Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 201 Testing the Gun

"This is our latest achievement!" The boy held up a long iron tube in front of Jinlun, his eyes full of anticipation.

The moment Naruto saw that thing, a very bad thought crossed his mind. Guns weren't nonexistent in the future world, but they were primarily used by ninjas, powered by chakra. But this thing before him showed no chakra reaction. Under his heightened sensory observation, its internal structure was far simpler than that of electronic components, making it suitable for mass production.

His smile vanished involuntarily, and he lifted the metal lump with one hand and gave it a shake. Sage Mode doesn't accurately reflect weight, but judging from its structure, this thing should weigh no less than seven pounds, and possibly even more. The gun is about one meter long, with a very straight barrel, and its structure is perfectly designed so that it rests comfortably against his shoulder when aiming.

Xia's eyes lit up at the sight of such a professional shooting demonstration, but his friend was a little uneasy and quietly tugged at Xia's clothes.

"Is he the Golden Wheel you mentioned?" Ma Han asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, isn't Lord Jinlun handsome!" Xia Xia, completely unaware that his socially awkward friend was about to pass by, answered quite loudly, making Jinlun, who was testing the gun, turn his head.

Ma Han's face and neck were flushed, and he couldn't utter a second word for a long time, but Jin Lun's smile was gentle, and his gaze was different from others.

"Although I haven't tried it yet, I don't think I've seen this gun's bullets before, and the chamber design is also very unique..."

Xia asked in astonishment, "You even know about firearms?"

"It's just that he knows how to use it." The Hokage's training curriculum is very comprehensive. In an era of rapid technological development, he inevitably has to learn about everything that can harm ninjas.

When it came to professional knowledge, Mahan forgot all about being shy. He first praised Xia's invention of high-powered gunpowder, which perfectly solved the problem of insufficient recoil, and then talked about the structure of the gun barrel for more than half an hour. To be honest, Naruto didn't understand the aerodynamics questions very well, but he did understand one sentence.

This gun only needs to be bolted once after being fully loaded.

What does this mean?

This means that the person holding this gun can fire ten bullets in a row without stopping to cock the bolt or reload the gunpowder.

This is indeed a huge improvement for firearms, but Naruto doesn't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.

Perhaps his contemplative expression was too serious, for Mahan's initial excitement faded, replaced by a sense of fear. He didn't know exactly how Xia had introduced him, but instinct made him consider Mahan's feelings and praise the weapon's significant advancement for the times.

"Can I give it a try?" Naruto's smile was a little forced.

"Of course! But not at school. We usually sneak out to the woods outside the city." Xia immediately revealed her truancy.

But Naruto didn't blame him; he simply placed the gun in Mahan's hand and patted the two young men on the shoulder. The snow scene before them vanished, the sun became rather scorching, and even the air grew humid and hot. They stood on the rocky beach, facing a smooth, sheer cliff.

Xia accepted it fairly well, but Ma Han was completely stunned. He rubbed his eyes several times and finally stared blankly at the surging waves at his feet.

"The cliff over there is about 300 meters away from us; no one goes there. Let's try."

Jinlun's voice brought the two young men back to their senses. Although Mahan was still stunned, he subconsciously handed over his gun, only to see Jinlun shake his head. Those golden eyes calmly gazed at him, yet seemed to see right through his soul.

"This is your work, so you should be the one to fire the first shot."

Xia immediately muttered, "He doesn't like shooting, I'll do it."

However, Jinlun's single glance froze him in place. The young boy finally realized that his leader seemed to have other ideas, so he immediately changed his tune and encouraged him, "That's right, Mahan, you suffered a year of grievances to create this thing, how can you not try it yourself? Don't be afraid, you're a blacksmith, the recoil of this thing won't shake you!"

Mahan's hands trembled, but he still awkwardly raised the gun and tried his best to aim.

"You're the designer, you should know exactly how to use it. Take a look at those white dots over there, those are the Bird's Nest stadiums."

Mahan paused for a moment, then immediately put down his gun, because as far as the eye could see, there were countless nests, and he had no idea which way to go!

"How could you test a gun in a place like this!"

Jinlun tilted his head, puzzled, and said, "Firearms are used to take lives, otherwise what was the point of designing them?"

“It’s not meant to take innocent lives! I designed it to…” Mahan stopped abruptly, meeting those inhuman golden eyes again, and involuntarily trembled.

He wasn't sure if Jinlun had done it intentionally; he had just suddenly realized that his impulsive actions might have led to something terrible. He had witnessed the power of firearms at a very young age. His family had taken up firearms in rebellion, but were nearly wiped out due to being outnumbered; he had only survived by sheer luck. He had vowed to forge a weapon, a divine weapon that even the weak could wield to turn the tide of battle! For this, he had endured years of dependence on others, the incomprehension of his teachers and friends, bearing humiliation and hardship, until finally, he saw a glimmer of hope.

But weapons don't belong to one group of people; those who pursue advanced weaponry are never the weak. What they bring may not be a glimmer of hope, but rather the death knell of destruction.

"Ma Han? What for?" The golden eyes magnified in his vision, and his cooled heart suddenly began to beat again.

"In order to punish evil and promote good, and to protect the weak."

After saying those words, an invisible pressure disappeared, and he finally saw the emotion in those eyes—a mixture of relief and profound pain.

"Your idea is excellent, and your work is excellent; it is destined to usher in a new era. But people may not use it the way you hope... I'm sorry."

Jinlun's hand brushed across Mahan's hair, a very light touch, just as Xia had described—gentle. But Jinlun wasn't the one who should apologize; he knew that perfectly well. His heart pounded faster—a mixture of tension, fear, and a sudden, impulsive excitement. Just moments before, his mechanical mind had made a rather impulsive decision.

“Mr. Jinlun, I’ve read your book… While waiting for Xia to develop the gunpowder formula, there’s no one else in the world worthy of this weapon. You certainly wouldn’t use it for anything bad, right?”

"I would like to give you its blueprints."