After a day of mind-numbing classes, Shin listlessly followed Nao out of the classroom.
"Shin, you really weren't paying attention in class today." She seemed a little angry.
"Oh, the school stuff is too boring. It's more interesting to stay home and develop ninjutsu..."
Shin suddenly perked up. "How about we go to the Naka River now? I just had a great idea."
"No. Today is my brothers Hiashi and Hizashi's birthday, so I need to go home early."
"Fine, then let's head home."
As they strolled along, Shin seemed to remember something. "By the way, Nao, should I get your brothers something for their birthday?"
Nao looked a little embarrassed after hearing that. "Would that be appropriate? You're not really familiar with Hiashi and Hizashi."
"It's fine. We can treat it as product testing."
"Huh? You mean that set of three household appliances you mentioned?"
"Yeah, though the television doesn't have much use for now."
That was right. After Uncle Orochimaru's day-and-night research, he had finally cobbled together a television.
The Ninja World version of a television used highly transparent glass as its screen, while its interior had been modified into a projection system based on the special scroll created by the former ninja tool shop owner, Big Sis Cat.
Although the signal tower had yet to be built, the classic films and television shows from Shin's past life weren't meant to be kept solely for him to watch.
Extracting them and selling them to the public on discs was the real money-making plan.
Anyway, as long as he cracked part of the code in the Ninja World, there would be countless methods of extracting memories.
If anyone became suspicious, he could just say he had imagined it all himself. Everyone was welcome to plagiarize and borrow from it.
Uchiha Clan Grounds factory.
Shin took two scrolls and returned to the entrance, handing both to Nao.
He also solemnly instructed her, "Each scroll contains one set. The instructions are written on them, and the password to open them is..."
He glanced around before leaning close to her ear and whispering mysteriously, "The password is, 'Uchiha Shin is a great genius.'"
"..." Nao took the scrolls and shot him a vicious glare.
Then she hurried away, as though she no longer wanted to see him.
"Did you remember it? There'll be serious consequences if you say the password wrong!"
Hearing Shin repeat his warning, Nao unconsciously quickened her pace.
"Oh, right! I can give a set to the Hokage too. Uncle Orochimaru has already pushed the cost down so low, anyway..."
Shin apparently intended to gather user feedback for the development of the next generation of products.
"Ah-choo!" Orochimaru, with two huge dark circles beneath his eyes, suddenly felt a chill run down his back and sneezed.
"You'll catch a cold if you use the air conditioner too much. We need to add a temperature controller to the next generation..."
Adorable Uncle Orochimaru was in the newly built underground laboratory on Uchiha Commercial Street.
Ever since arriving here, Shin had coaxed and tricked him into working 007 hours all the way up to now, developing all sorts of machines.
Of course, he wasn't working for free. Food and lodging were provided, along with full social insurance and a housing fund.
Still, he didn't really care whether the benefits here were good or bad.
Whatever research he wanted to conduct, the Uchiha would foot the bill.
Back then, Shin's words—"Having money really is amazing"—had won him over on the spot.
"It feels like it's been a long time since I last did a ninja mission..." Orochimaru sighed emotionally.
Missions? Were those things more important than scientific research?
Adorable Uncle Orochimaru also felt that ninjas faced high risks for low pay. Working himself to death for an entire year wouldn't even equal one month's research budget here.
Evening, at the Hyuga clan head's home.
The family of five was celebrating the two brothers' birthday.
"Happy birthday, Brother Hiashi and Brother Hizashi." Nao wore a rare smile as she presented her gift with both hands.
The brothers immediately thanked her. "Thank you, little sister."
After Meitoku and Sakura, as their parents, gave them their gifts, they began lecturing the two in every possible way.
Maintain your image, never do anything that harms the Hyuga's interests, and so on.
The family's conversation was full of stiffness and restraint.
Nao took out two scrolls. "Brothers, Shin has gifts too. He asked me to pass them on to you."
"!!!" x4
The four of them stared at the two scrolls she had just placed on the table.
"What are these?" Meitoku asked curiously, reaching out to open a scroll.
"Please clearly state the correct password? What is this written on..."
"Father, wait..."
Nao failed to stop Meitoku in time.
Four large words appeared on the scroll: PASSWORD INCORRECT.
"Pfft..."
A jet of black ink shot from the front of the scroll straight onto Meitoku's face for saying the wrong password.
"???" x5
The family of five all stood there blankly.
At that moment, none of them knew what words could possibly describe how they felt.
"F-Father..." Nao covered her face and stammered, "Shin... probably didn't do it on purpose."
Meitoku wiped his face with one hand, then stood up and took a deep breath. "Damn Uchiha Shin! He's just like his father!"
"Dear, it won't come off." Sakura took a towel and wiped at his face, but it had absolutely no effect.
Just then, Nao seemed possessed by someone. "Ahem... Father, I told you to wait. You can't blame anyone else for the consequences."
Meitoku, whose face was truly dark now, was baffled. "Then who should I blame?"
"Blame yourself..." x4
All four of them silently complained in their hearts.
Though they could no longer tell what his expression was, they all unanimously felt that it definitely couldn't be good.
"Should I blame myself?"
The four of them nodded in unison, indicating that the answer was correct.
"..." Meitoku thought it over carefully and realized that really was the case.
Yet he still felt that something was off.
"Father, let me say the real password."
To keep him from noticing what was wrong, Nao deliberately changed the subject for the first time in her life.
Under normal circumstances, there was no way she would say such an embarrassing password.
She had no idea how large the items were, so she picked up the two scrolls and placed them on the ground.
Only then did she reluctantly say the password. "Uchiha Shin is a great genius."
The scroll instantly displayed the four words PASSWORD CORRECT, then turned into a puff of smoke with a poof.
"What is this? The gifts that brat gave people are just three big square chunks of iron?"
Meitoku's expression was impossible to see, but inwardly, he was falling apart. That little brat thinks far too highly of himself.
Not only had he suffered a secret loss, but looking at these three black lumps now made him feel utterly miserable.
Facing his question, Nao obediently picked up the scroll from the ground. "Father, there are instructions on it."
"I'll take a look first." Hiashi snatched the scroll from her hand before she could pass it to Meitoku.
He didn't want to see his father lose his temper again on such a festive day.
He had better take a quick look. This was the responsibility of an older brother: cleaning up everyone else's mess...
Seeing that no more ink sprayed out, Hiashi read the contents of the scroll aloud. "The television plays images, the refrigerator preserves food, and the washing machine can wash clothes..."
Then, with a strange expression, he read the final passage. "All members of the Uchiha Clan wish you good health and a happy life..."
"So these are household appliances," Sakura was the first to understand.
After all, life as a housewife after marriage had taught her how convenient such gifts would be.
Meitoku's expression was still impossible to see. "That brat can develop such practical machines? Does he really think he's a genius?"
"Shin really is smart, though he's a little narcissistic..." Nao's voice grew quieter and quieter.
That ridiculous password had already driven her nearly mad inside.
"I'll reluctantly admit it. And Nao... Nao, remember to go ask that brat for... tomorrow."
"I understand, Father." She had enough tact to see what her father wanted.
If he actually said it aloud, the atmosphere would become awkward.
After being friends with Shin for so long, Nao had still learned many of his strengths.
She simply chose to ignore the parts that, in her opinion, were mostly flaws.
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