Dang--!!!
A sound of gold and iron that could pierce the eardrums resounded throughout the square!
Tatekura Gento felt a shock as the hammer made of hundreds of refined steel actually... broke from it!
And there was only a shallow white mark left on the metal plate.
The whole place was dead silent.
Everyone looked at the undamaged metal plate blankly, as if they had been poisoned by Paralysis Jutsu.
This is beyond their cognitive scope.
Senju Chen walked slowly to the metal plate, stretched out his finger, and flicked it lightly, making a crisp sound.
"Chief Zhencang, have you seen it?"
His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"What you call heavy armor is no different than tofu in front of my 'alloy plate'."
"It does not have any runes engraved on it, because its material structure is strong enough to withstand most Ninjutsu below B level. The reason why it looks ordinary is because it uses the latest alloy technology, which can even convert more than 90% of the impact energy into harmless heat energy."
"This is the most basic lesson in "Introduction to Materials Science"."
He turned around and faced all the shocked villagers.
"This is science!"
"Science is not to abolish Ninjutsu, but to make our Ninjutsu stronger! More efficient!"
"Imagine that when our ninjas all wear armor made of this material, they will no longer be afraid of the enemy's Fire Release and wind blades! They can use their flesh and blood to resist the enemy's attacks, and then send the Kunai in their hands into the enemy's desperate throat!"
"Imagine, when Tatekura Clan masters the smelting technology of this alloy, what you produce will no longer be ordinary ninja tools, but 'artifacts' that can change the pattern of war! By then, not to mention Iwagakure, not even the perverts of Kumogakure who practice Lightning Release will be able to easily penetrate our defenses!"
His words were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart hard.
Those businessmen who were still clamoring now looked at the metal plate, and their eyes had completely changed. It was not fear or anger, but a kind of... extreme desire and greed!
Tatekura Gento fell to the ground in despair, looking at his broken hammer, and then at the cold metal plate, muttering to himself, "I lost... I lost completely..."
What he lost was not a competition, what he lost was the entire era.
"No, you didn't lose."
Senju Chen walked up to him and stretched out his hand.
"You just need a 'version update'. Chief Zhencang, now, do you still want to refuse my 'golden rice bowl'?"
Tatekura Gento raised his head and looked at Senju Chen's overly young face and the hand hanging in front of him, and his whole body began to tremble violently.
He saw behind that hand, a brand new world that he couldn't understand but was extremely powerful.
For a long time, he used all his strength and tremblingly put his hand up.
"I...Tatekura Gento... will... willing to serve Minister Chen..."
At this moment, thunderous cheers erupted in the square.
Those parents who brought their children to watch the fun were completely crazy!
"Sign up! Let my son sign up when I get back! Science Experimental Class! Our family wants to get in even if they sell everything!"
"Lord Chen! Can you think of my daughter? She is only five years old this year, but she can already recite the fifty-syllable diagram! She is a great talent!"
"Stop the crowd! Stop the crowd! Only schools can sign up!"
"..."
One week later.
Land of Waterfalls, secret experimental base.
A small artificial sun-like device emits constant light, illuminating this underground space. In a simple office, Senju Chen's clone is leaning on the sofa.
Opposite him, a graceful woman with long chestnut hair and green eyes was staring at Senju Chen with a serious face.
It is Mei Terumi who returned from the mission.
In the past few years, with the support of various resources from the experimental base, the strength of Mei Terumi has grown by leaps and bounds, and the development of two types of Kekkei Genkai has also reached a new level. The growth in strength has made the flame of revenge in her heart burn brighter and stronger.
Moreover, after years of teaching at the Experimental Foundation, she had long understood that the uncle Gonbei who "took very good care" of her at Amegakure, even threatened to break her legs when nothing happened, and finally even sacrificed his "life" to save herself.
It is basically just a "doppelgänger" of the man in front of me.
But after these years of training and growth, she has slowly buried this intention in her heart. Because she has more important things to do, and that is revenge.
"Lord Chen," Mei Terumi finally couldn't help but say, "I think I am strong enough and I am ready. Genji-sama's revenge... When can I take revenge?"
"Revenge?" Senju Chen put down the tea cup and raised his eyes to look at her. His eyes were calm, but seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts. "What are you going to do when you go back? Kill Kirigakure single-handedly, and then kill Fourth Mizukage Yagura?"
"Even if you do it, then what? What are you going to do next?"
Mei Terumi hesitated when asked.
"Then... then end Yagura's cruel policies and let Kirigakure regain a new life!" she said matter-of-factly.
"Not a bad ideal." Senju Chen clapped, then changed the topic and his tone became playful, "Then let me ask you, what do you think your chances of winning against Yagura are based on your current strength?"
"Let's go for 50-50!" Mei Terumi replied without hesitation. This was her conservative estimate. In fact, in her psychology, she felt that this ratio could reach 46, or even 37, and this did not include her little follower - Chōjūrō.
"Yes, I am already very confident." Senju Chen smiled, leaning forward slightly, and an invisible sense of oppression came over him, "But what if your opponent is more than just Yagura?"
After listening to Senju Chen's words, Mei Terumi's expression also changed.
"You must know that what you face is never a simple enemy, but one of Shinobi World Five Great Shinobi Villages." Senju Chen's voice became deeper
"Let's not talk about whether you can kill the entire Amegakure. Even if you really kill it, the entire Amegakure will be removed from Five Great Nations. Is this what you want? Moreover, The root cause of Kirigakure's chaos is not just one Yagura. Behind it, there is an even more terrifying promoter. I believe you have discovered some clues in your own investigation over the past few years."
"Who is it?" Mei Terumi's breathing became rapid.
She did find some clues over the years. She discovered that behind the whole Kirigakure, there seemed to be a more terrifying force, pushing Kirigakure forward.
But the information was very vague, and she had never been sure, or who was behind it, until she heard Senju Chen say it with her own ears today.
"You have to know that war is never a matter of one person." Senju Chen did not directly answer Mei Terumi's question. Instead, he leaned back on the sofa, picked up the teacup, and returned to his calm demeanor, "It is a game of chess. Every move on the chessboard must be carefully calculated. Timing, people's hearts, interests, general trends... all are indispensable."
Seeing the still unwilling flames in Mei Terumi's eyes, Senju Chen immediately comforted him, "As for Kirigakure, it is already in the base's plan. What we are waiting for now is just a moment when the wind blows. Don't worry, we won't keep you waiting for too long."
At this moment, there was a knock on the office door, and a researcher walked in.
"Lord Chen, Konoha's second batch of 'refresher' teams have arrived outside the waterfall."
"Oh? Are we here yet?" Senju Chen stood up, straightened his collar, and smiled at the thoughtful Mei Terumi, "I'm going to greet your juniors. Among them, there are two incredible 'monsters'."