บท 154: Played
With an ugly frown etched upon his face, Zetsu turned, his gaze fixated on the distant silhouette of Amegakure, the relentless gloomy rain pelting down, mirroring his own emotions. "That Nagato," he muttered, his voice heavy with a mix of disappointment and realization. "I thought he had forsaken all his emotions after the death of his friend, but this recent display shows that he has merely buried them deep within."
White Zetsu, ever inquisitive, posed the pressing question. "Will it affect our plans?"
A cunning smirk played across Zetsu's lips as he responded. "A tool with emotions can still prove to be a valuable asset. His goals now align with ours, as we both seek to eliminate that troublesome variable." His voice carried a sense of satisfaction, as if relishing in the newfound opportunity presented by Nagato's lingering emotions.
"But we still haven't located the whereabouts of that annoying brat," White Zetsu grumbled, frustration seeping into his words. "Even the Rinnegan, with its vast powers, fails to sense his location. He cleverly employed the ring to mislead us. That infuriating brat could be anywhere, and with his destruction of our white Zetsu forces, it has only further complicated matters as our eyes are now limited…"
"And that Uchiha, he is unwilling to cooperate, saying he won't waste time helping us solve a childish feud we started," he added, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction.
Zetsu's eyes burned with a fiery intensity as he uttered a curse. "Damn him, just because he is... another disobedient tool. If only he were here."
A veil of silence fell between the Zetsu, their communication coming to an end as they slowly sunk into the ground.
However, it remained unknown whether their words held genuine truth or if they were artfully crafted to deceive the nearby spies, dancing on the thin line between disclosure and misdirection.
In a lit prison cell, a blue haired beauty with an athletic, toned body was bending over as she slowly slid her plain black undergarments up her toned legs.
As the black fabric neared its destination, her movements paused momentarily as her gaze fixated on a foreign substance, but soon she continued with determination, seamlessly securing the undergarments in place. Even in the face of the inner turmoil seeping out into the fabric of her reality, her expression remained neutral, unchanged.
Eventually standing upright, Konan fixated her eyes on the navy blue robe sprawled on the nearby couch, an incongruous addition to the cell conjured by the man seated upon it, his legs spread apart as he leaned back, watching the broadcast on the myriad of holographic screens in their vision.
Sensing Konan approaching within his periphery, Shino shifted his attention away from the holographic screens that captivated his vision. His eyes then traced Konan's alluring physique as she silently donned her revealing robe, his gaze eventually fixated onto the stains, a symbol of his efforts.
As Konan strolled across his vision towards her pant strewn on the ground, Shino's gaze traveled with her, but before she could depart from his range, his hand shot out, gripping her wrist and pulling her onto his lap.
Feeling the skin-to-skin contact below, his arm snaked around her waist, ensnaring her, yet Konan's expression remained unaltered as she obediently settled on his lap, her gaze still focused on her pants.
Amused, Shino turned her face towards him, a chuckle escaping his lips. "A full week of nonstop effort, you were truly a tough nut to crack, Konan."
"Your forceful methods are wrong. Loyalty is never coerced, it is cultivated," Konan replied in a cold tone, her expression unwavering despite Shino's roaming hand.
"Oh?" Shino's interest piqued. "Much like peace?"
Konan fell silent, her gaze transfixed on the screen displaying the mobilization of Amegakure's ninjas under the command of one of the Six Paths Pain.
Receiving no response, Shino's hand caressed her thighs as he posed the question. "You understand what he is doing, and you now know the truth and your true enemies. Yet, you won't stop him?"
After a moment of silence, Konan's voice resonated with calm resolve. "No."
"Why?" Shino inquired, his hand delving further.
Konan's eyelid quivered subtly before she responded, "Because he is Nagato, the one who inherited Yahiko's will. I am but the support that upholds our bridge."
"How loyal," Shino uttered in a teasing tone, turning her face towards him. His finger traced Konan's lips as he declared with a dark grin, "But now, you belong to me. I eagerly anticipate enjoying the first expression of your loyalty, Konan."
Silently, Konan's amber eyes fixated on Shino as she gracefully rose, propelled by his gentle push. Maintaining a neutral expression, she calmly proposed, "I can do it below."
"I've already had enough of that during the past week. Now, let's try something fresh." Leaning back on the couch, Shino regarded Konan with a dark grin. "Konan, I want you to show me that I can trust you enough to unseal your true abilities. Why? Unwilling?"
Konan offered no response, her eyes betraying some fierceness as she glared at Shino, yet her face was devoid of emotion as she gracefully knelt down, placing her hands on Shino's thighs. Her expressionless countenance inched closer, briefly pausing and letting her hot breath be the vanguard before her lips parted...
Watching the scene unfold, Karina's jealousy reached a boiling point. Biting down on a handkerchief, she tugged at it while grumbling, "Seriously! It's been more than a week! Stinky Shino, so obsessed with the new women that he forgets about us."
Kurenai glanced at the seething Karina before briefly glancing at the holographic display. A slight smile graced her lips as she relished the relaxing break. "It's not bad to have another to share our burden."
Returning her focus to her studies, Kurenai continued evaluating her shortcomings when it came to dealing with Itachi, drawing inspiration from his Tsukuyomi to improve Shino's genjutsu domain.
Observing Kurenai's lack of reaction, Karina tossed the handkerchief aside, slumping back in her seat, tapping on the holographic interface displaying a model of Konan. Pouting, she let out an exasperated sigh, "Huh, at least she contributed to the hive. Four clone units of computation power and approximately five acres of expansion to the system space, just like me. No wonder she was so difficult to assimilate."
Kurenai blinked, her gaze fixed on Karina with surprise. "No, Karina. You should be the truly remarkable one, contributing as much as a powerful S-rank ninja despite being assimilated at a young age. Aren't you around the same age as Shino?"
Karina shook her head slightly while updating some modules and permissions in the system. "It's not the same. My assimilation granted me this level of power due to my unique merging situation. Konan, on the other hand, solely contributes this astounding amount. Although her age played a role, but it's undeniable she is a genius, especially with her paper ninjutsu that transforms her entire body. It's akin to the natural devil fruits in the pirate world, something even I can't replicate at the moment."
As Karina delved into analyzing Konan's abilities now stored in their extensive database, she couldn't help but express frustration. "Perhaps if I hadn't known her weaknesses and faced her alone, without Shino's genjutsu domain and Ying's assistance, I would have lost. Of course, this may be because I was aiming to capture her. If my intention was to kill her... there would have been numerous methods with the zergs under my command and the oil dug from the Land of Wind. But these are not excuses."
Her gaze soft and calm, Kurenai offered words of comfort. "Karina, you don't have to burden yourself with such pressure. To Shino, perhaps you are the only one who is indispensable. There's no need to compare yourself to others since everyone has their unique strengths. Besides, isn't she under your command in the end?"
"Well, that's true," Karina said with a slight grin as she finished optimizing their new manager's zerg transformation. "Don't worry, Kurenai. You don't have to speak up for her. I know it in my heart and I won't mistreat her, even if my dear is enchanted by her. After all, for me, Shino is always the priority. Instead, you should be more concerned about Ying. Look at her, uwa- I can feel her jealousy all the way over here."
Staring at the screen displaying Ying waiting silently outside the prison cell, Kurenai let out a sigh. Her lips curved into a smile as she responded, "Well, it must have rattled her to have another person suddenly appear above her. I'll have a talk with her."
With a playful glint in her eyes, Karina made a suggestion in a relaxed tone, stretching her fingers. "Hmm. It's good that she knows her place, but it wouldn't hurt to give her some motivation. You can let her know that a promotion is not impossible, but it will depend on her performance. If the worst-case scenario ever happens, I hope she understands when the time comes."
Even within their small circle, there were rules and class distinctions set by Karina: Queen, Concubine, Maid, and Slave. Karina is the only Queen. She and Konan would be the concubines. Ying was a maid due to her previous mistakes. And Natsuhi was naturally...
Kurenai understood Karina's implications, and she nodded in agreement, Kurenai returned to her work. "Leave it to me."
Karina then brought up another set of monitors, displaying the diminishing signals from Konoha. Most of their gathered intel now came from the Aburame clan members ever since Konoha implemented their cleansing policy for bugs.
Frowning, she muttered, "Huh. Konoha has been rather peculiar lately. More ninjas have returned and remained within the village instead of going on missions. Unfortunately, our database doesn't cover this time skip in the original story, making it frustrating to analyze their intentions with limited information."
Kurenai glanced at the monitors, her expression tinged with worry. She murmured, "This seems like a sign of the village preparing for large-scale operations. However, it's impossible to determine the specifics. The village usually keeps such plans tightly under wraps, even from the participating ninjas until the moment of departure or even after."
Karina toyed with her red hair, twirling a lock around her finger. Her mind raced, connecting Kurenai's brief reminder with the deliberately chosen words of Zetsu. She mused, "Oh, I hope their target isn't who I suspect. Otherwise, Shino won't simply let them off with just mere playing around like before."
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