After the success of the first dimensional jump, Touki's work focused on the manufacture of multiple teleportation modules, allowing them to be used almost as disposable devices. Taking advantage of the armor's storage capacity, it is possible to switch modules in a matter of minutes, although the temperature factor necessitated the addition of a water cooling system, which makes the armor appear to be running on steam.
Another issue to be addressed is the jump interface. While Touki was able to isolate the specific seal capable of guiding the teleportation direction, it was necessary to design an intuitive mechanism to select the desired destination, but unfortunately with limits on how many destinations it can store. This is nothing another interchangeable module can't solve, causing the armor to become a veritable Frankenstein.
To immediately take advantage of his new invention, Touki made an express trip to the capital, where he passed through several cities and towns, leaving beacons (devices designed for teleportation) in the form of rocks in hidden locations. He made the trip on horseback and took advantage of the opportunity to buy as many katanas as he could on the black market, as well as forge a new false identity to navigate the underworld. "Akira Oguro" became his new persona, allowing him to get involved in the black market and other businesses that Touki is not allowed to be involved in, obviously with a corresponding disguise.
Once in the capital, in addition to setting up a beacon on the outskirts, Touki met with his partners in the bicycle business and proceeded to purchase several dozen bicycles directly from the factory. The reason is simple: Touki decided to open a bicycle shop on the first floor of his house in Konoha, as it's a good business and doesn't require much to do, just sell. Furthermore, the business will serve as a perfect front to avoid raising suspicions within the village.
Apart from the bicycles he bought immediately, which were stored in storage devices, Touki negotiated a contract to be able to buy more in the future, at a much lower price than normal, since he included in the negotiation the plans for a new all-terrain model, with wide wheels and front suspension (spring), as well as a promise for a gear change system.
To the man's surprise, none of the people he met showed surprise at seeing him again, nor were there any indications that the city authorities had searched for him after his abrupt escape. Does this mean that in the end, no one noticed the massacre that occurred in his house? While Touki managed to eliminate all possible evidence, many doubts remain as to whether the authorities are really that incompetent. "It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone."
As part of a larger test, Touki attempted to make a direct dimensional jump from the capital to his old home on the outskirts of Konoha, resulting in success, with no variation or difference compared to smaller jumps. Touki then concluded that the teleportation he discovered is not based on distance, but perhaps on the superposition of two points through a dimension different from the current one, something very difficult to understand for now.
Back in Konoha, Touki immediately hired specialists to renovate the first floor of his house into a shop, emphasizing a modern and innovative look, with bright colors and lots of lights. Meanwhile, he devoted as much time as possible to transforming the purchased katanas into artifacts of great destructive power, to be used in one of his secret plans.
The person most enthusiastic about the store's business was Karin, who volunteered to be the first to try out the children's bikes and be the first to fall when she tried to ride without training wheels.
Touki planned the opening of his shop for April, at the start of the new academic year, leaving him with enough time to move forward with some of his more ambitious projects. One of those projects is to investigate the situation of the Uchiha clan, who are expected to disappear in the very near future.
…
[Karin]
"Stupid Naruto! Stop charging so far to the right, you're going to fall," an enraged Karin tries to correct Naruto, who's trying to balance on a bicycle.
"I'm trying, but it's too hard," the boy says, before losing his balance and falling to the ground for the umpteenth time.
Karin simply covers her face with the palm of her hand, trying to contain her anger and laughter at the same time. Naruto is a special case, and it's taking him quite a while to learn how to ride the bike without training wheels.
The relationship between the two children is one of friendship born out of necessity. Despite their completely different circumstances, they are both orphans and have no friends. Naruto is a social outcast who has yet to make lasting friendships, and Karin doesn't know anyone other than her merchant neighbors, although that may change when she enters the academy.
Naruto's personality is overly friendly and sometimes borders on desperation in trying to make friends. Combined with Karin's assertive and dominant personality, this has transformed the duo into a typical boss-follower situation, with Naruto playing along with every idea the girl comes up with. Today, the boy is learning to ride a bike so they can both ride around the village and promote the product, an idea Karin's has suggested to help with the store's opening in a month.
Karin, for her part, learned the art of riding a bicycle several weeks ago, thanks to the classes that Touki gave her, and now she is trying to teach Naruto, although with many problems, since the boy is very clumsy in his movements and has trouble keeping his balance.
"Karin chan, please let me use the small wheels a little more, so I can get used to it easier" Naruto begged on the ground.
"No! Touki says that only small, ordinary children can learn that. A future ninja should be able to learn this in a matter of days, even hours. It only took me two days to learn" the girl answers seriously and proudly. "This is your fourth day. Didn't you say you were going to be the future Hokage?"
"But you had a good teacher, I only have you"
Karin immediately frowns and raises her fist as she approaches Naruto, who panics and takes cover behind his bike to prevent the girl from hitting him.
"It's okay" the girl says, after calming down. "This technique is supposed to be used only for extreme cases, but Touki says it helps in situations where a person has a hard time learning to maintain balance. It's a slightly dangerous technique, but a ninja like you shouldn't fail" Karin's voice is serious and ominous.
Naruto's face also turns serious, and he asks, "Special technique? Ninja? Dangerous?"
"That's right, only recommended for those willing to take risks to master the bike quickly"
"I have to master this, or else I won't be able to help Karin-chan. Ummmm... Let's do it" Naruto finally nods.
Karin nods as well and immediately guides Naruto a couple of blocks away from the store, where the road has a slight incline and lacks much traffic, then forces the boy onto the bike while she pushes him to the beginning of the slope.
"Remember to hold the wheel steady and don't forget to use the brakes before reaching the intersection" Karin says as she pushes Naruto.
"Are you sure Touki-san explained to you exactly how the technique works?" Naruto asks, frightened.
Karin simply ignores the boy and ends up pushing him down the hill. Naruto, for his part, grips the handlebars with all his might and maintains as rigid a position as possible, stabilizing the bike as it slowly begins to gain speed.
At first, it seems as if Naruto is going to lose his balance due to the rocking of the bike, but soon, as he picks up speed, the boy manages to stabilize himself completely.
"Wow, I'm doing it!" Naruto shouts, as the bike gains even more speed.
"Stop! Stop!" Karin shouts.
Despite the girl's screams, Naruto fails to hear the warnings, because for a moment he forgets everything around him and simply feels the wind in his face, making everything bad in his life disappear.
Unfortunately for Naruto, his happiness doesn't last long, as a wall is rapidly approaching him. The boy, unable to react with the brakes in time, simply throws himself to the side, rolling dangerously close to crashing into the wall. Unfortunately, the bicycle was not so lucky, ending up bent and dented in several places.
Both Karin and Naruto got the scare of their lives, the boy seeing how close he came to crashing into the wall, and the girl seeing everything. They both cried in front of Touki when they returned the ruined bike to him, but the man simply smiled and took them out for ramen to drown their sorrows.
In a very unusual move from Touki, he calmly explained to them the importance of safety in their actions, the value of friendship over material things, and that they both owe him a big favor in the future for ruining a good bike, as they must take responsibility for their actions.
The next day, both children had to help clean the entire house, including the backyard and the front, as well as leaving each of the bicycles that will soon be put up for sale sparkling clean.