Chapter 45: Ninja Scientist
When he woke up the next morning and looked at the Iron Man armor he couldn't wear, the frustration in his heart was immense. He felt so depressed he could almost cough up blood.
He walked around it several times, but found no way to resize it. In a fit of anger, he gave it a solid kick.
As the armor clattered to the floor, he noticed the instruction manual that had fallen by his feet. He'd been too angry last night to even look at it properly before collapsing into sleep.
He picked up the manual and began to read it carefully. His expression grew more and more surprised. This wasn't just a simple guide; it was a comprehensive blueprint containing the complete design schematics for the Iron Man armor.
It had everything: the original designs, later improvements, and even detailed explanations for upgrading the weapons.
Just being able to reproduce and improve these weapons into functional firearms would create incredibly powerful arms for this world.
He initially saw a section about adjusting the armor's size, but after flipping back and forth, his hope faded. He realized it was impossible to manufacture such a precise machine with the current scientific level of the ninja world. Tailoring it to his body would basically require taking the entire mecha apart and rebuilding it from scratch. His heart sank, half-disappointed.
"It's a complete scam," he muttered, annoyed. "Finally get something good, and I can't even wear it. This is unbearable."
He stared at the Iron Man armor on the floor, thinking for a long time. Then, a very bold idea came to him. Since he couldn't wear the armor itself, could he replicate the weapons it carried?
If he could copy those weapons, there would definitely be a huge market for them. His living conditions would improve dramatically.
Then he looked at the storage grid in his system backpack. He could only use five slots initially, and opening five more cost 1,000 ryo. It was a sum he could afford right now.
He paid the 1,000 ryo to open the new slots. A system prompt appeared.
"Congratulations, Host, for gaining Stamina +1."
Takahashi was stunned. What was this? Opening storage slots could give him attribute rewards?
He could clearly feel his stamina improve slightly. It was a subtle change, but with his control over his own body, he could definitely feel it. The boost from one slot was small, but it added up.
If he opened all the slots, his body would experience terrifying growth. Excited by this thought, he continued looking.
It turned out that the lower the slot, the more money it cost to open. The numbers at the very bottom were scary, reaching into the hundreds of millions. This meant he needed a vast amount of money to unlock everything.
He turned his attention back to the Iron Man armor. What would happen if this cross-era weapon appeared on a ninja battlefield? It would be a complete and total overpowering advantage.
Just thinking about the potential sales of such weapons made his head spin. But first, he needed to understand the principles before he could mass-produce them.
After carefully reviewing the required materials listed, most were common items. Although the technology in this world was underdeveloped in some areas, it had the most basic applications of power. Some energy transfer systems weren't a problem, so there were solutions for the power source, too.
He could even use chakra as an energy replacement, which would save a lot on production costs. As soon as he had the idea, he immediately went out to search for materials.
His first project was to replicate the laser weapon built into the palm of the Iron Man armor. This kind of weapon had low noise, high lethality, and didn't require carrying ammunition. It was perfectly suited for the battlefield.
However, there's a saying: it's easy to look at the flowers, but hard to embroider them. On the very first day of his experiment, an explosion rocked his workshop, black smoke pouring out. It scared his neighbors so much they ran to find someone to put out the fire.
It wasn't until Takahashi came out, covered in soot and shame, that the people around felt slightly reassured. But their peace of mind didn't last long. On the third day, there was another explosion. Then again on the fifth day, and the sixth.
Takahashi finally made some staged progress, creating a new type of energy device. While it couldn't compare to the arc reactor Tony Stark himself made, in the ninja world, it was definitely a symbol of a new era.
But by this point, his neighbors had finally had enough. No one could tolerate living next to someone whose home regularly exploded.
He had no other choice. He used most of his savings to build a very solid and durable laboratory in the basement of his house. The walls were over one meter thick. A small explosion wouldn't even shake them; he guessed it could probably withstand dozens of pounds of TNT.
Now he could devote all his energy to his research. After another three days, he realized a problem. Working alone was too slow. If he continued like this, when would he ever finish his first functional weapon?
Just as he was feeling agitated, the doorbell he had specially installed to ring in the basement sounded.
He went upstairs with a manic look on his face, opened the door, and said impatiently, "Who is it? I don't need any fire safety inspections here!"
When he opened the door, he saw a stranger. Takahashi was sure he had never seen this person before. But then he looked into the man's distinctive vertical-pupiled eyes and immediately recognized him. It was Orochimaru!
"Why are you here?" Takahashi asked, surprised.
Orochimaru spread his hands. "Didn't you say I was welcome? So I came. If I'm not welcome, then I'll just go back."
"Welcome! Who said you weren't?" Takahashi replied quickly.
He then leaned out the door, looking left and right.
Orochimaru said, "Don't bother looking. I'm alone. It's not safe for the other two to be here. It's better to leave them at the stronghold."
Takahashi nodded. That made sense. Kimimaro's iconic white hair, combined with Jugo's extremely unstable personality and Konoha's elusive Anbu... if they were discovered, he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of it. No one had seen Orochimaru's new face, so an ordinary person walking down the street wouldn't be noticed. Most importantly, the man had a strong ability to escape.
Before Orochimaru could even sit down and catch his breath, Takahashi led him directly to his basement. Seeing the gloomy space covered in explosion scars, even a seasoned scientist like Orochimaru couldn't help but look strange.
"How did you manage to scar these extremely solid stones?" Orochimaru asked, running a hand over the pitted wall. "They're at least a meter thick. I don't think I could have done this."
Takahashi, with his thick skin, just smiled lightly at the sarcasm. "Basic practice. No need to be so impressed."
(End of this chapter)