Since the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, officially took office, the carving work on the Hokage Rock had begun. Orochimaru, however, had become noticeably more withdrawn.
Ryujin Kenichi observed his teacher standing in a place where he could see the Hokage Rock, lost in thought. After a moment, Orochimaru turned away without hesitation.
"Even though Sensei acts indifferent, he probably cares more than anyone else," Kenichi mused, watching Orochimaru's retreating figure.
Suddenly, an odd thought crossed his mind—he found himself questioning his teacher's demeanor. If he didn't already know that Orochimaru was, without a doubt, a man and had yet to experiment with body modifications, he might have mistaken him for a brooding tsundere girl.
Hmm… If Sensei had blonde hair tied into a ponytail, he'd resemble one of those arrogant heroines who act tough but are actually lonely inside…
Shaking off the strange thought, Kenichi followed Orochimaru toward their destination.
"Sensei, does Elder Shimura Danzō smoke?" Kenichi asked as they walked through the familiar underground corridors. He knew they were headed for the laboratory that was jointly managed with Root today.
"Hmm? Him?" Orochimaru paused for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by the question. "I've never seen him smoke."
Kenichi sighed inwardly. So he doesn't smoke, huh? That makes things more difficult.
He had been toying with the idea of secretly inducing cancer in Danzō, but if the old war hawk didn't have a smoking habit, it would be much harder to execute. And since his research on the subject was still incomplete, he decided to shelve the idea for now.
When they arrived at the underground laboratory, Danzō was nowhere to be seen—only Root operatives stood by, ever silent, ever watchful. However, his absence did not delay their experiments.
The ascension of the Fourth Hokage signified the end of the war, at least for the foreseeable future. But for Root, this was bad news. The steady supply of "test subjects" would dwindle, and soon, gathering new materials would become increasingly difficult.
"Sensei, what's today's research focus?" Kenichi asked, feeling an odd sense of excitement. He always felt invigorated upon stepping into the lab.
"Nothing new—just continuing experiments on how to make the First Hokage's cells more adaptable to human hosts," Orochimaru answered in his usual calm tone. This was yet another project requested by Danzō.
Kenichi held back a sigh. The First Hokage's cells again… He understood their immense power, but the risks far outweighed the rewards. Most test subjects died before even showing signs of compatibility. Yamato was the only known success, and that had been sheer luck.
"Sensei, can I pursue my own research instead?" Kenichi asked. He had little interest in the First Hokage cell experiments—he had his own ideas.
Orochimaru glanced at him briefly before nodding. "Fine. That project is tedious anyway. If not for Root's resources, I wouldn't waste my time with Danzō's requests either."
Grinning, Kenichi wasted no time diving into his own work. Since this was a Root-affiliated lab, he decided against refining his personal ninjutsu techniques here. Instead, he focused on another project—one inspired by something he had come across in Orochimaru's past research.
Chakra Armor.
Or rather, a more advanced, extensible version based on a unique metal compound his teacher had previously experimented with. If he could perfect it, it would open a new path in the field of shinobi warfare.
Teacher Orochimaru had obtained a special metal during one of his past research endeavors. This metal had the remarkable ability to absorb chakra, draining it directly from a shinobi's body. However, due to the sheer number of research projects he was juggling, the material had been temporarily shelved.
Ryujin Kenichi, however, saw great potential in it. If this metal could be modified to absorb chakra not just from living beings but also from ninjutsu, it could become an incredibly powerful asset.
"If an energy conversion device were added, allowing the absorbed chakra to be stored or redirected to the wearer's body, wouldn't that create a perpetual motion machine on the battlefield?" Kenichi mused aloud, clicking his tongue.
The idea of piloting chakra-powered constructs—something akin to a Chakra Gundam—crossed his mind. Though it sounded outlandish, theoretically, it wasn't impossible. After all, he vaguely recalled that a form of chakra-absorbing armor had appeared in one of the non-canon Naruto movies.
If he could enhance its defensive properties, develop a higher-performance alloy, and integrate a suitable chakra conversion and storage system, then such an innovation might just be realized.
Even if an opponent as powerful as Uchiha Madara were to appear, Kenichi envisioned a scenario where this armor could neutralize all incoming ninjutsu. What could even a god-tier shinobi do if all their techniques were rendered useless?
But for now, this was all just theory. He hadn't even figured out how to refine the metal further, let alone design a working prototype. Research required patience—and, more importantly, funding.
"No wonder Teacher wants to collaborate with Root," Kenichi muttered as he glanced at the massive pile of consumed materials. Scientific research truly was a money pit.
It was no wonder that so many shinobi focused on developing new jutsu instead. Compared to the costs of scientific innovation, creating a new ninjutsu was practically free.
"The poor rely on mutation, while the rich rely on technology," he sighed.
Just then, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Are you that interested in this exotic metal?"
Kenichi didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Orochimaru had a way of appearing without a sound—an unnerving habit Kenichi was convinced the Sannin had picked up from Batman.
He turned anyway, confirming his suspicion.
"Yes, Teacher. I believe this metal has immense potential," Kenichi answered honestly. If his theories proved correct, this material could become a strategic weapon—a game-changer that might redefine warfare in the ninja world.
Orochimaru regarded him with an unreadable expression before speaking.
"The absorption limit of this metal is low," he admitted. "But I have high hopes for you. After all, science has always been about creating something from nothing."
That last remark stirred something in Kenichi.
Orochimaru was known for being meticulous in choosing disciples, and for him to say something like that—it meant something.
"Yes, Teacher. Science is about creating something from nothing," Kenichi repeated with conviction.
After all, before computers existed, no one could have imagined what they would look like. Technological advancements always seemed impossible—until they weren't.
And in the distant future, in the era of Boruto, technology would play a far greater role in the shinobi world than ever before.
"Let's go. Today's experiment is over," Orochimaru said, turning towards the exit.
Kenichi followed, leaving behind a laboratory filled with the echoes of ongoing experiments—some of which would never see the light of day.
As they ascended the dimly lit stairs, moving from darkness into light, Kenichi couldn't help but ask:
"Teacher, do you think the Third Hokage knows about our experiments?"
Although Root was an underground organization operating under Danzo's command, Anbu weren't clueless.
Orochimaru didn't even hesitate.
"Of course he knows," he replied. "He allows it."