Chapter 56: Harvest and Plans
The Hokage's office was filled with an air of tension as Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, listened intently to Shizune's report on the failed Sasuke retrieval mission. The disappointment weighed heavily on her, but it was the revelation of the stolen corpses that truly shook her to the core. Slamming her fists on the table, Tsunade demanded answers.
"What in the world is going on, Shizune?" Tsunade's voice rang out with a mix of frustration and concern. "How could the corpses of Orochimaru's subordinates be stolen right under our eyes? You know they could have important clues leading to Orochimaru! And who is this mysterious person capable of controlling giant insects?"
Shizune stood before Tsunade, her face etched with worry. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama. We are still investigating the matter, but it appears that the Aburame clan is not responsible. There are no records of them having such insects in their possession."
Tsunade grunted in unhappiness, her mind racing to find a possible explanation. "Are there any leads? Did anyone witness anything unusual?"
Shizune shook her head. "No, Tsunade-sama. We haven't found any witnesses yet. However, there is one suspicious point. Under your permit, the Aburame clan head took his son with him on a secret mission, which is unusual considering the secrecy of the mission. It is unknown if they are attempting to set up an alibi, but we have reports from our allies confirming their arrival at the Land of Wind."
"It can't be them, not with that man staring at them," Tsunade's brow furrowed as she pondered the information. "Could it be a ruse? Is it possible that the bugs are actually minions of a subordinate under Orochimaru? I don't want to jump to conclusions, but we can't ignore this possibility."
Shizune nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I'll instruct the Anbu to keep a close eye on the Aburame clan. If there's any suspicious activity, we'll find out. In the meantime, we'll see if we can acquire any intel from the remaining corpse."
Tsunade sighed heavily, her frustration evident. "These matters are becoming more troublesome by the day. Orochimaru's influence still lingers, and it seems like we can never truly escape his shadow. Anything to do with him is troublesome… Keep me informed of any developments, Shizune."
With a determined nod, Shizune replied, "Of course, Tsunade-sama. We will get to the bottom of this. As for now..."
Sporting an unwavering smile that held a glint of persistence, Shizune deposited yet another stack of documents onto Tsunade's desk, her voice laced with a compelling insistence as she urged, "Tsunade-sama, please go through these documents."
Tsunade's eyes lost their sparkle, their once vibrant gleam dimming, as they fixated upon the formidable enemies that loomed on her Hokage desk.
Unbeknownst to the unsuspecting duo, concealed within the shadows, monitoring bugs meticulously observed every nuance of their interaction from a calculated distance.
Simultaneously, strategically positioned specialized insects recorded their voices. These bugs had their senses amplified by a curious mutation, sacrificing their other senses to enhance their auditory senses, endowing them with the ability to eavesdrop through walls.
Working together, these bugs transmitted the live broadcast of their conversation to the holographic screens adorning the clandestine lair of a malevolent mastermind.
A sly smile crept across Shino's face as he observed this captivating spectacle from the confines of his laboratory, his gaze shifting momentarily to the creepy chambers that housed the eerie, lifeless bodies of the Sound Four, hinting at the diabolical schemes yet to unfold.
Through Karina's infestation ability, Shino was able to harvest a myriad of new techniques from the mind of the living Kidomaru.
The fruits of his endeavors bore witness to useful awe-inspiring intel, including the Four Violets Flames Formation, Four Black Dogs Formation, Space-Time Technique: Underworld Turnover, Kidomaru's spider ninjutsu, and the location of his giant spider summon.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't get Kimimaro's body due to the obstruction of his bones. We really need to enhance the digging ability of the zergs." A low murmur escaped Shino's lips, laden with a sense of dissatisfaction.
Standing at nearby workstations in the lab, Karina, both her main body and a bug clone, busily flipped through a thick stack of virtual notes. The soft glow of the holographic screen illuminated her face, highlighting the intensity in her eyes.
As her clone delved into research, Karina's hand gracefully wove across the walls of the base, fortifying the base with the newly learned seals.
