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Half a Month Later.
"Master Minato! Thanks to you, we managed to forge the Chakra Diffusion Cannon so quickly!"
"Yeah, yeah, good job, good job..." Akio replied absentmindedly, letting out a sigh.
Half a month ago, after receiving the commission from the Second Raikage, Akio had easily infiltrated the forging team. The Raikage already had a few loyal blacksmiths among them, clearly not placing his full trust in Akio. The commission seemed more like an extra layer of insurance than a necessity.
The guards here were all men under Kinkaku and Ginkaku. At first, they had been highly suspicious of Akio, but once they heard he had been instrumental during the escort mission—without him, they wouldn't even have had the materials needed to forge the cannons—they gradually lowered their guard.
Over these past two weeks, Akio used his outstanding forging skills to earn the trust of the blacksmiths. Now, every single one of them respectfully called him "Master Minato."
"With my help, they actually managed to finish the Chakra Diffusion Cannon this quickly?" Akio chuckled to himself.
Indeed, his involvement had significantly accelerated the forging process. However, every time a cannon was completed, various "accidents" would occur—parts scrapped, components malfunctioning. Originally, there were enough materials to forge seven or eight cannons; now only one remained.
"I'll leave this last one for you guys..." Akio muttered under his breath. "But I've added something extra you'll definitely love..."
Inside that final cannon, Akio had secretly inscribed a special seal—a Kotodama Seal.
It was a new ability he had unlocked after reaching Level 8 in Fūinjutsu (Sealing Techniques) and this was his first time putting it into practice.
The Kotodama Seal's effects were somewhat similar to the Five Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths that Kinkaku and Ginkaku possessed, allowing one to seal enemies through the power of words.
Because of this, Akio wasn't particularly concerned about the Five Treasured Tools. Even though he had only grasped the basics of Kotodama sealing, he estimated that once he reached Level 9 in Fūinjutsu, he could practically "bootleg" his own versions of the Six Paths' artifacts.
"When that time comes, I can open up a divine artifact shop in Konoha... selling Six Paths' treasures... The Sage himself won't crawl out from the Pure Land to collect royalties, right?"
The Kotodama Seal embedded in the Chakra Diffusion Cannon this time was quite basic—just a simple activation phrase.
As for the activation phrase itself...
While Akio was still chuckling to himself about it, a tremendous explosion sounded from afar, followed by waves of raucous cheering.
"We did it! It's a success!"
A blacksmith came running toward him, shouting excitedly, "Master Minato! We did it!"
Akio forced a smile. "That's great. Wonderful."
But inwardly, he muttered, "Just wait until I activate that Kotodama Seal... you won't be celebrating then..."
Looking toward where the Chakra Diffusion Cannon had fired, Akio saw smoke and dust billowing into the sky. Trees within a radius of several miles had been flattened, and the ground had sunk nearly ten meters deep.
Akio frowned slightly.
"This is some serious black tech. I'd say the cannon's power is on par with a Tailed Beast Bomb from the Five-Tails or Six-Tails. Guess I accidentally released a big one this time."
"Minato Namikaze, you played a huge role in the successful forging of the Chakra Diffusion Cannon. We'll make sure both Lords hear of your contribution!" said two elite jōnin who had been overseeing the power test, approaching to offer their gratitude.
Akio inwardly rolled his eyes. Who cares? I'm getting out of here as soon as this job's done... He was about to respond when the two jōnin turned to the other blacksmiths and added, "You too! The Lords won't forget your efforts. New materials will be shipped in over the next year or two—you'll be needed again soon!"
The blacksmiths' faces lit up with excitement, responding enthusiastically.
Akio frowned again.
"They're still bringing in materials? Looks like I'll have to take care of those two brothers sooner rather than later... This Chakra Diffusion Cannon is simply too dangerous for ordinary ninja to wield, even if it takes two elite jōnin to operate."
Declining an invitation to a celebratory feast among the blacksmiths, Akio decided not to keep pretending. He casually strolled toward the Raikage Building without bothering to hide his presence. After all, he was planning to return to Konoha soon. If Kinkaku and Ginkaku realized he was working for the Second Raikage, let them fight it out amongst themselves.
Standing outside the Raikage Building, he heard the Second Raikage bellowing from within:
"How dare they!"
Akio scratched his head, wondering what the Raikage was so furious about. He greeted the guards, who quickly went inside to report.
A minute later, the Raikage's voice came:
"Let him in!"
Akio didn't hesitate and walked in, once again seeing the Second Raikage and B.
"I'm here to deliver the mission report," Akio said. He had expected the Raikage to question him about why he hadn't concealed his movements, but instead, the Raikage simply took a deep breath and said nothing.
"Mission completed? Any finished products?"
Akio rolled his eyes. "You don't already know the answer?"
The Second Raikage was momentarily speechless, frowning before asking, "At least the blueprints? Give them to me."
Akio tapped his forehead. "It's all up here. I'll draw them for you. By the way, do you have CAD software?"
"What's 'CAD'?" The Second Raikage looked utterly confused.
"Yeah, thought so. No CAD. Just get me some paper and a pen... and don't blame me if the lines aren't straight." Akio sighed.
Once he had paper and pen, Akio began sketching. Internally, he chuckled bitterly.
"Haven't touched professional drafting in over eighty years... now I'm back at it again. Where should I add a few... creative modifications?"
Of course, he wasn't planning on handing over the correct schematics.
While sketching, Akio casually asked, "By the way, I heard you shouting earlier. What happened?"
The Second Raikage opened his mouth, but B quickly cut him off. "Big bro—!"
"It's fine," the Raikage said, "This can't be hidden anyway. The news will spread soon enough. War is about to break out!"
Akio looked up in confusion. "War?"
"Those damned Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers secretly allied with the ninja clans from the Land of Rivers and launched a surprise attack on the Land of Hot Water. The Land of Hot Water has fallen. They've established a new Hidden Village—Hot Water Village—and have openly declared war on Konoha!"
"And on top of that," the Second Raikage continued, "Kumo plans to keep employing you for the upcoming war against Konoha. Once you finish the blueprints, we'll discuss your payment."
Akio's expression changed repeatedly.
"The Land of Hot Water destroyed... intermediaries... declaring war on Konoha... and they want to hire me for this?"
Bitterly, he lowered his head. "What the hell have I gotten myself into this time..."
"What's wrong, Minato? Finish the Chakra Diffusion Cannon blueprints first, and then we can talk about the rest!"
Akio sighed, looked up at the Second Raikage, and beamed a huge, toothy grin.
"Blueprints? Draw your damn grandma!"
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