Bab 96: Pursuit
In the heart of a sprawling forest, where the sun's rays struggled to penetrate the dense canopy, an eerie silence hung in the air. Tall, ancient trees stretched toward the heavens, their branches entwined like skeletal fingers reaching for the sky.
But beneath this serene facade, danger lurked, for this forest was now a realm of mystery and peril.
An army of Zergs scurried across the forest floor, their claws digging into the rich soil as they tirelessly searched for their elusive prey.
Above them, a multitude of bugs patrolled the airspace, their ethereal forms dancing in a chaotic ballet. With heightened senses, they scoured the surroundings, seeking out any trace of the one they hunted, using their various detection methods,.
Perched high on a thick branch, a lone bug landed, its multifaceted eyes scanning the area in a relentless quest for chakra signatures. Yet, to its controller's disappointment, no signals were detected. With a gentle lift, it took flight once more, continuing its tireless reconnaissance through the leafy expanse.
But as the bug departed, the seemingly normal trunk of the tree peeled away like a veil, revealing a figure concealed against the tree.
A ninja emerged, adorned in a white cloak and wearing a monkey mask that concealed his features. His short, spike-like black hair added to his enigmatic aura, as he peered through the gaps between the expanse of trees.
Observing the strange giant insects that roamed the forest below, the ninja remained hidden, his vigilant eyes darting from bug to bug, calculating their movements. Up above, the buzzing bugs formed a wide net, blocking any attempts to send out a message. He knew he was being monitored and can't hide for long, his every move tracked and intercepted.
His intuition heightened, the ninja's gaze shifted skyward as a bug approached him. The bug landed on his shoulder, its buzzes communicating a message to him.
As the bug left to scout once more, the ninja's discerning eyes seemed to have identified a potential breakthrough point. With a swift flicker, he vanished from the branch, leaving behind only a fleeting presence. His body flickered from tree to tree, a blur of motion that seemed to defy the laws of nature.
Yet, fate would not grant him respite. The sudden shift in the bugs and Zergs around him jolted his senses, confirming his suspicions - he had been discovered once again! Determination etched into his features, he propelled himself forward, his obscured eyes calmly assessing the swarm of insects converging upon him.
As the swarm closed in, their relentless pursuit drawing nearer, the ninja brought his purple hands together, forming a small, poisonous smokescreen sphere. With practiced precision, his form fluidly danced through the air as he blew the sphere toward the incoming swarm.
The small noxious cloud swiftly inflated, spreading out and infiltrated the ranks of the pursuing swarm, poisoning the insects and transforming them into a writhing mass of purple.
Dead bugs rained down upon the marching army below, their grotesque demise a testament to the ninja's prowess.
Exploiting the chaos he had sown, the masked warrior flickered away, darting in and out of the shadows cast by the towering trees. His movements were a symphony of speed and grace, unmatched by the scurrying creatures that pursued him.
His escape seemed unimpeded!
Yet, just as he thought he had outwitted his adversaries, a net of bugs descended from above, its invisible threads tightening around him. To his dismay, similar nets closed in from all sides, ensnaring him in an inescapable trap!
Swoosh! Captured! But… is it really that easy?
Suddenly, the captured ninja's body deformed, contorting and transforming into a swarm of bugs!
Like a storm unleashed, the insectoid form fought back against the encroaching swarm, engaging in a deadly struggle for survival. Bug clashed with bug, each sacrificing itself to consume the enemy down to the very last specimen.
Meanwhile, the owner of the bug clone had slipped away in the chaos at an unknown time, a phantom in the shadows, his presence veiled from sight and perception of his pursuers.
And in that fateful instant, within the confines of their concealed sanctuary, their intertwined tongues finally parted, a slender strand of glistening saliva tethering their mouths. Shino, his eyes like abyssal pools, fixated on the delicate path it traced, his face closing in to indulge once more before relinquishing their intimate connection.
