Chapter 88: Isn't It Amazing That Orochimaru Can Create a Facial Recognition System With His Own Hands?
"Didn't you say you wanted to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?" Orochimaru stared at Kenichi, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Was this what he called studying? Orochimaru had barely glanced at the material before tossing it back as if it were yesterday's newspaper. If someone did not know better, they would think he had picked up a casual novel.
Even Jiraiya's novels did not get finished this fast.
Orochimaru had read those too, of course. Not because he wanted to, but because Jiraiya had pestered him until it became more irritating than the books themselves. So Orochimaru read one out of spite.
He finished it in twenty minutes, then used it to prop up a table leg.
"Heh, Teacher, I'm too busy right now. I don't have the time," Kenichi said with a shrug. "There's too much on my plate."
He really was interested in the Flying Thunder God, but he knew getting distracted would only create trouble. For now, it was better to solve the chakra modification for his thermobaric bullets first. Kenichi had already decided to focus on chakra thermobaric rounds.
The most plausible approach was using chakra as the detonator. But if that was all, not much chakra would be incorporated, and it probably would not produce meaningful changes.
Instead, he could try fusing the thermobaric explosive mixture with chakra, then find the most stable structure, then test the final power.
The drawback was obvious.
Money.
Producing thermobaric compounds meant buying huge quantities of raw materials. Each material might look cheap on its own, but the amount required was terrifying.
Kenichi still had some money, but he planned to spend it on building a laboratory. Once they reached the Land of Rice Fields and he handed the funds over, his teacher would help set up the lab, and his elective assignment would be considered complete.
If not for that reminder, Kenichi would have almost forgotten he even had an elective assignment.
"It's good that you can stay focused," Orochimaru said with a nod. "I'm researching cloning right now."
He had noticed it before. Kenichi's mind tended to wander, always chasing the next invention.
Inspiration was important for a scientist.
But doing everything at once meant finishing nothing. So Orochimaru approved of Kenichi narrowing his attention to a single goal.
"Teacher, what about Shin?" Kenichi asked quickly. "His left hand was cut off before. Is he still alive?"
Shin had volunteered as an experimental subject, but his body was unusually special. Kenichi wanted him to live properly, if only so that he could still be used later.
As they spoke, they crossed into the Land of Rice Fields, a small country teetering in chaos.
It bordered the Land of Fire. It had wandering ninja and a few minor groups, but nothing strong enough to form a true hidden village, and no powerful figures holding the place together.
The strongest local force was a jōnin directly under the daimyo, used to deal with troublesome matters.
And even though the Land of Rice Fields did not border the Land of Lightning, the war's shadow had already spread. People feared the flames would reach them next.
So when Kenichi and his group entered, some villages were already deserted, emptied out by panic.
"These small countries really have it rough," Kenichi said, shaking his head.
Small countries had no dignity to speak of. The Land of Fire had not annexed the Land of Rice Fields mostly for appearances, and to avoid sharing direct borders with other great powers.
Otherwise, if war erupted, it could spill straight into their homeland. That was unacceptable.
"Weakness is the original sin," Orochimaru said, his eyes indifferent.
He had seen it countless times. During the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, the main battlefields were often on small nations' soil.
When Konoha's armies marched through, they did not bother informing those daimyō.
Kenichi did not argue. He followed his teacher deeper into a secluded area, until Orochimaru stopped and casually tore off his face.
A blond young woman's face appeared beneath it. Orochimaru cupped his own cheeks, shook out his hair, and let out a long, tired breath.
Kenichi inhaled sharply.
Good heavens. Why did his teacher suddenly peel off his face like it was a glove? Was his mind being affected by the body again?
"I tried researching that facial recognition idea you mentioned before," Orochimaru said as if discussing the weather. "While entering the data, I accidentally registered this face."
He reached out and tapped the tree beside him.
An electronic screen lit up across the bark. A flash of light scanned the face, and a hidden door opened with a soft click.
Kenichi nearly choked on his own thoughts.
Facial recognition was advanced technology. He had mentioned it once, offhand, like a joke.
He had not actually expected his teacher to build it.
Yet here it was, as if Orochimaru had simply rubbed his hands together and pulled a miracle out of thin air.
Which was absurd.
And somehow, also completely unsurprising.
This was Orochimaru, the man who grasped the deepest mechanisms of the shinobi world. At this point, Kenichi had learned that being shocked was a waste of energy.
The second surprise was that Orochimaru had registered this particular face.
Kenichi forced his mind back on track.
No matter how convincing the disguise looked, it was still Orochimaru.
Remembering everything his teacher had done over the years, Kenichi's expression steadied.
"Teacher, how much did this lab cost?" he asked, following Orochimaru down into the underground facility.
The laboratory was not large, but it was complete. Compact, efficient, and stocked with what mattered.
Kenichi could already imagine converting a lounge into a reinforced room and turning the whole place into his own perfect workspace.
"Let me think," Orochimaru said, still wearing the blond face on the screen.
Watching his teacher tilt his head thoughtfully, Kenichi silently looked away.
He suspected Orochimaru was doing it on purpose.
But he had no proof.
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