's offense and defense systems?"
Sarutobi Asuma countered, "What do you think?"
"Of course, it's the Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Naruto was the first to speak.
He hadn't spoken up earlier because the previous topics weren't his specialty. It was a rare occasion.
"Or something like a Rasengan, concentrating Chakra and firing it. That should be the easiest method to implement, with both attack strength and range!"
Clearly, Naruto had put a lot of thought into this.
Uchiha Sasuke said, "I agree with Naruto's idea."
"Furthermore, diversifying the attack methods might not be suitable. Sometimes, simpler is more effective."
"Based on the current design, we can completely deploy a large number of Chakra Cannons across the entire hemisphere, and combined with the ground, we can theoretically attack enemies in any direction, and form a dense attack."
"This way, even if the Ōtsutsuki clan has mostly mastered the ability to absorb ninjutsu, they might not be able to cope with such dense attacks."
Sarutobi Asuma listened and nodded with a smile, "Very good, a very good consideration."
"However, as you said, Sasuke, the Ōtsutsuki clan has mastered pupil techniques that absorb ninjutsu and Chakra, and even Space-Time Ninjutsu like Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who can retrieve objects."
"Tailed Beast Bombs, or Chakra Cannons, are indeed suitable for being arranged in a dense, honeycomb-like formation, but I think it would be better if we could incorporate some physical projectiles, or ninja tools."
Yamato heard this and said, "Asuma, do you mean something like large crossbows?"
Large crossbows are common in the Ninja World. Sunagakure uses such ninja tools to target airborne enemies.
Haruno Sakura said, "Such attacks wouldn't pose much threat to powerful ninjas, right?"
"Especially the Ōtsutsuki clan."
Sarutobi Asuma smiled and said, "Indeed, but it depends on how it's used."
As he spoke, he opened his palm, and a sharp Black Rod appeared.
Then, under everyone's gaze, electricity surged on the Black Rod, and with a boom, the air exploded as the Black Rod shot out.
"So fast!"
Haruno Sakura was startled.
Konan asked, "Lightning Style?"
Uchiha Sasuke replied, "No, it's the Kekkei Tōta Electromagnetic Release!"
"It propels Black Rods using electromagnetic force, accelerating them. The attack power comes from the Black Rods themselves."
"This type of attack won't be negated by the Ōtsutsuki Clan's ninjutsu absorption, nor will space-time ninjutsu or the Almighty Push mastered by the Rinnegan work either, provided your dōjutsu is powerful enough to track the trajectory of the Black Rods!"
"At least, my eyes can't track its trajectory!"
Konan listened and said, "In that case, it's very suitable."
Yamato looked at Sarutobi Asuma retracting the Black Rods and asked, "Asuma, can this kind of technique be achieved by designing weaponized devices?"
"Of course!"
Sarutobi Asuma laughed with absolute certainty.
The principle of the electromagnetic cannon, combined with chakra as energy, would be easier to achieve than in his previous life on Earth.
Furthermore, the attack strength could be adjusted by regulating the amount of chakra injected.
While thinking, Sarutobi Asuma asked Naruto, "Naruto, how is your mastery of Yin-Yang Release coming along?"
Naruto stiffened, then forced a smile. "Uh... I'm still a bit short, but I'll get there soon!"
Sarutobi Asuma nodded. "Master it as quickly as possible. You can then use Yin-Yang Release to create Black Rods as projectiles for the electromagnetic cannon."
"And you too, Sasuke!"
"For your other eye to awaken the Rinnegan, mastering Yin Style and Yang Style Chakra Nature Transformation is unavoidable!"
Uchiha Sasuke nodded heavily. "Yes, Lord Asuma!"
Sarutobi Asuma turned to Konan. "Elder Konan, let's proceed with the construction as planned earlier!"
"Understood!"
Konan nodded solemnly. "I will make the arrangements."
Yamato quickly added, "Asuma, we should at least plant the Sage Tree first, so we can properly set up the offense and defense systems."
"No problem!"
Sarutobi Asuma nodded.
He had intended to plant the tree during this visit anyway, besides inspecting things.
Immediately, the group arrived at the central area of the hemispherical surface.
Sarutobi Asuma's Golden Rinne Sharingan appeared on his forehead. This time, he would use this eye to activate the technique.
Sage Art - Sage - Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!
Instantly, before their eyes, a Sage Tree erupted from the ground, growing rapidly. In moments, it surpassed the surrounding high walls, its branches extending and growing quickly, obscuring the sky.
At the same time, the roots of the Sage Tree grew underground like colossal dragons. One root burrowed downward, piercing through layers of space until it reached the final layer.
Other thick root systems spread out like octopus tentacles, penetrating the soil layers and enveloping the entire underground space of the eleven layers, or rather, the entire hemisphere.
The inner walls of the underground space, up to the outer wall of the sphere, were between 50 to 100 meters thick.
These roots traversed this region.
These were the main roots.
The main roots quickly spawned more root systems that drilled outward, and numerous smaller Sage Trees appeared on the surface of the hemisphere.
Suddenly, the previously barren hemisphere was covered by a dense forest.
Sarutobi Asuma closed his Rinne Sharingan. "As long as one has the Sage Cursed Seal, or enters Sage Mode through cultivation with the Sage Tree, or is recognized by the Sage Tree through their chakra, they can control the Sage Tree."
Haruno Sakura immediately asked, "Lord Asuma, what if someone has abilities like White Zetsu, capable of changing their chakra?"
