Seeing all three of them shift their attention toward the remaining two weapons of mass destruction, Tamura Hao didn't waste any time. He walked up to one of them and began explaining.
"This one is called the Fire God Cannon," he said.
"It uses six rotating steel barrels to disperse heat generated by the explosions, allowing for a much higher rate of fire."
"The ammunition is the same size as the Fire God's Spear rounds. Since I couldn't obtain many explosive tags, I only managed to produce a hundred rounds."
"By turning this handle, the barrels rotate. Chakra is still required to trigger the explosive tags inside each round."
After giving a brief explanation, Tamura Hao once again retreated behind Dodai.
These weapons were all made from ordinary steel—some parts had even been shaped by hand with a file. Their structural strength was questionable, and he had no idea whether they could withstand a hundred explosive discharges.
To improve stability, he hadn't built it on the scale of a Gatling gun. Instead, it more closely resembled a true Vulcan cannon, like those mounted on fighter jets in his previous life.
The entire weapon was nearly two meters long and weighed over 150 kilograms. The ammunition chamber in particular had been heavily reinforced.
A eagerly stepped forward to operate it.
It didn't take him long to grasp the mechanism. He cranked the handle, setting the barrels spinning, and simultaneously channeled chakra to trigger the explosive tags.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—
The firing rate increased rapidly, the explosions merging into a continuous roar.
In just a few seconds, all one hundred rounds were expended.
Flames poured from the barrels, raising the surrounding temperature significantly. The steel glowed red-hot—but crucially, it didn't explode.
"That's it?!"
A looked extremely dissatisfied.
He'd only just gotten into the rhythm when the ammunition ran out.
That was infuriating.
"If you keep firing, it will explode," Dodai said with a chuckle.
Despite his words, he was clearly very pleased with the Fire God Cannon.
He didn't even need to check the opposite wall to know the damage wouldn't be light. The key point was the rate of fire.
If accuracy were improved—and the projectile materials upgraded—then even someone at Kage-level wouldn't necessarily be able to withstand sustained fire.
And if all of the boy's ideas were implemented?
The resulting power was almost unimaginable.
Who would have thought that combining blowguns, fireworks, and explosive tags could result in something so terrifying?
Most frightening of all was the simplicity of the design.
At its core, it relied only on explosive tags—meaning it could be mass-produced.
That alone was enough to send chills down one's spine.
"Is the last one just an enlarged Fire God's Spear?"
The Third Raikage remained calm as ever, his gaze settling on the final behemoth.
Its shape was similar to the Fire God's Spear—but far larger. The barrel alone was as thick as his arm.
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
Tamura Hao nodded and picked up the only shell prepared for it.
He removed the projectile head, revealing the empty casing, and explained:
"This is a true artillery piece. The shell is much larger than a bullet, allowing it to hold far more explosive tags."
"The projectile head itself can also be packed with explosive tags for a secondary detonation. Its range should exceed ten kilometers."
"There are also pure bombardment shells—large enough to be dropped from high altitude by ninja with flying summons."
"Packed with steel pellets or fragments, their killing power would be immense."
"Additionally, the Fire God's Spear could be miniaturized for close-quarters combat. It could even be paired with specialized taijutsu techniques—effective at both short and mid-range…"
The sheer number of explosive tags an artillery shell could carry was staggering.
If tightly packed, fitting a thousand tags into the casing wouldn't be a problem—several hundred more could be added to the projectile head.
If miniature sealing tags or scrolls like those seen in later eras could be developed, the capacity—and power—would increase even further.
Unfortunately, explosive tags were strategic materials.
Ninja were strictly limited in how many they could purchase, and every transaction had to be registered. As a mere Academy student, Tamura Hao could only buy tiny quantities at a time.
The hundred rounds used for the Fire God's Spear and Cannon were the result of years of accumulation.
Moreover, weapon manufacturing was dangerous and required precise calculations and extensive testing.
What he had built were nothing more than crude prototypes.
The Fire God's Spear and Cannon had already deformed after a single use. If this artillery piece were fully loaded—especially with high-grade explosive tags—the chance of a catastrophic failure would be extremely high.
"You mentioned you also possess A-rank intelligence," the Third Raikage said.
He examined the disassembled shell with clear satisfaction before asking about the intelligence.
Between the one billion ryō and these three weapons, the boy had already earned his recognition.
Taking him in as a disciple posed no problem.
"That intelligence can only be shared after Raikage-sama formally accepts me as his disciple," Tamura Hao replied, his eyes flickering.
It was insurance.
"Still trying to play tricks on me, are you?"
The Third Raikage laughed, clearly unbothered.
"Fine. Then tell me—where did that one billion ryō come from?"
No matter how he looked at it, the boy wasn't from any notable ninja clan. And even if he were, no clan in the village could casually produce a billion ryō in cash.
"That also must wait until after Raikage-sama agrees," Tamura Hao said again.
The answer didn't change.
"You little brat!"
The Third Raikage reached out and roughly ruffled the boy's pale hair, laughing.
"Fine. I'll take you as my disciple. Now speak."
"This student greets his teacher!"
Tamura Hao was overjoyed. He bowed deeply, finally relaxing.
As long as he became the Raikage's disciple, he wouldn't be thrown straight onto the battlefield as cannon fodder. More importantly, he'd gain access to the Raikage's inheritance—techniques like the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Hell Stab.
And even more crucially: high-level resources.
This world placed extreme importance on bloodlines.
Without a good lineage, chakra quantity and elemental affinity alone could cap one's growth.
To reach the very top, one needed either secret techniques or Ōtsutsuki blood.
Tamura Hao had neither.
And without a cheat ability, he could only rely on creativity—manufacturing opportunity with his own hands.
That was why he'd gone to such lengths to build these weapons: to prove his value and bypass his natural limitations.
Steeling himself, Tamura Hao cautiously asked:
"Teacher… have you ever read The Biography of Katō Bin?"
"Katō Bin's Chūnin Exam Didn't Go Well!"
Before the Raikage could answer, A blurted it out.
The atmosphere instantly turned strange.
Tamura Hao's expression became indescribable.
Dodai also cast A an odd look.
Realizing the stares, A hurriedly lowered his head.
"Katō Bin? Katō?"
"That surname sounds familiar… isn't there a Katō clan in Konoha?"
The Third Raikage frowned, thinking aloud.
"Then… That Bloodline Was Never Meant to Be Ordinary?"
"What's that?"
"What about The Sorrow of Female Ninja?"
"So Many Beautiful Figures in the Ninja World?"
"Carefree Little Rogue Ninja?"
"The Kusanagi Chronicles?"
"Chūnin Bai Jie?"
"The Gatekeeper Sarutobi's Story?"
"You haven't even read The Qiongming Naruto Records?"
…
Tamura Hao rattled off dozens of book titles in rapid succession.
The Third Raikage only grew more confused, his brows knitting together in increasing bewilderment.
Meanwhile—
Dodai and A wore expressions of absolute shock.
They stared at the boy as if he were some kind of forbidden existence.