章 49: Operation KonoHideMaru
Konohamaru's heart pounded in his chest as he desperately tried to hold back his tears. He had locked himself in the Hokage's office, setting up an array of traps to prevent anyone from taking away the remaining treasures left by the Third Hokage.
It was his duty, as the grandson of the late Hiruzen Sarutobi, to protect these cherished possessions. But as he sobbed silently, consumed by his grief and determination, he remained oblivious to the presence that had materialized within the room.
Unbeknownst to Konohamaru, before he crossed the threshold into the room, a thin veil of transparent bugs, like ethereal whispers in the night, wove a delicate cloak upon his back, their presence concealed from prying eyes.
Now, they were crawling and weaving a complex dance of insectile precision. These bugs, each a mere speck, gradually congregated together, forming an ethereal figure.
As the transformation neared completion, the bugs took on a vivid purple hue, their collective form coalescing into that of a breathtaking beauty, dressed in the attire of an ANBU operative, adorned in an exquisite white mask.
The mysterious masked woman, her long red hair with purple streaks cascading down her shoulders, flicked her gaze over the scrolls and books that adorned the shelves of the Hokage's office. Her eyes glimmered with an otherworldly intelligence, a deep understanding of the profound knowledge contained within those ancient tomes.
Without physical contact, she manipulated the invisible insects, coaxing them to lift multiple books and scrolls simultaneously. With a subtle flick of her wrist, she sent them hovering in mid-air, pages fluttering as if caught in a gentle breeze.
As the woman delicately scanned through the pages, her eyes darted across the text with astounding speed. Her lips moved ever so slightly, as if silently mouthing the words that she devoured from the wise scripts.
The room itself seemed to hold its breath, the very air thick with a mysterious energy. The floating books created an ethereal scene, as if an unseen force was orchestrating a dance of forgotten knowledge.
It was at this precise moment that Konohamaru, finally catching sight of the mysterious woman, cried out in shock. "Wh-who are you? What are you doing in the grandpa's office?"
The red-haired beauty paused, her eyes piercing through Konohamaru's startled gaze. Her voice, melodic and full of intrigue, resounded through the room. "Ah, so you have finally noticed me, little one. I am known by many names, but for now, you may call me Big Sis."
"Nee-san?" Konohamaru's confusion deepened. "Te- don't call me little one!"
A chuckle escaped the beauty's lips as she turned her attention back to the books.
"Oi! Are you listening to me?" Konohamaru's childish scream echoed in the room, met with no response.
The sound of page turns gently echoed in the room. In the end, Konohamaru couldn't hold back his curiosity, "Nee-san, What brings you here? And why are you... reading those books like that?"
The beauty smiled, an enigmatic expression playing upon her lips. "These books hold secrets, Konohamaru-kun. Secrets that must be understood, guarded, and preserved. I have come seeking knowledge, just as you have come to protect it. We share a similar purpose, you and I."
Konohamaru's gaze shifted from the floating books to the Big Sis, his curiosity piqued. "But how? How are you controlling those books without touching them? And... what are you?"
The masked beauty's eyes sparkled with a mix of amusement and wisdom. "Ah, little one, the power you see before you is a manifestation of an ancient art from the No Game No Life Clan. This technique, invented by prodigious ninja Sora, are the key to my abilities. They allow me to interact with books in extraordinary ways."
"Sugoi!" Konohamaru's astonishment grew, his mind struggling to comprehend the supernatural display before him. "The No Game No Life Clan? But I've never heard of such a clan."
The masked beauty's smile widened, a hint of mystery lingering in her eyes. "Naturally, The No Game No Life Clan is an ancient and elusive lineage, deeply rooted in the boundless village of Anime. They have chosen to remain hidden from the annals of history, operating from the shadows, safeguarding knowledge and secrets that could shape the world. I also personally only learned of them from the database..."
Konohamaru's mind raced with a whirlwind of questions. "Village of Anime? Database?"
"Oops. Said to much." An imperceptible whisper escaped the beauty's mouth.
Her eyes, veiled by the delicate mask that adorned her countenance, shimmered with a profound blend of reverence and longing, recalling the vast reservoir of tales hidden in the depths of her master's mind.
Within the depths of the masked beauty's enigmatic gaze, a tapestry of emotions swirled and danced in harmony. "It's not good to know too much, little one. Just know that it is my duty to uncover these truths, to ensure they are not lost to the passage of time. You also don't want your grandfather's legacy to be taken away and buried in a room, lost forever right?"
Konohamaru's initial shock gave way to a glimmer of understanding. With a couple of nods, he sat down, quietly observing the big sister as she read.
And so, an unknown amount of time passed, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and an aura of intrigue. Konohamaru continued to observe the big sis shrouded in the mist of uncertainty. The more he observed, the more awestruck he became, his face blushed, his mind running wild with fantasies…
Amidst the serene sanctuary of the room, where the ambiance hummed with hushed whispers of solitude, a sudden intrusion shattered the tranquility.
A sequence of resolute knocks reverberated through the air, jolting Konohamaru from his reverie and jarring him back to his purpose. For within these walls, a duty awaited him - He had a room to defend, a legacy to protect!
Not long after, the arrival of the tempestuous presence of Naruto Uzumaki unleashed a storm of noise and commotion. Yet, amidst the tumultuous tempest, there she remained – a serene figure adorned in an exquisite mask, her essence untethered from the chaos that ensued.
While the external pandemonium grew in magnitude, reverberating through the walls and stirring the air with fervor, the masked beauty immersed herself in the realm of data collection.
Like a river flowing in the depths of the unknown, an indeterminate span of time slipped through the cracks of perception.
With a soft sigh, the masked beauty reached out, allowing her fingers to graze the surface of the last floating scroll, as the invisible insects shifted, causing the floating books to arrange themselves back onto the shelves.
"According to the database, she should be breaking in soon. The surveillance shows she is already heading this way. Time is almost up."
A gentle smile graced the beauty's lips, her eyes filled with both gratitude and hope. Her ethereal parting words lingered in the air, casting a captivating spell that snared the wandering gaze of the preoccupied Konohamaru, "Goodbye little one."
As mysterious as she came, she disappeared, leaving a sight that captivated Konohamaru, awestruck by the display. "Nee-san?"
Unbeknownst to Konohamaru, an imperceptible legion of translucent insects had surreptitiously converged upon his presence, weaving an imperceptible web of concealment upon his very back, awaiting his departure to hitch a free serendipitous ride beyond the confines of the highly-secured room.
[Operation KonoHideMaru completed.]
"Karina, show me the significant parts of the harvest." Sprawled across the couch in the base's lounge, Shino exuded an undeniable aura of comfort and content as he issue his command.
A mesmerizing holographic display materialized before Shino's eyes. The screen danced with ethereal brilliance, with a labyrinth of tantalizing titles spilling out to fill the digital canvas. Each line, a breadcrumb leading to untold secrets and hidden knowledge recorded by Karina, beckoned him to explore their depths.
A new dynamic wallpaper served as the background of the holographic display. It was a breathtaking vista of a purple and red waterfall, cascading down a pristine white surface – smooth with the exception of two palm-size rocks embedded on its surface, and damp, most probable due to the waterfall's unceasing flow.
The wind also claims its contribution, causing the waterfall to undulate rhythmically, harmonizing with an arousing ambient beat – the sound of the waterfall as if came crashing down upon the surface below.
This scenic backdrop along with its pulsating beats only served to intrigue Shino, enticing Shino to immerse himself in the mesmerizing visual information displayed on the virtual interface.
"S-Shino-sama, these are the content relevant to our current plans." Karina's response emerged with a subtle quiver, her words laced with an unmistakable tremor, as though a secret trembled upon the precipice of her tongue, yearning to break free.
"Was there anything we were looking for?" As Shino posed his question, a captivating spectacle unfolded before his eyes.
The holographic interface responded in kind, unveiling an array of illuminated titles that materialized in a synchronized dance of light. New screens emerged like ethereal apparitions, their translucent forms hovering effortlessly beside the central display, as if eager to divulge their scrollable contents.
"Unfortunately, the Scroll of Seals was not part of the ha-harvest, and there wasn't any hi-highly classified documents. But there was discovery of journals and notes of Sarutobi Hi-Hiruzen's development of ninjutsu. There are also books with intricate details and diagrams on the ninja body. These will be he-helpful for our research."
"Oh? Is that all?" Shino sat up with interest, his hands reached out with purpose, deftly grasping the edges of a pristine white table. With a controlled motion, he turned it over, setting it up and ensuring its stability on all fours.
