His gaze swept over the people present, finally settling on Hikari, "Hikari, what are the exact numbers and tier distribution of the registered professional Ninja in the Star Ninja Army currently?"
Hikari, who had long morized the data, imdiately reported clearly: "The original Hoshigakure's foundation had two hundred and sixty-four mbers. After years of training, absorbing Rogue Ninjas, and integrating smaller country Ninja Clans, the current total number of registered professional Ninja is four hundred and fifty-two. Among them, three hundred and thirty-four are Genin, eighty-nine are Chunin, twenty are Special Jonin, and nine are Jonin."
Her voice was steady, carrying a hint of a commander's efficiency.
After hearing Hikari's report on the Star Ninja Army's status, nma quickly ran so projections in his mind.
'Four hundred and fifty-two registered professional Ninja was a respectable number for a nascent nation, but it still seed insufficient when facing the potential Fourth Great Ninja World War, which could involve allied forces numbering in the tens of thousands.'
nma calculated rapidly in his head.
Once the Chakra Powered Exoskeletons were deployed, the enhancent would be revolutionary.
Those 334 Genin would collectively leap to Chunin-level combat power, the 89 Chunin could rival Special Jonin, and the 20 Special Jonin could briefly burst with combat power comparable to Jonin!
As for the existing nine Jonin, while the direct enhancent from the Chakra Powered Exoskeletons was relatively limited for them, it would still boost their endurance and survivability.
This was a technological force capable of altering the entire Ninja World's power balance!
"Good," nma's voice ca through his mask as he issued various orders, "Order the Research Departnt to fully expand the production scale of the Chakra Powered Exoskeletons while ensuring quality. Resources are to be prioritized for production line expansion and technical worker training."
He then turned to Kisa, who stood nearby like a statue, "Kisa, you are responsible for selecting a group of resolute and outstanding elites from the Star Ninja Army to replenish the Anbu. Simultaneously, transfer a group of experienced veterans from the current Anbu Personnel back to the Star Ninja Army to serve as instructors."
"This instructor corps will be directly commanded by Hikari. Their primary task is to comprehensively enhance the basic combat power, tactical literacy, and teamwork of the ordinary Star Ninja. We cannot let our warriors beco overly reliant on equipnt and neglect their own fundantals."
"Yes, sir!" Kisa responded in his deep voice, a flicker of excitent on his shark-like face. He was very interested in selecting and training elites.
nma's gaze shifted to Kanon, who was listening calmly, "Kanon, you are responsible for assessing and selecting the most outstanding, loyal, and strong-willed ordinary people from the basic police force. They will form a special [Special Police Test Unit], the first to be equipped with the [Chakra Type-1] Powered Exoskeletons."
"Then, train them comprehensively in militarization to Genin standards… no, even stricter standards. I want to see what kind of combat power a unit composed entirely of ordinary people equipped with Chakra Powered Exoskeletons can achieve."
"Understood, sir. I will imdiately draft a detailed selection and training plan." Kanon adjusted her glasses and accepted the order coolly.
This task was of great significance, related to new directions for expanding the Land of Stars' future manpower pool. They needed to determine how long it took for trained ordinary people equipped with the exoskeletons to reach standard Genin combat power, and also identify what kind of ordinary person was best suited for the equipnt.
Everyone accepted their orders and departed, leaving the testing ground empty once more.
nma and Hikari also left the research area, walking towards ho under the setting sun.
The sunset stretched their shadows long.
Hikari tilted her head slightly, looking at nma, who had removed his three-eyed fox mask, revealing his delicate profile.
After a mont's hesitation, she asked, "nma, that person who attacked us last ti... who exactly is he?"
"And those puppets he controlled, those eyes... they felt very strange and powerful to . Are those... the legendary Sage of Six Paths' eyes?"
The pressure and eeriness brought by those Rinnegan were still fresh in her mory.
nma walked with his hands in his pockets, his steps unhurried. He sighed softly and explained, "His na is Nagato. He's a lost descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, and in a way, a pitiable person. Almost his entire life has been lived under the deception and manipulation of others."
He paused, organizing his words, "The four puppets that ca last ti are called the [Six Paths of Pain]. Their original bodies were core mbers of the first Akatsuki. That organization was initially founded by Nagato and his two closest friends, Yahiko and Konan, with the original intention of bringing peace to the war-torn Land of Rain." (T/N: From what I rember, the Six Paths of Pain were composed of individuals that Jiraiya had t when they were alive, which he added to his first novel.)
Hikari listened quietly, a flicker of emotion passing through her scarlet eyes.
'An organization founded for peace in a war-torn country?' It reminded her of so distant mories.
"But," nma's tone turned cold, "Their ideals were crushed by Hanzo and Danzo working together. Yahiko died in that conspiracy. And afterwards, a guy hiding in the shadows-"
"That masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara last ti, Uchiha Obito."
