The massive metal door stood nearly seven meters tall.
Once a space gate was activated, anyone passing through it could instantly arrive at the location of another gate. These space gates had already been deployed across the entire continent, forming a stable and interconnected spatial network.
Because of this, the way ordinary people traveled had completely changed. Carriages, trains, and long-distance journeys had been rendered obsolete, replaced by direct transit through space gates. As long as someone passed the latest identity verification established by the Technology Bureau, anyone could freely use them.
Geographical barriers between regions had effectively disappeared.
A person could work in Konoha during the afternoon, then return to their home in Kumogakure in the evening to have dinner with their family.
The commercial landscape was transformed as well. Merchants could now trade across regions without concern for distance or terrain, transporting goods through space gates with ease. In a short time, a new class of roaming merchants emerged—individuals who carried their wares across the continent as naturally as walking down the street.
…
"Obito! Focus, you brat!"
On Mount Myōboku, Ryoma swung the bamboo stick in his hand and struck Obito squarely on the head. A sharp thwack rang out, followed by a yelp of pain as a visible bump rose immediately.
"Sensei, this natural energy is way too hard to feel!" Obito complained, clutching his head with a wronged expression.
"The first requirement of Sage Mode is stillness," Ryoma said flatly. "Someone like you, who never stops moving, of course can't sense it."
He pointed toward Kakashi, who was immobilized on Needle Mountain with a wooden board pressing him in place.
"Look at him. Isn't Kakashi doing just fine?"
Then Ryoma gestured toward Rin, who stood silently beside Obito, completely motionless.
"Got it?" Ryoma continued. "First, maintain absolute stillness. Only then can you begin to perceive nature and become a part of it. That's the only way to absorb natural energy."
It had been half a month since Ryoma brought his three disciples to Mount Myōboku.
During this time, he taught Kakashi and Obito the cultivation method of Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode, while Rin was instructed in the Sage Arts of the Shikkotsu Forest.
Kakashi's learning ability was exceptional. During Ryoma's guidance, he quickly grasped the method of sensing and absorbing natural energy. He had already entered the stage of adjusting the balance between chakra and natural energy.
Rin's physique, meanwhile, was naturally suited for the Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode. Her progress was nearly on par with Kakashi's, and her foundation was remarkably stable.
As for the "Uchiha brat"…
Despite being born into the Uchiha clan, Obito seemed to have left his brain unopened. He focused too much on the Sharingan's talent and neglected the cultivation of his own fundamental abilities.
Unlike what he had done for Kushina, Ryoma did not push these three toward instant success. Instead, he allowed them to personally experience every step of the cultivation process—understanding each principle through effort and failure alike.
Naturally, his guidance still minimized mistakes and significantly shortened their overall training time.
Another week passed.
By now, Kakashi and Rin could barely maintain Sage Mode for short periods, while Obito had reached the final stage—only a matter of time before he succeeded.
Before leaving, Ryoma spoke with Fukasaku and Shima, asking them to continue looking after his disciples.
He then walked toward the towering metal door before him—the seven-meter-tall space gate.
Through the stable spatial passage formed by this device, anyone could instantly travel to another space gate's location.
Several months earlier, after completing the shuttle experiments, Ryoma and Orochimaru had accelerated the research process.
Following hundreds of trials—once it was confirmed that space travel caused no harm or side effects to the human body—the first fully operational space device was completed.
That device was the metal door standing before him now.
Ryoma planned to mass-produce one hundred identical space gates within the next three months and distribute them across the entire continent.
The era of distance had officially come to an end.
After passing through the space gate, Ryoma returned to the Konoha Research Bureau.
"Is it finished?" he asked the moment he saw Orochimaru.
"Barely," Orochimaru replied.
He nodded lightly, but his appearance told another story. His face was haggard, dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes, and he looked as though he might collapse at any moment.
One had to remember—Orochimaru possessed an exceptionally strong physique. As one of the Legendary Sannin and a master of human body research, for him to end up in such a state made it painfully clear just how much effort—and sleepless nights—had gone into this work.
For a brief moment, Ryoma actually felt a trace of guilt about treating Orochimaru like a living tool.
He followed Orochimaru into a room packed with dense, complicated equipment. Seven or eight staff members were busy operating various consoles, their fingers flying over buttons and panels.
Soon, the massive screen at the front of the room lit up.
A familiar computer-style interface appeared.
Ryoma's eyes flickered with recognition. The operation logic was almost identical to what he remembered from his previous life.
Orochimaru continued showing him the rest of the newly completed devices—game consoles, mobile phones, and other entirely modern creations. Every one of them had been reconstructed using a fusion of science and ninjutsu unique to the shinobi world.
In truth, the shinobi world already possessed its own technological path. Though it appeared somewhat… crooked to Ryoma as a transmigrator, there was no denying the existence of electronic and computer technology. Its level was roughly comparable to the late twentieth century of his original world.
He had long known this. Even in the later era, there were television programs, advanced transportation systems, handheld games, and even online battles.
That was precisely why Ryoma intended to use his experience and foresight to work with Orochimaru and establish an Internet network unique to the shinobi world.
"Very good," Ryoma said after surveying everything.
"The Scientific Research Bureau now has two top priorities."
He raised two fingers.
"First, mass-produce one hundred space gates within three months and officially open them for civilian use."
"Second, mass-produce these devices and begin constructing the Internet network I mentioned earlier."
He paused briefly, then added calmly:
"During this period, funding will not be an issue."
The future Ryoma envisioned had already begun to take shape.
...
TN:
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