Yes, the Hokage

Of course, their arrogance only lasted a few minutes. After seeing Itachi Uchiha blend into the group of children so naturally, the two of them transformed from arrogant Uchiha into a goofy duo within minutes.

"Watch closely! This is the ultimate martial arts technique personally passed down by Master Dai!"

With a loud shout, Tetsuka fully displayed the Konoha man's physique, with arms so strong they could run a horse, and held out his hands, with five or six giggling little devils hanging from them like monkeys hanging from a tree; Inahi was not to be outdone, and lay down on the ground, with many children sitting on his back, doing one-handed push-ups.

"Well, you've really made the most of your mental age, which is on par with that of a little kid." Feng Lan shrugged and looked at the other children.

These children, orphaned by the war, had long experienced the harsh realities of life. Therefore, despite their young age, they were very mature. Even though they were staring longingly at the several large boxes of gifts, their faces full of yearning, not one of them actually asked for them.

"Children, this is a gift that the Fourth Hokage asked me to give you." Feng Lan smiled and included Minato's name, not only to boost Minato's reputation, but also to subtly guide the children, making them feel that the Hokage's kindness was inexhaustible, so that they would naturally want to become ninjas to repay his kindness in the future.

He promised not to force the children to become ninjas, but he didn't say he wouldn't guide them secretly, since some of the children have quite good potential.

"Long live the Hokage!" Sure enough, the children could no longer contain themselves and rushed forward with cheers. However, they were still very well-behaved and knew to line up to receive their gifts without being told.

Toys and clothes are essential for every child, but not many candies were given because Nonoyu said that the children have been treated too well lately and have developed cavities. Of course, books are also indispensable, since knowledge is power.

Compared to the children who were brought in early on and settled in the orphanage, the children who were just sent from Konoha and Kirigakure, and the children with bloodline limits, seemed very reserved, after all, they still considered themselves outsiders.

Feng Lan wasn't in a hurry. After distributing the food to the other children, she waved to the Hidden Mist Village children who were standing nearby, swallowing their saliva: "Come on over, the Hokage has prepared your portions too."

It was clear that while the children were full of anticipation, they were also somewhat hesitant. The leader of the group said in a deep voice, "So, what is the price?"

Feng Lan glanced at him and noticed that the group of children from Kirigakure were all quite young, and that they were led by two people. Coincidentally, these two people were Kimimaro and Haku.

They were actually only three or four years old, but Kimimaro was imprisoned because his personality was incompatible with the innate war-crazed nature of the Kaguya clan. Haku was even more destitute because his father killed his mother with his own hands after being brainwashed by the Blood Mist Village. He had experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships and was therefore much more mature than he appeared.

The one who just asked Fenglan was Kimimaro.

"There's no price to pay, it's just a simple gift for you children." Feng Lan shrugged.

"If Konoha doesn't need us to do anything, why did they go to the trouble of retrieving us from Kirigakure?" Kimimaro's question made it clear that he was not a child who could be easily fooled.

"I brought you from Kirigakure to Konoha to take care of you because each of you possesses unique skills. If you can become ninjas in the future, you will greatly supplement Konoha's fighting strength." Feng Lan spread his hands. "Of course, you don't need to worry about being forcibly conscripted. The Fourth Hokage will not allow the forced recruitment of children. So in the future, I will use generous treatment to attract you to become ninjas, rather than violence. As for those who do not want to become ninjas, don't worry. The Land of Fire is large enough to accommodate you children. Dean Nonou and I will also use our connections to help you make a living."

"Whether you believe it or not, that's all in the future. For now, just behave like a child, eat and drink well, and celebrate the Reincarnation Festival."

His fairly sincere words reassured many of the children, who then began to line up. However, Bai asked with a hint of confusion, "With this ominous bloodline, is there really anywhere else for us besides war and slaughter?"

Unlike Kimimaro, Haku, although a boy, looks and has a personality that is very much like a girl, especially his compassionate and pure white nature. He has no resentment towards his father who killed his mother and wanted to kill him. Instead, he began to hate himself for having a bloodline limit and instinctively killing his father.

