This ninja in Naruto is unscientific

Chapter 282 The Budding of Friendship

Mei Terumi held the slightly cool bottle of soda water, the metallic texture on her fingertips making her feel somewhat dazed.

In Kirigakure, fresh water is a vital resource, but in Konoha, this sweet liquid is packaged in shiny jars and casually placed on the streets for people to use.

"That's the Tianxi Ninja Tool Flagship Store." Kana pointed to a building whose exterior was entirely covered in light blue chakra glass, her expression full of pride. "There are lots of fun things inside, not just kunai!"

Pushing open the shop door, you won't find the heat of a traditional blacksmith's shop, the crackling of a furnace, or the deafening sound of hammers striking metal. Instead, the place is quiet and clean.

The central air conditioning system keeps the room temperature at a constant 24 degrees Celsius. Rows of transparent tempered glass display cases neatly display various components that gleam with a cold metallic sheen.

Mei Terumi stopped at an area marked with a sign for non-chakra-dependent auxiliary tools. She picked up a long, black, tubular object and examined it from both sides.

"That's a high-powered flashlight," Shizune explained softly from the side. The toon in her arms sniffed the cold metal casing with its wet little nose. "Just press the switch on the back, and it will shoot out a strong white light. The researchers said that this can give ordinary people the same vision as ninjas when patrolling at night, and can even briefly interfere with the enemy's vision."

Mei Terumi tried pressing the switch.

With a "click," a straight, high-intensity beam of white light pierced through the shadows inside the store, leaving a clear circular mark on the distant wall.

She squinted at the light, but a ripple of emotion stirred within her.

In the Fog Shadows, light often signifies exposure and danger, and only the weak need it.

But in Konoha, this light seems to have become a resource taken for granted.

She looked at the price tags on the display case; the numbers were outrageously low.

"Can this kind of thing... also be mass-produced?" Mei Terumi asked in a low voice, her voice still somewhat cold.

"Of course, the factory can produce several hundred a day." Kana casually fiddled with a magnetic compass hanging around her neck. "I heard that each supply point will be equipped with these little gadgets for the Chunin Exams. Although scientific ninja tools are not allowed in the exams, these basic tools are not restricted."

Mei Terumi put down her flashlight and looked at the rows of kunai that were exactly the same shape and size.

Each one is so precisely designed that its center of gravity, length, and blade curvature are as if they were carved from the same mold.

In Kirigakure, excellent kunai are hand-forged by artisans, and each one has subtle differences.

But in Konoha, this difference doesn't exist at all.

"Lead the way, I want to see the... fun places you mentioned." Mei Terumi looked away and finished her soda in one gulp.

They walked through the central square, where the musical fountain in the center of the square was pulsating to some unseen rhythm, its fine mist refracting rainbows in the sunlight.

Chanel led the two to an open-air tea house, where the chairs were padded with thick goose down cushions and miniature ice boxes with automatic cooling were placed in the center of the table.

"Boss, three servings of chilled lemonade! With those bubbly sugar pearls!" Chanel called out loudly, skillfully pulling coins from her purse.

The waiter quickly brought over three glasses of a dark brown liquid with fine bubbles.

A slice of fresh lemon hangs on the rim of the glass, and ice cubes make a crisp sound as they hit the glass.

Mei Terumi took a sip, and the intensely sweet and sour taste, along with the burst of carbonation on her tongue, made her fingers holding the cup tremble involuntarily. She looked at the plaza, where several Konoha children were playing around a security guard on duty.

The ninja was wearing a crisp, dark blue uniform with a short black rubber baton hanging from his waist.

He didn't show that murderous look in his eyes. Instead, he somewhat awkwardly took out a few pieces of candy from his pocket and gave them to the children.

"Is he... not going to make a move?" Mei Terumi asked, her eyes fixed on the ninja, a distance that was extremely dangerous for a ninja.

"Why did they intervene?" Shizune blinked in confusion. "Those are the patrolling uncles, responsible for maintaining order. As long as no one causes trouble, they are the most reliable protectors in the village."

Mei Terumi fell silent. She recalled the streets of Kirigakure, where, apart from the ANBU members on missions, almost no civilians lingered on the streets.

Everyone was in a hurry, their eyes filled with fear of the unknown.

"Look! That's a film studio!" Kana pulled Mei Terumi's hand and pointed to a small metal house with flashing colored lights not far away.

"A film studio?"

"Yes, it's a new invention from the research institute. You just stand inside, and the machine prints your image on paper. Brother Che said it's called 'preserving the moment of youth,' sounds pretty mystical, right?"

Without a word, Kana pushed Mei Terumi inside. The cramped little room was crammed with three girls, their faces clearly displayed on the electronic screen on the wall.

"Don't move! I'm going to press the start button!" Kana shouted excitedly.

"Wait, I'm not ready yet..." Shizune hurriedly hugged Tun Tun.

Mei Terumi was squeezed in the center, and her body instinctively wanted to leave this narrow, enclosed space.

But in that instant, Kana's warm arms wrapped around her shoulders, and Shizune's smiling face moved closer to her left side.

"Click!"

A bright light flashed.

Mei Terumi instinctively closed her eyes; it was her ninja instinct to avoid light.

A few seconds later, the machine ejected a narrow strip of photographic paper from its output port.

In the photograph, Kana laughs carefree, revealing two rows of neat white teeth; Shizune smiles softly, with Ton-Ton in her arms tilting its head; and the girl in the middle has her right eye covered by her bangs, while her left eye, which is visible, is full of astonishment and a fleeting moment of panic.

"Hehe, not bad!" Kana took the photo paper and blew on it vigorously. "Even though you kept a straight face, it still turned out pretty cool."

Kana took out a small pair of scissors from her pocket, cut the long strip of photographic paper in half, and stuffed a small piece with Mei Terumi's profile printed on it into her palm.

"This is for you; it's a specialty of Konoha."

Mei Terumi looked at the photograph in her hand, which was only the size of a fingernail. The paper was smooth and the picture was so clear that even the strands of hair at her temples could be seen.

This is the only thing that recorded her appearance in her eleven years of life.

"Thank you," she said softly, carefully placing the photograph into her pocket.

As the sun began to sink behind the Fire Shadow Rock, the streetlights in the new district lit up one by one.

Unlike the dim glow of lanterns in the old town, the LED streetlights here emit a stable, pale yellow halo, illuminating the smooth streets in a dreamlike way.

"It's time, we have to go back." Kana waved, her red hair shimmering warmly under the lamplight. "We haven't bought any daifuku yet. If we go back empty-handed, Kushina-neechan will really hang us from the roof beam!"

"Good luck on your exam day." Kana smiled back as she left.

Shizune chimed in, "Let's cheer each other on!"

Mei Terumi stood on the steps of the Konoha Grand Hotel, watching the two figures gradually disappear into the distance.

She took the remaining coin out of her pocket and pointed out the patterns on it.

Everything about this village made her feel deeply uncomfortable, and this discomfort even gave her an urge to destroy it.

If she didn't destroy it, she feared she would become completely immersed in this unreal sunlight.