Start From Naruto: Shino the Dominator

While Shino's clone journeyed back...

Back in Konoha, the Hokage's office.

An air of tension overshadowed the office as Tsunade listened intently to Shizune's report on the failed Sasuke recovery mission.

Though the disappointment weighed heavily on her, the event didn't worry her much because the defection of a genin, even if he was a genius, was a small matter in her books.

However, another revelation truly shook her to the core.

"What in the world is going on, Shizune?" Slamming her fists on the table, Tsunade demanded answers. "How could the corpses of Orochimaru's subordinates be stolen right under our noses? You know they could have important clues leading to Orochimaru!"

Shizune stood before Tsunade, her face etched with worry. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama. We are still investigating the matter, but it appears that the Aburame clan is not responsible. There are no records of them possession the giant insects in the reports."

Tsunade grunted in unhappiness, her mind racing to find a possible explanation. "Are there any leads?"

Shizune shook her head. "No, Tsunade-sama. We haven't found any suspects yet. However, there is one... suspicious point. Under your permit, the Aburame clan head took his son with him on a secret mission, which unusually coincided with the time of this event. It is unknown if they are attempting to set up an alibi, but we do have reports from our allies confirming their arrival at the Land of Wind."

"It can't be them, not with that man staring at them," Tsunade's brow furrowed as she pondered the information. "Could it be a ruse? Is it possible that the bugs are actually minions of a subordinate under Orochimaru? Well, I don't want to jump to conclusions. We can't ignore any possibility."

Shizune nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I'll instruct the Anbu to keep a close eye on the Aburame clan. If there's any suspicious activity, we'll take note of it. In the meantime, we'll see if we can acquire any intel from the remaining corpse."

Tsunade sighed heavily, massaging her own brows. "Yare yare, one trouble after another! Even now, that Orochimaru's shadow still lingers, and anything to do with that man is trouble! Seriously... can't they give me a break? Shizune, I'll leave this matter to you. Just keep me informed of any developments."

Shizune nodded, "Of course, Tsunade-sama. We will get to the bottom of this. As for now..."

Sporting an unwavering smile that held a glint of insistence, Shizune deposited yet another stack of documents onto Tsunade's desk and urged, "Tsunade-sama, because you were busy in the hospital, some matters have been piled up. Now, please go through these documents."

Tsunade's eyes instantly turned dull when they fixated upon the formidable enemies that loomed on her Hokage desk...

Unbeknownst to the conversing beauties, concealed within the shadows in rather tricky blind spots, surveillance bugs meticulously monitored every nuance of their interaction.

Besides bugs with visual capabilities, their voices were also recorded by specialized insects.

These special bugs had their senses amplified by a curious mutation, sacrificing their other senses to enhance their auditory senses, endowing them with the ability to eavesdrop through walls.

Working together, this set of bugs transmitted the live broadcast of their conversation to the holographic screens hovering within the secret lair of a malevolent mastermind.

Sitting in his laboratory, a sly smile crept across Shino's face as he watched the replay of the exchange, "Wonder if they'll ever find the link?"

Shino's gaze momentarily shifted to the creepy chambers that housed the eerie, lifeless bodies of the Sound Four.

This was the fruits of his diabolic schemes during the Sasuke Retrieval event!

And the corpses weren't his only harvest.

Thanks to Karina's infestation ability, Shino was able to harvest a myriad of awe-inspiring intel from the mind of the living Kidomaru!

Aside from intel, they also acquired some useful new techniques, including the Four Violets Flames Formation, Four Black Dogs Formation, Space-Time Technique: Underworld Turnover, Kidomaru's spider ninjutsu, and the origin of his giant spider summon!

The harvest was definitely extremely bountiful. Unfortunately, Konoha's response time left them little room, and they still missed out on a key target.

