The most ingenious aspect of this flying combat ninja tool is that it doesn't strictly require the user to be a Wind-style ninja. The Research and Development Department applied the principles of explosive tags to it, sealing Wind Release jutsu formulas within. By simply injecting chakra, the formulas can be activated, unleashing the thrust provided by Wind Release.
The reason why 'Wind Blast Tags,' similar in principle to explosive tags, couldn't be put into use was that when the jutsu formula detonated on the tag, it wasn't as easy to concentrate the explosion as with Fire or Lightning Release. Achieving this would rapidly increase the cost of Wind Blast Tags, making them impractical as convenient talismans. However, this wasn't an issue for the flying combat ninja tool.
The team members installed numerous thrusters on the flying combat ninja tool. Thanks to the compressed control within the pipes, the power of Wind Release wouldn't dissipate as it normally would, thus meeting the thrust requirements. Furthermore, the chakra metal circuits on the surface could control the airflow's shape. While it still required a certain degree of chakra control from the user, the auxiliary circuits allowed even non-Wind-style ninjas to control it.
Of course, because the circuits were still relatively crude—not because the team members didn't want to make them more sophisticated, but because their current technology only allowed for this much—the airflow shapes that could be influenced by chakra control weren't very complex. The method of use was still quite simple, lacking the versatility of a Wind-style ninja.
Fumori Masaki also understood this. If the new ninja tools could replace the chakra control of high-level ninjas so quickly, who knows how many people could retire. The development of scientific technology still had to proceed step by step, and enabling non-Wind-style ninjas to use it was already a significant breakthrough.
"Then let me see the effect of this ninja tool,"Fumori Masaki said.
"I'll demonstrate it for Lord Hokage," Orochimaru, who was also the team leader and the first person to use the flying combat ninja tool, stepped forward and said toFumori Masaki. His understanding of this tool was the deepest among everyone present.
"I'll leave it to you,"Fumori Masaki nodded slightly at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru didn't need help from anyone else; he stepped forward, picked up the flying combat ninja tool, and put it on. The tool had a complex harness structure designed to alleviate the burden on the user's body caused by high-altitude movement while using it.
Compared to the more flexible Wind Travel Jutsu, the flying combat ninja tool was, after all, an external object. It wouldn't thoughtfully consider the user's comfort; once it unleashed thrust, it would directly carry the person into the air, completely disregarding whether the user would experience physical discomfort.
Although ninjas have excellent physical coordination and endurance due to their chakra—as evidenced by ninjas who can run and leap across cliffs—not everyone can do it.
Especially during high-altitude combat, the speed provided by the flying combat ninja tool is very fast, placing a considerable burden on the user's body.
Therefore, the team members took this into account, and these harness structures were designed to minimize that burden. As Fumori Masaki watched Orochimaru finish donning the tool, he inexplicably felt a sense of déjà vu. This type of flying combat ninja tool easily reminded him of something from a certain anime in his past life that people used for high-altitude movement.
"The method of control is to release thrust from the corresponding parts through the guards connected to the arms and legs, and then control the flying direction according to one's needs," Orochimaru extended his hand forFumori Masaki to observe. The guards worn on the hands had a hard protective exterior, while the interior contained different reactors. By simply injecting chakra, they could sense each other's corresponding positions, causing the chakra storage blocks to output chakra, which would then activate the corresponding jutsu formulas on the flying combat ninja tool, thereby unleashing thrust.
When using the flying combat ninja tool, both hands would certainly need to be free. If the hands were restrained, the value of the flying combat ninja tool would be greatly reduced. A crucial problem was that, apart from ninjas of the Hyuga clan, the only parts of the body where other ninjas could release chakra were basically their hands and legs.
To avoid affecting combat with their hands, the team members considered many methods before developing the control gauntlets. Fortunately, with the chakra storage blocks, most of the chakra released could be replaced by them. Only a very small amount of chakra needed to be injected into the sensing parts to activate the jutsu formulas.
