What Work, Anyway

With Mimi laying everything bare, her anxiety over the war diminished considerably.

After the meeting, the days that followed were peaceful as ever.

Konoha did not seem to be making any moves.

Mimi remained in the laboratory for long stretches of time. With Orochimaru gone, the large batch of newly recruited tool people had, if nothing else, been filled to the brim with self-motivation.

The laboratory had changed slightly. Nonō was now its primary administrator, while the various subordinate laboratories were responsible for researching their respective projects.

Although she was Orochimaru's disciple, Nonō lacked his talent for the technical side of things. She knew a little about everything and could do a bit of everything, yet always seemed to be missing that last piece. On the other hand, she was exceptionally capable when it came to organization and personnel management.

Moreover, just as Mimi had expected, the grown-up Nonō had returned to the orphanage to care for the orphans. With its expanding scale and the support of government policies in recent years, it had provided Konoha with many talented people.

Especially to Konoha Hospital, where it had supplied many medical professionals with foundational training.

As for Nonō herself, her life was a little arduous, but she seemed to take joy in it, working herself to the bone.

If they had not been so desperately short-handed, Mimi would have wanted to set her free as well.

Nawaki, on the other hand, had been released long ago. He was not suited for this kind of work and was currently serving in the Ninja Magistrate.

The laboratory lacked some highly specialized talents—or rather, master-level figures proficient in various Ninjutsu. There was not a single person like Orochimaru, with his wonderfully strange ideas, which meant Mimi was missing out on some unexpected surprises.

However,