"Of course there is." Feng Lan also knows how to prescribe the right medicine for the right person. She is good at saying one thing to one person and another to another. She can easily fool little girls... no, little boys.

He walked up and patted Bai's little head. "What is your ability?"

Bai lowered his head somewhat sadly: "It's... creating and manipulating ice."

“Then you can make ice cream and sell popsicles in the future,” Feng Lan said with a smile. “Although Konoha is very cold in winter, it is extremely hot in summer. Even if you don’t sell those cold drinks, your ability to make ice can help many people just by spreading cold air.”

"My power... can help many people?" Bai's dim eyes suddenly lit up.

Ah, this kid is so easy to fool.

Feng Lan thought to herself, but on the surface she put on a cheerful smile, struck the same pose as Dai, and gave a thumbs up: "Yes, we can!"

Chapter 204 We call this Gundam

When Fenglan entered the laboratory, Beiluhu was squatting in front of a dark, indistinct object, performing welding work.

"Ah Bei, working again? Take a break, okay?" Feng Lan casually placed a bag on the table by the door.

"Hmph, what do those festivals for mortals have to do with a genius like me?" Hiruko stuffed a disgusting tentacle-like thing into his ninja umbrella without turning his head. "Get out of the way, don't interfere with my research."

"Okay, I've left the gift at the door." Feng Lan shrugged and walked out. "By the way, Zhi Shui won't be coming today either, so no one will bring you food. Remember to come out and eat by yourself."

"Wait a minute! How could you just agree like that! That's not how it's written in Ga La Ge Mu Li!" Hiruko behind him no longer cared about putting on airs. "You should have repeatedly begged me to go out and participate in the Samsara Festival, prostrating yourself three times to invite me, and only then did I reluctantly give you face and agree to go out for a stroll!"

Feng Lan: "...If you want to come, just say so. You're already so old, why are you being so tsundere?"

"You bastard! What happened to the promised chief scientist benefits?!"

"Being a chief scientist and being arrogant are two different things, especially since you haven't produced any results yet."

"Hmph!" Hiruko became smug again when he mentioned this. "Ignorant mortal, your biggest mistake is to regard the great Lord Hiruko as one of those idiots in the R&D department who are just drawing salaries without working!"

"Well, I don't object to the fact that the R&D department is paid without working, so after the Third Hokage died, I just fired them." Feng Lan shrugged. "So you've already got results, so show them to us."

"Your attitude isn't sincere at all! You need to be more expectant and more admiring!"

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that. Let's talk about what Manda did before he died..."

"Shut up! If you dare use this joke to tease me again, I'll turn you into a thousand snakes too!"

"..."

The two exchanged pointless words as they arrived at the underground training ground next to the laboratory. Hiruko casually raised the ninja umbrella he had been polishing: "Open your eyes wide and see what a true masterpiece looks like!"

"Hmm... if you're talking about aesthetics, then it's truly genius-level. I'm starting to lose my sanity." Feng Lan couldn't help but complain. The ninja umbrella, which was originally pitch black and convenient for movement in the night, was now not only colorful but also covered with tentacle patterns, giving it a vaguely K-style look.

Regardless of Professor Da Bei's research ability, his aesthetic sense certainly needs improvement.

"You... Fine, I won't argue with a fool like you. Let me show you the true power of this umbrella!" Hiruko suddenly spun the umbrella handle, and a large number of jet-black threads burst forth from it, instantly filling half of the training ground.

"These are the tentacles of the Earth Grudge Fear... Wait a minute?" Feng Lan's eyes narrowed slightly, because the tentacles floating in mid-air were gleaming with an obsidian-like brilliance. "Iron Sand?"

“That’s right!” Hiruko injected a little chakra into it, and the originally soft and weak tentacles instantly became incredibly hard, forming an indestructible net in mid-air. “I used the fusion ability of Kigara to fuse the tentacles of the Earth Grudge Fear with the iron sand, creating this new material that has both the hardness of iron sand and its resistance to metal products, as well as the unique softness and ductility of the Earth Grudge Fear.”

As he explained, chakra was continuously injected, and the iron sand tentacles changed shape constantly in mid-air. They were indeed much more flexible and convenient than ordinary iron sand, and could be released and withdrawn at will, without the delay in retracting the move that existed after the ninja umbrella released the Iron Sand World Technique in the past.

