It was late July, summer.
It was already nearing evening when Shiraishi returned home from the Ninja Academy after work and heard some unexpected news from Ruri.
"Go out on a mission?"
Shiraishi was slightly surprised to hear Ruri say she wanted to go out on a mission.
"Yes, I've thought about it, and I'm not suited for the leisurely life of the Police Force. I've already submitted my transfer application."
Shiraishi thought about how Ruri had been working in the Police Force for over a year, and it was indeed about time she got bored of it.
Life in the Police Force was indeed too easy, and most of the matters they handled were civil disputes, leaving a powerful Jonin like Ruri with no place to use her skills.
Such matters could easily be handled by ordinary Uchiha ninjas.
The reason Ruri was assigned as a squad leader in the Police Force was also for the sake of 'gilding' her resume.
After all, the Police Force was an honorable department controlled by the Uchiha clan, and many Uchiha clan members considered it an honor to become a member of the Police Force.
But for Ruri, this was probably not an honor, but rather a boring and monotonous life.
"It's good to go out and clear your head."
"Do you want to come along?"
Regarding Ruri's invitation, Shiraishi scratched his head in distress and said, "No, I'll pass. My Sage Art research is only one step away from harmonization. Once I succeed, I'll consider it."
Ruri didn't insist, as Sage Art research was indeed an important matter.
She was also looking forward to Shiraishi mastering Sage Art quickly.
That way, her strength would once again undergo a leap-like growth, and her application of the Sharingan would also reach a higher level.
"By the way, since you're going out on a mission, you'll need to form a new team, right? With your current Jonin status, you probably can't join another Jonin team."
Normal missions are usually carried out in four-person teams.
There are also many times when special team formations are adopted, such as mixed units composed of several Chunin and Genin.
Generally, such situations occur during wartime.
Because at such times, the casualty rate of Jonin is also very high.
However, it was not wartime now, so the normal team mode was a four-person group.
One Jonin would be assigned three Chunin or Genin.
"A Jonin team leader recently died in action, and I'll be taking over as the captain of that team. The members seem to be fresh graduates."
"Haha, how unlucky! They just graduated and immediately faced the misfortune of their captain dying in action, and now they have to get a new captain in you."
The graduation season for the Ninja Academy is usually in March or April.
It was July now, which meant that the Genin of this team had only graduated for less than half a year when their Jonin team leader died in action during a mission.
They probably encountered some unfortunate accident during the mission.
After all, many missions entrusted by clients are full of traps and false information.
Such things often happen.
Ruri's decision to go out on a mission might be due to the lingering sadness from Sakumo's incident.
Shiraishi let her go.
With Ruri's strength, it was unlikely she would encounter any unexpected situations.
After all, leading a new team meant the mission difficulty wouldn't be too high.
This was completely different from when they were integrated into Sakumo's team.
◎
The next day.
Shiraishi went to Ruri's room and saw only a note left inside. After reading the content, he knew Ruri had already gone out.
He was a little unaccustomed to it at first, but quickly adjusted his mindset.
After breakfast, Shiraishi immersed himself in the laboratory, beginning to regulate the fusion mechanism of chakra and natural energy.
When chakra and natural energy exist separately, controlling them is not difficult.
Especially for those with naturally excellent control abilities, they can quickly get the hang of it and not waste a single bit of energy during combat.
However, once these two energies merge, they become difficult to control.
Inside the transparent tube, instruments were used to adjust the chakra and natural energy for fusion.
Then, it was left there, and Shiraishi went to do other research.
And this research was somewhat related to General Tsuchi, the mud golem.
After his last battle with Hyuga Kajin, a Jonin from the Hyuga Main House, he discovered that General Tsuchi could often provide assistance in combat.
For example, human bombs, human bombs, human bombs... In addition to its stealth capabilities, General Tsuchi's ambush abilities were also first-rate.
Although he himself didn't have strong combat abilities, he had an internal space that could hold many items, similar to the principle of sealing scrolls.
Recently, Shiraishi had created many deadly weapons like poison gas bombs and explosive tags, placing them inside General Tsuchi's body, so he wouldn't just exist as a communication tool.
Now, in addition to his Sage Art research, Shiraishi was also simultaneously conducting 'artificial human' experiments.
He planned to create another 'artificial human' identical to General Tsuchi.
The characteristic bestowed upon General Tsuchi was 'Earth'.
His stealth and movement abilities in the earth were far superior to those in water.
This time, Shiraishi intended to create a new artificial human.
Bestowing upon it the characteristic of 'Yin'.
Which is Yin Release.
This type of jutsu was exemplified by Kageman of the Bug Man team.
His ability to lurk within shadows was a utilization of Yin Release.
Also, shadow techniques like those of the Nara clan and the Uchiha's Sharingan genjutsu all fall under the category of Yin Release.
Shiraishi quickly had a new template in his mind.
