CHAPTER 108 - Nano Battle Armor

The events on the battlefield in the Land of Grass quickly reached Konoha. The need to evacuate over a hundred wounded ninjas was no small matter. Along with that, there were additional requests for reinforcements, combat teams, medical ninjas, and supplies.

The situation on the battlefield in the Land of Rivers was also becoming difficult. The Sand ninjas' assault was incredibly strong, with the One-Tail Jinchuriki deployed three times already. Together with the Fourth Kazekage and the puppet master Chiyo, Jiraiya was struggling to defend.

Cloud ninjas had sent hundreds of troops to the border of the Land of Hot Water. If Konoha showed any sign of weakness, the Cloud army would likely launch an attack immediately. Although the Cloud ninjas hadn't breached the Land of Fire yet, Konoha couldn't afford to ignore this. They had to send a team to the border of the Land of Fire to defend against a potential attack.

At present, all three battlefields were seeing troubling developments. Originally, the Land of Grass battlefield was one of Sarutobi Hiruzen's most trusted fronts, but the report from Miyamura had left the Hokage frowning with worry.

There was also the Land of Water. Though it had been quiet for now, it was a closed-off country, making it difficult for the Anbu to gather useful intelligence. Hiruzen couldn't afford to relax his vigilance. If the Hidden Mist Village suddenly mobilized, they could launch a direct assault from the sea, penetrating the Land of Fire's interior.

"Hah…" Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled slowly, then turned to the others. "What are your thoughts?"

However, both Homura and Koharu, after reviewing the intelligence, remained silent, their faces etched with concern. Danzo, on the other hand, had no intention of speaking. He was effectively trapped within Konoha, his root organization restricted. Upon hearing the news from the Land of Grass, Danzo's immediate reaction had been to mock Sarutobi, believing that sending him back from the battlefield had been a waste.

Sarutobi didn't bother asking Danzo for his thoughts. But the silence from Homura and Koharu made him increasingly irritated. Normally, they would speak at length on such matters, but now, they remained silent.

"Koharu, you and Homura will handle the reception of the wounded and the dispatch of medical ninjas. The Land of Grass battlefield cannot fall to the Iwa-nin. If the Iwa-nin push into the Land of Fire, the Daimyo could seize the opportunity to cut the budget."

"Understood, Hiruzen," Koharu nodded. Though coming up with a concrete strategy might be difficult, this smaller task was within her ability.

"Homura, you handle the coordination of supplies. There's a shortage of medical ninjas in Konoha. You can speak with this person; he's from the Inoka family in the Land of Fire, and he runs a pharmaceutical business."

Homura took the report from Sarutobi, scanning it before raising an eyebrow. "Nineteen… Hyakusa Trade Association? That's an odd name. Hiruzen, are we sure about this person?"

Sarutobi took a drag from his cigarette and replied, "The Anbu has checked this person's background. He has close ties with the Inoka family. Have Koharu inspect their products. If they pass, we can procure from the Hyakusa Trade Association."

Homura nodded, "Understood, Hiruzen."

"After all, we've had some issues with the Daimyo. If we do the Inoka family a favor, they might help us with the Daimyo's attitude." Sarutobi said with a pointed tone, his words making Danzo's face darken further. He would make sure to find out who had undermined him!

Regarding reinforcements, Sarutobi remained silent. However, Homura, Koharu, and Aoki probably guessed that the ninja clans would need to contribute.

The creation of Konoha had come about from the cooperation of various ninja clans. The first group of civilian ninjas only appeared five years after the establishment of the Ninja Academy, and even then, they were few in number. Though the Second Hokage and Sarutobi had worked to increase the number of civilian ninjas, it had only been a few decades since the academy's founding. During the wars, civilian ninjas were often the first to fall, and in terms of numbers, they were no match for the ninja clans.

It was vital that civilian ninjas made up a significant portion of Konoha's forces, as this was the foundation of the Hokage's rule. If Konoha's ninja force was entirely made up of clan members, the Hokage would essentially be a figurehead, unless Sarutobi had the same strength as the First and Second Hokages.

Once some matters were settled, the Konoha high command dispersed, and the three remaining members, aside from Danzo, had plenty to attend to. Koharu immediately went to meet the person named Nineteen, who was in Konoha at the time.

Three people from the Hyakusa Trade Association had arrived. After meeting with them, Koharu noticed that Nineteen, the merchant, appeared somewhat dazed, though it didn't seem entirely unintentional—perhaps he was simply expressionless by nature.

After some discussion, Koharu received a catalog of medicines and samples from the Hyakusa Trade Association. He planned to have Homura at Konoha Hospital test the medicines. If the results were good, Konoha would place a large order.

During wartime, the Daimyo allocated at least two billion ryo to Konoha, most of which went to military supplies, while the remainder was for ninja salaries and other expenses. If the Hyakusa Trade Association's medicines proved effective, there would be orders worth at least three to five billion ryo. The catalog handed over to Koharu contained a variety of medicines, from ones for stopping bleeding to treating fevers, internal injuries, and more. Almost every type of injury was covered.

Once the medicines were delivered to Konoha Hospital, Homura began his testing. She selected four patients with different injuries and illnesses, while also taking some of the medicines to the laboratory for further analysis of their formulas.

However, Homura failed. Nineteen had considered everything thoroughly. In the ninja world, apart from Hyuga Mirai, no one else would be able to analyze the specific components of these medicines.

One day later, all the data regarding the effectiveness of the medicines had been tested, and the results confirmed what the Hyakusa Trade Association had claimed. If Konoha purchased these medicines, it would significantly relieve the burden on their medical ninjas.

Once Homura received the data, he reported it to Sarutobi Hiruzen, who immediately placed an order with the Hyakusa Trade Association. The first batch of medicines purchased was worth 100 million ryo, enough to sustain Konoha's three battlefronts for two months. Additionally, other types of medicines were purchased to be kept at Konoha Hospital for use by civilians and Konoha's ninjas.

With the supplies prepared, Konoha, along with the supporting ninjas, were sent to the front lines.

Land of Fire Capital

It had been some time since the death of the finance minister, Keikyo. In order to compensate for his loss, the Daimyo appointed Keikyo's eldest son as the new finance minister. After that, the matter of Konoha's Danzo assassinating the finance minister gradually settled down.

After a period of peace, the Uzumaki Trade Association began to expand again. The markets of the Wind and Water countries were temporarily out of reach, but merchants from smaller nations, after hearing of the profit from ninja-related games, flooded into the Land of Fire's capital, eager to purchase computers and ninja games.

For those who helped expand her network of surveillance and databases, Nineteen never turned anyone away. Within half a month, she had signed procurement agreements with merchants from four small countries.

Outside the capital of the Land of Fire, in a manufacturing factory, the Uzumaki Trade Association openly assembled computers. However, underground, this facility also served as Nineteen's data center and weapons laboratory.

"Nineteen!"

Ayaka Uzumaki passed several identity checks and descended to the fourth underground level. Because of the existence of White Zetsu in the ninja world, the walls of this underground lab were made of alloy plates for added protection.

Having earned Hyuga Mirai's trust, Ayaka was naturally allowed entry. Upon reaching the lowest level, she called out for Nineteen and immediately extended eight Adamantine Chains from her back, twirling them in the air with a flourish as though showing off.

"See? I've mastered the Adamantine Chains. Go report to Mirai-sama and let him know."

Nineteen looked at the chain locks, which resembled octopus tentacles, with a blank expression. In a detached tone, she responded, "Denied. Just learning it doesn't mean you've mastered it. The standard set by the Master is 'the ability to skillfully use the Adamantine Chains to face formidable enemies.' Until you can do that, I don't think it's necessary to disturb the Master."

"YOU!" Ayaka Uzumaki was about to retort loudly but, upon seeing Nineteen's expressionless face, the courage that had risen to her chest quickly dissipated. She puffed out her cheeks, turned, and walked off, ready to continue practicing the Adamantine Chains .

"Wait." Nineteen called out to her before adding, "Since you're here, let's test the fit and data of the battle armor. I made the first set of nano battle armor and sent a message to the Master, but he might be busy since I haven't received a reply yet."

Ayaka Uzumaki had not been particularly interested in battle armor, but hearing Hyuga Mirai's name made her ears perk up.

So Mirai-sama is busy, huh? Ayaka nodded, focusing on this key point from Nineteen's explanation. 

When they entered the weapons lab, Ayaka Uzumaki was immediately captivated by the constantly changing armor on the experiment table.

"What... how is this possible?" Ayaka asked in awe, her curiosity piqued. The large battle armor on the table suddenly transformed into gloves, then into a sword, and finally into a full set of battle gear.

Nineteen didn't respond to Ayaka's question, remembering the words Hyuga Mirai had told her: "Don't try to reason with fools." After evaluating the situation, Nineteen felt this advice applied perfectly to the current scene.

"Put this on and step onto the platform," Nineteen instructed, handing Ayaka a metal ring that resembled a wristwatch. A platform rose next to the nano battle armor, and Ayaka obediently stepped onto it.

After Nineteen made a few adjustments, the battle armor seemed to flow like liquid, wrapping around Ayaka instantly. Then, as if it was absorbed into her body, the armor disappeared.

"Where did the armor go? How did it vanish so suddenly?" Ayaka immediately began feeling over herself, amazed by the strange phenomenon. She had never seen anything like it before. However, this curiosity was quickly interrupted by Nineteen.

"Start the test. I need to report the data to the Master."

(End of Chapter)

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