However, when she heard Shino, she sighed heavily, frustration evident in her voice as she replied, "Shino-sama, Karina apologizes for not meeting your expectations, but I just want to say, it's just simply not possible to achieve so much."
Hovering her hand in the air, Karina conjured a holographic display. With a deft and fluid motion, her hand gracefully swiped over the screen, sending the virtual screen gliding across the room, sliding to a resolute halt before Shino, who was also preoccupied with the same task of fortification.
Displayed on the virtual screen was a long list, each entry a project in progress.
"Shino-sama, there are simply too many projects on the schedule," Karina complained, her voice laced with unhappiness. "I've been running simulations using multiple clones, maximizing the usage of our computational power, but it's still not enough. Fortunately, we've recently completed the project on building a pesudo chakra network for the insect clones. Otherwise, we won't even be able to start the Six Paths project."
As if on cue, one of Karina's insect clones drew the duo's focus. In a fluid motion, the clone's fingers wove intricate hand signs, "Transformation Jutsu."
Emerging from an ephemeral haze of dissipating smoke, a remarkable metamorphosis unfolded before their astonished eyes - a perfect replication of Shino, born from an amalgamation of living insects, seamlessly materialized into the semblance of human flesh.
It was an awe-inspiring spectacle, an alchemical convergence where the esoteric met the tangible, as the bug clone stood as a testament to the ingenuity behind the pseudo chakra network intricately interwoven within its form.
Within the insect, a masterfully crafted apparatus akin to the ninja's chakra network pulsated with latent power, powered by the presence of a miniature zerg drone – mutated to store a diminutive reservoir of chakra, a wellspring of energy generated from its stored biomass.
The culmination of relentless research, spanning months starting from his acquisition of Alina, bore witness to this breakthrough, ushered forth by the intrepid endeavors of Karina and guided by the profound wisdom gleaned from the hallowed tomes, salvaged from the Sandaime's enduring legacy.
Yet, even in the face of this triumphant accomplishment, the pseudo chakra network within the insect clone remained an imperfect imitation of the intricate lattice of a true ninja's essence.
The mini drone core served as both a source of power and a harbinger of vulnerability. The core was the inherent weakness of the pseudo chakra network. If the core was destroyed, the pseudo chakra network would cease to function.
Fortunately, this would merely return the bug clone to its original insect form, still retaining its combat capabilities through prowess of its bugs, just with no ninjutsu.
The most disappointing part was its other flaw. Its capabilities were confined to the realm of elementary ninjutsu – a repertoire limited to the rudimentary arts of transformation, body substitution, and other simple techniques below B-rank.
Perhaps this issue could be resolved in the future, but it was another abyss for his already lacking computation power.
Despite this constraint, this beguiling manifestation of ingenuity and artifice seamlessly merged the realm of deception and authenticity, transforming Shino's insect clone into an embodiment so convincingly genuine that it became an unparalleled decoy.
Albeit not as functional as the famed shadow clone, his clones would now confound the discerning eye and ensnare the unsuspecting with their bewildering semblance just like shadow clones.
In the midst of Shino's exploration of this newfound ability, his consciousness delving into the bug clone and testing ninjutsu, Karina's words echoed persistently in the lab. "Shino-sama, we need more computation power. After reserving a chunk of computation power to manage the growing zerg army to prevent them from instinctively spreading destruction wantonly, I only have a couple of bug clones remaining to conduct research. Although my main body could also participate, only my main body can gather essential supplies from Shino-sama."
Shino paused, his attention now fully on Karina. He understood the gravity of her words.
The tasks at hand were immense, and the burden of their collective responsibilities weighed heavily on his mind. He knew the importance of Karina's research, but he also recognized the limitations they faced. They were just two people, one being a director with no actual research talent.
"The demands of our work continue to grow, Karina," Shino acknowledged, his tone reflecting a hint of concern. "We are stretched thin, and our resources are limited. But adding more computation power won't be easy. Our personal upgrades require further in-depth research to determine a suitable path and there isn't really a way to purchase extra computation power on the cloud in this world..."