"He attacked the mbers of the first Akatsuki, making Nagato believe that Yahiko and his comrades' deaths were all due to Hanzo colluding with Konoha, thus reaching a temporary cooperation with him. The bodies of the Six Paths of Pain were made using Yahiko's and other deceased Akatsuki's mbers' remains."
"As for those eyes," nma confird Hikari's guess, "They are indeed the Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan. But Nagato didn't awaken them himself… they were transplanted into him when he was a child. They used his massive Uzumaki Clan's chakra and life force to nourish these eyes that didn't belong to him."
"Transplanted?" Hikari keenly caught the word, her elegant brows furrowing slightly, "Those eyes... I always felt they seem to have so deep connection with the Sharingan?"
nma looked at her appreciatively, "Your perception is sharp."
"Correct. The Rinnegan can theoretically evolve from the Sharingan. And the pair on Nagato, their original owner was the real Uchiha Madara. In his later years, after rging with Senju Hashirama's cells, he finally managed to awaken these legendary eyes."
"Evolve?" Hikari found it sowhat hard to believe, "Uchiha Madara?"
"But Nagato's strength, while powerful, doesn't feel... like it has an absolute gap compared to that masked man last ti, Uchiha Obito, right? Obito only has the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"Because the current Nagato is not at his peak condition," nma explained, "His real body has long been emaciated and severely depleted of life force due to constantly overdrawing Chakra to supply the Gedo Statue. Moreover, in the battle that destroyed the original Akatsuki, his legs were blown off by explosive tags, losing his ability to move freely."
"He can only act by controlling the Pain puppets. Even so, relying on those Rinnegan and his Uzumaki Constitution, he is still one of the top-tier powerhouses in the current Ninja World. Of course-"
nma paused, his tone carrying absolute confidence, "-that ranking excludes the two of us."
Upon hearing this, the corner of Hikari's mouth lifted in a barely perceptible curve. Then she recalled the details of the fight and comnted, "However, his fighting style felt very... um..."
She couldn't find the right word for a mont.
"Very 'basic', or 'crude', right?" nma finished for her with a laugh, hitting the nail on the head.
"After all, Nagato never underwent systematic, formal Ninja training. He obtained the Rinnegan's power too suddenly and overwhelmingly, resulting in many of his tactical applications and techniques being very direct, even clumsy. He relies more on the Rinnegan's various bizarre, powerful abilities and the Six Paths of Pain's immortality to achieve nurical superiority. It's a classic case of 'brute force over finesse'."
As he spoke, nma seed to rember sothing amusing and muttered under his breath, "Speaking of which, Nagato's best combat performance was actually later, when Kabuto controlled him with the Impure World Reincarnation... His own operational skill level, well-"
He shook his head, the unspoken words clear.
Although Hikari didn't fully understand terms like 'brute force over finesse' and 'operational skill level', she grasped nma's aning and couldn't help but smile.
Talking and laughing, they had already reached their doorstep.
Warm light spilled from the windows, and the enticing aroma of food wafted through the air.
Hikari suddenly stopped, a rare blush and nervousness appearing on her face. She tugged at nma's sleeve and whispered, "Um… nma, your mother is still at ho... I, I should go back to my own place first-"
The thought of eating at the sa table with nma's mother, that seemingly gentle Kushina, made her feel flustered.
But nma took her slightly cool hand in his, his grip gentle but firm.
He looked into her sowhat panicked eyes and smiled, "What are you afraid of? You'll be living together eventually anyway. Co on, it's perfect timing today. There's also a new family mber to formally introduce to you."
"A new... family mber?" Hikari blinked, her nervousness replaced by a flicker of curiosity. She let nma lead her as he pushed the door open.
While changing shoes in the genkan, nma, following the family etiquette he knew, naturally called out, "We're ho!"
Hikari was montarily stunned. Looking at nma's profile, she imitated him, using a slightly stiff but earnestly clear tone, "We... we're ho."
This feeling of soone waiting, of announcing one's return ho, was both unfamiliar and made her heart feel slightly warm for soone who had been an orphan since childhood and later sealed away for centuries.
"Ara~ Just in ti!" Kushina, wearing a green apron, popped her head out from the kitchen, her face lit with a warm smile, "Go wash up and get ready, food will be ready soon!"
"Okay, Mom / Kushina-san." The two responded.
While washing their hands in the bathroom, Hikari looked at her slightly flushed cheeks in the mirror and took a deep breath, trying to appear calr.
When they entered the dining room, several delicious-looking dishes were already arranged on the table.
And seated at the table was a man with brilliant blond hair and a handso face, reading a newspaper.
Hearing their footsteps, he put down the newspaper and looked up, revealing gentle gray eyes and a smile as comforting as a spring breeze.
"Welco ho," Minato said with a smile, his gaze soft as it settled on the two, lingering on Hikari for an extra mont.
nma pulled the slightly stiff Hikari to sit opposite Minato, then introduced her, "Hikari, this is my father, Namikaze Minato."
Then he said to Minato, "Dad, this is Hikari."
Hikari looked at Minato's face, which bore so resemblance to nma's but was more mature and gentle. Her heart pounded wildly.
