Naruto: The Scientific Ninja

Chapter 34: The Way of the Serpent

Sage arts required talent. Even if you were born with the innate ability to sense natural energy, without a Kage-level amount of chakra and the corresponding control to handle it, you would likely be assimilated by it, turned to stone or liquid, just another lifeless object in the landscape.

As for becoming a jinchūriki, even if a common ninja's body could withstand the corrosive chakra of a Tailed Beast, the sealing techniques required were another matter entirely. In a world where even basic attribute ninjutsu was monopolized, the difficulty of obtaining the rarest and most precious sealing techniques was unimaginable. Even the five great ninja villages lacked a complete set of sealing techniques capable of containing the Tailed Beasts. The Uzumaki clan controlled the most powerful sealing arts in the world, and they were likely destroyed precisely because they were guilty of possessing such a treasure.

"It seems Orochimaru's core technology is the only truth for common people," Sasuke sighed. In this world governed by bloodline, Orochimaru was the one man who could truly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the gods in a mortal body. If Sasuke followed his example, even if he could only produce what Orochimaru would consider scraps, it should be enough to overcome his current predicament. Becoming a jōnin shouldn't be difficult.

For now, the most urgent task was to build his laboratory.

After returning to his patrol post, he was greeted by the complaints of his subordinates. They had been forced to eat ration pills and dearly missed his cooking. Seeing him return, they joyfully began to prepare for a meal.

"Captain, go catch some fish, quickly. I'll handle things here," Tekudō urged. It wasn't that he couldn't catch fish himself, but the rare and delicious Golden Gong Fish, a precious species native to the Land of Rivers, had been nearly fished to extinction. Only Sasuke seemed able to catch them every time.

"You're the one who does nothing but give orders," Sasuke grumbled, feigning a kick at Tekudō's rear. He was mostly helpless in the face of his subordinate's budding bureaucratic tendencies.

Splash.

Chakra distributed to the soles of his feet, Sasuke stepped onto the river's surface and activated his sonar radar. Without the water bat, he noted, my perception range is reduced by more than a factor of ten. He could only perceive less than ten meters below the water's surface. With the bat's help, his range in the water could reach nearly a hundred meters.

He had considered contracting another water bat at the lab, but he was wary of Shibi's parasite insects. If they were to follow the bat back to its nest, they might discover his secret base. For now, the parasites were only monitoring the outer perimeter of their defense zone. It would be safer to wait.

"Captain, why are you so slow today?" Tekudō called out from the shore, his voice full of the arrogant confidence he'd gained after the morning's battle. "Before, it would have been done in the blink of an eye, right?"

Sasuke didn't say much and continued his search. The Golden Gong Fish usually lived in the deep water. With his current perception depth, it would take a long time to find one. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, he decided to speed things up.

"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!" He pressed his hands directly into the river and activated his chakra. "Spin! Return to the Water Prison!"

A whirlpool appeared on the river's surface, growing larger and larger, churning the water and breaking its calm.

"Found you." After a brief scan, his gaze finally locked onto a familiar figure. He immediately drew a kunai and threw it, piercing the Golden Gong Fish through the head. Soon, a large golden fish, as thick as a bucket, floated to the surface.

He quickly retrieved it and returned to the shore, his own stomach now rumbling with hunger. It wasn't the first time they had cooked on the battlefield, and they were all very experienced. After a busy while, they were finally enjoying a delicious meal.

Perhaps it was because of the day's great battle, or perhaps they were just very hungry, but the four of them enjoyed the meal immensely. It was only a pity there was no wine. Cooking on the battlefield was a minor infraction, but drinking was a serious offense for a common ninja. For the children of the ninja clans, however, as long as it didn't affect the mission, a little secret drinking was fine. If they were caught, they would usually just receive a verbal reprimand.