Minato Namikaze watched Jiraiya, whose face was flushed red from arguing over a paint color, and then glanced at Orochimaru's dozens-of-pages-long 'Neural Link Risk Assessment Report.' A faint, barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The color of the coating did not actually matter.
Whether it was black, white, or the red Jiraiya so desperately wanted, it was all just meaningless decoration in the face of the optical camouflage and chakra stealth modules they were about to install.
The wars of the future would take place in space. Against the Otsutsuki, who possessed the Byakugan and Rinnegan, colors visible to the naked eye were the least important form of camouflage.
But he could not appear too relaxed.
Minato let out a deep, feigned sigh, his brow furrowing as if he were making a decision that went against the very foundation of his ancestors.
"Sensei, the chakra conductivity of red paint is three percent lower than grey, and it will add extra to the budget," Minato said, his voice heavy. "This is a strategic weapon. Every bit of performance loss is an act of irresponsibility toward Konoha."
"Don't give me that!" Jiraiya slammed a hand onto the control console. "If the funds aren't enough, I'll pay! I've got plenty of royalties left! Even if the performance drops a tiny bit, looking cool is a vital part of one's combat power! The enemy will lose their nerve the moment they see a red flash—that's called psychological warfare!"
Minato locked eyes with Gamakon on his shoulder, seeing the shared amusement in their gaze.
The fish had taken the bait.
"Since you're so insistent, Sensei..." The look of difficulty on Minato's face vanished instantly, replaced by a businesslike efficiency. "I can approve painting Unit Zero red and adding the 'Sage' emblem you wanted on the chest."
"Really?!" Jiraiya's eyes lit up.
"However, in exchange," Minato held up a finger, "you must participate in all subsequent testing phases for Unit Zero, especially the neural synchronization tests under long-distance flight and high-pressure environments. Orochimaru said the process would be... a bit painful. An average Jonin wouldn't be able to handle it."
"Deal!" Jiraiya agreed without the slightest hesitation, waving a hand dismissively. "What's a little pain? For art, for the romance of red, I'll gladly shed a layer of skin!"
Gamakon hopped onto the control console, a flicker of pity crossing his eyes before being swiftly replaced by pure schadenfreude.
He flipped a switch, and the massive mechanical arms began to move, fully opening the cockpit.
"Since you're so determined, let's not waste any time," Gamakon said with a smirk. "Get in. We need to test the Gundam's extreme overload data."
Jiraiya agilely leapt into the cockpit. As the hatch slammed shut, a dense array of probes immediately pierced into his spine.
A muffled groan came from Jiraiya over the comms, followed by loud, shouting complaints.
Gamakon hopped in front of the control screen, watching the series of physiological indicators. His tone turned serious. "Stop playing around, let's talk business. This isn't just a test; we have a clear strategic objective."
Minato nodded and walked over to a massive star chart, pointing to the sphere 380,000 kilometers away from the Shinobi World.
"The Moon."
Minato's voice echoed through the underground space. "The core purpose of this mecha's design was always to send someone up there. According to the information provided by Gamakon, that's where the descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki—the Sage of the Six Paths' brother—reside."
Inside the cockpit, Jiraiya forgot his physical pain. His shocked voice crackled through the speakers. "There are people on the moon? Are we going to establish diplomatic relations with aliens?"
"It might be something a bit more brutal than diplomacy."
Gamakon corrected him bluntly. "Hamura's descendants are guarding an ultimate ocular weapon called the Tenseigan. Its power is on par with the Rinnegan, and it can even alter the moon's orbit to crash it into the Earth. Currently, the last Otsutsuki on the moon, Toneri, is in a weakened state and hasn't awakened his eyes yet. This is our best window to act."
Adjusting the parameters, Minato added, "Although Princess Kaguya is on our side, she's unstable. We need to master our own strength. The Tenseigan has the ability to manipulate gravity and repulsion. If we can bring it back to Konoha and install it on Unit Zero or the village's defense system, we'll have a true trump card against the main Otsutsuki clan."
"Stealing the eyes of a god, huh..." Jiraiya's voice went quiet for a moment before erupting into an even louder laugh. "Hahaha! Good! Now that's what a true hero should be doing! We'll go raise hell on the moon and bring that Tenseigan thing back to give to Tsunade as a glowing pearl!"
"Increasing reactor output to 120%." Gamakon ignored Jiraiya's rambling and pushed the control lever forward. "Simulating atmospheric breakthrough environment. Increasing gravity to six Gs. Start."
Hum—
The massive mecha suddenly shuddered as a terrifying torrent of chakra surged through the underground space.
Jiraiya let out a scream like a stuck pig inside the cockpit, yet the mecha's movements remained stable under his forced control.
Red alarm lights flashed frantically on the console, indicating that the pilot was enduring a load unimaginable to an ordinary person.
Minato watched the soaring synchronization values on the screen and nodded with satisfaction.
As long as Jiraiya was willing to cooperate, the progress toward making this mecha combat-ready would be greatly accelerated.
He wasn't worried about his teacher's safety either; he had left a Flying Thunder God mark on the pilot's seat, allowing him to rescue him at any moment.
"Besides a pilot, we need a navigator," Gamakon said, looking at the data. "Jiraiya has a massive amount of chakra, but his fine control and mastery of sealing jutsu aren't as good as yours or the Uzumaki clan's. Going to the moon isn't just about flying there; you also have to crack the barriers and seals up there."
"You mean a co-pilot?" Minato asked.
"Unit Zero has a reserved co-pilot seat," Orochimaru said, appearing out of nowhere. "It was originally for you, but you're the Hokage; you can't just leave the village. Besides, the Flying Thunder God Technique needs to stay on the ground as a set of coordinates. If something goes wrong with the mecha, you can still bring them back."
Minato fell into deep thought.
"Kakashi's chakra reserves are too low for long-duration space operations. While Itachi and Shisui are exceptional, their Sharingan might be suppressed in the face of the Tenseigan."
Everyone simultaneously thought of one person.
That person was Kushina Uzumaki.
"Kushina..." Minato murmured her name, a hint of conflict flashing in his eyes. "She's the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Going to space..."
"It's precisely because she's the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki that she's the most suitable candidate," Gamakon interrupted Minato's concerns. "The Nine-Tails' chakra is enough to power all the mecha's consumption in a vacuum. Furthermore, the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu is the key to cracking the moon's barriers. You have to trust her just as she trusted you back then."
That event had happened six months before Obito's invasion of Konoha, when Jiraiya and Gamakon had approached Minato with a prophecy of his impending death and had set up a barrier.
But what use were those in front of Kushina, a master of sealing jutsu?
It was simply because Kushina trusted Minato.
Not long ago, Kushina had approached Gamakon, hoping that she could be of some help as well, which led to the scene that just unfolded.
Minato remained silent for a long time.
Inside the cockpit, Jiraiya had already adapted to the six Gs of gravity and was attempting to perform a set of calisthenics, causing the mecha to emit the sound of metal grinding under the strain.
"Very well."
Minato finally made his decision. "But before that, we must ensure the mecha's life support system is foolproof. Orochimaru, can you manage that?"
"As long as the funding is there, anything is possible," Orochimaru shrugged.
"One more thing." Minato looked at the mecha on the screen performing its stretches. "Since I promised Sensei, let's go all the way with the paint job. Not just the red color—lengthen the head antennas and shape them into 'horns'."
Gamakon blinked. "Why add horns?"
Minato smiled and turned toward the exit. "Because Sensei said that a red mecha with horns travels three times faster than normal. It might be a superstition, but if it gives him more drive, the modification is worth it."
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