Fumori Masaki nodded lightly, feeling more and more that it resembled the device from the anime in his previous life. Aside from not using hooks, he just waited for Orochimaru to perform the actual demonstration.
On the surface, Orochimaru didn't make any special movements, yet the flying combat ninja tool erupted with invisible airflow, carrying him upwards. Since the use of the flying combat ninja tool was still a secret, they were not outside but in a certain underground chamber of Konoha Village. This was a secret underground chamber painstakingly built by ninjas skilled in Earth Release in the mountains, and its height was considerable to facilitate the testing of the flying combat ninja tool.
Under the effect of the flying combat ninja tool, Orochimaru swiftly soared into the sky. Then, using the different thrusters of the tool and simple chakra control, he moved continuously in the air. To demonstrate the effectiveness for non-Wind-style ninjas, Orochimaru deliberately avoided using his Wind-style chakra control abilities.
Precisely because of this, Orochimaru couldn't perform particularly complex maneuvers. After all, without using Wind-style chakra, relying solely on ordinary chakra control, even with the assistance of the flying combat ninja tool, it would be impossible to control the airflow changes too flexibly.
However, for ordinary ninjas, these were undoubtedly very fast and complex movements. As long as they didn't encounter equally flying ninjas, this gap wouldn't matter much. When facing experts of that caliber, their own experts would certainly be needed to deal with them. If using the flying combat ninja tool, it would definitely have to be a Wind-style ninja.
And as long as they were Wind-style ninjas, they would be able to control the changes in airflow more freely and would certainly be able to perform complex flight maneuvers. Although the speed would be quite a bit slower than the fighter jets of Fumori Masaki's previous life, ninjas were flying with their bodies after all, so the speed couldn't be too fast.
Without chakra intensity at the Tailed Beast level, it would be almost impossible for a ninja's body alone to break the sound barrier. Most ninjas couldn't achieve this. In Fumori Masaki's impression, only the Raikage and those god-like figures in the later stages of the Fourth Great Ninja War could.
After Orochimaru slowly descended from the air,Fumori Masaki first expressed his satisfaction with the flying combat ninja tool, then asked, "Are the chakra consumption and the jutsu formula reserves sufficient? How long can it last?"
Fumori Masaki was mainly asking if the Wind Release jutsu formulas were sufficient; chakra was not a concern. With improvements in the manufacturing process of chakra storage blocks, the same volume could store more and more chakra. Also, considering the quality of chakra, endurance time was definitely not a worry. In an emergency, the user's own chakra could also be provided.
However, the thrust of the flying combat ninja tool mainly came from Wind Release jutsu formulas. Konoha Village did not yet have the technology for self-nature transformation. If they did, there would be no need to worry, but currently, the thrust still relied on pre-stored Wind Release jutsu formulas, which caused some concern.
"In terms of chakra consumption, we can last at least four hours. However, if we consider the use of Wind Release jutsu formulas, that's another matter," Orochimaru said. "Under normal consumption, the sealed Wind Release jutsu formulas should last one or two hours. But if the combat process is very intense and requires a lot of thrust, its usage time will be greatly shortened."
"Although once the flying combat ninja tool is introduced, other ninja villages will have very few effective means of attack against it, and the probability of flying combat ninjas encountering strong enemies is low, we still need to consider this possibility. Do you have a solution?"Fumori Masaki asked.
"There aren't any particularly good methods. We could only think of extending the usage time by replacing modules, similar to chakra storage blocks," Orochimaru said with some helplessness.
Even with Orochimaru's talent, making non-Wind-style ninjas use the flying combat ninja tool for extended periods was a very troublesome matter. He could only think of this method. It was because Konoha Village lacked the technology for ninja tools to perform nature transformation independently. If they had it, they could consider refining the craftsmanship, but in reality, they didn't.
The only ninja tool in Konoha Village that could perform nature transformation independently was the Bashōsen snatched from Ginkaku, but this was a Sage's tool. Imitating it was not an easy task. How the Sage of Six Paths created this ninja tool was a headache-inducing question.