First, he drew the design, then took out the prepared materials from the laboratory's inventory and began the manufacturing process.
He hoped that the puppet he created this time would have higher intelligence.
He would be satisfied if it was smarter than General Tsuchi, that dimwitted son.
The sequence for creating an artificial human was actually not complicated.
The first step is shaping, using the nature transformation of Yin-Yang Chakra to give vitality to the sculpted material, then using natural energy as their life source, and setting up the ability to autonomously regulate and absorb external natural energy.
Next, is the most crucial step.
With a living shell, all that remained was to install a soul.
A body without a soul is an incomplete life.
And the main body of this soul... was Shiraishi himself.
He would 'transfer' a part of his soul fragments using soul techniques.
After cultivation, adjustment, and installation into the created puppet's body.
The final procedure was to place the puppet, fused with his soul fragments, into a floor-standing glass container filled with natural energy for perfect fusion.
Shiraishi quietly watched his new 'child' come to life from the instrument... ◎
In the following time, Shiraishi quietly waited for his 'child' to be born, while also observing the progress of the Sage Art fusion.
In the afternoon, Shiraishi went to work at the Ninja Academy.
After returning from work, the 'child' in the laboratory still hadn't awakened. It probably still needed to absorb a large amount of energy to be fully born.
Soon, a day passed.
The next morning, Shiraishi went to Ruri's room as usual.
Ruri's figure was nowhere to be seen.
She hadn't returned for a day.
She must have led the fresh graduates from the Ninja Academy on a mission outside the village.
Shiraishi suddenly felt an indescribable emotion. Looking at Ruri's empty room, he felt a little lost.
Since they moved into this place, it seemed they had never been separated for such a long time.
He missed her a little.
Shiraishi thought this as he walked towards the underground laboratory.
There was still no change in the laboratory; the 'child' he created was still in the floor-standing glass instrument, eyes tightly closed, absorbing the natural energy within.
Shiraishi checked the Sage Art fusion data on the computer; it had improved a bit since yesterday. Although the increase was small, success was indeed very close.
The entire morning was spent like this, during which he also adjusted the research method for Sage Art, but it always fell just a little short of success.
Shiraishi thought of the Miko in the Land of Demons. In these past days, he had exchanged many letters with her through General Tsuchi.
But most of them were related to cooperation.
For example, establishing a company in the Land of Demons, hoping that the official government of the Land of Demons would provide convenience as a neutral country to further achieve cooperation.
But Shiraishi knew that the Miko of the Land of Demons understood the application of natural energy.
She had even warned him to 'be careful of Mount Myōboku'.
Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sacred Mountains, and also one of the origins of Sage Art.
Did that Miko also understand Sage Art?
But wouldn't asking that be too sudden? After all, Sage Art is such an important thing; if it were him, he wouldn't easily hand it over to others.
Rashly asking such a secret question could very likely cause a rift in their relationship.
After all, this might involve important traditions of the Miko lineage that cannot be leaked.
"This is tough..."
Shiraishi frowned, seeing the clock nearing past twelve, so he simply stopped thinking and went out to eat.
When he returned, Shiraishi was slightly stunned.
His 'child' had disappeared from the floor-standing glass instrument used to cultivate it.
The natural energy inside was still there, and the glass instrument showed no damage, as if the entire person had been erased from the glass instrument without a trace.
Shiraishi took a few steps forward and immediately sensed that the atmosphere in the laboratory was off.
Shadows.
Numerous shadows.
Countless shadows on the walls, on the floor, and on Shiraishi's body, performing strange and distorted rotations.
Blurred shadows, silent stillness.
In this strange and twisted dance of shadows, there was also a somewhat hazy and mysterious feeling.
Finally, all the shadows stopped.
Converging to a single point.
Silently, a solid form emerged from the ground in front of Shiraishi.
"Father."
A cold female voice.
Dressed in pure black, with flowing black hair, a pure black metal mask, and a pair of cold eyes completely dominated by pure black pupils.
Like an icy shadow of the night.
She knelt on one knee, showing the utmost respect and adoration to her creator.
Shiraishi's eyes were filled with relief. From her cold eyes, he knew that she was not like that idiot General Tsuchi.
She was a daughter with normal intelligence.
At this moment, another object protruded from the ground, a mud head.
Just as it was about to utter something, a dark shadow sliced across its neck.
The head, with its pale golden eyes, rolled on the ground, hitting a wall before stopping.
And the shadow girl, still paying homage to Shiraishi, said in a proud, cold tone, "Father, the enemy has been dealt with."
"..."
"Father?"
The shadow girl spoke with a questioning tone.
Why isn't Father praising me?
"He's your brother..."
The shadow girl's body stiffened, and she lowered her head, as if at a loss.
Shiraishi sighed softly and had to comfort her, saying, "But you don't have to worry too much. Your brother has a problem with his brain and won't remember these things. Just be nice to him in the future."