Inside a secret laboratory in Konoha Village,Fumori Masaki was touring, accompanied by Tsunade. This was not a secret research facility of the Medical Department, but rather a research group led by Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki. Their goal was to develop plants that could autonomously absorb and conduct natural energy.
Anyone unfamiliar with the place would feel as if they had entered a botanical garden. Plants were everywhere, dense and varied. The ground was difficult to navigate due to the vegetation, but the air was incredibly fresh and pleasant.
Fumori Masaki placed great importance on this research project. If the ninja village, and eventually the entire country, were to use natural energy as a primary power source, these special plant materials would be essential. While other materials for conducting natural energy might exist, the known Wood Release was undoubtedly the most suitable, fastest, and lowest-cost option. Other materials could lead to countless detours.
Not many people knew about this secret research, including the Konoha elders. Only the members of the research group were aware, and the core members of the group were few, with the rest assisting in plant growth and observation.
After all, natural energy was something that few people knew about, and even fewer understood or could access. Even in Konoha Village, such talents were not abundant. Unraveling the mysteries of natural energy was by no means an easy task.
Upon entering the inner section,Fumori Masaki saw Nawaki discussing with others. Nawaki was now a grown young man, but the grandson of the previous Hokage rarely appeared in public. Most of the time, he stayed in this place, conducting secret research. Until his research bore fruit, his name would likely remain unknown to the villagers.
"Nawaki," Tsunade, his older sister, immediately waved and called his name, then quickened her pace to approach him.
Nawaki had just turned his head when Tsunade embraced him, making him feel almost breathless. After struggling for a while, he was released by Tsunade. He gasped for air and complained, "Sister, can you please stop doing that?"
"I can't help it. I rarely see my dear brother, so I have to be happy," Tsunade said with a smile, stroking Nawaki's head. She had work in the Medical Department and couldn't just casually enter such a secret research facility. She indeed rarely saw Nawaki.
Fumori Masaki had walked over by now. He nodded slightly to Nawaki, then looked at the red-haired girl who had been talking with Nawaki earlier, and said gently, "Are you adapting well here?"
"Yes, yes, I feel very good. Thank you for your concern, Lord Hokage." The red-haired girl seemed a bit nervous, speaking somewhat haltingly in response toFumori Masaki's greeting.
"Don't be nervous. Uncle Masaki is a very good person. He will always remember anyone who contributes to the village," Nawaki told the red-haired girl.
"Indeed. This research project needs you very much. Work hard, and our Konoha Village will not treat you or your country unfairly in the future,"Fumori Masaki nodded and said.
The true identity of this red-haired girl was Leyla, the daughter of Queen Rina of the Land of Loulan. According to her generation, she should be the mother of Queen Sara from the movie.
After the establishment of the Southern Alliance, the Land of Loulan began to relocate due to the transfer of the Ryūmyaku. Konoha Village oversaw some of the work, arranging the kingdom's new location and investing considerable effort. After all, placing the Land of Loulan in a good location required careful negotiation with other small countries to reach mutually acceptable terms.
However, such efforts were undoubtedly worthwhile. The internal relocation of the Ryūmyaku meant that the range Konoha Village could utilize was shortened, which would certainly make future geomorphic connections more convenient.
At the same time,Fumori Masaki proposed that young people from the Land of Loulan could study in Konoha Village. Out of gratitude to Konoha Village and to maintain future relations between their country and Konoha, Queen Rina agreed. They also had a secret agreement, the details of which Queen Rina was not entirely clear about, but she knew it involved the Ryūmyaku and required Princess Leyla, the heir to the Land of Loulan, to go to Konoha Village.
Queen Rina considered it briefly and agreed. If Leyla were to lead the Land of Loulan in the future, establishing connections in Konoha Village would be a good choice. If she could learn to use chakra, she wouldn't be defenseless. Although Konoha Village intended to use Leyla's bloodline to control the Ryūmyaku for certain secret operations, Queen Rina felt this was normal. If Konoha Village had no needs, why would it go to such lengths to help a small country like Loulan?
As a ruler of a kingdom, Queen Rina saw this clearly. There were always some self-interested factors between countries and ninja villages. On this basis, Queen Rina believed Konoha Village was an excellent partner, and her daughter would certainly not suffer by going there. This was the trust accumulated over many years of cooperation.