"Not bad, not bad." Feng Lan clapped her hands. "For Hiruko, this is quite a good expansion."

"What the hell is 'Hiruko'?! Is 'Hiruko' an adjective?!" Hiruko first angrily retorted, then regained her confident and composed demeanor. "Hmph, I won't waste my breath arguing with you. You'll see how powerful this umbrella is once you try it yourself."

"Alright, since the actual festival is still a while away, I'll play along with you." Feng Lan shrugged and casually took the ninja umbrella.

The moment he picked up the scientific ninja tool, his gaze sharpened. It was a rather peculiar feeling, as if a part of his mind had extended into the ninja umbrella in his hand. This thing was not just a weapon, but an organ of his own body, which he could control at will with his mind and chakra.

The moment Feng Lan's thoughts and chakra stirred, the giant iron sand tentacles shot out from the ninja umbrella combined in mid-air to form a large hand, which raised... the middle finger towards Hiruko.

At this moment, Hiruko's expression was almost identical to that of the melon stall owner: "Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?"

"Ahem, it was a mistake, a mistake. I've only just started using it." Feng Lan coughed twice and quickly switched her middle finger to her thumb.

"This is truly unexpected flexibility." Feng Lan's eyes lit up. Compared to the Sand Iron Realm Technique, which could only take on a fixed form, the superiority of these Sand Iron Tentacles was practically obvious.

No, not only that, but a part of it can also be separated.

Feng Lan raised his other hand and directly separated a sand iron shuriken from the ninja umbrella, which fell into his left hand. He then threw the shuriken away while rapidly forming hand seals: "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

"Whoosh whoosh—!"

This single sand shuriken, separated from the ninja umbrella, can also be enhanced by ninjutsu, splitting into countless entities that are then hammered into different wooden stakes with a series of crackling sounds.

“This move…” Hiruko’s eyes narrowed slightly, “is the Third Hokage’s signature ninjutsu, isn’t it?”

“Well, Orochimaru’s forbidden technique scrolls aren’t all forbidden techniques. There are quite a few of these very practical high-level and low-level ninjutsu. I can give you a copy if you want.” Feng Lan shrugged and continued to examine the ninja umbrella in his hand.

"Ahem, with my extraordinary talent, Kiyomaru, why would I need to study such mundane and ordinary ninjutsu?" Hiruko said, striking a pose while naturally extending his hand. "However, if you insist on having me add more ninjutsu to the Ninja Umbrella, I am not unwilling to condescend to take a look."

[Tch, such a tsundere.]

Although Fenglan doesn't fall for tsundere tactics at all, after spending a long time with Hiruko, she knows that he is extremely concerned about his image and craves recognition from others. Otherwise, Kakashi wouldn't have made him suddenly realize—ah, so comrades are the most important thing, ah, so this is the Will of Fire—with just a few words at the end of the movie.

Although he didn't believe in the Will of Fire, he had already used enough provocation and suppression on his teacher, and now that the other party had produced such a result, it was time to give him a little reward: "Yes, yes, yes, Sir Hiruko is quick-witted and exceptionally intelligent. I humbly request that you study this scroll carefully."

As he spoke, he pulled out Orochimaru's forbidden technique scroll. Anyway, the Uchiha clan had a replica, so he could just go get it later.

"Hmph, you have good taste." Hiruko first adopted a haughty posture before arrogantly accepting the scroll, but the moment she opened it, she let out a child's excited shout of receiving ice cream, "Oh! Oh oh oh!"

When he was young, he didn't have much talent and couldn't get his hands on the training methods for ninjutsu recorded on the scroll. How could he not be excited now that he had it? He immediately squatted down and began to study it eagerly.

Feng Lan didn't disturb him and continued to study the Sand Iron Ninja Umbrella in his hand. The result surprised and delighted him. In addition to the umbrella's own ability to amplify the Five Elements Ninjutsu, the large hand formed by the Sand Iron Ninja Umbrella could actually replace hand seals.

