Chapter 369: Department of Research and Development
Poof!
The Clown Gatekeeper appeared within the Dimension. Tobitake Tonbo gazed up at the moon hanging in the sky.
"The information contained within Kaguya Otsutsuki's body is simply too vast."
The moment he entered this space and refined his chakra, he could feel a massive influx of data streaming from Kaguya inside the moon. This information was transmitted through the nerves he had previously implanted within her body. Fortunately, his mastery of Space-Time Ninjutsu was sufficient; otherwise, he might not have been able to receive the coordinates from those neural links.
Lately, aside from his daily life and researching new ninjutsu, he spent the vast majority of his time here. Kaguya's body was a treasure trove of information that allowed him to learn an incredible amount.
"I wonder how many years it will take to fully analyze this."
Tonbo didn't hold much hope for fully decoding Kaguya's physical data anytime soon. Any information he read had to be thoroughly researched before it could be applied to his own body. While he could process data that aligned with his existing knowledge, everything else required extensive study. Since the Shinobi world lacked substantial research on the Otsutsuki clan, he had no shoulders of giants to stand on. He was entirely on his own.
However, chakra research had its own methodology. He only needed to extract the information useful to him to enhance his own abilities; he didn't necessarily need to understand every single detail.
Konoha. The Hokage's Office.
"A new department? The Department of Research and Development? Tonbo, what exactly are you thinking?"
After waiting for several days, Kakashi finally heard Tonbo's proposal for the new division.
Tonbo explained, "We are entering an era of peace, and Konoha is changing every day. However, it is impossible for war to truly vanish from the Shinobi world. We must build a sufficient foundation and technical reserve to prevent a sudden outbreak of conflict. The Department of Research and Development (R&D) will be responsible for developing various ninjutsu and technologies. it will fill a void that Konoha currently lacks."
In Konoha, most ninjutsu and taijutsu were developed by individual ninja and then offered to the village. There was no specialized department for research and development, which Tonbo viewed as a structural weakness.
Kakashi pondered the concept and realized it would indeed benefit the village. "You're right. Konoha does lack a department like this. But... now that the war is over, the number of mercenary missions is plummeting. We don't have enough resources to fund the construction of an R&D department."
The end of the Great War had a massive impact on the ninja. First and foremost was the reduction in survival resources; the demand for shinobi was declining. If the Ninja Association hadn't been established recently, the village's strength would have withered over time. Without the pressure of war and with fewer missions, many ninja would struggle to grow due to a lack of resources.
Building a new department now was difficult. As Hokage, Kakashi couldn't just look at one side of the issue. An R&D department required long-term investment with uncertain returns; for the current Konoha, there was no immediate practical benefit.
"That's a bit pathetic, isn't it? The world's greatest village having no resources... it's embarrassing. You need to work harder, Kakashi!" Tonbo said, speechless.
Kakashi sighed. "The Fourth War only ended a few months ago. The losses caused by the war haven't been recovered yet. There's no way around it."
The losses of the Fourth War weren't just in personnel. The "Ten-Tails' Cataclysm" had devastated the land, causing heavy damage to farmland and mines.
"How about this? My family will provide the funding. Consider it a 10% stake in the department. Those 10% profits will forever be dividends for the Tobitake family. In exchange for a one-vote veto power over the department's decisions, I'll cover all the startup costs." Tonbo revealed his true plan.
"...Hey, Tonbo, don't open your mouth so wide. Your appetite is too big!" Kakashi's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Even if it was just a title, the power involved was immense—especially the veto power. It meant the Tobitake family would effectively be the core members of the department forever. This was unprecedented in Konoha; it was like carving out a piece of the high-level authority.
He could see it clearly now: Tonbo was paving the way for his descendants.
"I'm providing all the funding," Tonbo countered. "The village only needs to give it a name and provide channels for resource acquisition. You don't have to do a thing to get a brand-new department. And it's only 10%. It's like I'm investing 100 million and the village immediately profits 90 million. What's not to like?"
Kakashi rubbed his temples. "This isn't a small matter. I'll have to call a Hokage Council meeting to discuss it with the others."
Being Hokage was hard. He realized Tonbo didn't want the job and wanted to retire early specifically for things like this. After all, a Hokage has power but could never propose what Tonbo just did—no one would ever agree to the Hokage's family owning a department. A Hokage must treat everyone in the village as family.
"Of course, important things should be discussed. Honestly, I think this is all benefit and no harm. Since a 'Department of R&D' never existed before, everything has to be created from scratch. The village loses nothing," Tonbo chuckled.
Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I'm the Hokage, not an idiot. You clearly planned this long ago."
Most clans in Konoha were currently in a recovery phase—the Nara clan's deer park, the Aburame clan's insect farms, and so on. Only Tobitake Tonbo was flourishing, having made a fortune from his book. Every ninja and even ordinary people across the world had a copy of The New Ninja Concept. He was rolling in it. Other families couldn't invest even if they wanted to.
Kakashi didn't suspect a sinister conspiracy, but he worried about the long-term impact of the Tobitake family holding a core position in a village department long after Tonbo was gone. Not everyone would have Tonbo's mindset.
"Hahaha, don't worry. With me and Orochimaru as the first leaders, the returns will be great. Results should appear sooner than you think."
Tonbo didn't mind the skepticism. Since he had children, he had to be responsible for them and ensure his legacy lasted. He couldn't watch over his descendants forever. He was certain the Konoha higher-ups would agree—though they would likely negotiate the 10% down to something like 5%.
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