Kaori knocked once and stepped into Ryu's office with the quiet of someone trained to be unheard.
"Hello Miss Kaori… You are here for the launch?" Ryu said to her.
Kaori smiled and said, "I am here for the vacant secretary post."
Ryu glanced at the papers in her hand and said, "You brought me a resume?"
"Yes," Kaori said, tone light. "I have months of secretarial experience."
Ryu's eyebrow rose. "All right then—how about an impromptu interview… What are your strongest qualities?"
Kaori didn't blink. "I almost died for my last boss."
Ryu snorted, unable to help it. "Perfect. You're hired." He started walking and asked, "How did the Hokage take it… your resignation?"
Kaori replied, "He told me to 'take care of my next boss.'"
The plaza was already packed. The new stage squared the space; above it the clustered screen gleamed, a grid of panels stitched into a single big display. People had already started to gather, anticipation sparking from group to group.
On a high rooftop, Konoha's elders watched the square. Danzo stood with arms folded, one eye a narrow slit on the boy below. Beside him, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane kept their counsel in low voices. A few steps away, the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi with his guards, Raido Namiashi, Genma Shiranui, and Iwashi Tatami, standing behind him. When he spotted Kaori at Ryu's shoulder, a private smile tugged the corner of his mouth.
From the opposite side, the Uchiha police leaders arrived as a unit—Fugaku with Shinnosuke Uchiha, the fuinjutsu grandmaster of the Uchiha clan. Behind them were Itachi and Shisui and other important people from the Uchiha clan. Any demonstration or public event needs approval from the Uchiha Police Force, so most were all here to see the event.
Shisui nodded towards the stage and whispered to Itachi, "Your friend is destined for great things. His bounty is already bigger than most of the Jonin's."
Itachi didn't answer, but his eyes stayed on Ryu, thoughtful.
In the crowd, many familiar faces are seen: Saya Uchiha, Kaito, Fumi and Takeshi.
Toshiro Senji arrived with his father, Tashiro Senju, and grandfather Natsurama Senju, the current leader of the Senju clan.
In the VIP rows, Dan sat between Yuki and Tsunade, with Shizune seated nearby and Ikkyu looking content as if aware of the outcome.
Ryu took the stage with Kaori half a pace behind him. Ryu tapped his microphone, and the speakers around the building made some noise. On cue, the crowd's noise dipped. He let the silence breathe, eyes sweeping the tiers of faces, then began. Ryu's video feed was displayed on the big screen behind him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to talk to you about something very important. The importance of communication. What does it achieve?"
"Communication is the key to understanding and connection between individuals. It allows us to share ideas, emotions, and information in a way that builds relationships and fosters collaboration."
"Ninjas had whole divisions dedicated to information gathering and sharing."
"If we do not communicate," he said, "we are no better than monkeys with better hygiene and less hair…. Less hair than most."
A surprised ripple of laughter ran wide and loosened shoulders.
"Trust", Ryu continued, "sits under every good relationship. You build it by honest conversation. Communication links families, businesses, allies—yes, even enemies."
Ryu looked around at the veteran ninjas among the crowd, identified by their old faces and ninja headbands on their bodies.
"Wars begin when dialogue ends. Hidden forces that love chaos feast on silence." He let a beat pass. "But today, that changes."
He held up a bulky flip phone high in the air and let the camera have a zoom-in shot of it.
"Long-distance communication exists right now, but only as secret ninjutsu guarded by great clans, expensive and slow to arrange, and often reserved for war. This—" he flipped the phone open with a crisp snap "—puts that reach in every hand, every day."
He painted uses in swift, practical strokes.
"Your son is in another country? … This will let you to talk to him."
"You are hungry and too tired to go out… Don't worry, your nearest restaurants are taking orders on this device."
"You are in a hospital, and they don't have your blood type… Don't worry; the other nearest hospital is on the device telling you that they just sent a man with what you need."
"Someone is trying to enter your home in the dark of the night… Don't worry … Uchiha police respond to a call in seconds and send men in minutes."
"Possibilities with this device are just endless."
The crowd cheered. Most of the smart ones have by now realised the potential of this device to provide quick and efficient solutions in various situations. The possibilities truly are endless with this technology.
