As for the purpose of these 'toys', what they will be used for later is not something he needs to consider.
"Is this your job here?"
Ichihime walked over and kicked the armored vehicle with her foot, immediately hearing a loud thumping sound from it as the vehicle began to shake.
"Whoa!"
Asuka's body also began to tremble, accidentally rolling off the top of the armored car.
"Uh... Sorry, I didn't think this thing was so light."
Ichihime watched Asuka awkwardly roll off the armored vehicle due to her own operational error, touched her nose, and began to apologize.
"Kick lighter, this thing isn't as sturdy as you think."
Asuka reminded Ichihime with a hint of frustration.
Although the hardness of the armored vehicle may be difficult for an ordinary person to scratch, even with a sharp kunai, for a powerful ninja like Ichihime, it's easily breakable using Taijutsu.
Therefore, once Ichihime employs Chakra and Natural Energy, even an invulnerable armored vehicle seems incredibly 'light'.
"This kind of thing can at most scare ordinary people; for a ninja like mom, opening Susanoo could slice through a row in one go, it's just for show."
Ichihime commented.
To this, Asuka did not object, nodding earnestly in agreement.
"You're right, this is the current limitation of these industrial weapons; compared to Ninja Techniques, they indeed seem a bit cumbersome. Many aspects are inflexible and restricted by the terrain. However, if further improved, they might play a significant role in future wars. And..."
At this point, Asuka walked over to a workbench, picked up something from it, and placed it in front of Ichihime.
"Is this... a Flintlock Gun?"
Ichihime noticed this short gun, far more delicate than a Shuriken Shooter, and recognized it as a Flintlock Gun, scarcely used by any countries in the Ninja Realm today.
Especially with the rise of ninjas, such weapons were popular for a time in the early years before being abandoned.
"Our Land of Demons' Shuriken Shooter is developed based on those from the Land of the Sky. Particularly, they attached Wind Attribute Chakra to increase speed and penetration to the Shuriken Shooter. For modern ninjas, the Shuriken Shooter can enrich their combat techniques. It's thanks to Professor Kataki's ingenuity that such an experimental weapon was developed."
Asuka spoke earnestly.
The 'Professor Kataki' he mentioned is a veteran technician affiliated with the military of the Land of Demons, often respectfully called Dr. Kataki by many, who taught Asuka how to craft 'toys'.
Asuka holds great respect for Dr. Kataki.
The industrial weapons now present in the Land of Demons, including steel battleships navigating the seas, have benefited from Dr. Kataki's contributions.
The Shuriken Shooter is merely a minor achievement of Dr. Kataki's modifications.
Yet this tiny weapon significantly enhanced the ninja forces of the Land of Demons.
"I know that, so what?"
Ichihime asked.
Dr. Kataki has made tremendous contributions to the military development of the Land of Demons, a talent respected and valued even by Ichihime.
"The limitation of the Shuriken Shooter is that even though its size is compressed, it's still inconvenient to carry and hard to conceal, needing to be hung on the body. Thus, once the enemy is aware, the offensive ability decreases. But Flintlock Guns are different; their smaller size makes them easier to hide, allowing for a surprise attack."
"But, the lethality of this weapon is probably quite low, isn't it?"
"That's why I've slightly modified this gun, and drawing inspiration from Professor Kataki's Shuriken Shooter modifications, like attaching Chakra Attributes to increase power when firing kunai. I've also specially crafted some custom bullets. Ichihime, would you like to try it?"
Asuka looked at Ichihime with anticipation.
Ichihime raised her brows, hesitated for a moment, but then nodded in agreement, accepting the small Flintlock Gun from Asuka.
After taking the gun, Ichihime asked, "What should I do next?"
"Come over here, there's a target you can use for the experiment."
Asuka led Ichihime to another part of the workshop, a makeshift training field with several wooden targets set up ten meters away from Ichihime.
Asuka pulled out a small metal box from his pocket, opened it to reveal five differently colored, but all spherical, metal bullets.
Taking out a red metal bullet from the box, Asuka handed it to Ichihime.
Ichihime accepted the red metal bullet, clearly sensing the fluctuations of Chakra within it.
Without much thought, Ichihime loaded the red metal bullet into the Short Flintlock Gun, clicked it into place, raised her right hand, and aimed the gun barrel at the wooden target ten meters away.
Unhesitatingly, she pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The sound of the bullet firing was significantly louder than the firing of kunai from a Shuriken Shooter.
Almost simultaneously with the firing sound, the bullet struck the wooden target and exploded with a violent blaze, engulfing the target in the field of view.
Ichihime's eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised by the scene before her, momentarily unable to react.
"How is it? Isn't the power and speed quite impressive? For ninjas without protective abilities, it could achieve a one-hit kill. And it can be easily carried around; if future technologies mature enough for mass production, it will further ensure the defense of the Land of Demons."
Seeing Ichihime's stunned expression, Asuka smiled proudly.
Ichihime did not comment but continued speaking to Asuka, "There are other functional bullets, right?"
Asuka nodded, taking out a blue-purple metal bullet and handing it to Ichihime.
Quickly loading this bullet into the Flintlock Gun, Ichihime handled the trigger more skillfully this time, firing the bullet at another wooden target.
The target unexpectedly shattered, but unlike before, this time, instead of a fiery explosion, an electric snake spread out, forming a Thunder Field.
One could imagine, if an enemy were standing there, they'd likely be paralyzed by the Thunder Field created by the bullet explosion, at the mercy of others.
Compared to the previous Fire Attribute bullet, the Lightning Attribute bullet fired this time clearly lacked destructive power, but it possessed paralysis capabilities akin to the Lightning Style, often winning by surprise.
"Can such weapons and bullets be produced on a large scale?"
After testing the weapon's performance, Ichihime focused on this question.
"With current technological capabilities, large-scale dissemination is yet impossible, and I spent over half a month crafting these bullets, making less than twenty. Infusing Attribute Chakra into small bullets while ensuring power and functionality is not simple. I plan to discuss possible improvements with Professor Kataki later."
Asuka thoughtfully replied.
"Is that so? Then, I'll keep this 'toy' in my collection for now. We might use it when going to the Land of Waves next."
"You're really straightforward, aren't you? I've just made two of these Flintlock Guns that fire custom bullets."
Asuka was unsurprised by Ichihime's bold actions.
Why this girl happens to be his sister.
He's been accustomed to this since childhood.
"Isn't one for each person just fine?"
"No, I plan to equip Aya with one as well. After all, mom and Aunt Ayane likely won't use such toys."
Asuka's words were sincere; for a ninja of his mother's caliber, such weapons could only serve as toys.
"Alright, you're not busy next, right? Let's go back to eat together."
Ichihime recalled her purpose in seeking out Asuka.
"Yeah, wait for me a moment, I'll go change clothes. Otherwise, mom's sure to say something when we get back."
Asuka glanced at his dirty blue work clothes, helplessly heading to the dressing room to switch to a clean outfit.