LL-02 CDC
Another day, another problem… but with this advancement also come solutions to previous problems.
I was leaning back into my chair as I looked at the 3 individuals in front of me from the corner of my eye occasionally as I continued to read the very thick document provided to me.
*BAM*
Finishing the first page and running a quick look on the next ones I closed it and threw it into the table. Waiting for a few seconds as the silence set in, I turned my chair to face them and spoke.
"Do you know what position I hold in the village?" – I asked as I looked at them, my previous smile turned into a blank face.
As I spoke they looked at each other in surprise and confusion as they started to panic.
"Um… Hokage-sama is the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village." – The one in the middle spoke after exchanging looks with his co-workers for a while.
"Correct. That means I have a limited amount of time to make very important decisions that could raise or ruin this entire village. Do you follow so far?" – I asked.
"Y… Yes sir." – The middle one spoke again while trembling.
I nodded my head as I continued to speak.
"Good, good. It seems you can at least do that… but that common sense doesn't seem to extend to your job does it? DO NOT… bring me a document with hundreds of pages of analytical data. Bring me the summarized problem, the possible solutions, and finally, I will make a decision that will not require you to wait until next year when I finish reading your 'report'. DO I make myself clear?" – I asked as my patience ran thin with what was another branch of researchers. It was beginning to be a pattern for them to bring documents that challenged my weight to report their cases.
"F…Forgive us Hokage-sama… it's just that…. The Sandaime Hokage was aware of this and forbid us from bringing it up again in his presence."
Now that was surprising.
"He was aware of the gradual declining rate of graduating shinobi in the Leaf?"
The researchers nodded vigorously at my question.
"Yes, he gave specific orders to not bring it up, even to our colleagues. The document in your table took 6 months to be put together as the Sandaime took the previous one."
Why would the old man want to hide so badly? In the course of its lifetime, a village has its own ups and downs, but according to the report, Konoha hasn't been going up for the last 30 years.
"And what do you believe to be the cause?" – I asked as I leaned back, the answer was already clear to me.
"Fear. During the last fifteen years, countless tragedies have befallen Konoha. Enough time to rebuild has passed but not enough to forget. What parent would send their child to die? The number of academy applicants has declined by five times compared to 30 years ago, meaning…"
He spoke as I intervened.
"Instead of choosing the talented one to attend, we can simply fit them all… the most powerful village fallen into such a sad state where people are not scared of shinobi, but scared to become shinobi. Good wages can only appease so many I guess."
"…"
I turned my head towards the Hyuga as I exhaled.
"Haa… tell the secretary to call the civilian council for a meeting tomorrow morning. The sooner we take steps the better, its due time our shinobi got some privileges they can count on."
This was way too much work for a village that would cease to exist in the near future but it was also a valuable experience.
"You are dismissed, do notify me should anything else come up." – I said as I got up and made for the currently most useless research department.
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The military branch of research and development, proudly holding onto the badge as the most useless department since… its establishment.
All this while taking an exorbitant amount of the budget as funding for the hope of gaining a strategic advantage against our enemies… eventually.
Useless, unachievable, desperate projects. The kind that developed in this bottomless pit that only ate money and spewed crap, and piles of papers explaining the crap they left behind.
Thankfully, after looking at the ledger, it was the first department I 'talked' to. Today I received news that the little project I assigned to them had completed a prototype and could move on to the testing phase… one week before the deadline. That gave them 7 days to produce a fully functional product.
As it stood, I firmly believed they would be looking for a new job soon… and I for a place to spend my considerable amount of freed-up budget.
As I strolled the underground halls, I could at least justify the cleaning cost, it was sparkling down here. Reaching the door, I opened it and met a few zomb… researchers who didn't seem to have rested very well.
A hoarse voice greeted me with a hoarse voice.
"Ho… Hokage-sama, welcome. Do forgive me for my straightforwardness but we need to test the prototype right now so we have time to adjust, repair, or rebuild it." – The lead researcher, a man with graying brown hair spoke to me as his eyes almost closed.
"Very well, where is it?" – I responded.
"This way please." – His hoarse voice directed me as we walked into the next room, this one much bigger reaching 2km long, 250m wide, and 30m in height.
At the very least, the testing room was well worth the price.
"Hokage-sama, this is the LL-02 CDC."
As I looked at the beginning of the room I saw a giant cannon, no base that could be used to move it, just a giant cannon barrel that looked like it missed a layer of skin.
"LL-02 CDC? And that stands for?"
The head researcher scratched his head as he smiled wryly.
"Lifeline-02 Chakra Discharging Cannon."
"Do I take that as 01 was a failed product?"
"Um… Yes. Forgive me." – He said as he bowed slightly.
"Everything has its challenges. Tell me its strengths and weaknesses." – I said as I started taking a stroll along the side of the canon, observing it closely.
"Well, it uses chakra as its primary power source but given the amount we are trying to adapt electricity as a secondary or even both at the same time for faster charging. We have been unsuccessful on the latter so far though. We overcharged the generators and confirmed that it can fire… though using electricity is rather… underwhelming according to our calculations."
"Don't worry about the power source. Tell me the firepower concerning chakra as an energy source."
"Sadly we can't seem to gather enough with the limited personnel here, that's why we called Hokage-sama rather earlier than anticipated. We were hoping for some more time…" – He spoke as his voice got smaller and smaller.
I smiled sweetly at him.
"That will be discussed after I take it for a spin." – I spoke as I put my hand on the cannon.
"What… wa… wait." – He said as he extended his hand towards me.
"Better get back to the control room and close the door."
Meanwhile, in the control room, the researchers, sleepy and unfocused missed the indicator on the control panel rising.
0%, 15%, 40%, 85%, 100%!
(EXTRA FOR FUN (P.S: Been a while))
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(LL-01 CDC)
"I'm telling you, it can't go more than 25 degrees. It will collapse and fall. Stop raising it."
"It's not me, it's the equipment, it was from the first batch years ago and hasn't been maintained, it's stuck." – A researcher screamed.
"Fucking stop it, it's going to hit the ceiling." -The other researcher panicked and run to get away.
*BANG*
"It's falling, TAKE COVER AND BRACE!!!"
*BANG*
"…."
Silence befell the room as the researchers gathered around the wreckage.
"Take the ledger… our dignity be damned we have to get some new parts or we are going to end up on the streets." – The head researcher spoke.
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(LL-00 CDC)
"And this is?" -The head researcher asked.
"The cannon."
"This?"
"Yes."
"… isn't it, a little small?" – He spoke as he looked at the one-meter-long cannon.
"Is it?" – As the researcher questioned back they both looked around at the new testing room and its size.
"… um…. It might be too small."
"Should we just…. Not speak about this?"
"I think it would be for the best."
*Sigh*
As they both looked around the room they sighed and picked up wrenches, starting to dismantle the 'cannon'.