Karina leaned back in her chair, frustration etched across her face. She ran a hand through her purple-red hair, her gaze fixed on Shino. "Shino-sama, what if there was a way to exponentially increase our computational power?" she asked, her voice low and alluring. "A method that could allow us to strengthen the system's power."
Shino's curiosity was piqued. He leaned forward, his dark eyes intently studying Karina. "What do you mean?" he inquired cautiously.
A mischievous smile played on Karina's lips as she explained her proposition. "Shino-sama, you are the dominator of the collective consciousness, benefiting from all of the existences bound to the hive. Your knowledge knows no bound, having the inherent ability to instantly learn the knowledge and techniques of those under your domination, including me." Karina's breath hitched and her gaze became a portal into a realm of fervent admiration, a profound reverence shining like starlight in her eyes as they locked onto Shino.
"But Shino-sama, do you understand the true potential of the hive mind?" she asked, her voice laced with intrigue. "According to my analysis, the hive mind should be able to grow its computation power and learning capabilities by assimilating more intelligent beings, such as when Shino-sama assimilated me into the hive. The more the hive grows, the more it benefits Shino-sama."
Karina's eyes swept over to Shino, her lips licking seductively, "Think about it, Shino-sama. With a new queen, we could expand our collective consciousness, allowing Shino-sama to gain a new reservoir for development, and also freeing up my main body so we can delve into more… in-depth exchanges, unhindered by the constraints of time and resources."
Shino's mind whirled with conflicting thoughts. The allure of increased computational power was undeniable, but the troublesome implications left him uneasy.
He had always been cautious when it came to choosing a new queen. The success of Project Queen mainly hinged on the willingness of the victim to accept the transformation.
Not every enchanting figure in the ninja world were as accommodating as Karin. If he casually selected another beauty, the transformation had a high probability of ending in failure, becoming a bottomless abyss for their precious resources.
Yet, the promise of growth was tempting, pulling at the deepest recesses of his curiosity.
"Karina, it's not feasible," Shino cautioned, his voice laced with apprehension. "The cost in biomass to transform you alone was immense, and it's nigh impossible to find enough corpses in these peaceful times without attracting attention from all hidden villages. Plus, where will I find another lovely girl like you."
As Shino's words of praise caressed Karina's ears, a radiant fervor ignited within her, causing her body to squirm with pleasure as a blush painted her face, encapsulating the swirling emotions within her. "Shino-sama~"
Karina's main body glided toward Shino, an air of seduction trailing in her wake, tantalizingly close to succumbing to her own desires, only to be abruptly halted as Shino's exasperated voice interjected, serving as a stark reminder. "Karina, focus. Our time is limited. We should complete the important task of creating our first Six Paths of Stain before we continue generating essence. As for a new queen, I still believe it to be too risky, especially since you are a special exception merged from the AI from the system's newbie pack..."
Karina's countenance swiftly transitioned from the tempestuous whirlwind of emotions to a serene calmness, yet the lingering playfulness that danced upon her lips betrayed the mischievous machinations entwined within the labyrinth of her mind. "I understand the risks, Shino-sama. But the aforementioned risks only applies to the original Queen Project. If we were to create a new queen through my ability, things wouldn't be so troublesome. We don't need another Alina, and even if the target is unwilling… there is still a way."
A flicker of intrigue danced within the depths of Shino's gaze, unmistakably tempted by the offer, "What way-"
Rumble! Shino's inquiry hung in the air, abruptly shattered by a reverberating rumble that seemed to penetrate the very depths of his underground sanctuary. The tremors weakly cascaded through the chamber, their ominous vibrations sending a ripple of unease coursing through his veins.
Karina, her countenance etched with a somber expression, interjected with a voice heavy with gravity, delivering an unsettling news, "Shino-sama, an intruder had breached our biospheres!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone