Chapter 132: New Base
In the land between the Hidden Waterfall village and the Hidden Sound village, an ancient forest stretched out into the distance, its lush green canopy wrapping around the tall mountains that stood proudly in the area.
Amidst the towering trees and the winding paths, one area of the forest stood out, shrouded in an air of mystery and ominous aura, with colossal titan-size bones of long-extinct creatures littering the forest floor, creating an eerie landscape that sent shivers down the spine.
It was a place that held the secrets of a forgotten time, where the remnants of ancient beings served as a reminder of the world's turbulent history. It was a haunting sight to behold.
This unique stretch of the forest was known as the Mountain's Graveyard, a place where normal humans and ninjas dared not venture.
Within this desolate expanse, hidden away from prying eyes, lay an abandoned mine. Its entrance was obscured by the shadows of the forest, and the remnants of rubble covered the dirt ground, giving it an appearance of desolation and abandonment.
It was within this forgotten mine that a new visitor emerged from beneath the surface.
A strange insect, with the distinct visage of a zergling, burrowed out from the depths, its sharp claws gripping the ground as it surveyed its surroundings. Its alien senses swept the area, ensuring the coast was clear before it fully emerged, revealing its otherworldly form.
The zergling was soon joined by a multitude of its kind, as more zergs, a mix of zerglings and drones, emerged from the ground with an almost orchestrated precision.
In a uniform manner, the drones opened their gaping maws, releasing swarms of insects that swiftly took flight, scouting the path ahead. Their tiny forms disappeared into the shadows, their mission clear.
Behind them, the zerglings dispersed, their nimble bodies scurrying into the dark mine tunnels, their presence concealed by the depths.
The zerglings navigated the winding tunnels of the abandoned mine with a practiced ease. Despite their small size in comparison to the vastness of the underground labyrinth, their sheer numbers allowed them to efficiently carpet search the area, leaving no stone unturned. Their relentless pursuit of their goal led them deeper into the mine's depths.
Finally, their diligent efforts bore fruit as they uncovered a secret hideout nestled within the mine. The hideout, though small, held an air of foreboding.
At its center stood a towering wooden statue, a grotesque monstrosity with numerous limbs that sprawled in all directions. Despite its nightmarish appearance, the statue seemed to slumber, oblivious to the intruders in its midst.
The zergs and bugs, recognizing that their quarry lay elsewhere, paid no attention to the statue or its potential occupants. A swift sweep of the hideout confirmed that it was devoid of life, at least on the surface.
But even if someone had been present, it would have mattered little to the invaders. Their goals lay beyond the confines of this hideout.
With their scouting at the hideout complete, the zergs burrowed into the earth once more, their movements synchronized and cautious. They followed the network of roots that spread out from the wooden statue above, leading them deeper into the subterranean world below.
As the zergs made their way through the dark tunnels, they soon arrived at a cavern where the roots intertwined with each other, plunging into a body of water. The cavern was cloaked in darkness, but the zergs were undeterred. Their controller had carefully handpicked zergs that could adapt to the expected situations, and the darkness posed no obstacle to their senses.
One by one, the zergs poked their heads into the cavern, their senses scanning the scene before them.
Soon, a horrifying sight was pieced together through their combined gaze - a lake filled with pale white bodies, resembling corpses floating in a lifeless pool of water.
The sight would have reminded fans of the inferi from a certain magical world, defense mechanisms set up by a certain evil dark lord. But this was the world of Naruto, and the owner of the zergs recognized their target - White Zetsu.
White Zetsu, the abominations that had brought destruction to Shino's home, were now the focus of his revenge.
Shino lost his home, so now his mission was to steal the enemy's home in return.
With their objective confirmed, the operation was set in motion.
But Shino knew better than to disturb the water or the roots that connected to the Demonic Statue of Outer Path. So, they aimed for stealth, avoiding the notice of the slumbering White Zetsu below, for they knew that despite their dormant appearance, the White Zetsu were not actually asleep!
With their objective confirmed, the zergs retreated silently, their movements discreet as they moved on to the next phase of their plan. They burrowed through the earth, traversing the subterranean world below the underground cavern, digging deep below and began their diligent construction, laying the groundwork for Shino's nefarious scheme…
At the outskirts of the Land of Fire, Shino stretched his arms as he planted his feet firmly on the ground, relishing the sensation of stability. He took in a deep breath of fresh air before wrapping his arms around Karina and Kurenai, leading them towards the edge of the cliff, two captivating beauties in tow.
His gaze paused, fixating on the massive crater sprawled out before him. He admired the picturesque scene before his eyes settled on a village nestled within the crater. A faint smile graced his face. "Ah, Hacho Village, it's been a while. But I never expected to return here so soon."
"My dear, would you like to fulfill your previous promise? Our workers have already excavated our base below, and we can unleash havoc upon this village, using its inhabitants as fuel for the completion of our new stronghold," Karina suggested, her tone light as she licked her lips and cast venomous eyes upon the village below.
Meanwhile, Kurenai stood in silence, her expression devoid of emotion, despite hearing the cruel means being discussed.
As a ninja, she possessed a heart of steel, and under her new master's influence, her heart had grown even colder towards other forms of life. Perhaps she herself hadn't fully realized this transformation.
