The nano battle armor had only been recently developed, and when Nineteen sent a message to Hyuga Mirai, he was engaged in battle with the Iwa-nin. Due to his trust in Nineteen, Mirai only checked his messages every two days. If something important came up, Nineteen would call for him directly.
The nano battle armor Ayaka Uzumaki wore was named T1. Powered by an energy chain in the wristwatch, this nano armor had not yet been equipped with weapon systems. It only had the functions of nano deformation, propulsion for flight, and shock absorption. The weapons for the nano armor needed to be developed according to Ayaka's combat style, and the energy source could still be optimized. Though a nuclear fusion energy core could be created, using chakra as the energy source would allow for a wider variety of weapons.
The feature of nano weapons was their versatility, and chakra was an ideal fit for them due to their strong compatibility.
Nineteen ran a series of tests on Ayaka's nano battle armor, such as its hardness, impact resistance, energy transmission, and transformation speed.
"Stand on the platform, then switch to the second energy mode for full power flight," Nineteen instructed.
Ayaka stood on the platform as instructed, and Nineteen initiated the test of the flight speed and energy system. This test was also an experiment to check how the armor could function with chakra as its energy source.
Following Nineteen's commands, Ayaka was secured to the testing platform. As the smart controls within the armor guided her, she switched to the second energy mode, which was an emergency backup system once the primary energy was depleted.
Boom!
A strong force surged from the back of Ayaka's armor, and the testing platform groaned as it twisted under the pressure.
"Test complete, stop," Nineteen called out, and Ayaka stopped the maximum propulsion mode.
"The maximum speed is 1250 meters per second. How much chakra do you have left? How long can you maintain this?" Nineteen asked, taking note of the results.
Ayaka thought for a moment before answering, "I can last for about an hour."
Nineteen didn't rely on Ayaka's rough estimate but instead used the equipment to retest her chakra consumption. Afterward, she recorded the precise data.
"The chakra levels are low…" Nineteen noted as she documented the results, then proceeded to design a combat mode for Ayaka based on her Adamantine Chain abilities. This combat mode included twelve types of weapons. However, if Ayaka used full power in combat, the energy reserves would not last long. At most, she could fight for 147 minutes at full capacity.
Once the testing was complete, Nineteen sent all the data, including a video of Ayaka wearing the armor, to Hyuga Mirai. If he didn't respond within six hours, Nineteen would begin to scan Mirai's surroundings through communication devices. If no one disturbed him, she would contact Mirai herself.
The development of nano technology also opened up the possibility of upgrading her weaponry. The next focus of research would be biological nanotechnology. Once achieved, this technology would significantly enhance both Nineteen's energy reserves and destructive power, surpassing even the perfect Jinchuriki.
Aside from the nano battle armor, Nineteen was also preparing to establish the second and third laboratories, though the locations needed Hyuga Mirai's approval. While Ayaka had suggested the ruins of the Uzushiogakure, Nineteen believed that it should only be a secondary option. The area was nothing more than a wasteland, with no advantages other than being deserted.
Nineteen preferred the Land of Tea or the Land of Hot Water. Neither had a hidden village, and the ninja village in the Land of Hot Water had been destroyed by the Cult of the Evil God. The large nations rarely focused on these two smaller countries, which had rich natural resources.
If Nineteen established a new trading association in either of these countries, she would easily control the local economy, politics, and all movements within a year.
As for the ruins of Uzushiogakure, Nineteen suggested that the Hyakusa Trade Association could cultivate medicinal herbs there. Based on her calculations, she could ensure that any herb would grow perfectly in the ruins, making it the Hyakusa Trade Association's future herb cultivation base.
Hyuga Mirai's growing influence was like a young sprout, and the ninja world was akin to fertile land, ripe with potential but free from natural enemies. Given time, Mirai's power would grow into a towering tree, and when that time came, whether those living in the ninja world could see the light of day would depend on the will of this towering tree.
...
The Iwa-nin's reinforcements arrived far faster than Konoha had anticipated. While their support forces were still discussing their next move, two Iwa-nin squads had already advanced from different directions, closing in on the Land of Fire's border.
Crossing the Land of Grass, the Grass ninjas didn't dare speak out, even fearing to send envoys to the Iwa-nin to apologize. They claimed that the ambush of the Iwa-nin's supply line had been coerced by Konoha, and even presented evidence that Konoha had deceived them. The Grass ninjas had decapitated the sole survivor of the massacre in their village and handed the head over to the Iwa-nin, explaining that this boy wasn't from the Land of Grass and was instead a spy sent by Konoha.
Though the Iwa-nin forgave the Grass ninjas for their betrayal, that did not mean they were indifferent to the surprise attack on their own forces. The Eastern General forced the Grass ninjas to sign an alliance treaty and numerous vassal agreements, demanding a hefty compensation in return.