The Sage of Six Paths was no scientist; possessing immense power from birth, he could even create objects from nothing using Yin-Yang Release. So, one shouldn't expect the Bashōsen's manufacturing method to be imitable through normal craftsmanship. There might even be Yin-Yang Release related power within it.
"It seems this is the only way. With no flying combat ninjas currently, this should meet operational needs,"Fumori Masaki heard this and felt that the R&D team had done their best. There was no need to ask for too much; there was still a long time ahead.
"What about the materials, funds, and time required to produce this flying combat ninja tool?"Fumori Masaki asked.
The personnel responsible for military production immediately came forward to report. The flying combat ninja tool was undoubtedly very intricate in its craftsmanship, requiring considerable time, materials, and funds. However, with Konoha Village's finances, it was sufficient to arm a contingent of people. In an era where there were no flying ninjas, a flying combat unit didn't need many people. According to standard ninja troop organization, about a hundred people could play a crucial role.
Fumori Masaki agreed with this idea. There was no need to arm too many flying ninjas for now. This thing was not only expensive but also not as easy to master as other ninja tools. To perform elaborate maneuvers required arduous training. If they could become proficient and fully grasp it, flying combat ninjas could become grim reapers descending from the sky.
"Produce thirty units for use first,"Fumori Masaki ordered. "Mass armament isn't possible yet. In the future, as technology advances, orders in this area will not be few."
"Yes."
"Don't stop research on the flying combat ninja tool. This is just 'Number One.' In the future, according to the combat styles of different ninjas, suitable flying combat ninja tools must be developed. The current one cannot fully utilize a ninja's abilities,"Fumori Masaki said to the R&D team.
The R&D team nodded repeatedly. They also understood this issue. The current flying combat ninja tool's design was still relatively simple and certainly couldn't adapt to diverse needs. Besides, there were other areas for improvement. These would need to be judged based on data collected after the establishment of the flying combat unit and according to actual circumstances.
"Father, please give this flying combat ninja tool a name. Calling it 'flying combat ninja tool' is really not pleasant to hear," Akemi said.
"Oh, alright. Then its name shall be 'Wind Wing.' Future models will be 'Wind Wing. XX Model,'"Fumori Masaki thought for a moment. He wasn't particularly good at naming things, so he chose a rather simple designation.
"Wind Wing, that's a good name. Let's call it that," Akemi nodded, feeling it was quite evocative.
"As a reward, you will all receive bonuses, and it will be recorded as a meritorious deed in your files. Keep up the good work in the future,"Fumori Masaki said, looking at everyone.
Many people were joyful in their hearts. As non-combat ninjas, their only way to achieve merit was this. Although it wasn't the first time, every time they received praise from the Hokage, they felt an inner joy and secretly vowed to work even harder in the future.
Fumori Masaki was also very happy in his heart. The appearance of the flying combat ninja tool—that is, the Wind Wing—represented that Konoha Village's armament had entered a new stage. From now on, it would be a three-dimensional warfare model. He had thought of many tactics on how to use it.
Besides tactics from his previous life,Fumori Masaki also thought of indigenous uses in the ninja world. And one person could play a very important role. In the original timeline, they had already made a name for themselves in the Third Great Ninja War. Now, with a three-dimensional combat space, that person's fighting style should be further enhanced. He just wondered if that person still had the talent to learn that ninjutsu. Now was a good time to see.
"It's almost time to recruit flying combat ninjas,"Fumori Masaki mused. "Although there aren't a particularly large number of Wind-style ninjas in the village, thirty people should still be selectable. Their areas of expertise must also be considered."
Although the Wind Wing could also be used by ninjas of other attributes, for the initial recruitment,Fumori Masaki still chose Wind-style ninjas. After all, Wind-style ninjas could utilize it better. Since it wasn't for large-scale armament, if they could be Wind-style ninjas, then they should be Wind-style ninjas.