To the astonishment of both women, Shino shook his head. "No, there is no need. Though I do have the desire to raze this place to the ground, a clever rabbit doesn't devour the grass near its burrow. Our new base will be constructed underground here, and we don't want to draw unnecessary attention by obliterating an entire village."
"Oh, what a pity," Karina murmured, her arms coiling around Shino's as she rubbed her face against his, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I thought my dear had finally abandoned all restraints, but he remains cautious as ever."
Shino's hand glided upward, slipping up her revealed naval and into Karina's loose lavender uniform. His touch playfully explored as he observed the faint blush rising on Karina's face. "Rather than cautious, it's more like pulling back my fist to deliver a stronger blow when I am fully prepared. Our current focus is gathering the white Zetsu as resources for our new army. Then, we can set some of our grand plans in motion. After all, there are still countless resources we can plunder from this world."
With a soft moan escaping her lips, Karina's body trembled, but she suppressed her desires, whispering into Shino's ear, "Shino, let's go and establish our new base first. Afterward, I will allow my dear to fully indulge himself."
A meaningful smile spread across Shino's face, his gaze sweeping over the village for a final time, "Although the innocent can live, but, we must give due retribution where needed, taking out the trash and replacing it with our own, and turn this village into our farm. I'll leave it to you, Karina."
Then, Shino's thoughts conveyed a command. Moments later, a gaping maw emerged from the earth beneath them, swallowing the man and his two enchanting companions. Burrowing back into the ground, the transport drone journeyed towards its destination deep underground, where a cavern had already been meticulously carved out.
Emerging from the mouth of the drone and stepping into the cavern, Shino was greeted by the comforting warmth within, a contrast to the heated temperature during the ride here.
Shino's eyes surveyed the civilized structures that had already been erected, a testament to the construction made in this underground domain. He released Karina from his arm, allowing her to find her own footing, a silent command for her to begin.
With calculated grace, her hips swaying seductively, Karina moved towards the center of the cavern, where there was a deliberate area empty of structures. As she planted her hand on the ground, it was as if she was summoning an otherworldly entity. Her gasps filled the cavern, akin to squeezing something out from deep within her.
And with each gasp, a viscous purple substance oozed forth from her palms, corroding the rocky ground. It spread like a swarm of ants, gradually contaminating the entire section of the cavern, creating a creepy blanket of corruption.
Soon, the eerie substance began to take shape, forming a rounded shell reminiscent of a biosphere, a shell of their former home. This was Karina's life-bound lair, a core completely under her control!
And the simple shell wasn't the end. The creep extending from the biosphere actually began to spread to the rest of the cavern, its tendrils digging into the ground and merging with the pre-existing exterior creep layer!
Meanwhile, Shino produced a scroll and unfurled it. In a puff of smoke, a small pile of corpses materialized, placed upon the spreading purple creep extending from Karina.
As the fresh bodies encountered the creeping substance, it instinctively devoured them, causing the corpses to rapidly decompose and dissolve before their eyes, leading to the creep's hastened expansion.
Shino handed the scroll to Kurenai, who accepted it calmly. With diligent movements, she silently released the corpses from the scroll, allowing the creeping substance to consume them, nourishing the biosphere and facilitating the spread of the creeping corruption throughout the cavern that was a significant upgrade in size compared to their base.
As the core biosphere shell reached completion, Shino stepped forward, finding an opening that formed specifically for him.
Entering, he locked eyes with Karina, who stood within the shell. Strolling over, Shino coiled his arm around her waist, gently wiping away the sweat on her face with his hands as he said with a soft voice, "Karina, thank you for you hard work."
"Mm." Karina nodded as she leaned into his embrace, a serene smile on her exhausted face as she whispered, "I'm willing to work hard anytime for you, my dear."
After a brief rest, Shino retrieved another scroll. From it, he extracted piles of construction materials. Soon, Zerg drones burrowed into the biosphere, commencing their construction work at the core of their base. Turning towards Karina, Shino offered his hand, "Let's go."
Outside the biosphere, the creeping substance continued its relentless spread, encompassing the entire cavern and enveloping its structures.
As the final corner was covered, Kurenai unloaded the last of the corpses, exhaling a sigh of relief. Her red eyes surveyed the squirming exterior of their outer base, then shifted to the constructed buildings.
Temporary guest rooms, a small training ground, multistory research labs, a garden, a pool, zerg breeding areas, peculiar defense structures, and even a prison. The base was more comprehensive than ever, occupying a large area, confident in avoiding discovery.
Deep underground, shielded from prying eyes, it existed amidst scorching temperatures that even prevented the creeping substance from spreading wantonly.
Perhaps their life in this new sanctuary would be even more heated than before.
"No... what am I thinking..." Kurenai muttered, shaking her head slightly as a faint blush tinted her face.
Just as Kurenai attempted to banish those thoughts from her mind, Shino and Karina emerged from the central biosphere. Shino's gaze locked onto her, and his voice commanded, "Kurenai-sensei, let's go. Allow me to take you and Karina on a tour of our new home. We will thoroughly explore every aspect together while we await the completion of our main base."
Understanding the hidden implications in Shino's words, Kurenai could already imagine the array of methods Shino would employ in the near future. A furious blush crept across her face as she bowed her head, squeezing her thighs together.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone