Jin wasn't exaggerating. Not even a little.
The Naruto world was a strange one.
Shinobi possessed terrifying offensive power—yet their defenses were laughably fragile.
Even the strongest representatives of the era—Naruto and Sasuke—could be fatally wounded by a well-placed kunai or shuriken if caught off guard. Strip away chakra-enhanced techniques, and a ninja's physical durability was not dramatically different from that of an ordinary human.
Across the entire shinobi world, the total number of active ninja likely didn't exceed one hundred thousand.
And over seventy percent of them were genin—barely capable of using more than a handful of jutsu. Their combat style? Mostly close-quarters brawling.
Against that tier of shinobi, a modern soldier equipped with firearms would not be inferior.
In fact—if organized into squads—ordinary people might even hold overwhelming advantage.
As for tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, rocket launchers?
Those were effectively the battlefield equivalents of chūnin and jōnin.
Missiles and strategic-level weapons?
Their destructive capacity rivaled Kage-class techniques and Tailed Beast bombardments.
Most crucial of all—
The cost of producing a fully armed soldier was laughably small compared to cultivating a high-level shinobi.
So when Jin said firearms could replace ninja…
He wasn't joking.
And whether Orochimaru could build them?
Please.
This was the man who created mechanized constructs and synthetic tailed-beast-level entities. A few rifles would hardly challenge him.
Orochimaru slowly lifted the file again, this time reading more carefully.
"Jin-kun… are you absolutely certain this isn't a jest?"
Jin smiled faintly.
"You saw the AK-47 schematic?"
"I can guarantee that every bullet fired from that weapon will not be weaker than a serious kunai throw from an elite jōnin."
"Effective range: 300 meters.
Maximum lethal range: 1,500 meters.
Rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute.
Muzzle velocity: 710 meters per second."
"And an ordinary civilian can master it with minimal training."
He leaned back.
"Now tell me—under that comparison, do ninja still need to exist?"
Orochimaru said nothing.
His eyes lingered on one particular line in the blueprint:
Estimated production cost: 10,000 ryō
Ten thousand ryō.
For the price of a modest mission payout, one civilian could wield combat power comparable to a genin—or even chūnin.
If scalable…
Shinobi might indeed become obsolete.
After a long moment, Orochimaru closed the file.
"I will treat this matter seriously."
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"However… I'm curious."
"Why the urgency?"
Jin exhaled quietly.
"In my original plan, this project wouldn't begin for at least one or two years."
"But circumstances changed."
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened.
"The Kikyo Mountain battle?"
Jin nodded.
"That battle."
Originally, Jin's roadmap had three phases:
Consolidate Konoha's internal power.
Gradually redirect shinobi from 'war' toward 'production and infrastructure.'
Arm the common populace.
Then ignite the final conflict—the War of Liberation.
Every step would have required blood.
But Kikyo Mountain changed the equation.
The Five Great Nations were severely weakened.
If a unification campaign began now—
The resistance would be far smaller than if they waited for recovery.
Strike while the giants were bleeding.
Win fast.
Lightning war.
As for manpower?
Jin already had the answer.
White Zetsu.
Individually, a White Zetsu was not inferior to a standard shinobi in raw capability. Their weakness lay in lack of high-powered attack options.
Firearms solved that perfectly.
Give White Zetsu guns—
And each one could function at chūnin, even jōnin combat level.
One hundred thousand White Zetsu.
One hundred thousand soldiers.
One hundred thousand fully armed, subterranean-operating combat units.
A force capable of sweeping the entire shinobi world.
White Zetsu's underground mobility made them ideal for rapid deployment.
Perfect for blitzkrieg.
Obito was currently handling the consolidation of White Zetsu forces.
Jin would simultaneously consolidate Konoha.
Six months at most.
Once Orochimaru's weapons were ready—
The final war would begin.
And after overwhelming force unified the continent—
Reform could begin at leisure.
Jin didn't explain all that aloud.
He merely said:
"The details are complicated."
"Let's wait until Minato takes office. Until then… it's premature."
Orochimaru didn't press further.
"Very well."
"I'll produce a batch of prototypes within three days."
"In my opinion, the principles are straightforward. Handcrafting a few samples will be trivial."
"Mass production… will take more thought."
Jin nodded.
"This is a long-term development path."
"If you don't wish to be chained to it forever, I suggest training capable assistants."
"Far easier than raising a team of biological researchers."
Orochimaru considered that.
"You would actually benefit more from recruiting puppet masters."
"They are experts in mechanical assembly."
"Perhaps you should look toward Sunagakure."
Jin smiled faintly.
"I've already selected candidates."
"So don't worry—I won't make you do everything."
"Good."
Orochimaru stood.
"My time is valuable."
And with that—
He departed.
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