"I really didn't expect Kimimaro's bones to pose an obstacle even after death. We really need to enhance the digging ability of the zergs." A low murmur escaped Shino's lips, laden with a sense of dissatisfaction.

Hearing Shino's complaint, Karina, who was busy weaving the newly learned seals into the walls to fortify their base, promptly replied, "Shino-sama, Karina apologizes for not meeting your expectations, but Karina just want to say, it's just simply not possible to achieve so much."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Karina waved her hand in the air to conjure a holographic display.

Her hand gracefully swiped over the screen, sending the virtual screen gliding across the room, flying past her bug clone sifting through the thick stacks of virtual notes at a nearby workstation, and eventually sliding to a resolute halt beside Shino, who was also preoccupied with the same task of fortification on the other side.

Finding a good point to stop, Shino leisurely walked over to a stool and plopped himself down before giving the virtual screen a glance. Displayed on it was a long list, each entry a project in progress.

"Shino-sama, there are simply too many projects on the schedule," Karina complained, her voice laced with unhappiness. "I've been running simulations using multiple clones, maximizing the usage of our computational power, but it's still not enough. Fortunately, we've recently completed the project on building a pseudo chakra network for the insect clones. Otherwise, we won't even be able to start the Six Paths project."

As if on cue, one of Karina's insect clones drew the duo's focus. In a fluid motion, the clone's fingers wove a set of familiar hand signs, "Transformation Jutsu."

Puff! Emerging from an ephemeral haze of dissipating smoke was... a perfect replication of Shino!

Shino's insect clones had always been born from an amalgamation of living insects, but now... it seamlessly materialized into the semblance of human flesh!

This an awe-inspiring spectacle was thanks to the new pseudo chakra network ingenuously interwoven within his insect clone's form!

It was the culmination of a relentless research spanning months, starting since his acquisition of Alina.

After the birth of Karina, this project was transferred to her hands and remained one of their main priorities.

Guided by the profound wisdom in the tomes salvaged from the Sandaime's legacy and through the intrepid contribution of Karina, this project finally ushered forth a breakthrough recently.

Now, a clone can be equipped with a masterfully crafted apparatus akin to the ninja's chakra network, powered by the presence of a miniature zerg drone – mutated to store a wellspring of chakra generated from its stored supply of biomass!

Of course, the pseudo chakra network within the insect clone remained an imperfect imitation of the complicated lattice of a ninja's true essence.

First, the mini drone core was the inherent weakness of the pseudo chakra network. If the core was destroyed, the pseudo chakra network would cease to function due to losing its only source of power.

Fortunately, this would merely return the bug clone to its original insect form, still retaining its buggy combat prowess, just with no ninjutsu.

But there was another disappointing flaw.

The pseudo network's capabilities were confined to the realm of elementary ninjutsu – a repertoire limited to the rudimentary arts of transformation, body substitution, and other simple techniques below B-rank.

Perhaps this issue could be resolved in the future, but it was another abyss for his already lacking computation power.

Despite this constraint, this manifestation of ingenuity and artifice had helped them achieve a long-term goal: transforming Shino's insect clone into an embodiment so convincingly genuine that it became an unparalleled decoy!

Now, he could have bug clones that could confound the discerning eye with their bewildering semblance just like the famed shadow clone! Well, it was lacking in some aspects, but it was an epic step forward nevertheless.

Of course, they were still seeking to improve it further. Just that...

"Shino-sama, we need more computation power." As she made her way over, Karina's words echoed persistently in the lab. "After reserving a chunk of computation power to manage the growing zerg army to prevent them from instinctively engaging in wanton destruction, I only have a couple of bug clones remaining to conduct research. Though I can send my main body to participate in research... only my main body can gather essential supplies from Shino-sama. There's only so much I can do at once..."

Shino understood the gravity of her words.

The projects at hand were countless and his demands still continue to grow, but they were just two people, one being a director with no actual research talent.

