Ryan's plan to spend points remains unchanged. Since he doesn't have anything specific he wants to exchange right now, it's better to accumulate points first and wait until there are enough points. Then, exchange them all for a mighty skill or ability, directly boosting your strength! This is an excellent choice for him.
On the other side, many of the other Hokages share the same mindset. They choose to retain their points and later exchange them for more potent items.
Tobirama kept a portion of what he retrieved from the Shinigami world, particularly from the Technology Development Department, including technological materials and various items like Gigai: an artificial body used by Shinigami. These are highly valuable to him but cannot be directly converted into points. Tobirama prefers to redeem himself with fewer points while ensuring he has enough materials for his ninjutsu studies.
All Hokages return to their original world. Upon his return, Ryan found numerous reports awaiting him on his desk, which displeased him greatly. As the dignified Hokage, he can't spend every day buried in paperwork; that would be far too tedious. Being a paper pusher isn't exactly his ninja way, you know. Unlike Naruto, he's more about action than paperwork!
Just as Ryan began contemplating passing these files off to someone else to handle, he was surprised by the arrival of someone unexpected.
Orochimaru!
Ryan rarely saw Orochimaru's visit. The main reason is Orochimaru's lack of presence in the village. Though he is one of the Three Sannins, an immensely powerful scientific ninja, he has kept a low profile during this period, avoiding public appearances. According to Anbu, he conducts his research mainly in his basement lab secretly. Ryan didn't understand why.
In truth, Orochimaru was afraid.
Afraid of Ryan's strength. It wasn't just strength anymore; it was overwhelming power on a whole other level. While other ninjas, even powerful ones, might not be intimidated, Orochimaru felt differently. He, too, was strong, but Ryan was something else entirely.
Ryan's power had transcended the limits of Shinobi. Orochimaru's instincts screamed at him every time he met him. Despite being older and more experienced than Ryan, with higher qualifications, Orochimaru faced him with respect.
"Why are you here, Orochimaru?" Ryan asked.
"You're a busy man, and it's rare to have visitors at my place," Ryan said, injecting a touch of humor into his words.
Orochimaru seemed visibly flustered. "No, no..."
"Especially during this period, I've been immersed in researching and developing new technology projects," he continued, explaining his absence. "Studying new technology consumes most of my days; it's easy to lose track of time."
Ryan listened intently, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Ah, so your technology must have made significant progress," he remarked. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be here now."
Orochimaru nodded eagerly. "Exactly, exactly! I've come to invite the Fourth Hokage to come and take a look."
"We've made considerable strides with the Chakra Cannon project," he explained eagerly, "and I wanted to inform you personally that it's now ready for actual combat deployment. That's why I came straight to you without delay."
Ryan's interest was piqued. He remained keen on the project, having seen successful prototypes in other worlds. The Chakra Cannon promised immense power and impressive accuracy.
For Ryan, such enhancements to his combat skills were unnecessary. However, this device held crucial importance for weaker ninjas.
On their own, these individuals wouldn't make much impact on the battlefield. But when they channeled all their chakra into this weapon, it could unleash a formidable power.
Such technological advancements were indeed valuable.
Ryan followed Orochimaru to a clearing near Konoha Village, now transformed into the testing ground for the Chakra Cannon. Shortly after their arrival, other village members began to gather. Among them were ninjas like Kakashi, Minato, and several others.
Orochimaru and his research team were visibly confident in the chakra they had infused into the weapon. A few chūnin had been selected for the test, which intrigued Kakashi and the other ninjas.
"Why this particular chūnin for the test?" Kakashi asked, his curiosity mirrored by the others gathered.
Orochimaru elaborated, "We've chosen these chūnin to conduct trials because they provide a good representation of the weapon's versatility. After this, some genins will also participate. Even with different levels of chakra input, it will demonstrate functionality, albeit with varying degrees of power."
Minato, nodding thoughtfully, interjected, "And using several genin would also serve the purpose, showing us how effective it can be across different levels of chakra."
The assembled ninjas watched attentively as the experiment unfolded, eager to see the capabilities of Orochimaru's new technological marvel in action.
As Orochimaru spoke, everyone nodded involuntarily in agreement. This demonstrated the true practical application of the chakra weapon. After all, there were relatively few jōnins, and most were extremely busy. Having them power up a chakra weapon would undoubtedly be a waste of time and resources. In contrast, using chūnin or even genin was more efficient.
The potential scenarios for applying this chakra weapon were broad, which piqued everyone's curiosity as they awaited its demonstration. Several chūnin stepped forward to infuse chakra into the Chakra Cannon. Instantly, a blue beam shot out from the cannon's muzzle, striking a distant boulder. The resulting explosion shattered the boulder into countless pieces.
"Excellent! Very impressive!" Ryan applauded enthusiastically, setting the tone for the others. "This weapon surpasses my expectations, and its potential to enhance genin and chūnin is substantial. Once optimized and matured, I believe it could be mass-produced."
His statement was met with agreement from the assembled ninjas, including Orochimaru, who led the project. Even he seemed surprised by Ryan's eagerness. "So eager?" Orochimaru mused aloud, not having anticipated such a quick push for mass production.
--
Read 40 chapters ahead on P*treon.c*m/Marioni and Ko-fi.c*m/Marioni37