Kenichi stared at the laboratory, now a smoldering ruin billowing thick smoke.
No, not the laboratory, he corrected himself. The remains of the laboratory. His feelings were complicated. He never imagined things would escalate to this point. Everything had been fine just moments ago, and now the entire facility was gone.
Did adding Lightning Release Chakra destabilize the thermobaric explosive's structure? Kenichi sighed. Such a massive laboratory, now reduced to ashes.
He had previously synthesized a batch of thermobaric explosive himself, and the experiments had been successful. But later, a bold idea struck him: to infuse the explosive with Chakra and see if they could combine. If successful, it might create something even more terrifying than a thermobaric bomb.
Moreover, explosives were generally quite stable, not the hair-trigger devices often imagined. This stability was precisely why Kenichi had dared to experiment.
Kenichi had even deliberately reduced the amount of thermobaric explosive to prevent any mishaps.
Having some knowledge of Lightning Release, Kenichi attempted to infuse Lightning Release Chakra into the mixture. The normally stable thermobaric explosive immediately reacted violently.
If Kenichi hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been caught in the blast. Even so, the laboratory was completely destroyed.
Thick smoke billowed into the air, inevitably attracting Konoha ninja. This would only complicate matters further, so Kenichi had no choice but to abandon the lab and find a new location.
"I wonder if the money I made will be enough to cover the damages," Kenichi muttered, gazing at the massive crater with a sigh.
His Teacher's lab certainly wasn't insured, and insurance companies didn't seem to exist in the Ninja World. He hoped his Teacher wouldn't make him pay for the damages.
Despite the disaster, Kenichi was pleased with the experiment's outcome. His theory had been proven correct: Chakra could indeed be infused into thermobaric bombs. He resolved to try infusing Fire Release Chakra next time.
The thermobaric explosive infused with Lightning Release Chakra seemed to have undergone a remarkable transformation. Its destructive power had increased significantly, and it now exhibited electrical reactions. Kenichi resolved to conduct experiments with expendable materials next time to investigate the effects of this enhanced explosive on the human body.
However, the laboratory was now unusable. The ground had collapsed from the blast, and any remaining equipment inside was likely destroyed.
Fortunately, Kenichi's Teacher had taken some materials with him when he left earlier. Without that, the losses would have been even more staggering.
Kenichi touched the Sealing Scroll hanging at his waist. It contained items he had hastily collected during the emergency, including Kaguya Clan blood. This needed to be secured quickly.
Exposing these materials to room temperature would rapidly lead to contamination and other issues. Temperature control was always critical in biological laboratories, especially when culturing bacteria or extracting DNA. Even a 0.1-degree Celsius fluctuation could kill an entire bacterial culture.
If the freezers in the lab were turned off, it would be a disaster.
Moreover, if the blood couldn't be stored frozen, its quality would deteriorate.
Fortunately, Kenichi knew the locations of two other labs. He chose the closer one and hurried toward it.
Before leaving, Kenichi didn't forget to set the lab ablaze with the Dragon Fire Technique, ensuring it burned completely to prevent any information from leaking out.
"The atmosphere in the Land of Fire feels strange lately," Kenichi muttered, pulling on his mask as he stealthily moved through the forest.
He had just noticed a small group of ninja running along the main road. Their numbers were unusually low, and the leader appeared to be only a Chūnin.
The ninja's expressions were grim, and the Chūnin leader looked particularly worried.
Something must be wrong in Konoha, Kenichi thought. He had seen similar expressions before, right before war broke out.
"Could it be war?" Kenichi rubbed his chin, considering the possibility. The greatest threat facing Konoha wasn't internal strife, but the looming specter of war.
"Probably those guys from Kumogakure," Kenichi thought as he sprinted forward. Suddenly, he sensed movement in the trees ahead and quickly concealed himself.
Moments later, two ninja emerged from the forest. Kenichi froze. Is the Land of Fire really this small? he wondered. How did I run into Kakashi and Guy so quickly?
After a long absence, Kakashi hadn't changed. Despite Guy's incessant chatter beside him, Kakashi's eyes remained lifeless, like a dead fish. He radiated an aura that warned others to keep their distance, though it clearly had no effect on Guy.
"Kakashi, shouldn't we be heading to the front lines? Those Kumogakure guys have declared war on us!" Guy struck his signature pose, still somewhat green but already showing glimpses of the future Emperor Guy.
"This is a mission assigned by Lord Third," Kakashi replied expressionlessly. Beneath his mask, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan swirled.
Since the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice, Kakashi's life had been turbulent. Danzo had even considered recruiting him into Root, but fortunately, the Third Hokage vetoed the idea.
Despite this, Kenichi's defection struck Kakashi hard.
Ever since Obito and Rin's deaths, Kakashi had kept others at arm's length, let alone formed friendships. Kenichi had been his only friend during that time.
Kakashi cherished their bond. During the Nine-Tailed Beast Uprising, he had even suspected Kenichi's involvement, but he dismissed his doubts, telling himself he had simply blacked out and remembered nothing.
In the end, Kenichi rubbed salt into Kakashi's wounds and poured alcohol over them.
Now, Kakashi was deeply invested in tracking down Orochimaru and Kenichi. The Third Hokage recognized Kakashi's determination and assigned him to lead the search.
As the situation grew increasingly dire, Kakashi knew he might soon be redeployed to the front lines to fight Kumogakure.