Chương 17: Chapter 14: Teresa of The Faint Smile.

Author Note: Nothing of importance, just enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions, make sure to comment!

And like always, remember if you want to read up to 12 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

I'm currently updating the novel 2-8 chapters a day in patreeeeon. On chapter 25 so far.

Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz

Enjoy you sexy bastards.

I just remembered I had decided to do double releases daily from now on. Excuse my 2mb memory.

So here it is.

On that note, the event of the week is, if we reach top 5 I'll post another chapter Friday and Saturday.

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"My, my... didn't you hear what I just said? You're releasing far too much Yoki, Takeshi," Teresa's voice echoed in my mind, cutting through the haze of power and confusion. "You need to stop the flow of energy before it's too late."

I glanced around, expecting to see her, but the forest remained empty except for Mito in the distance and me. "Where are you?" I muttered, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. "How can I hear you?"

"Didn't I just tell you that I'm not really here," Teresa's voice explained, calm and steady. "I'm in your head, whether or not you can see me depends on how sane you still are. It's a long story, and one that I'd be happy to explain later. Right now, however, you need to focus on stopping the Yoki."

Yoki? What in the hell is that?

You know what, I don't care.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "How do I do that?" I asked, my voice trembling with the effort to control the raging power within.

"Focus on drawing the energy back in," Teresa instructed. "Visualize your power as a stream of water flowing out of you. Now, imagine turning off the faucet, stopping the flow."

Closing my eyes, I tried to picture the energy as she described. The power I had just awakened felt wild and untamed, like a torrent threatening to sweep me away, but it also felt pleasurable, unimaginably so. However, for some reason, I had a feeling that it was in my best interest to trust this woman, so I concentrated on turning off the flow as she put it, pulling the energy back into myself, inch by inch.

"That's it," Teresa encouraged calmly. "Slow and steady. You can do this."

The burning yet pleasurable sensation began to fade, the wild energy retreating as I regained something I wasn't even aware I had lost: my control. My breathing steadied, and the trembling in my limbs subsided. Slowly, the forest around me came back into focus, my senses returning to normal.

"There you go," Teresa's voice said, a note of approval in her tone. "You did it."

I opened my eyes, feeling a mixture of exhaustion and relief. "What... what just happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You tapped into your Yoki," Teresa explained. "It's a powerful energy source, but it's dangerous if not controlled properly. You need to be careful, Takeshi."

I nodded, still trying to wrap my mind around the experience. "Why are you in my head?" I asked, needing to understand.

"It's complicated," Teresa replied, and I could almost hear her hum deep in thought. "I'm a part of you now, a guide of sorts. I'll explain more when we have time. For now, just know that I'm here to help."

A guide? Right… she did say I had inherited her powers, meaning she's most likely connected to my rebirth into this world. But why now? I've been here for years, why appear now?

"I need to return Mito back to the Uchiha compound," I muttered, pushing my questions aside for the time being.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Teresa's voice called out, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Claymore or not, I don't think you're in any position to be rushing anywhere right now."

Ignoring her warning, I forced myself to move towards Mito's location. However, after taking only a few steps forward, an excruciating pain gnawed at my insides, forcing me to double over, clutching my stomach as a bout of cough overtook me, spattering the forest floor with blood.

"See?" Teresa remarked with a soft chuckle. "Your body sustained multiple injuries during your little encounter with your kidnapper. Most of them, fatal to most."

I coughed out another splatter of crimson, my breathing ragged and uneven. Each attempt to gather myself sent waves of pain coursing through my frame. "Just... great," I wheezed out, planting a shaky hand on a nearby tree for support.

"You will be fine if you stop pushing your body," Teresa added, and I could almost feel her smiling at the sight.

"And Mito?" I managed to ask, straining my head to look towards the direction where my clone left her before being forced to dissipate due to the sudden change in my chakra. Thankfully, I could feel her from where I was, her chakra was steady, she felt a bit scared if anything, but all in all, she was safe.

"Mito is fine," Teresa replied, confirming my observations. "She's unharmed and in no immediate danger."

That was good… but not good enough. We were in the middle of the forest; anything could kill a baby around here. A snake, a boar, anything… I needed to ensure she would be safe before anything else.

"Good," I murmured, taking a deep breath. "But I need to get back to her."

"Rest for a moment," Teresa advised. "Your body needs to recover from the strain of your injuries. You won't do Mito any good if you collapse."

I wouldn't do her any good if a fucking snake killed her, or a rodent or something.

Ignoring her advice, I pushed myself away from the tree, gritting my teeth against the pain that flared with each movement. "I don't have time to rest," I muttered, forcing my legs to move. "We are in a forest and everything here can be lethal to a baby."

Having said that, I began to move forward. Every step was a battle, my muscles screaming in protest, but I forced myself onward. The thought of Mito alone and scared fueled my determination. I owed it to her and her family to make sure she was safe and sound.

"Just a little further," I whispered to myself, my vision swimming. "Hang on, Mito."

Finally, after a rather painful process, I reached the spot where she was. Mito lay there, her wide eyes staring up at me, a hint of fear in them, one that seemed to vanish the moment she saw me. Smiling, I collapsed beside her, my body giving out from the strain, as I reached out a trembling hand and placed it gently on her tiny form.

"You're safe now," I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Big words for someone who couldn't kill an injured rat in his current state, but that was for me to know.

"You are quite stubborn, aren't you?" Teresa remarked, sounding both amused and somewhat impressed.

"Comes with the territory," I responded with a grunt, wincing as a new wave of pain shot through my body.

"I suppose so," she mused, her voice softening slightly. "You really care about this child, don't you?"

That was a loaded question, and one to which I didn't have an answer. But I suppose in a way, I did care about her. How much? I wasn't sure. "She's... important."

"I can see that," Teresa replied. "It seems they are coming."

Before I could ask what she meant, I felt it. A tide of powerful chakra signatures, familiar and distinctive, drawing closer with every passing moment. A smile dawned on my face as I recognized the chakra signature of Fugaku, leading the pack. Behind him, a sea of Uchiha shinobi followed closely.

They would reach our location in a matter of seconds.

"Good," I smiled, coughing more blood onto the forest ground, as the world around me darkened, feeling a strange sense of peace knowing that Mito would be safe now that her family was on its way. With nothing to worry about now, my eyelids began to grow heavy, and despite my efforts to stay conscious at least until the Uchiha arrived, the exhaustion and pain overwhelmed me.

The last thing I saw before everything went black was Mito's tiny hand reaching for mine, her innocent eyes filled with trust and warmth.

"I always get the troublesome brats, first Clare and now this one," Teresa remarked in an amused tone as the darkness finally claimed me.