บท 109: Targeted by the World?
Gulp. Karina's loud swallow echoed in the room, mirrored by Kurenai in silence, evidence of their shock over Shino's revelation. The air was heavy with tension as the weight of his words settled in their minds, a clear contrast to their previous situation, which would definitely not be considered a fill'er chapter in a novel – one only understandable by men of culture.
After cleaning up the remnants of their previous task, Karina stood up, stretching and accentuating her curves as her eyes filled with curiosity and concern.
She couldn't help but voice her questions, hoping to understand the gravity of the situation. "My dear," she began, her voice laced with concern, "What do you mean by being targeted by the world?"
Shino, now seated on a chair molded from biomass, leaned forward, his eyes fixed on some distant point. His mind was in turmoil, a tempest of thoughts raging within. He took a deep breath, seeking a moment of calm before explaining the intricacies of his revelation.
"Literally," he started, his brows furrowed, his expression troubled as he tried to gather his thoughts, yet his voice was measured and calm, "The world is aiming to either eliminate or expel me for some reason. Perhaps, it may not be the world itself, but existences at a similar level, beings with power beyond our grasp."
Karina, unable to fully comprehend the magnitude of what Shino was saying, walked over and sat on his lap. Her arm wrapped around his neck, a gesture of both comfort and support. She gazed at him with a perplexed expression, doubting his claim.
"It can't be, right?" she murmured, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Is my dear just overthinking? I mean, isn't this a bit exaggerated? Can the world be alive? Even in the samples recorded in the database, this is a rare phenomenon. And, although the database has notes about high-end combat powers such as the Six Paths Sage, they wouldn't just target us for no reason, right?"
Shino's frown deepened as he listened to Karina's doubts, knowing it was difficult for those who hasn't experienced the prosperous age of light novels to comprehend his worries, unless he provides clear evidence.
His hand instinctively waved, summoning a holographic interface that projected the database before him. He began searching through the records, his eyes scanning the wealth of information at his disposal.
"Karina," he commanded, his voice determined, "Bring up all the recent events of us being mentioned, including Kurenai, Team 8 itself, and our recent missions."
With a swift gesture from Karina, a stack of holographic interfaces continuously materialized in front of Shino. The events played out like a matrix of intrigue and danger. Shino swept through them, his eyes narrowing as seemingly trivial events took on a new significance, his hands fluidly organizing them, visually reconstructing the evidence of his investigation.
First, he noticed Shikamaru's suspicion after the Kurosawa mission. It should have raised a red flag, but he had somehow overlooked it in the chaos of their endeavor. It was a critical oversight.
Then there was Tsunade, the Hokage, with her strange behavior in her office, recently recorded on multiple occasions. She hid parts of her speech, her words laced with an undertone when mentioning Team 8.
Since she can become Hokage, her mind definitely wasn't simple. Clearly, her mind was aware of something, perhaps through a report of Shikamaru, but she hasn't taken action because she hasn't confirmed it.
The true red flag was her assignment of their new team leader. An important personnel such as Yamato would definitely not be wasted on unnecessary missions, such as leading a regular genin team. It was clear that she had sent Yamato to monitor him, to keep a close eye on his actions, and maybe even to find a method to deal with him.
Next, his own bounty became a stark reminder of the danger that lurked within the shadows. The village had done nothing to address it, a silence that spoke volumes.
The discovery of the biosphere in the Land of Wind was another puzzle piece that fell into place, but the timing was too perfect, like a coincidence or a forced plot of a story, a sign of a bad author attempting to push a story towards an unclear direction.
According to Karina's calculations, his original estimate had suggested it would take months to uncover, yet the Sand ninjas had unearthed it sooner, and by one of the main supporting casts.
Not long ago, this fact didn't even alert Shino, but now after revisiting it, Shino certainly couldn't rule out the possibility of external factors at play.
And if these signs weren't clear enough, there were more obscured hints that eluded him at first.
Danzo, with his relentless targeting, was pushing him away from Konoha, casting him as a potential rebel seeking revenge under the guise of justice. But this was abnormal.
The events leading to the bad old man biting onto him like a rabid dog seemed reasonable at first. However, Shino was the heir to the Aburame clan. Would the forbearing scheming man really be foolish enough to assault the heir of a clan, especially since it's not the Uchiha or Senju Clan?