Although the meaning of this ability is somewhat unclear, it can also demonstrate Hiruko's intelligence. You should know that using external objects to perform hand seals is a unique effect that only Madara Uchiha's Susanoo has. I didn't expect that the scientific ninja tool developed by Hiruko-sensei would have the same effect.

Wait, if it can replace hand seals, then wouldn't that be...?

With a thought, Feng Lan once again manipulated the iron sand tentacles into sharp arrows, thrusting them straight at a wooden stake. Just as the arrows struck their target...

"It's done!" He widened his eyes in excitement. In his perception, there was a new landing point for space-time teleportation. This sand iron ninja umbrella, which was like a part of his body, could actually be used to mark the enemy with the Flying Thunder God mark in this way!

This ability is useless to most ninjas, but it's a completely different story for him and Minato. A single Iron Sand Technique can not only clear out the soldiers, but also fill the entire battlefield with Flying Thunder God marks, making it impossible to defend against.

"Mmm...mmm...whoa!"

Unfortunately, Hiruko's progress on the other side seemed to be going poorly. After studying the forbidden scroll for half a day, he couldn't help but angrily slam it on the ground: "What the hell is this! How could such a strange chakra flow trajectory be simulated in the ninja umbrella!"

"There's nothing we can do about it. The more powerful the ninjutsu, the higher the requirements for chakra control." Feng Lan shrugged. "So what we need at this time is not the ninja umbrella, but this."

He pulled a scroll from his pocket and handed it to Hiruko, giving her a thumbs-up: "White Secret Technique - Chikamatsu Ten Guards!"

"A puppet?" Hiruko frowned, took the scroll and studied it for a while, then angrily threw it to the ground. "This is still a rip-off! It's like you think I can control puppets. I can't even control ordinary puppets, how could I possibly control a masterpiece like the White Secret Technique!"

"Come on, calm down. Didn't I just get the puppet control technique from Granny Chiyo?" Feng Lan took out a second scroll and handed it over.

Himiko squinted her old eyes and studied the scroll for a long time before angrily throwing it to the ground again: "You trying to scare your father to death! The principles behind this are almost as complicated as those of Oni-Gama! What nonsense about chakra threads not being able to be knotted, what nonsense about one thing affecting the whole body..."

"So you mean even someone like you who considers themselves a genius can't learn it?" Feng Lan cast a malicious glance at him.

"How, how is this possible!" Hiruko jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Give me some time, I will definitely..."

“I don’t think you need to be in such a hurry.” Feng Lan stopped Hiruko, who was eager to run off to practice puppetry. “In the end, even if we really developed a powerful ninja tool puppet that could be controlled entirely by puppetry, it would only benefit Sunagakure. Their expertise in puppetry is far superior to ours.”

"I think it would be better if you used the Demon Sprout Technique to fuse the puppet parts and the Sand Iron Earth Grudge Tentacles together, creating a puppet like the Ninja Umbrella that can be driven by willpower. Wouldn't that allow you to skip the puppetry control stage?"

"Hmm...that seems to make some sense." Hiruko stroked his chin.

“I think it has great potential.” Feng Lan took out the third scroll. “These are the secret methods for making various puppets. You can refer to them. If you make a super-large puppet, it can be used as an attack ninja tool and also protect the caster. Its huge size is itself a weapon with great destructive power. If you can incorporate the flying technology of the Sky Ninja Village and make it a flying puppet, that would be even better.”

“Theoretically, it can be fused together using Oni-Garuru, but…” Hiruko pondered for a moment, feeling a bit uneasy, “Isn’t this just Susanoo? All my effort is wasted, it’s not as good as the Uchiha awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan?”

“That’s not how you say it.” Feng Lan immediately put on a serious face like Commander Ikari. “How can Susanoo be compared to your great research results? In Konoha, we call this Gundam.”

"This is something I painstakingly researched, why name it something so strange!" Hiruko immediately objected.

"Well, well, 'Gundam' is the general name for this series of super ninja tools. When it comes to a specific one, you can totally name it after you," Feng Lan patted his shoulder to comfort him. "For example, the first puppet that we researched could be called Hiruko No. 1, and the ones that followed would be Hiruko No. 2 and No. 3..."

"What a tacky name..."