Shino expertly maneuvered the holographic screens, suspending them effortlessly above the pristine white expanse – the contrast heightened his senses, granting him a heightened clarity and focus of the intriguing diagrams displayed before him.
As his fingers clutched the legs of the table, a surge of excitement coursed through his veins. With each subtle motion of his body, the holographic interface responded, unfurling a tapestry of intriguing diagrams and intricate information.
Like a master conductor leading an orchestra of knowledge, Shino orchestrated the scrolling of documents with seamless precision, his gaze fixated on the enigmatic information scrolling up and down before him.
[Lord Shino, there are a couple of journals detailing the Third Hokage's personal evaluation of notable ninjas of the village, including ninja school students. There is also clues to the location of Root spread through multiple documents…]
"Eh? Root, huh? Finally found some traces." With an insatiable curiosity burning within him, Shino's gaze intensified as he dug into the details of Root, delving deeper into the abyss of hidden knowledge.
His fingers danced across the underside of the table, exploring an intriguing twin knots he had discovered, most likely left intentionally during the craftsmanship of the table to contribute to the natural beauty of the piece of artwork.
"And Karina, there's no need to talk through the system when you can speak directly."
"U-Understood S-Shino-sama- ha- ha-" Before him, Karina's subtle, muffled laugh resonated, echoing through the air and tickling Shino's senses.
Hmm? Why is Karina laughing? Did he say something funny?
"Finding Root…" With a surge of electricity coursing through his veins, Shino was suddenly reminded of another carefully crafted plan, concealed in the shadows and awaiting its moment to manifest, "That reminds me, what is the progress of Operation Furofuki?"
"Ha… ha… ha..." It seemed something had tickled Karina's funny bone.
As the surge of electricity subsided, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake, Shino didn't receive any response except her laughter.
"Karina?" Shino couldn't understand her humor, and frustration coiled within him. Feeling the mounting storm of emotions, he could only forcefully overturn the table with anger, commanding as he muted the system's superfluous audio, "You may respond with the system."
[Um- Lord Shino, the progress of Operation Furofuki is still low. 23% of Aburame clan members have been infiltrated. Only 2% could be fully controlled at anytime. Target Furofuki still has no signs of discovery. No insects have infiltrated Root yet. According to the final feedback from the insects, they have been brought to a hidden lab before being dissected.]
"Root. Still so cautious, but will being cautious let you find anything?" Shino's eyes betrayed a hint of intrigue as his hand traced through the flowing purple-red river, praising the nature's beauty in his heart.
[Mm. Lord Shino, Karina will dispatch more bugs to search for clues of Root's location based on the hints of the documents. As for the target Furofuki, we currently do not have the necessary drones to carpet search the Jofuku mountains for her location. We've controlled a tainted batch of insects in the Aburame clan, but these still failed to lead us to the forest or its source. Some drones have already been stationed in the nearby villages to gather intel on the location of Jofuku Forest. But there are no results so far…]
"Mm. Good. What about the progress of the flesh clone?" Shino's eyes were filled with anticipation and excitement as he felt the arrival of his newfound power.
[Lord Shino, the Uzumaki Clone is nearing its completion, and it should be ready by the end of the day or sooner.]
"Oh? Then, it seems that we should try to speed up the progress." With calculated intent, Shino released the muted audio, his hands arranging the table with purpose as an effective plan had already taken shape within the depths of his mind.
This time, the plan was produce without Karina's input because strangely...
"Ha… Ha…" She still seemed to be afflicted with the enigmatic laughter contagion.
Still laughing? Seriously, Shino couldn't understand what was so funny. Did he miss the joke in between the lines?
So, Shino's form leaned in, drawn towards the holographic interface like a moth to a flickering flame. Like a master detective, he located the anomaly within the blocks of texts, the lines he believed were the cause to the laughing issue.
These lines seemed to be written in messy small font, so Shino grasped the table legs, pulling them closer. With each pull, the distance between himself and the holographic interface diminished, bridging the gap between observer and observed.
With the table now in perfect alignment, Shino leaned forward, his body poised in a stance of focused determination.
Guided by unwavering resolve, Shino entered the world in between the lines, hoping an in-depth exploration would allow him to discover the jest that eluded him.
In the realm where time weaves its intricate tapestry, a pivotal moment approached, the culmination of meticulous effort had arrived, the flesh clone was ready to be used.
It was finally time for Shino to embrace the legacy of the Uzumaki. What new abilities will be bestowed upon him?
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