Uchiha Sasuke added, "No need to worry about that. The Sage Tree definitely has the ability to perceive good and evil."
"Sasuke is right."
Sarutobi Asuma smiled. "Now, Yamato, you can try to control the Sage Tree and move this aerial fortress."
"Okay... Naruto, you give Yamato some chakra!"
"No problem!"
Naruto immediately moved behind Yamato, placing his hands on his shoulders.
Yamato extended his right hand, palm resting on the trunk of the Sage Tree.
At that moment, he had a sudden feeling.
This Sage Tree wasn't just a tree, but rather... a summoned beast.
It seemed to possess its own consciousness.
It was a very strange sensation.
This wasn't the first time he had touched a Sage Tree, but even the one in Konoha didn't give him this feeling.
"Asuma has progressed even further..."
Yamato secretly guessed, then focused, injecting his chakra and controlling the Sage Tree.
Instantly, he felt as if he and the Sage Tree were one. Every root and every branch and leaf of the Sage Tree felt like his own arms and fingers, allowing him to control them at will.
Soon, he became familiar with controlling the Sage Tree.
The next moment, the small Sage Trees on the outer wall of the hemisphere rapidly retracted their branches, leaving only a bare main trunk.
Immediately after, the end of the main trunk opened up, like a cannon barrel.
Boom!
Air currents sprayed out, the entire hemispherical aerial fortress shook, and then began to move.
However, this was Yamato's first time controlling it, and he didn't maintain balance well. The aerial fortress suddenly tilted precariously, nearly causing Haruno Sakura and the others, who were caught off guard, to stumble.
"Sorry, I'm still a bit unpracticed!"
Yamato apologized with an embarrassed look.
Konan couldn't help but be curious and flew up. After looking outside, she was immediately startled.
Dense tree trunks were spewing out air currents of various sizes, using them to propel the aerial fortress forward and maintain its balance.
She circled around and thought, "This way, the aerial fortress can not only move horizontally in any direction, but it can also rapidly ascend continuously."
Yamato adapted quickly and soon was able to move the aerial fortress smoothly.
However, during the test, it was difficult for the aerial fortress to move at high speeds, and the chakra consumption was also very high.
After stopping the test, Sarutobi Asuma said, "For now, it's sufficient."
"Let's complete a prototype first!"
He already had some ideas for further improvements.
Relying on chakra did consume a lot, even if the Sage Tree could store energy normally.
But if he could figure out nuclear fusion...
After bidding farewell to Konan and the others, Sarutobi Asuma returned to the Sage Domain and couldn't help but ponder nuclear fusion.
The nuclear fusion he was considering wasn't something he could achieve through his own Nuclear Release.
Or rather, it couldn't be achieved by relying on chakra as the "raw material" for nuclear fusion.
"Manually extracting raw materials, then containing them with Electromagnetic Release to obtain vast amounts of electrical energy, to be used as the aerial fortress's driving force."
"Or, to be used as energy for weapons."
Sarutobi Asuma smiled, "Especially against the Ōtsutsuki Clan."
"This would be enough to render their chakra absorption, Space-Time Ninjutsu, and repulsive ocular abilities useless."
"Unless they master Electromagnetic Release like me!"
With that thought, Sarutobi Asuma immediately created a Shadow Clone to attempt this.
A few more days passed, and Ōnoki urgently sought him out.
It was time to plant the trees!
Sarutobi Asuma and Ōnoki went to the mountainous region bordering the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth.
"Lord Asuma, we've completely succeeded."
"For the past two months, the Land of Earth has experienced heavy rainfall, while the Land of Rain's rainfall has significantly decreased. However, this hasn't caused a drought in the Land of Rain."
"The originally arid regions of the Land of Earth have now formed several lakes and rivers."
Uchiha Yashiro and Uchiha Kōta said excitedly.
Sarutobi Asuma, having received the confirmed data from Ōnoki, nodded with a smile, "Since that's the case, we can conclude the mission here."
"Let's go to the Land of Earth!"
Sarutobi Asuma immediately led everyone into the Land of Earth, with Nagato following as well.
He also wanted to witness Sarutobi Asuma's tree-planting abilities.
Soon, the group arrived at the location of the Sage Tree.
Ōnoki, Nagato, and the others remained suspended in the air. Sarutobi Asuma landed on the tree canopy, his Rinne Sharingan on his forehead opened, and his perception, along with the Sage Tree's roots, rapidly spread outwards, encompassing the entire Land of Earth.
Yes, the roots of this Sage Tree had already spread throughout the underground of the Land of Earth.
Sage Art - Sage - Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!
Sarutobi Asuma willed it and activated this Kekkei Mōra.
In the air, Ōnoki kept his eyes fixed on the ground below.
Suddenly, tall trees began to sprout from the ground.
However, these trees were not Sage Trees, but a type of forest tree native to the Land of Earth, which only grew in areas with abundant water.
Meanwhile, Nagato and the others' gazes were even sharper. They saw that many weeds, various flowers, and shrubs were also rapidly growing, quickly spreading out.
Then, everyone looked into the distance, and the barren land was rapidly covered in green.
In some places, a forest formed.
In others, it was a continuous expanse of grass.
And in yet others, there were large thickets of bushes.
Nagato understood instantly as he watched, "This is based on the amount of water resources to determine the type of vegetation and its density."
"Truly astonishing control!"
This was completely different from the Wood Release he used during combat, and he felt it was much more difficult!
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