"If you don't like it, I can ask the Fourth Hokage to name it himself," Feng Lan said with a smile. "If the Hokage names it himself, you won't have any complaints, right?"

"Cough cough!" Hiruko choked on his own saliva and waved his hands repeatedly. "Never mind, let's talk about it later. I'll come up with a name for it myself after I've successfully developed it."

Although they hadn't known each other for long, he had already gained a considerable understanding of Minato's naming abilities. For example, regarding the previous ninja umbrella, he planned to name it "Maple Shadow, Iron Wire, Flying Lightning Dance Umbrella, Ice Cream Style" (because Minato was eating ice cream at the time).

If Minato were to name his own creation, he feared the puppet might come up with something like "Super Giant Steel Bullet Hiruko Ultimate Colossus Zero Spiral Flash Dance Heaven and Earth Explosion Martial God".

Even someone as eager to be seen as him would find it too shameful.

Chapter 205 My God, there was an unexpected bonus!

After achieving the future plan of hand-building Gundam, Feng Lan at least gave Hiruko a way out, and the guy took the opportunity to come outside with him to participate in the Samsara Festival.

"Hmm?" As soon as he arrived on the street, Hiruko frowned. After all, he was a veteran ninja from the same era as the Sannin, and he still had the necessary ninja experience. "Why are there so many Anbu? Don't you give them a break?"

"There's no other way. To prepare for any possible situations, we have to make the ninjas work overtime during the Reincarnation Festival." Feng Lan shrugged. "But don't worry, I'm not a devil who demands unpaid overtime from my subordinates. They'll be paid five times their usual salary, plus an extra three days off after the Reincarnation Festival."

"What are the various situations you're talking about?" Hiruko was a little confused. In his view, Konoha was the standard overlord of the ninja world right now, so why would anyone dare to cause trouble during the Samsara Festival?

"Oh, I'm afraid Madara might just activate Susanoo and storm in," Fenglan replied calmly.

"puff--!"

Hiruko, who had just bought a cup of ginger tea from a street stall, spat it out upon hearing this: "Madara? That Uchiha Madara?"

"Is there another Madara in the ninja world who requires me to go to such lengths?" Feng Lan looked at him as if he were an idiot.

“But according to the investigation results of the First and Second Hokage, Madara is already dead.” Hiruko’s expression looked a little strange. It was clear that when Black Zetsu and Madara tried to recruit him, they not only used the Sharingan to lure him, but also warned him.

"The first and second generation masters themselves are dead, but they still fought alongside us in the Dragon Cave not long ago," Feng Lan chuckled.

"You mean... Edo Tensei? Orochimaru?" Hiruko also began to connect the dots.

“That’s right. Orochimaru’s hands were sealed by the Third Hokage. Although he escaped Konoha using the Reverse Summoning Technique, he probably won’t be able to establish himself in the ninja world on his own.” Feng Lan’s timing was perfect and his attack was ruthless, so Orochimaru had no chance to establish Otogakure. “In the current situation, even if he joins another village, he will be imprisoned and used as a researcher. Besides, those villages wouldn’t dare to truly oppose Konoha. Only by joining Black Zetsu will he have a chance to seek revenge on me.”

"So it's possible that Black Zetsu could be resurrected through Orochimaru..." Hiruko frowned, "But Madara's body is with you!"

“The Impure World Reincarnation doesn’t require the entire body; just a portion of the genetic material sufficient to recreate that person’s information is enough,” Feng Lan replied calmly. “Do you think Black Zetsu might leave behind some of his body tissue for future use?”

Even disregarding the Impure World Reincarnation, Madara Uchiha was a reincarnation of Indra's chakra, and Black Zetsu would definitely be capable of leaving a part of his body for research.

"Can't we do something in advance to guard against this guy?" Judging from Hiruko's expression, he really didn't want to see Madara again. "Like, we could resurrect him with Edo Tensei and control him or something."

“It’s theoretically feasible, but it’s very difficult to do in practice.” Feng Lan spread his hands. “First of all, the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu is not recorded in either the forbidden scrolls left by Orochimaru or the forbidden scrolls passed down in Konoha. I think Orochimaru secretly learned it back then and kept it to himself, thus erasing it.”