With her back pressed against his form, Karina perched on his lap, her breaths escaping in gasps as she fixed her alluring gaze upon Shino, whose attention had shifted elsewhere, her every subtle motion a deliberate bid to recapture his unwavering focus.
In the midst of the unfolding events, Shino's eyes fixated upon the ethereal expanse of the holographic interface enveloping their surroundings - an intricate three-dimensional concept map sprawling like celestial stars dotting a boundless universe.
This was his mind map, his event planner that encapsulated a tapestry of memories and knowledge, a record of past events with branches extending outward to represent the myriad potential future paths contingent upon the outcomes of the unfolding events, allowing for prompt decisions if an 'unexpected' outcome unfurls.
With unwavering determination, one hand deftly molding his will into the shape of his desires, the other hand commanded the intricate mind map, seamlessly navigating its labyrinthine branches, seeking out those in need of his meticulous adjustment and rectification.
He could feel a palpable tension brewing, a taut thread of anticipation, as he wrestled with the stress of his own future, each decision a crucial brushstroke upon the canvas of his destiny.
In a sudden, arresting moment, Shino's gaze honed in on a glaring error, feeling a presence coiling around his rising stress like a suffocating shroud.
His hand, clenched with determination, sought to reshape and mold the mistake to his unwavering will, and as the fault yielded beneath his touch, a surge of relief cascaded through him as he finally felt most of tension being released.
"Ha... he escaped again." As Karina's seductive whisper tantalizingly caressed the contours of Shino's ears, a tautness rekindled within him, for he sensed the brewing storm of tension, knowing all too well that the current unfolding events still held a myriad of hidden errors awaiting his deft touch.
But due to Karina's reminder, Shino's attention temporarily shifted to the holographic video hovering in his vision. In the live broadcast, their bugs were methodically weaving a delicate net around a small mouse – one who had successfully eluded their hunt once again.
The sight served as a reminder of their ultimate goal - to enhance their combat capabilities and repository of abilities to secure a future where they could combat against any adversary, instead of helplessly requiring the deployment of lots of their resources to capture one small character.
Shino's gaze turned to Karina, his voice filled with urgency. "Karina, how much longer until our clones can be transported over?" he inquired, his brows furrowing with concern. Time was of the essence, and they couldn't afford any delays.
Karina sighed, her expression tinged with frustration. "Ha… It's still going to take a while, Shino," she replied, her voice laced with an alluring sigh. "The transporters of our clones have been traveling at their quickest speed, but the target seems to be one step ahead, eluding our attempts to encircle him. He ha-has been evading our net, constantly on the move, making it difficult for our clones to catch up."
Shino's face was neutral as he pondered their predicament. "Is there a way for us to take him down without relying on our clones?" he asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice. The thought of being able to confront their target directly, without the limitations of their clones, held an allure for him.
Karina shook her head, her voice filled with a sense of realism. "It's highly unlikely, Shino," she responded, her tone tinged with a hint of resignation. "Despite their numbers, our zergs and bugs are still too weak to pose a significant threat to a ninja of his caliber. Engaging him directly only resulted in losses in exchange for a short delay..."
"Despite being entrapped within the confines of our wide zerg network, he's adept at avoiding confrontations and has been cleverly maneuvering around us, taking detours when necessary. Unless our clones confront him head-on, we have no chance of capturing him. Even if our clones manage to obstruct him, there is still a probability of failing to incapacitate the target."
Shino's brows furrowed further as he tried to comprehend the situation. "Are our clones truly that weak?" he asked, a hint of frustration seeping into his voice. He couldn't fathom how their clones, equipped with the pseudo chakra network and combat systems, could fail to subdue their target.
Karina shook her head, her expression serious. "No, our clones aren't weak," she clarified. "Individually, they possess chunin-level combat strength. When coordinated effectively, their combined power can allow each clone to have power rivaling that of an upper chunin. In numbers, they can overwhelm a jonin, perhaps even mobbing upper jonins to death. This was proven when they engaged and eliminated the Root ninjas sent to support our target. But this fact only holds true if the enemy chooses to engage us head-on."
He knew all too well that the Naruto world didn't adhere to a strict combat power ranking system. Raw power alone did not guarantee victory.
In the intricate world of shinobi, the boundaries of ninja strength are blurred by a myriad of methods that transcend mere combat power, delving into the realm of cunning and deception. From clandestine conspiracies to treacherous traps, intricate schemes to calculated assassinations, deadly backstabbing to ominous betrayals, the playing field is not limited to direct confrontations alone.
It even extends into the realm of unconventional tactics such as the sexy and harem techniques, methods which are super effective for 'defeating' powerful ninjas.
So, in this complex web of strategies, the concept of cross-rank killing emerges as a distinct possibility, challenging the conventional boundaries of ninja strengths and raising the difficulty of comparing ninja combat prowess.
The system's ranking, however, provided a semblance of order, a convenient grouping for the average ninja. The ranks: Genin, Chunin, Jonin, Kage, Sage, Six Paths… and so on, each rank split from low to upper tier.
It was a surprising revelation, believe it or not, but in reality, most normal ninjas' combat prowess did align with their assigned rank.
Not every ninja possessed the awe-inspiring abilities showcased by the iconic characters in the anime, where a jonin could explode with sage-like powers at the cost of their life, or where a genin, seemingly stuck at the lowest rank, could rise to become the savior of the world.
Therefore, the system's rankings were a reflection of the general capabilities and skills possessed by the majority of the mob ninjas – side characters not mentioned in the anime, usually imagined by authors of fan-fictions to generate original content… and maybe even some of the original Naruto characters with little screen time. Ten/Ten this is a fact and isn't a joke.
However, even ants can overwhelm an elephant, and in their case, it was a comparison of an elephant in the face of the collective strength of larger ants, a jonin against the synchronized strength of a group of chunins.
Hence, the conclusion drawn by Karina was justified, but it seems there were other issues to consider.
A dissatisfied and annoyed expression crossed Karina's face as she continued, "The problem lies in the fact that not all ninjas will engage in direct combat, especially jonins who have a variety of ways to hunt and hide in the shadows."
"Not only that, when faced with an escape route, they will exploit it, their first priority being to return and report intelligence. When a jonin focuses on escaping, that's where the real challenge lies. Our clones' deployment speed can't keep up with the target's constant movement."
"Fortunately, despite the target's ability to blaze a trail through the zergs, the cautious nature of jonins prevented the target from directly breaking through the dense net of zergs, allowing us to slowly setup a layout to entrap the target. I've employed multiple strategies to paralyze the prey's cognition, including letting our bugs pass by despite sensing him, hoping to herd him towards our clones, but the target's instinct and intelligence keyed him in on this fact, causing him to move in an erratic way that prevented his complete ensnarement, resulting in our current stalemate."
And now, it was a race of whether she will arrive first or if he would escape first.
Karina was diligently playing this racing game for him, but it seemed that the road was much more bumpy than expected, resulting in her bouncy movements, a dance between frustration and elation.
Shino, witnessing her relentless efforts, harbored no blame because he knew she had it rough.
Shino let out a sigh of frustration, his shoulders slumping. "This is precisely why I wanted to learn the Thunder God Technique," he confessed, a tinge of disappointment evident in his voice. "It would have compensated for my deficiency in high-mobility combat, allowing me to keep pace with elusive opponents like this jonin."
Karina cast a pitiful glance at Shino, her voice filled with sympathy. "Haha… I'm sorry, Shino," she said softly besides his ear. "We were too idealistic. The Hive is not omnipotent, and the system can't hand everything to us on a silver platter with its current stage of computation power. Despite the sporadic success, deciphering the Thunder God Technique has proven to be an insurmountable challenge for us so far. We've had to put it on hold for long-term research and focus on other more pressing research."
