Bab 142: Self Help
In Karina's lab, Shino surveyed the array of holographic screens before him, displaying the live feeds from Orochimaru's visited bases and the white Zetsu scattered among his own army. He furrowed his brow and inquired, "Any signs of Uncle Snake or Zetsu discovering our location?"
Karina, diligently working on the final adjustments to their operations, responded, "No, Shino. The white Zetsu are still wandering aimlessly, driven by our zerg army which we will never recall. The traces of Akatsuki Zetsu has been lost, but I had already arranged some of our bikochu to discreetly mark his scent when he went to check on our return gift. Unfortunately, we can only acquire a general direction of his whereabouts due to his fast traveling, and can only use our prediction model to analyze his location. As for Orochimaru, his current physical condition makes it unlikely that he will pose a significant threat to us."
"Hmm," Shino mused. "Continue monitoring. We cannot underestimate the villains in this world, especially Uncle Snake, who has managed to survive into the Boruto era, and was even whitewashed. Since we've offended him this time, it's always better to be aware of his movements and prepare ourselves in advance."
"Although we know his weakened soul is susceptible to genjutsu, and with my new genjutsu domain, I am less fearful of him, but the boat can still capsize if he successfully ambushes me when my genjutsu domain is inactive. Even though I now possess its origin within me, I certainly don't want his cursed seal on me. After all, we still can't fully comprehend the cursed seal's origins due to the lack of data. Although we plundered a lot of research data this time, the most crucial parts are probably still kept in Uncle Snake's brain." Shino let his worries flow out as Kurenai diligently accepted it in silence.
Karina observed this with interest as she reassured Shino, "Don't worry, Shino. As your genjutsu powers undergo an upgrade, I will diligently monitor around the clock and promptly notify you of any intrusions. Zetsu can't deal with us alone, and the Anti-Obito plan is already prepared. As for Orochimaru, even if he does appear, we still have Kurenai, don't we?"
Shino directed his gaze towards Kurenai, who knelt patiently with her mouth slightly ajar, awaiting his permission to speak. With a gentle stroke of her head, he watched as she swallowed in anticipation before she calmly declared, "If the Sannin shows up, I will do my best to hold him off, Shino."
Nodding in approval, Shino observed Kurenai as she began her cleaning duties, his mind wandering as his thoughts settled upon another threat.
Shino knew if he was willing to pay a heavy price, his current zerg army could fight a war of attrition with the ninjas, and even drag the high-end combatants to death. But, as long as this man exists, he could render all his efforts futile with his perfect Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation.
So, Shino turned his attention to Karina. "What about Kabuto? Any sign of his whereabouts?"
Karina shook her head with a hint of frustration. "No, Shino. It appears that he may be hiding in one of Orochimaru's secret bases located at sea. Our zerg forces have limited coverage in that area compared to the land, making it difficult to locate Orochimaru's hidden bases there. However, with the data we obtained from Demon Island, we are in the process of developing our naval force. Soon, even the Land of Water won't be able to escape our watchful eyes. Hasn't my dear always lusted over a beauty there Soon, she won't be a problem."
Shino chuckled softly, observing Kurenai who stepped back after dutifully helping him dress like a diligent maid, allowing Karina to enter his embrace. "Well, let's save those thoughts for later. For now, let's focus on enhancing my power. I'll head over there now. I trust you to handle things here, Karina, Kurenai."
Karina planted a kiss on Shino's lips before stepping back with a cheeky smile, assuring him, "Leave it to me, my dear."
After watching Shino depart the lab in silence, Kurenai's crimson gaze shifted towards Karina. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered gratefully, "Thank you for helping me, Karina."
Karina paused her work, glancing over with a sly smile on her face. "There's no need to thank me. I'm just helping myself."
"Helping yourself? Why?" Kurenai's mind began to race. How does this benefit her?
Sauntering over to Kurenai, Karina maintained her sly smile as her finger trailed over Kurenai's lips, wiping away a stain. "Beauties like you aren't hard to come by in this world, and there would be even more in the vast universe. But it doesn't matter how many of you there are, as long as none of you threaten my position as the one and only queen of Shino."
Karina put her finger into her mouth, licking it clean before continuing, "But Shino's new power, his Yakumo as he calls it, is outside my control. Although she is currently like a mindless doll, who knows if that will remain the case after a century or a millennium or perhaps even longer? In the long rivers of time, once her intelligence reaches a certain point, she could become a threat to my position. I can't allow that."
"I didn't have any methods before, but after analyzing all the fragments of soul research data we gathered from the Snake Farm operation, I finally devised a countermeasure. So this time, I also hope the plan succeeds. If it fails, your student will cease to exist, and Shino's personal doll will still be beyond my control. However, if it succeeds, it will implant a backhand into her core, making her a factor I can control."
Kurenai took a deep breath, realizing the truth. No wonder Karina was so willing to help her. As expected, she was just like Shino, hiding the hidden costs within their actions. "But by doing this, aren't you afraid of revealing your strong desire for control? Won't it cross his boundaries?"
Karina's smile remained playful as she turned around and headed back to her lab table. "Who says he doesn't know? Our very existence belongs to him, and if he desires, he can always be aware of everything we do. I have no intention of hiding it because a transparent relationship is what sustains our bond. He knows that I am willing to give everything for him, and in turn, he indulges me in these trivial matters. But even so, we both understand that I will never overstep his boundaries, and every action of mine will always cater to him."
Kurenai fell silent, bowing her head in deep thought. Karina's gaze shifted towards her, and she admonished Kurenai in a gentle tone, "Kurenai, I also hope you learn from this. I don't want to see you end up in the cold palace one day."
Hearing the advice, Kurenai nodded slightly. "Thank you for the reminder, Karina."
"Go. You still have a lot of genjutsu research on your plate, especially with our access to natural energy and your discoveries regarding the mirage technique," Karina said, nodding slightly before returning to her work, grumbling in an unhappy tone, "Seriously, Shino keeps increasing the workload and leaves it all in our hands while he has fun. My goodness. I also want to spend time with my dear."
Kurenai's lips curved slightly as she exited the lab. Making her way to her own workspace, her eyes subtly scanned the prison area, a hint of worry showing in her gaze. "Yakumo, sensei can only do so much for you. The rest... will be up to fate."
In the dim and gloomy prison room, Shino stood silently, sweeping his gaze over the myriad of symbols forming sealing marks all over the walls, ground, and ceiling before his gaze fixed upon the obedient Yakumo who stood stiffly before him, dully staring into space. Despite her vacant expression, Shino knew that her consciousness still lingered, forcefully placed into dormant mode by Karina's control over their assimilated queens.
Not only that, Yakumo's soul and body had been meticulously prepared by Karina, primed for the upcoming operation.
"Such a wonderful body. Alas, it's not enough if you want to be mines." Extending his hand, Shino gently trailed his fingers over Yakumo's warm skin, a dark grin spreading across his face as he ensured there was truly no reaction, regardless of his actions.
After his confirmation of Yakumo's dormant state, Shino tossed the stained kimono away, letting the cleaning rag settle to the ground, "It's a pity. I'll miss enjoying this, so if you can hear me in there, I hope you give me some surprises."
Then, with a firm conviction, Shino's black hair transitioned to a shade of brown, and his genjutsu domain enveloped the surroundings. Within moments, the masked Yakumo materialized beside him, standing motionless like a doll, her chilling aura brushing against his skin.
Grinning, Shino drew the masked Yakumo into his embrace, his hand roaming as he positioned her to face her 'sister' who stood nearby. "Yakumo, do you see your sister right there? Do you understand what you have to do?"
Shino's question lingered in the air, but received no response from the masked Yakumo, as if she lacked understanding. So, Shino could only seek his own response that would satisfy himself.
Not long later, satisfied, Shino released his grip, pushing the masked Yakumo towards the real Yakumo. His voice, cold and devoid of emotions, resonated through the genjutsu domain. "Now, devour her," he commanded.
At last, a flicker of life seemed to emerge within the masked Yakumo. An ominous aura emanated from her as she fixed her chilling gaze upon the real Yakumo. The mouthpiece of her mask clacked with anticipation, as if she had long awaited this moment.
Suddenly, a chilling, creepy laughter of a young woman echoed through the genjutsu domain as the demoness lunged forward, plunging into the fleshly vessel, prepared to help herself to the feast.
What would be the outcome of this horrifying act? There is no need to guess further because...
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone