The White Snake Sage squinted at the strange diagrams Mufasa had drawn on the ground, trying to make sense of them.
It was all nonsense to him.
This so-called "scientific method" was just as incomprehensible as human emotions.
But if it meant his kin didn't have to appear on the battlefield, that was acceptable.
"Fine. We'll do it your way," the sage relented. "But let's talk about the chakra cost and offerings."
Even if Kamen Riders had chakra, Mufasa wasn't about to let them waste their own reserves on summoning contracts.
Every bit of chakra saved could mean the difference between victory and defeat in battle.
He offered two solutions.
"We can settle payments on a yearly basis. At the end of the year, we'll calculate summon usage, and the Sand Village will pay Ryuchi Cave accordingly."
"Alternatively, we could settle payment per summon. But that's a lot of hassle."
The White Snake Sage flicked its tail dismissively.
"Too much trouble. Let's do quarterly settlements instead. And remember—no payment, no summons."
Mufasa pounded his chest in assurance.
"No worries! I'm the most honest businessman in the ninja world. My reputation is flawless."
The two parties also established a ranking system for the snakes of Ryuchi Cave, assigning fees based on their level of power.
It was only fair.
A legendary summon like Manda wouldn't accept the same fee as a lesser snake.
After some back and forth, they settled on an S, A, and B ranking system, using jutsu classifications as a reference.
Different tiers, different prices.
With the details ironed out, they signed the "Sunagakure and Ryuchi Cave Labor Dispatch Contract."
Duration?
A hundred years.
Mufasa's reasoning was simple: summons from Ryuchi Cave lived far longer than humans.
A century was nothing to them.
The White Snake Sage eyed Mufasa with skepticism.
"A hundred years? You're confident you'll even be around? The ninja world barely goes a decade without war."
Mufasa just grinned. "Doesn't matter. The contract will outlast me."
Deep within a secluded cavern in Ryuchi Cave, a small crowd had gathered.
Manda, Zenya, Orochimaru, and Kabuto all looked up at Mufasa, who sat cross-legged in the air, lost in thought.
Even the White Snake Sage, who rarely left its throne, had joined the gathering, intrigued by what Mufasa was about to do.
Because today, he was going to build a power projector.
Mufasa was a man of action. No overthinking—just do it. But first, he needed a working prototype.
Floating in midair, he mulled over the core principles.
The term "power projector" didn't feel right.
No—it wasn't just power.
It was energy.
With that realization, the pieces started falling into place.
He mentally mapped out the solution.
All matter in existence—whether visible or invisible, bright energy or dark energy—could be categorized into two forms.
The first was physical particles: tangible things like electrons, atoms, cells, planets.
The second was energy fields: intangible forces like gravity, electromagnetism, and chakra flow.
These two forms weren't separate.
They were interconnected, able to transform into one another.
They formed the very fabric of reality.
The key to his power projector lay in this principle.
Waves and particles coexisted in all things.
Light, for example, behaved both as a particle and a wave.
Scientists in his past life had divided energy into packets, calling them quanta.
Even subatomic particles like electrons exhibited this strange duality.
The quantum realm was proof that mass and energy were fundamentally linked.
Einstein had even formulated it into an equation: the mass-energy equivalence principle.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was the vast cosmic scale—the motion of galaxies, the bending of spacetime itself.
The laws governing the microscopic world and the macroscopic universe weren't so different.
They followed a common set of rules.
If he could harness those rules, he could transfer energy remotely, bypassing the need for physical presence.
Theoretically, a summon's power could be projected across space and time without its actual body leaving Ryuchi Cave.
For example, as a physical particle, the earth has its own curved space-time orbit.
As a physical particle, the sun also has its own curved space-time orbit, and nine planets move along its space-time path.
By analogy, the entire universe can be regarded as an organic physical particle.
According to this understanding, every physical particle, from atoms, molecules, and cells to buildings on Earth, should have its own space-time orbit.
However, due to the effect of Earth's gravitational field, these particles become components of Earth's massive physical presence.
Before escaping Earth's gravitational pull, their space-time orbits are engulfed and submerged within Earth's own trajectory.
According to the general theory of relativity, only when gravitational force and inertial force are balanced can the true space-time range be reflected.
If the Sun's gravitational force exceeds Earth's inertia, Earth would be pulled into the Sun's surface, eliminating its distinct space-time orbit.
Conversely, if Earth escapes the solar system, it will fall into the gravitational field of the Milky Way, becoming part of its space-time trajectory.
From this analysis, we can infer that time and space are not independent structures but are instead intrinsic field energy constructs tied to the astral bodies that possess them.
Whether it is electrons, atoms, celestial bodies, or entire galaxies, their space-time orbits are inseparable from the energy fields they generate.
This structure can be termed the space-time field-energy construct.
There is a constant transformation of energy within this framework, manifesting as gravitational waves.
This transformation occurs through the mutual conversion between mass and energy, releasing or absorbing energy in waveforms.
Quantum.
Electromagnetic waves.
Space-time orbits.
Space-time field-energy constructs.
Gravitational waves.
These terms continuously flashed through Mufasa's mind.
Knowledge is power.
The very essence of space-time ninjutsu lies within this range.
"I can convert the chakra from the White Snake's magic into quantum form, accelerate it beyond my body's space-time track, and transmit it along the space-time track to the Kamen Rider belt in the form of quantum waves," Mufasa realized.
"The Rider belt will conduct the quantum wave into the Rider's space-time orbit, enabling seamless energy transfer."
As long as the snake continues providing chakra, the waves will persist, and the energy will remain uninterrupted.
"I see it now!"
It wasn't just theoretical—it was real. The concept wasn't a joke but an actual working principle.
'Damn... so Quantum Mechanics does work?'
Mufasa's eyes snapped open.
The White Snake Sage, Orochimaru, Kabuto, Zenya, and Manda saw that his eyes now glowed like two miniature suns, illuminating the ancient cave that had been shrouded in darkness for thousands of years.
Suddenly, arcs of electricity crackled in the void surrounding Mufasa.
Orochimaru and the others merely saw flickering lightning, but the White Snake Sage perceived something far deeper.
She had always been acutely aware of every occurrence within Ryūchi Cave.
But now, she felt something inexplicable—Mufasa seemed to exist in Ryūchi Cave and yet, at the same time, not exist at all.
How was this possible?
For the first time, the White Snake Sage questioned her own perception.
"Am I growing old?"
In reality, Mufasa had entered a state of quantum entanglement.
Like Schrödinger's paradox, he was both present and absent at the same time.
How could a feudal-era practitioner of natural energy understand the intricacies of quantum mechanics?
If Mufasa could fully quantize himself, he could do countless things.
For example, teleport instantly to any location.
Or transmit energy to Tsunade and Kurotsuchi in the form of quantum waves.
(????)??))))))
"…Wait, does sending waves without someone's consent count as a crime?"
"Would it be judged by the number of transmissions or the overall frequency?"
"In the quantum state… am I still me?"
Such deep, philosophical questions jolted Mufasa from his entangled state.
He shuddered, caught between exhilaration and fear.
"Damn… I nearly sent myself into oblivion."
Theory is one thing; practice is another.
He had been experimenting on himself before even fully validating the process.
"If there's a flaw in my understanding, I'll literally play myself to death."
A cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
"Note to self: always test on someone else first."
Mufasa's gaze landed on Zenya and Manda.
Perfect test subjects.
'I'm sure they'd be willing to… 'volunteer' as a tribute...'
Clearing his throat, Mufasa said, "Alright, I've figured it out."
"The energy transfer between the snake and Kamen Rider is resolved."
Everyone was shocked.
"…You just sat there for a few minutes, and it's done?"
Mufasa clapped his hands together.
Three thousand nature energy-charged judgement eyes emerged and circled around him.
The natural eyes absorbed the ambient energy of Ryūchi Cave and transmitted it to Mufasa, turning his eyes golden.
The sheer amount of energy required to construct the quantum space-time energy conversion gravitational wave generator was immense.
Mufasa poured all his chakra and sage chakra into it.
His entire body entered an immortalized state.
His golden eyes burned brightly.
Golden markings traced patterns around them.
Three thousand judgement eyes revolved behind him.
Mufasa struck the ground lightly.
Forty tons of steel crashed down with a thunderous impact.
The White Snake Sage, Zenya, and Manda froze.
Mufasa grinned.
"As a scientist, carrying a few dozen tons of steel with me is completely normal."
The three snakes exchanged glances.
'We're snakes, not idiots.'
The joke was over.
Mufasa had sage chakra in his left hand and standard chakra in his right hand.
He pressed his palms together.
Facing the steel on the ground, he channeled his chakra.
A sizzle echoed as two streams of energy surged forward like raging torrents, instantly enveloping the forty tons of steel.
Electricity crackled in the air, arcing between the currents.
Quantum space-time energy conversion gravitational wave generator.
It was finally happening.
While steel was necessary, the rest of the materials were forged purely from chakra.
To fuel this creation, Mufasa relentlessly drew upon his own cells and rapidly absorbed natural energy from the surrounding area.
The vast energy reserves of Ryuchi Cave were unparalleled, yet the way Mufasa consumed it made even the White Snake Sage speechless.
"No, slow down, you reckless brat!" the White Snake Sage coughed.
"Absorb gradually!"
"You're going to drain my sacred land dry!"
Mufasa ignored the warnings.
There was no time to waste.
He needed energy. And he needed it now.
Finally, when his very cells felt numb and the air itself seemed deprived of natural energy, the generator was complete.
With a loud bang, Mufasa halted the chakra output.
The lightning dissipated, revealing the true form of his creation.
The White Snake Sage, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the others watched as a massive silver disc, over 300 meters in diameter, materialized on the ground.
Its surface was covered in intricate circuit-like engravings, reminiscent of ancient seals.
For convenience, Mufasa had designed the quantum space-time energy conversion gravitational wave generator as a large disc, allowing massive creatures to coil around it effortlessly.
Three metallic rods were positioned along the edges, capable of moving and rotating at will.
Atop each rod sat a metallic sphere, each embedded with card slots.
These were the gravitational wave locators.
By inserting a Kamen Rider's card into the corresponding slot, the Rider's energy would synchronize with the chakra beast's energy, breaking it down into quantum waves and transmitting it through the poles into the Rider.
The gathered summons and shinobi encircled the generator, their eyes widening in awe.
The engravings on the metallic disc shimmered, resembling both elegant floral patterns and intricate spellwork.
It was a breathtaking sight—simple yet majestic.
Everyone was speechless.
Mufasa took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a transformation belt and two blank cards.
They landed atop Manda's massive head.
The White Snake Sage narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are those?"
Mufasa smirked.
"That disk on the ground is called the Quantum Space-Time Energy Conversion Gravitational Wave Generator."
Just the name alone made the White Snake Sage and the others dizzy.
Mufasa chuckled. "I know, it's a mouthful. Let's skip the lecture and go straight to the demonstration."
"Manda, channel your chakra into these two blank cards."
Manda hesitated for a moment, then complied.
As his chakra poured in, the blank cards shimmered, turning a deep purple-red.
Mufasa nodded. "That's it. Now, Kamen Riders can connect to their designated summons by inserting these cards."
Manda slithered onto the disc, sliding one of his cards into a slot atop one of the metal spheres.
Despite his massive size, simply resting on the generator did not interfere with the energy flow.
Mufasa flipped the crude card between his fingers. "Too basic. I need to find someone to refine these designs. Maybe add ranking levels, images of the summons, abilities… something flashier."
Once that was done—
Rank A summoning cards.
Manda's energy, refined and converted.
Kamen Rider transformation activated.
That would be pure badassery.
Mufasa tossed the transformation belt and a card into Kabuto's hands.
Another he handed to Manda.
Manda flicked his tongue, eyeing the card warily.
Mufasa instructed, "Manda, lie down on the disc and insert your card into any of the three ball slots."
Lying down was easy.
Inserting the card? Not so much.
Manda's colossal size made handling the tiny card a struggle. The slot was thin, the card small, and his massive body was built for crushing, not precision.
The great serpent struggled, flicking the card repeatedly but failing to insert it.
Mufasa's face darkened. "Damn it… I accounted for humans but not for snakes."
Kabuto observed before offering a solution. "Why not use drones? We could control them with chakra. The drone would handle the card insertion."
Mufasa's eyes lit up. "Brilliant. Let's do it."
It was unreasonable to expect giant summons to handle delicate operations.
With a few quick adjustments, he deployed drones to manage the card insertion process.
Future improvements would be necessary, of course.
Eventually, this place would house a drone hive—similar to a battery-charging cabinet, where drones could rest and await activation.
Summons would receive Rider signals through an embedded sensor within their fangs.
Upon activation, the energy transmission system would engage, sending a pulse to the generator.
A simple voice command would then trigger the drone to insert the summoning card into the slot.
The summon would rest atop the disc, their energy ready for transmission.
Now, at long last, the first-ever Kamen Rider transformation was set to take place.
And the one to test it?
Kabuto.