With a subtle shake of his head, Shino's lips curved into a small, playful smile as his hands extended, offering solace to Karina in a gesture both comforting and laden with warmth.
"It's not your fault, Karina," His words lingered in the air, suffused with a captivating warmth as he deftly sculpted the contours of her thoughts, intertwining his reassurance within the confines of their connection. "We aren't the lucky protagonists destined for easy mastery of S-rank techniques. Such skills require extraordinary dedication and a stroke of luck. Otherwise, we could only grind it slowly over time."
Shino paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on Karina as she basked in the warmth of his reassurance, her eyes closed in contentment.
He took a deep breath before broaching the next topic on his mind. "Karina, what about the alternative - the contracting and summoning technique?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
Karina's eyes fluttered open, and her enchanting eyes met Shino's gaze, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Ah- Ha... the contracting and summoning technique," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of reservation. "While understanding the summoning technique itself wouldn't pose a challenge, there is a significant hurdle when it comes to contracting with a zerg."
Shino's brows furrowed as he absorbed Karina's words. "What do you mean?" he asked, a glimmer of intrigue in his voice. He had considered the possibility of signing contracts with other creatures, but he hadn't fully contemplated the full implications with regards to his own zerg.
Karina sighed, her eyes scanning the room before meeting Shino's gaze once again. "You see, Shino, the zergs may appear as independent beings, but in reality, they are all interconnected as part of the hive mind," she explained. "Essentially, they are all extensions of you. So, if we were to sign a contract to summon them, we would essentially be contracting with... you."
A soft chuckle escaped Shino's lips as he processed the revelation. "Ah, I see the problem now," he mused, shaking his head. "We can't sign a contract with ourselves and summon ourselves. That would defeat the purpose entirely."
Karina nodded in agreement, her expression serious. "That's the primary issue we need to address," she continued. "But there's another concern as well. It's unclear where the blood used in the summoning ritual goes. Does it get claimed by an unknown entity, or is it delivered to the owner of the summon creature? If it's the latter, we could potentially use it as a gene collector. But if it's the former, there's a risk that our own unique zerg blood may be divulged to a powerful entity."
Shino nodded, his mind working through the possibilities. "Indeed, that is a risk," he acknowledged. "But it's a risk we can consider once we've solved the issue of contracting with ourselves. At that point, we can use other people's blood as a test to see if the blood is received by the summon creature's owner. However, I remember when we first began the research, you mentioned there was another problem?"
Karina nodded solemnly, her voice filled with caution. "Yes, there's also the risk that the contractor could perform a reverse summon to the summon creature," she disclosed. "If that were to happen and the reverse summon ended up bringing them back to Shino's main body..."
Indeed, that would be a significant problem. It would defeat the whole purpose of his stable lifestyle. It'll be a joke if he successfully hid his main body from the world, only to be discovered by a random ninja who could use the C-rank technique.
Karina's warning continued, "While we could technically restrict such an action by refusing the reverse summoning for other contractors, there's always the possibility that someone might find a way to forcefully reverse summon through the contract."
Shino lowered his head, lost in thought as he contemplated the implications. After a moment, he raised his head and met Karina's gaze, his expression resolute. "For now, we shouldn't dwell on this particular concern. Let's focus on researching this and acquiring a working sample first," he decided.
"If it turns out to be a risk during the testing phase, we can simply use the summoning technique internally, limiting its use to ourselves. It may eliminate the potential for collaboration with other ninjas, but it would ensure our safety. Of course, if there's a way to mitigate the risk, I wouldn't mind exploring that option."
Karina nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "I will keep a close eye on any potential methods," she assured Shino, her voice filled with a sense of purpose. "In fact, during the experiments, I've recently noticed a peculiar spatial fluctuation within the system. While it's not confirmed yet, I believe there may be a hidden space within the system."
Shino's curiosity piqued, his gaze locked onto Karina. "A hidden space?!" he echoed, his voice laced with excitement. "What do you mean?"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone