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"There won't be any missions for a while, so you can move freely, but it's best not to relax too much and maintain a state of combat readiness."
"Understood!"
After having lunch, Shiraishi and the other two were approached by Sakumo, who gave them some instructions before they went their separate ways.
Shiraishi and Ruri returned to the Uchiha mansion as usual.
As they walked on the road, Shiraishi felt like a lot had changed since the last time he was in the village, yet at the same time, everything seemed unchanged.
"What are your plans for the next few days, Ruri?"
The rest period wouldn't be too short, but it wouldn't be too long either. In about two weeks, they would be faced with another challenging mission.
"I'll focus on training."
Ruri replied succinctly.
"That's just like you. I've had some new ideas lately. After several months of missions, I think I can create some practical tools to aid us in battle."
"Tell me more."
Ruri seemed very interested.
"Smoke bombs are useful, but they can be easily neutralized by wind-based ninjutsu, and their effect doesn't last very long. However, what if we add some poisonous gas to the smoke bombs? When the wind blows away the smoke, the enemy would have already inhaled a significant amount of poisonous gas, weakening their strength."
Shiraishi shared his thoughts and believed it was a feasible idea.
"Ninjas usually have some resistance to poison, especially Suna ninjas. If the poison isn't potent enough, it won't have a significant impact on them."
"No matter how strong their resistance is, there's still a limit. However, if we're going to use poison gas, we need to prepare an antidote in advance for our own team members to take, to prevent accidental exposure."
"It could work well in small-scale battles, but it might backfire in large-scale ones."
Shiraishi also agreed with Ruri's serious opinion.
In large-scale battles, producing enough antidotes would be a problem, and combining poison gas with smoke bombs would obstruct their vision temporarily even if they survived the poison using the antidote.
However, Shiraishi didn't intend to promote this tactic widely. It would suffice to implement it within the Sakumo team.
After spending a considerable amount of time together, Shiraishi had come to understand that their team primarily undertook dangerous and vital secret missions, making it essential to develop unique tactics suitable for the Sakumo team.
Returning to the much-awaited mansion, as they approached, they noticed a man and a woman standing by the entrance of the Konoha Gates, waving at them with joy and excitement.
"No, wait. Do you know them?"
Shiraishi hadn't seen these two people in the Uchiha clan for the past two or three years, so he turned to Ruri for an answer.
"They're my parents."
Ruri calmly responded.
"!?"
Shiraishi was taken aback.
It was his first time meeting Ruri's parents, and he recalled Ruri mentioning that he hadn't met them in person until now.
However, since Shiraishi had been staying at Ruri's house temporarily, he had never seen Ruri's parents come home. Even during the New Year, they would exchange photos and letters. Ruri's birthday and New Year gifts were always simple, usually just a bank book.
The bank book started with a "1" followed by numerous zeros.
This was the simple and unexciting gift Ruri received every year for her birthday and New Year.
"It's been a while, Ruri. Have you missed your parents?"
The woman, dressed elegantly and nobly, had neatly arranged hair adorned with numerous accessories.
Her appearance was a little flashy, but she didn't give off a cheesy vibe. It seemed like she was naturally born with that temperament.
As soon as she approached, she embraced Ruri tightly and rubbed her face against his, causing his little face to wrinkle. Shiraishi was worried that Ruri might breathe fire and reduce his mother to ashes.
"Don't be so noisy. I've told you many times not to leave your saliva on my face."
Ruri's face tensed, as if she was scolding her mother.
"Don't say that, Ruri. It's been so long since mummy saw you. Let me take care of my cute little..."
Boom!
Shiraishi held his forehead in frustration.
He knew this would happen.
A wall of the mansion beside them was smashed through by a fireball, emitting black smoke.
At that moment, Ruri's mothers' face was covered in cold sweat, her neck seemed to creak mechanically, and the smile on her face became extremely rigid.
"Honestly, Ruri is not as cute as when she was a child. She used to be..."
"Do you want me to throw you out or burn you? Or maybe consider drowning you?"
Ruri's eyebrows twitched as if she had reached her limit.
The woman in the elegant attire sighed and reluctantly gave up the idea of continuing to embrace and tease Ruri.
Such an adorable daughter couldn't be treated like that. Her daughter was completely different.
"Dear, how about we have another child? Ruri has grown up and doesn't want her parents anymore."
"It's clearly your fault, and now you're saying Ruri has grown up."
The man, who had been observing the seemingly harmonious scene between mother and daughter, seemed a bit perplexed, scratching his head in distress.
His daughter had always possessed a strong personality, and as her father, he had long grown accustomed to it.
"Oh, you must be the Shiraishi kid that Ruri often mentions in her letters, right?"
The elegant woman finally noticed Shiraishi.
"Oh, yes, that's me. It's an honor to meet you."
Finally being acknowledged, Shiraishi hurriedly bowed politely with a puzzled expression.
"Don't be nervous. It's rare for Ruri to find a good playmate. When she was young, Ruri used to chase after a group of boys by herself."
Upon hearing the woman's words, Shiraishi could already picture that scene in his mind.
With Ruri, it was entirely possible.
"By the way, when are you two planning to get married? You should give birth to boys. I suddenly find boys more fun than girls."