"Without any further delay, let's show how this device works," Ryu said as he glanced down at the keypad and dialled. The ringtone piped through the plaza's speakers.
"Leaf Central Hospital, how may I help you?" came the receptionist's voice, clear and professional.
"Hello, ma'am. Quality check from Hamura Communications. Can you hear me clearly?"
"Yes, perfectly. You're our first caller. Thank you for your hard work."
Ryu smiled. "Thank you for your hard work." He ended the call.
Applause slammed like a wave and broke into cheers. Ryu let it rise and fall before raising a palm.
"The Leaf communication towers are operational now," he said. "The Fire Capital tower launches next month. The Land of Rivers within a few months. Within a year, lines of towers will stitch across nations. We will argue less and understand more because we can speak—exactly when it matters."
***
Down in the VIP seats, Tsunade muttered, "Damn brat stirs a crowd better than half the nobles I've met."
***
Ryu stepped forward. "Questions."
A young man with a strong jaw—Ibiki Morino—lifted his hand. "Will others be able to listen to our conversations?" He still had a full head of hair in this timeline, and there were no holes in his head for now.
Ryu replied, "I knew this question would come from a ninja."
"Since I started my speech with the importance of honest conversations, I will answer honestly."
"The simple answer is yes. The network operators can listen if there is no system to prevent it. I know Ninja conversations often carry secrets. So we built safeguards. Default encryption makes casual eavesdropping practically impossible for ordinary staff without technical expertise to bypass the encryption. It is not impossible but also not an easy thing to do."
"For customers that deal in confidential information and require the highest level of security and privacy, we have a seprate more advanced and secure devices that let only the user hold the encryption key."
"You yourself can set up the key, and only those with the key on the other end can listen to your conversation. And if you can always speak in codes on top of that encryption… like double layers of secrecy."
"I think that answers your question."
The crowd's murmur this time had weight to it—reassurance taking root. On the rooftops, a few clan leaders exchanged evaluations rather than glances.
Koharu cupped a hand and called from above, voice thin but carrying. "Why do you plan to launch it outside of the Fire Nation? Why risk such an asset outside of the country? Just keep it here."
Ryu looked up, unruffled. "That defeats the point. The aim is a direct line between Lord Hokage and the other Kage. If you fear others gaining the technology and benefiting from it, anyone who has seen this device and has the means and skill set can recreate it in a few years, even if I block it. So isn't it better to sell it to them now and capitalise on it?"
Most logical people understood Ryu's logic and began praising his strategic thinking and foresight in maximising the potential benefits of the technology. However, there were still some sceptics who worried about the consequences of sharing such advanced technology with other nations.
Homura rubbed his beard and nodded in agreement with Ryu's assessment. But on Danzo's face, nothing changed—but his eye narrowed by a breath. Danzo's thoughts chilled. "If the boy controls the network, he controls information itself. That cannot remain unchecked."
An elderly man enquired, "Could this device pose a threat by enabling our spies to communicate with their handlers in other countries?"
Ryu smiled and said, "That goes both ways."
The old man quickly understood it. If the spies of other ninja villages can use it, so can the spies of leaf villages.
Ryu continued, "This device will bring change to the world for the better, but we must also consider the potential risks and consequences of its widespread use. But like all tools, it depends on how we use it. But that doesn't mean we stop using knives in the kitchen just because they can be used as a weapon."
"But you are right to worry… as thinking about those possibilities helps build us systems and protocols to prevent such a scenario without trampling over the privacy of the people."
"The Hamura industry will cooperate with the Leaf Council to help build such a system."
****
Author's Note:
Why did I write a chapter when everyone is already aware of the benefits and drawbacks of telephones? On top of it, a few dialogues are repeated from when Ryu unveiled Hamura Industries.:
Ans. Sorry for that, but I needed to repeat a few lines.
Because we are taking the invention of Alexander Bell for granted. In this era of touch screens and swipes, we forgot the main intent of building the telephone system…. To bring the people together…over our own voice.
Personally, the era of flip phones was my favourite. Touch screens are good, but they cannot beat flip phones. Tell me in the comment section which one is your favourite, flip-phone or touchscreen?.
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