If they had confirmed their relationship this quickly, Torifu would have been the one truly panicking. The way things were now proved that Anka was a decent and serious person with a similar personality to Amado's. Being so compatible, their relationship would likely only get better as they slowly progressed.
After leaving the Tower, Torifu didn't know what to do. Akihara wasn't home, and neither were Minato and the others. His wife had also gone on a distant mission.
The vast Kumotsuru Clan's Hidden Land was left with only Torifu and a few birds. It was truly desolate. Torifu felt like he had returned to the period of his childhood when he lived alone. The sudden change was quite unsettling.
"Busy, everyone's busy... It's good that they're busy," Torifu muttered, shaking his head helplessly. "Sigh, I'll hang in there. Amado will be back tonight."
Support for the empty-nesters starts with you and me.
Akihara had been taken by Kagami to play at the Uchiha Clan's hidden land for a few days. Torifu hadn't refused, since Kagami would probably look after him more attentively than Torifu himself. Since Akihara was lonely at home by himself anyway, it was better to let him play with Aihana and her little brother. Although the age gap was a bit large, it didn't matter as long as he had emotional companionship. Torifu often just lay back on his chair, soaking up the sun from dawn till dusk, frequently forgetting to spend time with Akihara. When Naori was home, she took care of it, so Torifu's behavior was fine. But now that Naori was gone and it was just Torifu and Amado left, he couldn't exactly rely on Amado to play with Akihara. Thus, Torifu decisively called for backup. Otherwise, Akihara would be miserable staying home alone.
Time flew by, and it was soon time for the midday break. Amado naturally returned from the office, arriving alone. The first thing he did upon entering the yard was ask Torifu: "Big Brother, is establishing this Research Department absolutely necessary for Konoha?"
Although Amado understood invention and manufacturing, his thinking was still fundamentally limited.
"Of course. Right now, Konoha holds the monopoly on all electric appliances. Other villages must buy them if they want them, and that's pure profit for us," Torifu continued without pausing. "But if those villages learn our methods and create new products, they'll certainly compete with us for the market."
"The job of your Research Department is to learn all sorts of advanced knowledge and techniques, and then use that to develop even more sophisticated inventions, keeping Konoha perpetually at the technological forefront."
With that simple explanation, Amado immediately understood Big Brother's intention.
"Then I understand. Big Brother's worries are definitely reasonable."
Konoha's major factories were generating endless streams of revenue every day. Other villages envied this but could only look on, as they lacked the power to seize it. However, they could imitate it, creating and selling similar products. Through this process of imitation, people would study and innovate, which would, in turn, boost their research capabilities. With improved capability, they might eventually be able to achieve self-sufficiency, and even if they didn't sell their products, just using them internally would cause great damage to Konoha's economy. Once all products were successfully imitated and replaced, Konoha's inventions would become unnecessary and could no longer be sold worldwide. The village would also see a large number of unemployed citizens, leading to panic, unrest, and various other destabilizing factors.
It was entirely disadvantageous to delay. By establishing the Research Department immediately and starting to learn the latest knowledge, Konoha would win the race from the starting line. The other ninja villages would then be unable to surpass Konoha.
Torifu retrieved a mobile phone and a stack of books from his ring. "Here, take a look. This is advanced Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. As long as you master these, you won't have to worry about future inventions and creations."
"The phone contains learning videos that you'll need to watch simultaneously."
Amado was momentarily confused. Why was he starting school all of a sudden? He hadn't even started dating yet!
"You can read them whenever you have free time. Once the Research Department is officially established, you'll all start taking classes. I hope you still remember what it felt like to go to school when you were a child."
Amado vaguely accepted the books and the phone. Only now did the realization hit him. "Big Brother, you want us to study? But I don't really have enough time."
Torifu made an OK gesture. "Don't worry. It'll only be about an hour and a half a day; it won't disrupt your daily life."
Amado frowned and reluctantly agreed. It was proven that no one enjoyed studying, especially subjects they knew nothing about, without even knowing if they had any interest in them. Having to start learning anyway felt screwed up to Amado. But there was no helping it; he had no choice.
"By the way, Big Brother, if I become the head of the department, what will my main tasks be? I feel like you didn't quite finish explaining in the office."
Torifu nodded, then began listing things off on his fingers. "Managing subordinates, reporting on work, maintaining order during study sessions, proactively trying to develop your own inventions and creations, and finally, boosting the research enthusiasm of the research personnel."
"That's generally it. It's not particularly much, and I think you can handle it."
The corners of Amado's mouth twitched. He truly couldn't understand how Big Brother managed to simplify so many tasks into the single phrase, "managing personnel."
Torifu clapped Amado on the shoulder. "It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. You'll know once you get hands-on experience."
Amado nodded, his mind numb at this point. Suddenly being saddled with so many tasks out of nowhere... How was he supposed to focus on completing the inventions on his blueprints?
"Becoming the head of a department gives you actual authority in Konoha. You shouldn't be so ungrateful, kid." Seeing Amado's less-than-satisfied expression, Torifu resorted to both coercion and temptation.
The strategy proved effective, as Amado immediately brightened. "Fine, I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work out, then Big Brother will have to find someone more capable."
With the conversation reaching that point, there wasn't much more to discuss. The lunch break quickly passed. Amado had only managed to look at a few pages of the textbook. He couldn't understand a single thing being discussed. He opened the learning phone and watched the video, only then barely grasping some of the concepts. "This is so hard! Where did Big Brother even get this stuff? Isn't this just pure torture? Will this really help with research?" Amado was skeptical. At least for now, he hadn't gained any insight, though that might be because he had just started learning.