Chapter 11: Synthetic Technology

Chapter 11: Synthetic Technology

After dinner, as the sun set, Hinata Hyūga and her father, Hiashi Hyūga, returned home to the Hyūga estate. Laden with various shopping bags, Hinata hurried back to her room, satisfied with the day's events. Throughout the day, she had subtly gathered a lot of information about the current state of the Hyūga clan, as well as other important matters. Thanks to frequent questioning, she now had a preliminary understanding of the situation at home. This only strengthened her resolve to work harder.

Sitting in her room, Hinata unpacked the bags and laid out an assortment of materials. "Activate the synthesis platform," she thought, and her terminal responded. A beam of light, visible only to her, scanned all the items in front of her. The synthesis service didn't consume much power; as long as the necessary materials were provided, a small amount of energy was sufficient to produce the desired item. However, in her previous life, synthesizing dangerous items had been prohibited. Most people either lacked the necessary authority or didn't have the required materials.

Hinata was different. She had the highest authority. Unfortunately, in her previous life, strict regulations meant that even with authority, she couldn't get the materials. But now, she had both the authority and the materials. All that was left was to synthesize!

"Scanning materials for synthesis..." the system reported. "The following items can be synthesized: Desert Eagle handgun (synthesizable), portable power generation module (synthesizable), and portable resource storage space (synthesizable)."

Hinata's eyes twitched. The text on the interface was faint and blurry, likely due to low power. It seemed this was all part of the system's power-saving mode. At the moment, the most practical choice was the portable power generation module. Since electricity was scarce, the module would allow her to generate power through everyday movements. Although the output wouldn't be much, it was far more efficient than relying on her body's bioenergy.

As for the portable resource storage space, it worked like a spatial wormhole, opening a virtual warehouse to store digitized materials with a capacity of 64K. Whenever she needed something, she could retrieve the material's data and reassemble it. In the future, most matter would become digitized, including farms and ranches. The terminal's synthesis function would break down materials into smaller data components and reassemble them by altering their mass, ultimately synthesizing the desired item. This technology fell under quantum mechanics, which had become common knowledge in the future.

Lastly, there was the Desert Eagle handgun. It was a mid-range B-class weapon with enough firepower to deal with low- to mid-level ninjas. As long as the opponent wasn't too fast or didn't have special abilities, a direct hit would cause as much damage as a ninjutsu attack, potentially even killing them on the spot.

Of the three options, the portable power generation module was the most essential at the moment. The module was no larger than a fingernail, and once bound to her, she wouldn't have to worry about losing it. Portable and crucial, it was the best choice.

"Synthesize," Hinata decided almost immediately.

"Um, excuse me, I'm lost. Could you help me?" A voice suddenly came from the window, followed by the sound of it being opened. A cold breeze swept into the room.

A figure crouched on the windowsill, silhouetted against the rising moon. His presence was eerie, and his features were sharply defined. He looked at Hinata with a stiff, forced smile and spoke in a raspy voice.

He was dressed in the standard uniform of the Anbu, wearing a white mask with red markings. He wasn't particularly tall, but the fact that he had opened the window without making a sound was alarming.

The moment Hinata saw him, her body tensed, her instincts screaming that this man was dangerous. It felt as though she had been plunged into icy water. Every nerve in her body reacted, as if needles were piercing her skin—a primal warning that this person was a threat.

"Synthesize the Desert Eagle handgun!" Hinata made a split-second decision, issuing the command in her mind before the stranger could act.

"Command confirmed. Synthesizing..." the terminal reported.

"Byakugan!" Hinata activated her Byakugan in an instant. Chakra flowed to her eyes, and the veins at her temples bulged, giving her a fierce appearance. The world turned gray, and she could see the cold, sinister chakra within the man's body. Chakra could be influenced by the user's own nature and style, revealing clues about their mindset and personality. For instance, one person's fire jutsu might manifest as a blazing dragon, while another's could resemble a monstrous apparition, reflecting the creator's state of mind.

The man before her felt like a specter from the depths of hell, exuding a chilling aura that made her skin crawl. He resembled a venomous snake, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Combining what she had learned earlier with the recent attack on another Hyūga clan member, Hinata quickly deduced that this man might be sent by Orochimaru to eliminate loose ends.

But why would Orochimaru act now? Did something pique his interest? After all, he had been framed by Danzo numerous times without reacting. Whatever had drawn him here must be significant, perhaps even fatal.

"Synthesis complete!" the terminal chimed in. Hinata felt the cold weight of the Desert Eagle in her hand, and she breathed a little easier. She aimed the gun at the intruder, finger resting on the trigger, ready to fire. Even if she couldn't kill him, the shot would at least alert the rest of the Hyūga clan.

"Dangerous. Very dangerous indeed," the man muttered.

Before Hinata could pull the trigger, the figure vanished. Not even her Byakugan could track his movements—he was just gone! At the very least, she had to fire the gun and alert the others to the danger. That was her last conscious thought before everything went dark. When she came to, her neck was clamped in a vice-like grip.