The elegant woman asked with a smile.
"..."
The topic took an unexpected turn, causing Shiraishi's brain to freeze, leaving him bewildered.
A tic mark appeared on Ruri's forehead, and she began performing hand seals.
Boom!
....
Ruri's mother, Uchiha Miyoko, is twenty-eight years old and in her prime. She has a liking for luxury goods and dresses beautifully, like a princess.
On the other hand, Ruri's father, Uchiha Kosuke, thirty-six years old and has a mature appearance. He wore decent formal clothes and appears more serious and responsible than his wife Miyoko.
However, when Shiraishi considered the fact that Ruri was already twelve years old while her mother Miyoko was only twenty-eight, it meant that Miyoko was only fifteen years old, a minor, when she was pregnant with Ruri.
Looking at Uchiha Kosuke's honest face, Shiraishi believes he was truly honest.
Since both of them lack the ability to be ninjas and only have the strength of chunin so far, according to Ruri's standards, they are still capable of becoming ninjas at the age of twenty or thirty. Perhaps they simply don't have the talent to be ninjas.
Over the years, Ruri's parents have been working hard on their careers outside of the village. With the help of some contacts accumulated by the Uchiha clan, their business is barely surviving, as they would describe it.
Although they have returned to Konoha a few times in the past few years, their busy business schedule has prevented them from spending much time with Ruri. They would meet him at the entrance of the village and leave in a hurry.
This explains why Shiraishi hadn't seen them at Ruri's house.
Shiraishi returned to the underground lab. Since he had to go out on a mission, many of the experimental equipment had already been moved beforehand, but some less important ones remained.
There was a lot of dust accumulated in the basement and on the instruments, so Shiraishi had to clean them up.
As he finished cleaning, footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Ruri descended the stairs.
"Why did you end the family reunion so quickly? You didn't have to rush."
"We can catch up anytime."
"Seems like Uncle and the others will stay in the village for a while this time. Is it because of the war outside?"
Shiraishi asked what was on his mind.
"They don't trade within the Land Of Fire, but rather in the far west of the continent. So, the war here won't affect their business."
"Are those their real names?"
"Well, they use pseudonyms. They know some ninjutsu, but that information isn't known in Konoha. Some elders in the clan are working behind the scenes, allowing them to trade outside without worry. Over the years, they have also hired reputable bounty hunters, both samurai and ninjas, to ensure their safety."
They are, after all, a wealthy family that has been established for hundreds of years. The Uchiha clan's heritage and connections are not insignificant.
For example, the Uchiha clan doesn't acquire their ninja equipment from the Land of Iron or buy it from the village, but instead from their summon: Ninja cat clan.
Several times, the ninja cats act as the Uchiha clan's spies to gather information.
This is the Uchiha clan's network.
And there are likely many allies like the ninja clans, making it extremely difficult even for Konoha to access this part of the information.
Similarly, the same can be said for the Hyuga Clan. The number of secret connections they possess is only known by the most powerful individuals within the clan.
A true giant isn't just about power and lineage; it also possesses an immensely terrifying network.
Afterward, Ruri used the summoning jutsu to summon some cats. These cats carried scrolls containing various research equipment, which were sealed within the scrolls. They only needed to be unsealed and connected to the appropriate lines.
Shiraishi, Ruri, and the cats worked together, placing the research equipment back in its original position and reconnecting the lines.
When they finished, two hours had already passed. Ruri sent the cats back, and before leaving, the cats showed a hint of resentment, only to be pacified when Ruri promised to prepare good cat food for them next time.
At that moment, Shiraishi looked at the vast research room and wished he had an assistant.
But for now, he couldn't think about it. There were many secrets here that couldn't be shared and had to be kept confidential.
Fortunately, this was the Uchiha clan, and the ANBU didn't have the authority to search the place. After all, the strength of the Uchiha police force should not be underestimated.
There were numerous Jonin and special jonin among them. Once clan members joined the ninja ranks, their strength upon adulthood was generally chunin or higher, which was a formidable ratio.
Especially after awakening the Sharingan, the strength of the Uchiha would skyrocket, and it couldn't be taken lightly.
Shiraishi had already identified his next research target.
It involved fusing highly toxic smoke bombs with a corresponding antidote.
Of course, research on natural energy would continue as well. Although their time in Konoha wouldn't be too long, they couldn't waste this valuable time.
Just as Ruri was about to leave, Bai Shi suddenly said, "By the way, Ruri, can I ask you something else?"
"Go ahead, what is it? Do you need new equipment?"
"No, I have enough for now. It would do for a long time."
"What is it?"
"Human experiments."
Shiraishi simply stated those two words.
Ruri's pupils contracted slightly as she looked at Shiraishi seriously, who returned her gaze calmly.
"Do you understand what that means?"
"Human experiment isn't entirely evil."
As far as Shiraishi knew, many forbidden techniques were developed through human experimentation.
One of the most famous examples was Senju Tobirama, the predecessor of the current Hokage. Many of the ninjutsu that Konoha's ninjas learn today originated from this second Hokage.
Ruri nodded thoughtfully and said, "I'll deliver what you need tomorrow."
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