The Grass ninja village, though pained, had little choice but to comply. After all, the Iwa-nin forces in the Land of Grass had nearly reached one thousand, while Konoha, even with their recently dispatched reinforcements, only had around seven hundred ninjas. The Grass ninjas could only muster a little over three hundred in total. The so-called "Kage of the Grass," was merely a title that the Grass ninjas themselves had coined. Outside of the Grass Village, no one acknowledged it.
Even when Hanzo, with his incredible strength, led the Hidden Rain village, it was still considered a small nation compared to the five major countries. Despite his power, he never obtained the title of "Kage," but instead, was known as "The Half-God" due to his remarkable abilities.
The atmosphere within Konoha's camp grew tense. They had never expected the Iwa-nin to be able to mobilize so quickly after their battle with the Cloud ninjas. Meanwhile, the Cloud ninjas were also showing signs of threatening Konoha. Both the Iwa and Cloud villages, despite their recent conflicts, seemed as though they hadn't fought at all—like hungry wolves circling the Land of Fire, eyeing its resources and territory.
When Miyamura called another meeting with the leading jonin, all of them wore grim expressions. The bad news had been constant these past few days, and the only somewhat uplifting piece of news was that the village had decided to send reinforcements, which would arrive in three days.
However, the reinforcements would only consist of thirty jonin—this was after Sarutobi Hiruzen had summoned two ninja clans and pressured them to send help. Despite this, Konoha was still struggling to cope with the invasion of the Iwa-nin.
With a third fewer troops and the powerful combined Earth Release techniques of the Iwa-nin, Konoha was left relying solely on their medical ninjas to establish an advantage in direct combat. However, with the medical ninjas on the front lines severely weakened, even with four medical ninja teams in the support squad, it wasn't nearly enough to keep up with the escalating situation.
"This is the situation," Miyamura said after explaining the movements of the Iwa-nin. Everyone in the tent fell silent.
At this point, they were severely lacking both numbers and strength. Either they would need to send reinforcements equal in number to the Iwa-nin, or dispatch a ninja at the Kage level, someone capable of altering the course of the battlefield.
But without either option, how could they resist the Iwa-nin? Would they fight to the death?
While civilian ninjas might fight fervently for the village, the ninja clans were more concerned with their family legacies. Konoha was merely a place where they could gather for warmth and protection, but it wasn't enough to make them risk everything for the village alone.
Some of the leading jonin began recalling their time serving under Danzo on the front lines, a hint of resentment creeping into their thoughts. Why did he have to be pulled back? He was doing fine as Hokage's assistant.
Seeing no one speak, Miyamura finally had to break the silence and ask Aoki, the medical jonin, "Aoki, when the medical teams arrive at the front lines, will they be able to handle the medical care for all three battlefronts?"
Aoki didn't answer immediately but instead looked toward Hyuga Mirai, signaling for him to respond. Although Mirai understood Aoki was giving him the floor, he wasn't particularly eager to take the lead. But since Aoki had signaled him, Mirai reluctantly answered.
"It's going to be difficult, Miyamura-san. If we engage in battle with the Iwa-nin, we'll need at least four medical teams per battlefield," Hyuga Mirai said, shaking his head.
Miyamura pressed on, "The village has also sent the newly purchased medicines."
Hyuga Mirai responded, "Those medicines may help with recovery or rehabilitation, but to restore a ninja's combat readiness quickly, we still need medical ninjas."
"We'll have to do our best," said a voice, not from Miyamura, but from a leader of the Hyuga Clan, one of the main ninja families.
"Just as Miyamura-san said, our advantage over the Iwa-nin lies in our ability to rapidly restore a ninja's fighting capacity, so your role is incredibly important."
Hyuga Mirai sighed, "It's not something that can be done just by thinking about it."
"So you haven't tried your best and already decided it can't be done?" The tone grew sharper, almost with a sense of accusation. The conversation seemed to have shifted from a discussion of strategies to a reprimand directed at the branch families.
Hyuga Mirai glanced at the speaker, mentally noting his face and identity—he was from the Second Elder's faction, and if all went as expected, he would become a new Hyuga clan elder after this battle.
Hyuga Mirai took half a step back, not saying a word. At that moment, Aoki couldn't remain silent and spoke up, "This is impossible. Medical ninjutsu already drains chakra and energy. Even if it exhausts us, there's no way we can cover all three battlefronts."
Miyamura noticed the tension and quickly intervened, "That's enough for now. Let's discuss the strategy for intercepting the Iwa-nin forces. I'll handle the deployment of medical ninjas later."
The tension was already high, and if internal conflicts erupted, retreat might become their only option.
(End of Chapter)
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