In a blink of an eye, a week had passed. The scars of war still lingered, but Konoha was gradually regaining its vitality.
Although there were no longer any daring souls to deface the Hokage's monument, the streets were filled with the sights of people slurping ramen, vendors selling Three Coloured Pills, and mischievous kids getting into scuffles. It was a lively and bustling scene.
Of course, the best-selling Konoha Daily added an extra touch of vibrancy.
Especially after the serialization of the Sword Art Online novel began. With its mind-blowing plot, the unheard-of concept of virtual immersive games, as well as knights, elves, and the dual-wielding sword style, the villagers of Konoha felt like they had stepped into a brand-new world.
The unprecedented novelty stimulated their senses.
Today, it was even more popular than ever.
Because the illustration of the main character was updated.
Asuna is expected to become the First Generation's virtual goddess.
After all, in her past life, Asuna was a well-known hard-worker on some hard-to-find websites.
Her charm was self-evident.
When Haruki saw the long queue stretching dozens of meters outside the bookstore, he felt like he was seeing golden ingots with wings flying into his pocket.
In this cultural desert, there was gold everywhere.
After some thought, he decided not to disturb Tomomi Koki, who was swamped with work, and instead headed to the Research institute.
Now, according to his classification, there were seven groups in the Research institute.
Among them was the Network Research Group, which was established a few days ago.
It was composed of personnel transferred from the original Scientific Research Group, all of whom were experts in computers.
There were some ninjas, but most were civilians.
Even though there were many unclear points, after a long and arduous explanation, Haruki managed to convey the concept of the network to them.
The leader of the Network Research Group, Mari Motohashi, had her jaw dropped in surprise.
She could foresee that this method of easily connecting people without relying on Chakra would bring about a unique impact and revolution.
"Lord Haruki."
Mari Motohashi, holding two wires in her hands, noticed Haruki's arrival. She turned around, and her beautiful face was streaked with black and white, looking like a little kitten.
"What happened to you?" Haruki asked in surprise.
"I was working on the circuit earlier. There might have been a loose connection, which caused a fire. It's a minor issue. I'm used to it."
Mari Motohashi casually wiped her face, turning herself from a kitten into a coal miner.
Haruki pointed at her face.
"Huh?"
Mari Motohashi instinctively looked at her body and spun around, causing her white lab coat to flutter.
"Is there a problem? My clothes aren't damaged. Even if they were, it doesn't matter because I'm wearing another one underneath. I wear it all the time except when I'm sleeping."
"..."
Although Haruki was already used to her absent-mindedness, he still felt a headache at this moment.
"No, it's your face."
Haruki simply used Chakra to form a water mirror.
"Oh, this. It's okay. It'll just get dirty again after I wash it."
Mari Motohashi glanced at the mirror and waved her hand, looking nonchalant.
Haruki couldn't help but have his doubts.
Are you really doing network research?
People who didn't know better might think you were an electrician.
"Did you come here to ask about the progress, sir?"
Mari Motohashi became more serious when talking about work.
"Sort of."
In fact, Haruki was just bored and thought of the network, so he ended up here.
Of course, he definitely hoped for some progress.
But network-related matters are so complex that it's impossible to achieve any results in just one week.
"We've followed your orders, sir, and connected all the computers in the research building with communication lines to form a simple local area network, but it'll probably take some more time to make it work."
As expected.
Mari Motohashi confirmed his suspicion.
"It's okay. Take your time. Keep working, and I'll go see Orochimaru."
Haruki didn't urge her either.
Mari's eyes lit up when she heard the name Orochimaru.
Her idol was Orochimaru.
Haruki heard that when the Oshima Chamber of Commerce found her in the big city of the Land of Fire, she initially refused, but after learning that she could become a colleague of Orochimaru, Mari left her hometown and came here.
However, after all this time, she had hardly seen Orochimaru.
It could only be said that before getting to know Orochimaru, his appearance and the Sannin's battle achievements were quite popular among girls.
Moreover, he had his own charm.
In the original Naruto story, he was able to establish the Sound Ninja Village, and so many people followed him. It wasn't just about his strength.
"I'm so jealous of you, sir, being able to see Lord Orochimaru anytime."
"You can too," Haruki encouraged her. "We're all colleagues. Don't be shy."
"I've tried, but he wouldn't see me," Mari gritted her teeth. "He said not to bother him with trivial things."
Tsk.
No wonder he's single.
Haruki couldn't help but shake his head but didn't say anything more.
Maybe he really didn't need it.
After all, even his children were artificial humans.
Orochimaru's laboratory.
After entering, the atmosphere became cold and gloomy.
Haruki stared at the naked person floating in a transparent cylinder and couldn't help but be a little shocked.
He looked exactly like Orochimaru.
There was no doubt that it was a clone.
"Did you succeed?"
Haruki rarely showed an excited look. If the cloning technology was perfected, he could start another plan of his.
"No."
Unfortunately, Orochimaru's answer poured cold water on him.
"This body is all form and no substance and has no real use. It's still a long way from my perfect vessel."
Haruki didn't feel disappointed.
Compared to before, it was already a huge improvement.
He believed that with Orochimaru's smart brain, it wouldn't take long for him to bring him a pleasant surprise and also reduce his financial expenditure.
"Do you need my help?"
"What help can you offer?" Orochimaru retorted without hesitation.
"..."
Haruki fell silent.
He really couldn't offer any help.
Orochimaru snorted. If it weren't for him providing funds, he wouldn't have bothered chatting with this amateur guy.
"Is there anything else?"
This was clearly a hint to leave.
Haruki twitched the corner of his mouth.
Don't you get it? The one with the money calls the shots!
"Would it go faster with the help of the Hyuga clan?"
"Byakugan?" Orochimaru gave him a surprised look and pondered for a moment. "If it's the Byakugan, it would save me some effort. But are you sure those guys won't expose us if they participate in our experiment?"
"No."
Haruki narrowed his eyes. "I have my own way. How many do you need?"
"Give me ten."
"Alright."
Haruki replied.
Orochimaru was a bit surprised.
Although he knew that Haruki had reached an agreement with the Hyuga clan using the Cage Bird jutsu, human experiments seriously violated the village's regulations. How could those who usually supported the Hokage lineage tolerate it?
Did he drug them or something?
Naturally, Haruki didn't know what Orochimaru was thinking. After bidding him farewell, he went to the Hyuga clan.
As a noble family, the Hyuga clan's mansion always reminded him of the Japanese historical dramas he had watched in his previous life.
After announcing his arrival, Haruki was able to meet Hyuga Kazushi.
"Please."
Hyuga Kazushi personally brewed the tea and served it in front of him.
"Clan Head Hyuga, there's no need to be so polite."
Haruki smiled and took the teacup, taking a sip. He couldn't tell whether the tea was good or not.
It'd be better to have a cola.
He could tell the difference between Pepsi and Coke.
"I wonder what brings you here today, Lord Haruki?"
Hyuga Kazushi still maintained his polite attitude.
Haruki didn't insist either. He put down the teacup and smiled gently. "Clan Head Hyuga, have you ever heard of the Tenseigan?"
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