Subconsciously, she gave a slight bow, her voice even changing pitch, "Hel-Hello... Dad?"
As soon as the word left her mouth, she realized what she had said. Instantly, her face turned bright red, and she wished she could find a hole to hide in.
Minato was montarily taken aback, then understanding and deeper gentleness flashed in his eyes. He responded very naturally, "Hmm. Hikari, is it? I've heard nma and Kushina ntion you often. Thank you for always being by nma's side. We, as parents, owe this child too much. We'll have to trouble you to take care of him in the future."
His tone was sincere and carried a paternal affection, skillfully dissolving Hikari's embarrassnt.
Hikari quickly waved her hands, eagerly explaining, "N-No, it's not like that! I should be thanking nma! He was the one who freed from the long seal, gave a new place to belong... I-I found a new aning in life because of him!"
Her words were sowhat chaotic but filled with genuine emotion.
Just then, Kushina ca over carrying a steaming pot of miso soup, carefully placing it in the center of the table. She then took off her apron and sat down next to Minato, saying with a smile, "Alright, alright, all the dishes are here. Everyone, let's eat! We're all family here, no need for such formality!"
The family of four, or rather, the family reunited in this peculiar way, all placed their hands together, following alti etiquette.
"Let's eat."
Dinner began in a slightly delicate but overall warm atmosphere.
Minato ate the ho-cooked food Kushina had made, a taste he hadn't experienced in a long ti. Although the Impure World Reincarnation had no sense of taste, the warmth filled his gray eyes with contentnt and nostalgia.
As he ate, he casually asked nma questions about the Land of Stars' developnt, including the Ninja Training System, the deploynt plans for the new equipnt, and what concerned him most.
"nma," Minato put down his chopsticks, his expression becoming slightly more serious, "Your mother and I... ran into Orochimaru a few days ago."
nma's hand, holding his chopsticks, paused briefly before resuming normally. He nodded, "Yes, I assud so. His laboratory is rather conspicuous."
"You've taken in Orochimaru, and even Hiruko-" Minato chose his words carefully, his brow slightly furrowed, "I understand they possess extraordinary talent, but… their danger, and the cris they committed in the past... Are you truly confident you can completely control them? Ensure their research won't spiral out of control again, won't harm the innocent?"
nma also put down his chopsticks, looking directly at his father.
He knew this was his father's deepest concern, both as a parent and as a forr Hokage.
"Father," nma's voice was calm and confident, "The Land of Stars' developnt is already on track. The power and potential for developnt we possess far exceed your imagination. Even if the Five Great Nations ford an alliance and attacked imdiately, we might not necessarily lose… at the very least, we could make them pay an unbearable price."
He shifted the topic back to Orochimaru, "As for Orochimaru and Hiruko… you're right, they are dangerous. But the question is, if I didn't take them in, would they stop their research?"
"They would only hide in darker corners, conducting their forbidden technique developnt in more extre, unregulated ways. At that point, no one would truly be able to stop them, and no one would know what even more terrible things they might do for the sake of their experints. The safety of civilians and ordinary Ninja would hold no value in their eyes."
"Now, they are under my watch, abiding by the bottom lines I've set. I can suppress them, guide them, and constrain their research directions and achievents as much as possible within controllable, even beneficial, boundaries. Many of their research directions, like biotechnology, Kekkei Genkai, the nature of Chakra, new energy sources..."
"Their foundations hold extrely high feasibility and value. The key lies in how they are used. I can guarantee that this power will ultimately be used for construction, dical purposes, and enhancing national strength, not for aningless slaughter and destruction."
nma took a kunai from Hikari's tool pouch, spinning it deftly on his fingertip, "It's like this kunai. It can be used to kill, or to hunt food, carve tools, even save lives in a crisis. The difference lies solely with the person using it. Should we kill all blacksmiths who can make kunai and ban all research and production of iron tools just because a kunai can kill?"
Minato listened quietly to his son's reasoning, complex lights flickering in his gray eyes.
He had to admit that nma's perspective was more macroscopic and reflected a ruler's pragmatism.
He just couldn't completely eliminate his worry about those two individuals' inherent natures.
Finally, he let out a soft sigh and said, "There is sense in what you say. Perhaps my past identity and experiences make overly cautious. I just hope... you can always maintain control of the situation and not let them cross the bottom line of humanity."
"I will, Dad. Please rest assured." nma promised solemnly.
The latter half of the dinner resud a lighter atmosphere.
nma and Minato discussed more topics about the Land of Stars' governance and technological developnt, while Hikari and Kushina ate quietly, occasionally exchanging a few words in low tones.
Hikari watched the scene before her, listened to the gentle conversation around her, and felt the warm lighting and the steam from the food in the dining room.
The frozen, barren land in her heart that had lasted for centuries seed to be infused with a warm current, quietly lting.
'Is this what family feels like?'
She lowered her head, hiding the slight moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up into a faint, gentle curve.
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