The answer is probably no, unless he had inadvertently discovered something of interest. And this intriguing revelation was probably fed to Danzo through an unknown manner.
Shino was cautious, but the world seemed intent on molding him into a villain.
Then there was Zetsu, the mysterious black hand behind the scenes who had taken an interest in him.
And his Tobey clone, despite his murky background, had been accepted into the ranks of Akatsuki. These were undeniable signs that the world was nudging him toward the role of a villain.
And if that wasn't enough, there was the perplexing matter of his constant interruptions.
Shino vividly remembered that the original Shino had never been interrupted as much as he had been since his transmigration. At first, he dismissed it as mere coincidences, his own indulgence to complete his act, or the butterfly effects of his arrival.
And when finally suspicions arose later on, he coincidentally discovered that Kiba, his teammate, intentionally played up his antics to lower Shino's presence in order to divert Hinata's attention. This discovery became a veil, suppressing his suspicious and lowering his vigilance, shielding him from the reality that his enemies and opponents continued to disrupt him.
Frustration filled Shino's veins as he realized how easily he had accepted these interruptions, attributing them to his own persona, his act as a pushover just to bide his time.
He had even kept a record of the events, intending to seek revenge in the future.
However, his innate personality didn't allow him to stay as unaffected as he believed. The frustrations brought to him by the interruptions had unknowingly distorted his personality, causing him to harshly vent on his enemies in a cruel manner. It was a clear sign of his growing villainy, and he had failed to recognize it.
The gravity of the situation settled upon Shino's shoulders like a crushing weight.
It was clear, there was a problem here, a big problem. Why was he being interrupted so incessantly? Was it all just for a gag? Or was it because some bad author somewhere had failed at writing his character's dialogue?
As he delved deeper into his thoughts, Shino's realization expanded. This was the world's deliberate attempts to undermine him, diminishing his presence, a passive response mechanism to erase foreign intruders, like the body's immune system fighting against bacteria and virus.
The world had rejected him from the very beginning, pushing him toward an inevitable fate, but he hadn't paid attention.
Even his system itself was cautious and cautioned him early on. Its early warning, about collecting sufficient genes to avoid rejection, had hinted at the existence of a world consciousness capable of rejecting others.
Unfortunately, he had nonchalantly dismissed it as a concern for his zergs alone, simply warning himself to stay cautious and steady, foolishly believing that as long as he remained cautious, he would remain unaffected. But now, he understood that he, too, was a target, perhaps from the very beginning.
And this rejection seemed to brew over time, eventually resulting in the world's rejection methods ascending to a new level, even discreetly affecting his thoughts and memories, preventing him from noticing the problem.
Even now, he was unsure if he was still under the influence. After all, the reasons behind his targeting were still shrouded in uncertainty.
Was it because he was a transmigrator, an outsider in this world? Or perhaps it was his zerg system, a dangerous existence that threatened to bring chaos and destruction?
The possibilities were numerous, but the true fear lay in being a villain under circumstances beyond his control.
Being a villain wasn't scary. It was his original intentions. However, if his villainous path was built upon factors beyond his control, that is true horror.
After all, if he became a villain recognized by the world, his death could be arranged to conform to the general trend, and he wouldn't even be aware of it.
"Truly, I hope I'm just overthinking, but I've read too many novels to know to leave my fate to chance. Fortunately, now that I am aware, there's still a chance to turn things around…" Despite the dark cloud looming over him, Shino felt a glimmer of gratitude.
It was unknown if there was external interference, but he knew he had temporarily awakened to the truth, a moment of clarity that offered a chance to alter his path. Otherwise, he might have continued blindly, following a predetermined course, only to meet his end without comprehending why.
Still, the events were spiraling toward a grim conclusion, a bad ending, and Shino knew he had to act swiftly to secure any advantages he could before the storm arrived.
The world, once a sanctuary for his growth, now became a battlefield where their survival and redemption hung in the balance.
His mind churned with plans, reevaluating strategies, seeking loopholes in the fabric of destiny. For he was no longer a pawn in this game; he was determined to become the master of his own fate… even if it meant he had to go against the world.
And if he fails…
"Perhaps it would be a bad author's method to transition into a new world? Haha, there's no way my life is a story in the infinite flow type of novel, right?"
Yeah. Definitely. Not. Possible.
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