He's quite confident he can transfer the Tailed Beast Ball, but if he were to transfer the attack he just suffered, he'd probably be torn to pieces!
Because the attack process of the Tailed Beast Ball is: condensation, launch, contact, and explosion when a certain threshold is exceeded!
If he wasn't mistaken, the attack just now seemed to be a solid, purely physical projectile!
If he were to take the attack head-on, he would definitely awaken his Kekkei Genkai —'Blood Release '.
" Minato-sensei ..." Kakashi Hatake stood behind him, and in his exposed left eye, the Sharingan had automatically activated at some point, with the two Tomoe spinning wildly.
"What is that?!"
Namikaze Minato didn't answer, because he didn't know how to answer either.
That pure, extreme kinetic energy, that terrifying speed that seemed to tear space itself apart...
"This... this is..." Akimichi Choza's obese body trembled slightly. He raised his head, looking at the huge cloud of smoke rising in the distance, his mouth wide open. "What kind of Ninjutsu is this?"
"It wasn't Ninjutsu." Aburame Shimi pushed up his sunglasses, his voice low. " The Kikaichū that remained in place couldn't sense any residual Ninjutsu Chakra ... It was more like... a pure physical attack."
"A physical attack?!" Kakashi Hatake sharply to look at Aburame Shimi, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You're saying this is a physical attack?!"
"Yes." Aburame Shimi nodded. "It was like a giant meteorite crashing down from the sky."
"... No, calling it a meteorite seems to underestimate the attack just now."
"Meteorite..." Kakashi Hatake murmured, repeating the word, then turned his head and looked again at the slowly dissipating dust in the distance.
A huge crater was clearly visible amidst the smoke and dust.
The crater was at least several hundred meters in diameter, and its depth was immeasurable, as if the entire ruins of Rōran had been completely wiped out by that attack.
The puppet labyrinth that Anrokuzan had managed for decades had now completely vanished, leaving not even a trace.
"Gurgle..."
Kakashi Hatake swallowed hard, his voice hoarse. "This power... is even more terrifying than Tailed Beast Ball..."
"No." Namikaze Minato suddenly spoke, his voice calm but carrying an undisguised shock, " The Tailed Beast Ball is a condensation of Chakra. Although it is extremely powerful, it may not be able to hit Kage Level ninja."
"But this attack..." He paused, his gaze deep, "Was too fast, so fast that even my Flying Thunder God might not have been able to react in time, and could only use the massive Chakra fluctuation just now to transfer it away in the lead-up phase!"
Kakashi Hatake's pupils suddenly contracted.
He couldn't imagine it.
If that attack had landed on Konoha, the entire Konoha would probably have been reduced to ruins in that instant!
"What kind of weapon is that?" Akimichi Choza's voice trembled slightly. "Was it created by Uchiha Jun...?"
"It should be." Namikaze Minato nodded. "And that fortress in the sky... I think I saw a bit of the Sky Ninja Village -Jiraiya sensei mentioned."
Meanwhile, on another high ground, Uzumaki Naruto stood on a huge rock, his hands clenched into fists, his body trembling slightly.
Naruto stared blankly at the huge crater Railgun in the distance, his eyes filled with shock.
"Wow... that's amazing!" Naruto murmured to himself, his voice trembling slightly.
"That Uchiha Jun actually created something this amazing!"
" Naruto!" Sakura Haruno's voice came from behind him, tinged with worry, "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing! I was just a little surprised; I didn't expect a ninja to be able to unleash such a powerful Ninjutsu!"
"Yes, I'm afraid even the Lord Third himself might not have been able to use it."
Yamato and Sai, who were standing nearby, nodded in equal shock.
Meanwhile, inside the Sky Fortress.
Seimei stood in front of the main control panel, his mechanical fingers hovering over the data analysis panel, his pupils reflecting the constantly scrolling data stream on the screen.
Outside the window, wisps of smoke were still rising from the huge crater Railgun, and the air was filled with the smell of burning metal and ozone.
"This power..."
Seimei murmured to himself, his voice trembling with an unprecedented, almost pious devotion.
Having lived for so many years, from the First ancestor of the Takumi Village to his current mechanical body, he believed he had seen countless astonishing ninja tools and weapons.
But that last shot—
That's no longer in the category of "ninja tools"!
That was a true "divine weapon" capable of changing the course of warfare!
"I haven't disgraced the village; I've created a 'god'!"
Seimei held his head in his hands, his voice almost trembling.
Nothing could be more exciting for him than being one of the creators of the Railgun.
If there is one, it can only be another creator Sasori of the Red Sands.
"Hey, Seimei, have you collected all the data from the first test firing?"
Sasori of the Red Sands, who was trembling with excitement, spoke up.
Seimei suddenly turned around and lunged back at the control panel, his mechanical fingers clattering across the keyboard at such a speed that they left afterimages.
"Data acquisition complete! Barrel temperature, energy loop loss, structural stress changes... all parameters are here!"
Seimei, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement, exclaimed, "Want to come and see? This is absolutely the first complete set of combat data for Railgun in the history of the Shinobi World!!"
Sasori of the Red Sands walked to the control panel, his gaze sweeping over the densely packed numbers on the screen.
The data is impressive.
The Railgun's performance in actual combat was even better than he had expected—its energy conversion efficiency reached 93%, its trajectory stability far exceeded expectations, and its accuracy reached an astonishing zero error.
But just then, he noticed a string of discordant data.
" Seimei." Scorpion pointed to a value on the screen. "This gun barrel's remaining service life is a bit too long. Let's pull up the stress change analysis of the gun barrel structure!"
The Seimei smile vanished instantly.
Mechanical fingers rapidly tapped a few keys on the keyboard, bringing up a more detailed data report.
That was an analysis report on the stress changes in the gun barrel structure.
The graphs in the report were alarming.
"Hiss, it seems the pressure on the Railgun barrel during firing is much greater than we anticipated."
Seimei's voice became somewhat hoarse, "According to the data we just collected, if we maintain a state of overloaded full firepower, attacking at a rate of ten rounds per minute..."
"It can only withstand two rounds at most before the cannon barrel collapses due to the terrifying pressure."
"What?!"
Sasori of the Red Sands suddenly contracted, his gaze fixed on the data report on the screen, his expression growing increasingly grave.
"And... what about under normal circumstances?" Scorpion's voice was a little tense.
Seimei paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Under normal circumstances, the lifespan... is about one hundred rounds."
"One hundred rounds?" Scorpion's brow furrowed even deeper. "Then we'll have to change the cannon barrel..."
"The cost is 450 million taels!"
This number is enough to bankrupt a small to medium-sized ninja village!
If we were to put it in a different context, this money would be equivalent to the legacy of Uchiha Jun's previous incarnation, who cleverly used the "empty city strategy" to give back to society.
This sum of money won't cripple a major power, but it will definitely cause quite a stir, since it's almost equivalent to the 'military expenses' of a ninja village.
The air suddenly became quiet.
The atmosphere in the control room became somewhat subtle.
Seimei and Sasori of the Red Sands exchanged a glance, both able to see the complex emotions in each other's eyes.
There was shock, excitement, resentment, and also a touch of... financial pain.
Especially during the Seimei, as the chief designer of the entire Sky Fortress, his feelings at that moment were a mix of emotions.
To Teuchi the most powerful weapon in the history of the Shinobi World is undoubtedly the highest honor that every craftsman pursues throughout their life.
But behind this glory lies an incredibly high cost!
It seems the next challenge is to develop materials that are stronger and more cost-effective!
Asking Uchiha Jun to increase his financial investment is certainly a feasible option!
But that's a useless way of thinking!
"Hey, looks like you think so too, Brother Scorpion."
As he spoke, Seimei chuckled and looked at Scorpion beside him.
"Hmph, don't hold us back Seimei!"
Scorpion chuckled and pointed to the ruins and thick smoke below.
"But before that, I suggest we go into the ruins together to see if any new materials have appeared, and while we're at it, help the boss find that Anrokuzan!"
"Oh? I'd love to go, but we can't do without people at the fortress."
"I created Shadow Clone."
"That's great! But Shadow Clone? Isn't that Konoha Ninjutsu?"
"The boss taught me."
The Rōran Ruins.
The aftershocks of the Railgun still echoed in the air, the scorching metallic smell mixed with the scent of dust, permeating the entire ruins.
Uchiha Jun stood on a high platform at the edge of the ancient city of Rōran, his Mangekyō Sharingan in his right eye slowly rotating as he sensed the flow of Chakra below.
" Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Bang--Bang--Bang--"
A series of white smoke exploded, and hundreds of figures surged out from behind him like a tide, scattering in all directions.
A large portion of the Shadow Clone clones leaped into the depths of the underground labyrinth, searching for Anrokuzan's trail and the core of the Dragon Vein; the smaller portion dispersed in various directions within Rōran City, beginning to clear away the remaining puppets and collapsed traps.
Uchiha Jun himself flashed away, heading in the direction where Uchiha Hikari was.
When he arrived, Uchiha Hikari was standing in a relatively intact plaza, surrounded by hundreds of still-shaken Rōran survivors.
There were elderly people, children, women holding infants, and young, strong men—their faces were filled with fear and confusion, like a flock of migratory birds scattered by a storm, not knowing where to fly.
"Jun-kun." Uchiha Hikari greeted him calmly upon seeing him.
"Are you alright?" Uchiha Jun walked to her side, looked her up and down, and made sure she had no obvious injuries.
"It's nothing." Uchiha Hikari shook his head. "It's just that my eye power was a bit depleted, but it's almost fully recovered—the eye power you just transferred was very timely."
"That's good." Uchiha Jun nodded, then turned his gaze to the Rōran survivors, his brows furrowing slightly.
"What do you plan to do with these survivors?"
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Hikari remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"Saving their lives is the best I can do; the rest... depends on their own Life Force."
"I... am not the kind of person who can lead a group of people to survive."
Uchiha Jun looked at her and suddenly smiled.
"Then we won't bring it."
"Let them work for me," Uchiha Jun raised his hand, pointing to the floating steel behemoth in the sky. " The Sky Fortress is too big; more than 90% of it is currently empty."
"Soon I will be mining large quantities of ore, which will be transported to the fortress. After that, it will require manpower for smelting, forging, and assembling—all of this will require manpower."
"These Rōran survivors can serve as cheap labor. I can arrange accommodation for them, provide food, and give them a job that can support them... then they can live peacefully in the fortress."
"Moreover, with this group of people, Kakuzu won't need to worry about assigning manpower to manage logistics anymore."
After listening, a thoughtful glint flashed in Uchiha Hikari's clear, cold eyes.
"Let them... live on the fortress?"
"Yes." Uchiha Jun nodded. "The space on the fortress is enough to accommodate several thousand people. As long as the area is well-planned, a few living quarters are built, and some commercial facilities are added, they can be completely self-sufficient."
"After all, there are only a little over a thousand survivors."
"You've thought things through quite thoroughly." A faint smile played on Uchiha Hikari's lips. She then turned to look at the girl who had stood silently beside her.
Sara.
The Queen of Rōran.
Although he was only sixteen, his youthful face already showed a maturity beyond his years.
She overheard the conversation between Uchiha Jun and Uchiha Hikari, and a complex light flickered in her amber eyes.
"Lord Chun..."
Sara stepped forward, her voice tinged with nervousness but still trying to remain calm. "What you just said... is it true? You really want to take in my people?"
If she had a choice, she would naturally want to find someone to rely on, after all, she was only sixteen years old.
Asking her to oversee the livelihoods of thousands of people would be an immense burden.
As for holding Uchiha Jun responsible for destroying Rōran using the Railgun as a pretext, Sara hadn't considered that.
After all, if Uchiha Hikari hadn't stopped him, Uchiha Jun wouldn't have even bothered to save the people of Rōran; he would have opened fire immediately.
Uchiha Jun glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her for a moment, before nodding.
"Of course, but we don't support them for free—they need to work."
"I understand!" Sara nodded quickly, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "As long as there's shelter and food, we're willing to work! We Rōran people aren't the kind of useless people who only know how to beg for food!"
Sara's voice trembled slightly, but her tone carried an undeniable firmness.
Looking at her, Uchiha Jun suddenly realized that this sixteen-year-old little queen was much stronger than he had imagined.
"Then it's settled."
Uchiha Jun took out a Sealing Scroll from his ninja tool pouch, then, as if remembering something, put it back.
It wasn't that Uchiha Jun intended to make the Rōran people 'black slaves', but rather that he realized the Rōran people currently had nothing, and even once they reached the flying fortress, they wouldn't be able to spend their money.
Simply handing over the silver is less enticing than providing a detailed list and explaining the benefits offered.
Uchiha Jun handed Sara a list, a densely packed list of items—food, clothing, daily necessities... each item marked with quantity and price.
"This is the current supply list for the fortress. There is enough food to feed several thousand people for two years, and clothing and daily necessities will also be sufficient for a while. Once you arrive at the fortress, I will assign you accommodations according to your family units."
"Living conditions..." Sara asked cautiously, "What kind of living conditions?"
"One bedroom, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom." Uchiha Jun's tone was calm, as if he were talking about something trivial. "It's not a large dormitory, nor is it one of those basements where dozens of people are crammed together. Each household has its own independent space."
"After all, I need workers, not slaves."
Sara's pupils dilated slightly.
One bedroom, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom?
In her mind, fleeing refugees would be lucky to have any shelter from the wind and rain; they certainly wouldn't dare to hope for such conditions.
"Lord Chun... this..." Sara's voice trembled, and tears even glistened in her eyes.
"Alright, just focus on your work from now on." Uchiha Jun waved his hand. "There's plenty of space on the fortress; it would be a waste not to give us decent accommodations."
Uchiha Jun continued, "The fortress will have a commercial system. You can buy food and daily necessities with money. The prices will be the same as in Konoha; there will be no deliberate price gouging."
"In addition, everyone who works for me will be paid a salary, calculated according to the remuneration for Genin and Chunin Konoha. The pay will be higher for more dangerous jobs."
Sara was stunned.
What are the rewards for Genin and Chunin missions?
Although it's not a large sum, for a group of refugees who have just lost their homes, it's enough to provide them with a sense of security and a place to live!
"Lord Jun..." Sara took a deep breath, then bowed deeply to Uchiha Jun. "On behalf of all the survivors of Rōran, I thank you for your kindness!"
"We... are willing to join your fortress!"
Uchiha Jun nodded without saying anything more.
" Summoning Technique!"
"Chun, what are your orders?"
Then Uchiha Jun summoned the Mofang, slipped a pre-prepared letter into the recipient's pocket, and sent it to Kakuzu's location.
"Have Kakuzu send over a group of craftsmen and metallurgical experts to serve as technical advisors. Also, have him send a Shadow Clone to manage these Rōran survivors."
"No problem!"
The Mofang nodded, its body shrank slightly, and then it transformed into a black shadow and disappeared from the spot.
After doing all this, Uchiha Jun turned to Uchiha Hikari, looking at Uchiha Hikari holding Sara's hand with a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Speaking of which, how did you two meet?"
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Hikari was slightly taken aback.
She paused for a moment, then spoke slowly, her voice carrying a rare gentleness.
"On my way to Rōran, as I passed through some ruins, I heard Sara's singing."
"Singing?"
"Hmm." Uchiha Hikari nodded, gazing into the distance as if recalling the scene from that time.
"It was in the ruins of a village destroyed by war; she sat on a collapsed stone pillar, singing a song."
"The melody..." she paused, a strange emotion lingering in her voice, "Is somewhat like an ancient tune from the Warring States Period period. When I was a child, when my parents were still alive, my mother sang similar tunes."
"So, you stopped to listen?"
"Hmm," Uchiha Hikari responded softly, "And then... we chatted for a few minutes."
After listening, Uchiha Jun nodded thoughtfully.
"No wonder you offered to help her."
Uchiha Jun smiled, then patted Uchiha Hikari on the shoulder, saying in a relaxed tone, "That's good, you've made a new friend."
Uchiha Hikari didn't speak, but simply lowered her eyelashes, making it impossible to see the emotions in her eyes.
"The research on the Dragon Vein will begin soon," Uchiha Jun continued, a hint of seriousness in his voice. "Once the results are in, you can return to the Warring States Period to take your revenge."
"I also have some research to do, which I'll tell you about later."
"... Um."
Uchiha Hikari raised his head and looked at Uchiha Jun, his eyes full of tenderness.
"I trust you."
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar.
A Shadow Clone emerged from the depths of the underground labyrinth and landed in front of Uchiha Jun: "The real body has found Anrokuzan."
"How is it?" Uchiha Jun asked.
"He was hit head-on by the Railgun. His puppet body was shattered by the shockwave, completely losing his ability to move. All his prepared backup plans were also destroyed. He's only staying alive because we're using secret techniques."
Uchiha Jun raised an eyebrow slightly after hearing this.
"Still alive... that's good news."
Uchiha Jun dusted himself off and turned to Uchiha Hikari and his Shadow Clone, saying, "I'm going to check on that old man. You guys arrange for the Rōran survivors to ascend the fort."
"Good."
Uchiha Jun flashed away, heading deep into the underground labyrinth.
The underground labyrinth, the core area.
When Uchiha Jun arrived, the sight he saw made him whistle.
Anrokuzan —or rather, the pile of things that were once Anrokuzan —lay sprawled on a charred ground, his body torn to pieces, with charred metal skeletons and broken gears visible at the broken ends.
His head was retrieved from the rubble by a Shadow Clone, held in place by a makeshift frame, and continuously infused with Chakra, barely managing to keep him from suffocating completely.
It was only thanks to Anrokuzan transforming himself into a puppet that the amount of human flesh in his body wasn't enough to cook a dish, otherwise he would have died long ago.
"As expected of a puppet body enhanced with Dragon Vein Chakra."
Uchiha Jun walked to Anrokuzan's head, squatted down, and looked down at the face that was twisted, deformed, and covered with cracks.
" Anrokuzan... Mukade... or how should I address you?"