"Indeed, we are stretched thin," Shino frowned subtly in acknowledgement, before refuting, "But adding more computation power won't be easy. There isn't really a way to purchase extra computation power on the cloud in this world, and the only way I can think of is to upgrade our bodies further, but... this requires further in-depth research to determine a suitable path."

Karina made herself at home on his lap, frustration etched across her face.

Running a hand through her purple-red hair, she leaned against him, asking in a low and alluring voice, "Shino-sama, what if there was a way to exponentially increase our computational power? A method that could allow us to strengthen the system's power."

Shino's curiosity was piqued. He leaned forward, his dark eyes intently studying Karina. "Is there a way?"

Karina's breath hitched and her gaze became a portal into a realm of fervent admiration, a profound reverence shining like starlight in her eyes as they locked onto Shino.

"Shino-sama, you are the dominator of the collective consciousness, benefiting from all of the existences bound to the hive. Your knowledge knows no bound, having the inherent ability to instantly learn the knowledge and techniques of those under your domination, including me. But Shino-sama, do you understand the true potential of the hive mind?"

True potential? "What do you mean?"

Obtaining the reaction she wanted, Karina breathed into his ears. "According to my analysis, the hive mind should be able to grow its computation power and learning capabilities by assimilating more intelligent beings, such as when Shino-sama assimilated me into the hive. The more the hive grows, the more it benefits Shino-sama. So..."

Karina slowly moved down his neck, her words seducing him like her lips, "Think about it, Shino-sama. If we can get a new queen, we could expand our collective consciousness, allowing Shino-sama to gain a new reservoir for development, and also freeing up my main body so we can delve into more… in-depth exchanges, unhindered by the constraints of time and resources."

Shino's mind whirled with conflicting thoughts. The allure of increased computational power was undeniable, but the troublesome implications left him uneasy.

He had always been cautious when it came to choosing a new queen. The success of Project Queen mainly hinged on the willingness of the victim to accept the transformation.

Not every enchanting figure in the ninja world were as accommodating as Karin. If he casually selected another beauty, the transformation had a high probability of ending in failure, becoming a bottomless abyss for their precious resources.

Yet, the promise of growth was tempting, pulling at the deepest recesses of his curiosity...

But in the end, Shino set the thought aside, "Karina, it's not feasible. The cost in biomass to transform you alone was immense, and it's nigh impossible to find enough corpses in these peaceful times without attracting attention from all hidden villages. Plus, where will I find another lovely girl like you."

When Shino's sweet words caressed Karina's ears, a radiant fervor ignited within her, causing her body to squirm with pleasure, a blush painting her face, "Shino-sama~"

Karina's main body rubbed against Shino, tantalizingly close to succumbing to her own desires, only to be abruptly halted as Shino's exasperated voice interjected, "Karina, focus. Our time is limited. We should complete the important task of creating our first Six Paths of Stain before we continue generating essence. As for a new queen, I still believe it to be too risky, especially since you are a special exception merged from the AI from the system's newbie pack..."

Seeing her seduction failed, Karina's expression changed from the tempestuous whirlwind of emotions to a serene calmness.

Yet, the lingering playfulness tugged at her lips betrayed the mischievous machinations entwined within the labyrinth of her mind. "I understand the risks, Shino-sama. But the aforementioned risks only applies to the original Queen Project. If we were to create a new queen through my ability, things wouldn't be so troublesome. We don't need another Alina, and even if the target is unwilling… there is still a way."

Huh? She has a way? A flicker of intrigue danced within the depths of Shino's gaze, unmistakably tempted by the offer, "What way-"

Shino's inquiry was abruptly shattered by a reverberating rumble that seemed to penetrate the very depths of his underground sanctuary!

Soon, the tremors died down, yet the echos of their ominous vibrations sent a ripple of unease coursing through Shino's veins.

And Karina confirmed his bad premonition with an unsettling news, "Shino-sama, an intruder had breached our biospheres!"