After Leyla entered Konoha Village, she was secretly assigned to this research group. Leyla hadn't expected to bear such a responsibility, which indeed startled the princess. After Nawaki's explanation, she reluctantly accepted and began her research work.
Leyla's main task was to use the natural suppressive power of her bloodline to control the Ryūmyaku's power for experiments—Konoha Village secretly sent stored blocks containing Ryūmyaku power. The Ryūmyaku's power was between natural energy and chakra. The plant materials cultivated by Nawaki had to undergo repeated tests to collect data, and natural energy could not be easily activated. Ryūmyaku power was the most suitable energy for testing.
Besides conducting experiments, Leyla also studied chakra with Nawaki daily. A part of Nawaki's plant material cultivation required his achievements in Wood Release training. Therefore, even while engaged in research, Nawaki never relaxed his own training.
Wood Release is formed by combining Water and Earth chakra natures. To use Wood Release, both Water and Earth natures must have achieved similar proficiency. Therefore, Nawaki's strength was definitely not weak. He was also currently learning the nature transformation of the Yang Release. His grandfather, Senju Hashirama, would additionally infuse Yang Release when using Wood Release to amplify its vitality.
"What is the progress of your research now?"Fumori Masaki exchanged a few pleasantries with the two before getting straight to the point, asking about the research progress.
"Since Leyla arrived, our research progress has been much faster. The Ryūmyaku chakra used for testing before wasn't as active, making testing very inconvenient. It was easy for issues of excessive or insufficient output to occur. But with Leyla here, we don't have such concerns," Nawaki said, leadingFumori Masaki and Tsunade to see their latest developed plant materials.
Although called plants, their appearance didn't quite show it. What lay beforeFumori Masaki were long, thin, white tubular objects, somewhat resembling electrical wires. InFumori Masaki's eyes, they had a sense of déjà vu, like White Zetsu creations—to be precise, White Zetsu possessed both plant and biological characteristics, and its cells were very similar to Hashirama's. It was just uncertain whether this was due to the Hashirama cells cultivated by Madara or if the White Zetsu originally sealed in the Gedo Mazo were already like that.
Fumori Masaki always believed that White Zetsu, a creature that could survive for thousands of years without dying, was because it could perform "photosynthesis" like a plant, and the energy for this "photosynthesis" was natural energy. To some extent, White Zetsu was an excellent material for conducting natural energy. If White Zetsu were available, perhaps suitable plant materials could be cultivated quickly.
However, due to the lack of the Rinnegan, the Gedo Mazo could not be summoned. Even if found, it couldn't be controlled, and it might not be possible to release the White Zetsu inside. Moreover, because White Zetsu were people transformed by the Infinite Tsukuyomi, forFumori Masaki to research them would feel somewhat like desecrating a corpse—even if, after transforming into White Zetsu, they could no longer be called human.
"The conductivity of these plant materials is already very good. Uncle Kazamori can see, I think we will have results very soon."
Nawaki showed Fumori Masaki the measured conductivity data and personally demonstrated the conduction of Ryūmyaku power by these tubular plant materials, with Leyla assisting, showcasing a chakra technology developed by the research department.
Given the current power of the plant materials, large-scale construction might still be unfeasible, but small-scale projects were already possible.Fumori Masaki was very satisfied, believing that within the next few years, plant materials suitable for large-scale construction could be cultivated. In terms of progress, it was quite fast.
This would allow for careful planning in the coming time. After the Daimyo's recent suggestion of the Twelve Guardian Ninja,Fumori Masaki felt it was time to embark on the great undertaking of "usurping the throne."
The Land of Fire should now be entering the modern nation-state era, and feudal lords like the Daimyo were unnecessary. Of course, due to the specific conditions of the Land of Fire, the Daimyo would probably have to remain, but only as a symbolic figure in the future.
Fumori Masaki sighed slightly. What he most hoped for was a complete revolution, but unfortunately, the national conditions of the Land of Fire did not allow for it, at most a constitutional monarchy.
"I wonder how Asuna and the others are doing now?" Just as Fumori Masaki was thinking this, Asuna's personally written reports had already begun to be sent to Konoha Village.