NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77: Intruder
The Hokage's office.
Tsunade, with a dispirited expression etched upon her face, sat behind her desk, buried under stacks of mission reports and administrative documents.
Her assistant, Shizune, stood nearby, her gaze fixed upon Tsunade, determined to compel her to focus on the daunting pile of work that demanded their attention.
Normally, this suffocating atmosphere of paperwork would engulf Tsunade for the rest of the day, but...
The peaceful tranquility of the village was shattered by a sudden rumble, which echoed through the walls of the Hokage Tower.
Tsunade's ears perked up, and her weary eyes widened with excitement. She shot up from her seat, nearly causing a cascade of papers to topple to the floor.
"What was that, Shizune?"
Shizune, her expression stern and unwavering, turned her attention to an Anbu operative who had appeared before them.
The masked ninja bowed respectfully before reporting, "Hokage-sama, we have received reports of a series of disturbances originating from the Forest of Death. It could be an earthquake or an underground explosion, but we're still investigating the source."
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.
The Forest of Death held countless memories and secrets, and any disturbance within its depths was worthy of her attention. Her sense of duty stirred within her, urging her to investigate the mystery herself!
Well... It was definitely not because she wanted to avoid work!
Without a moment's hesitation, Tsunade declared, "I need to personally go and see what's happening! It could be a serious threat to the village."
However, before she could even take a step towards the door, Shizune's gaze transformed into piercing nails that stopped Tsunade dead in her tracks.
Crossing her arms, Shizune leaned forward slightly, her voice taking on a strict tone. "Tsunade-sama! You know very well that you have a mountain of paperwork to attend to. The village's affairs cannot be put on hold because of a small rumble. We have capable shinobi handling the investigation. Your duty lies here."
"Shizune-"
"No buts!"
Tsunade sighed, deflated. She knew that Shizune was right, as much as she hated to admit it.
With her excitement extinguished, Tsunade reluctantly sank back into her seat and grumbled, "I guess I'll have to trust the Anbu and hope they resolve this quickly."
Shizune's stern expression softened slightly, sensing her mentor's disappointment. She gave the pile of documents a pat and offered a sympathetic smile.
"I know it's not easy, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said softly. "But as Hokage, your primary duty is to make sure the village runs with no problem, and sometimes that means making sacrifices."
Tsunade nodded begrudgingly. Deep down, she understood the weight of her position and the necessity of prioritizing the village's welfare above her personal desires… at least most of the time.
"Alright, Shizune. If I knew this position wasn't a good thing, I would just make a bet with it-"
"Tsunade-sama!"
"Okay, okay. Shizune, you don't have to worry so much about my bets. You know I will eventually win everything back..."
Feeling Shizune's eyes bore into her, its intensity growing with each passing moment, Tsunade's nonchalant demeanor took an abrupt turn, morphing into one of utmost seriousness, "Keep me updated on the situation in the Forest of Death. I want to know the moment there's any progress."
"Of course, Tsunade-sama." Shizune nodded. This was the Tsunade-sama she respected.
Outside of Konoha. Underground Base. Lab.
Shrouded in an air of tension, Shino listened to the banter of the new Hokage and her assistant while a holographic screen displayed a footage - the smoking ruins of the biosphere harvest point.
"What happened, Karina? Did they finally find traces of us?"
Standing beside him, Karina turned to face him, her voice carrying an undercurrent of urgency. "Shino-sama. We've had an infiltration, but it's not from Konoha. An unknown enemy managed to locate and breach our biosphere harvest point beneath the Forest of Death. Initial analysis point to a white Zetsu presence."
"White Zetsu?" Shino's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and anger flickering across his face. "As expected, we can't underestimate that black hand's investigation abilities. They've already begun searching for us? Fortunately, we've taken every precaution to keep our base hidden, and left decoy biospheres out in the open."
"Shino-sama, I thought you were too cautious before. But now, Karina knows Shino-sama is right." Karina sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Even with the records made by Shino-sama in the database, it's really unbelievable how there are such highly adaptive creatures. The lack of data led to my erroneous calculations regarding the threat it would pose."
"So, this is why we must always remain cautious, even if others tell us it is not necessary. We don't want our boat to domination to capsize before it reaches its destination." Shino shook his head in disappointment before asking, "Karina, did you handle the situation as I prescribed?"
"Affirmative." A faint smile tugged at the corners of Karina's lips. "Karina has activated the fail-safe we had installed in the biosphere. With the entire structure rigged with explosive zergs and bugs, it was enough to blow the enemy and the harvest point to smithereens."
"Was there any leftovers of its body we can collect?" Shino's inquiry slipped from his lips, laced with a sliver of hope.
Karina shook her head ever so slightly in response. "No, Shino-sama. Either the intruder escaped or it was cleanly incinerated. No unknown substances were found even after the zergs consumed all residues at the site."
Shino didn't show too much surprise, his mind still processing the gravity of the situation. "But what about the loss? How much biomass did we lose?"
Karina's expression showed regret as she responded, "Approximately 6% of the biomass we had harvested was destroyed in the explosion. Moreover, our biomass harvesting efficiency has been reduced by 2%. It will take a significant amount of time and resources to create another harvest point. Shino-sama, is it really necessary to waste like so?"
Shino's brow furrowed, "I understand the cost, Karina, but sometimes deterrence is necessary. We must keep the secrets of our creeps away from the hands of our enemies. If they were to learn how to counter our methods, it would pose a significant threat to our cause. This is the best way."
"Understood, Shino-sama. I have factored the loss into the implementation of our projects. Should we pause some projects to conserve biomass for the Six Paths project?" Karina conjured a holographic display in the air, illuminating the hidden depths of their project list once again.
"Yes. The Six Paths project is important to our expansion into the ninja world beyond the walls of Konoha. Pause the deciphering of the incomplete Thunder God seal and the summoning contract research. Also, delay the Uchiha blood cultivation. Let's get the first flesh clone into action before we focus on upgrading ourselves. By the way, Karina, have you analyzed and created a suitable template according to my ideas?"
"Yes, Shino-sama." Karina confidently responded, materializing a 3D holographic model in the air before their eyes.
"Using Kidomaru's body, the cultivation of the essence clone had already begun. The Kidomaru template and appearance has been modified according to Shino-sama's specifications. The location of the web creation had been altered, the extra hands have been removed, and it has been imbued with our accumulation of genetic codes in the fields of perception and anti-detection."
"Good." Shino's words dripped with fascination and admiration over Karina's work, his eyes never leaving the mesmerizing model brimming with intricate details.
Shino's finger deftly tapped on the screen to seamlessly transition between the model's forms - one dressed in casual attire, the other clad in a strange full bodysuit. Finally, there was an extra easter egg, triggered under certain conditions.
Yes, it completely matched his imaginations! But the surface appearance wasn't all that mattered.
"What about its character?"
Karina waved her hand, unveiling an intricate 3D holographic model of a brain-shaped structure, its contours formed by complicated lines of code, written in an unknown language.
"Its AI-CAP, or AI Character Assistive Program, is still being implemented within the system space. Once the clone is completed and forms a connection to the system through Shino-sama's essence, the AI-CAP will be integrated into the clone, granting it a pseudo personality. Naturally, the specifications of the personality matches Shino-sama's request... a tailored-made dark persona that harmonized with the unforgiving nature of the cruel ninja world."
Shino observed the mysterious symbols continuously emerging from the void, seamlessly integrating into the evolving neural framework, curiously asking, "Any problems?"
Karina nodded, cautiously acknowledged a flaw lurking within the design. "With the implemented AI-CAP, the clone can be automated after being allocated the minimum computational power. However, without manual control, the clone may be rigid in some unexpected situations not recorded in the database. Although the core system won't be affected, the clone will also be susceptible to disturbance from genjutsu."
Shino's lips curved into a smile, his gaze already piercing into the unseen horizon, discerning the possibilities ahead.
"Rigidness will be fixed in the long-term. The AI-CAP can be optimized along our journey of growth, and the clone will also contribute data to this once it is deployed. As for the genjutsu issue... we can temporarily resolve it with the chakra disruption network in the database. We just need to monitor the clone and manually trigger it when we discover the clone being under the influence of a genjutsu. Oh, by the way, the clone's strength had been enhanced, right?"
"Yes, Shino-sama. But it is impossible for us to grant it a permanent strength enhancement with our current abilities. Instead, the clone will be able to temporarily enhance its strength when necessary, at the cost of a large consumption of biomass."
"Close enough." Shino's anticipation swelled within him, igniting his imagination like a smoldering ember, his mind dancing with vivid images of the iconic character he had envisioned. "Continue the cultivation of the clone, I look forward to its debut."
"Yes, Shino-sama. Karina will ensure you will be satisfied." Karina pressed her soft body against him, showing her simmering interest as she searched for an answer, "So, Shino-sama, what name should we give it?"
"Three names,"A breathless hush filled the air as Shino lingered in suspense, before declaring, "Tobey, Peter, and..."