Chapter 108: Specialization is Key
The ninja from the Hidden Construction Company moved with frightening efficiency. The moment he confirmed Kenichi was the buyer, he completed the handover, exchanged what needed exchanging, and left without hesitation.
No curiosity. No wandering eyes. No interest in snooping.
Their job was to deliver the construction team, nothing more. If anyone wanted them to "participate" beyond that, it would cost extra.
"I have to admit… the company my teacher recommended is genuinely professional." Kenichi raised an eyebrow.
The men below looked sturdy, all adults with the build of people who could swing a hammer all day and still have energy left to complain about dinner.
They looked like the type who got things done.
Of course, fifty men alone would not be enough to build a truly suitable laboratory. Kenichi still had to handle part of the heavy work himself, clearing massive chunks of mud and rock, then leaving the rest to them.
As he looked at the workers' vacant, numb expressions, Kenichi felt no sympathy. He simply led them toward the location he had chosen.
About two kilometers from his teacher's lab, there was a mountain. Kenichi planned to hollow it out and build the new laboratory inside.
As for equipment, that was easy. The construction company provided a sealed scroll packed with tools sufficient for the job.
"Why not try those gentle persuasion methods, real body?" one of Kenichi's shadow clones asked, lips curled in amusement.
Kenichi snorted. "You think I do not know what you mean? You actually believe that kind of talk?"
He narrowed his eyes at the clone. "If I told them I would set them free right now, do you think they would thank me and build my lab out of loyalty? They would bolt the moment they saw an opening."
They were on the same side. There was no point pretending they did not understand each other.
It was not impossible for someone to be so grateful they devoted themselves to you after receiving a favor in a past life, but the odds were laughable.
Kenichi hated testing human nature. It failed too easily. So he preferred to handle things the normal way.
"Fine." The clone shrugged. "Leave it to us."
Kenichi handed supervision to two shadow clones, then turned back toward the lab to continue his research.
He had no special feelings about these consumables. Use them when needed, dispose of them afterward. The only difference between them was how many days they would survive.
As for releasing them, Kenichi had no intention of doing that.
If the experimental base's location was exposed, it would become an endless headache.
Back at the base, Kenichi began preparing to make a chakra storage device.
This step was critical. The amount of chakra the device could hold would directly determine the power ceiling of the thermobaric bomb.
"If this works, we should name it Wind Thunder Fire Temperature Pressure Bomb…" Kenichi paused, then grimaced. "No. That's too corny. It might even compete with the Fourth Hokage."
He shook his head hard.
"Thermobaric Bomb Type II." Kenichi nodded to himself. "That's clean."
Now all he had to do was succeed.
But when Kenichi began smelting the chakra conductive metal, a new problem slapped him in the face.
Sage Chakra could not be stored inside it.
The moment Sage Chakra entered the container, it detonated and blew the device apart with shocking force.
Fortunately, Kenichi's first attempt used Wind Release chakra. The instant he sensed something wrong, he threw up defensive ninjutsu, blocking the blast before it could chew through the lab again.
One problem was not even solved yet, and another one had already climbed onto his neck.
Kenichi was not particularly surprised.
That was what research looked like. In his previous life, experiments were a parade of unexpected failures, and the only way forward was to solve them one by one.
Besides, science in this world was bizarre. Some parts felt familiar, while others were practically stuck in the Middle Ages. Problems like this were not strange at all.
In his previous life, this could have been handled through project bidding. He could have set requirements and only allowed companies that met them to participate.
But this world was different.
Here, if you wanted something, you did it yourself.
Kenichi sighed and rubbed his temples. "If only teacher were here…"
He had experience in genetic biology, but materials science was not his field. Everyone had their specialty. He was not some all knowing monster who could master every discipline on sight.
He could not help muttering, "I should've studied something else in college. Biology is a major even a dog would avoid."
Complaining did not change reality.
Instead of charging ahead blindly, Kenichi decided to consult a professional. Experience had taught him that dabbling in things you did not understand was an excellent way to get yourself maimed.
He had learned that lesson in middle school after nearly electrocuting himself while messing with electricity using half baked knowledge. Ever since then, whenever he saw electricity, he avoided it like it was personally offended by him.
So the question became simple.
Who understood metal best in the ninja world?
Craftsmen who forged weapons.
Unfortunately, those people would not stroll into his base. That meant Kenichi had to go somewhere he could actually find them, somewhere he had visited before.
After more than a week, Kenichi returned to the black market.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw an old acquaintance being chased and beaten by a crowd of women. All sorts of objects flew through the air, nearly clipping the man's face.
"You bastard!" one furious woman screamed. "I'm forty five years old! How could you do this to me!"
She swung a fist, then, clearly unsatisfied, ripped off her shoe and hurled it like a kunai.
"You old pervert!" another stunning female ninja shouted. "I shower five days a week, and you're out seven days a week!"
She flung an explosive tag in pure rage.
It still missed.
The explosion lit up the alley, flames reflecting off the fleeing figure and turning the scene into something straight out of an action film.
Kenichi silently stepped to the side.
The shameless rogue being chased was none other than Jiraiya.
One of the Legendary Sannin was currently running for his life, looking utterly miserable. Yet the grin on his face made it obvious he was enjoying every second of it.
Kenichi genuinely did not understand how Jiraiya kept ending up like this. No wonder Tsunade wanted to punch him on sight in the future. Jiraiya's perversion was both pathetic and impressive, in the worst possible way.
"Huh?" Jiraiya glanced toward Kenichi.
Kenichi gave him a small smile.
He had changed his face this time, so the old man probably would not recognize him.
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