Article 39 - Chapter 35 - The Price of Arrogance
-Volume 2: Subarticle 4-
Warnings: I do not own Naruto, it's intellectual property is owned by none other than Masashi Kishimoto. I own the OC's that I've added to the story and nothing more.
-Also, still accepting Beta readers/ Editors! Hit me up with a PM-
A/N: 11k+ words for you all and a relatively fast update. If you want quicker updates keep me motivated with your feedback please!
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(Last Chapter: Excerpt)
(Sasuke POV)
She chuckled. Her laugh was a glorious melody lifting my spirit from the depths of despair.
"Oh yeah? I bet I could stand you waaaaay longer than you could stand me… Um, this is kind of random, but I want to get it off my chest while I'm thinking about it..."
"What is it. I'm here to listen."
Anything. I'll listen to anything she has to say and I won't complain.
"Remember that time where I fell asleep with you in your compound?"
"I thought we both agreed that never happened?" I said before thinking.
"Okay... but ever since THAT ONE TIME THAT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENED, I've been thinking... I liked it and want to do it again."
"You want to…" I started before derping out, my cheeks getting hot and I started stuttering. "Yo-Y-You-"
She's really not holding anything back. It's like a damn ruptured and there was no going back. Her emotions she held close to herself, her desires, her insecurities. Everything was open to me.
"If we're being open and honest right now, I like you. I don't care what anyone else thinks, curling up with you makes me happy… and warm. And as masochistic as I think I probably am, I really like being warm and happy…"
┬┴┬┴┤ Chapter 35 ├┬┴┬┴
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Mina POV)
The sun was dipping below the horizon leaving the sky a beautiful chromatic tangerine. The last of the evening sunlight approached and after having been ambushed we planned on setting up camp earlier today.
Timbers were being stacked in a pit by Reiner and another logistics crew-member while Ishiji lined the edge of the pit with rocks to prevent fire leakage.
Gai-sensei waved us over before turning around and walking off. With some quick long strides I made my way to Lee's side.
"So did you ever ask him?"
"Hm? OHHHH Gai-sensei!" Lee said, perking up and flashing a brilliant smile. "Yeah! He's going to take me as his disciple. Isn't that awesome?"
I guess my question wasn't specific enough.
"So does that mean he's going to train you in that secret technique?" I asked.
"Yeaaah! I mean I AM his disciple now. I won't be able to just use it whenever I want though. He said it's only for times when my life or my ninja way are in jeopardy." Lee announced before doing his best Maito Gai impression. "With great power comes great responsibility."
I slapped his back while flashing a cheesy grin of my own.
It put my heart at ease knowing Gai would train Lee still, but I would need to make my play for the 8 inner gates technique too.
If that means also becoming Gai-sensei's disciple, then so be it.
After another 50 meters, sensei stopped. We gathered around for our long anticipated squad meeting.
"The appearance of enemy Shinobi to intercept our expedition changes the difficulty of our mission. If we were hired by the Land of Waves merchant we could turn around, but because the logging company hired us instead we have much less leeway to warrant turning back. I'm reclassifying this mission to B rank. Before we continue, does anyone have any problems with continuing the mission?"
Lee's hand flew to his forehead in a salute. "No Sensei!"
Sasuke's reply wasn't far behind. "The mission must go on."
"I agree. We finish what we started! We can rest at the end, not in the middle," I said.
Gai nodded his head several times after hearing our opinions. The telltale signs of his overwhelming pride for us was icing on the cake.
"Excellent. With only three days left of travel, we should be able to complete our mission successfully. That being said, something doesn't feel right about this. I've decided that we will not release our captives to the custody of wave country or Gato Industries. I'm sending Konoha a mission report detailing the situation and asking for reinforcements. After our formal mission is complete, we will secretly stay behind to investigate the captive's claims. We'll lay low and prioritize intelligence first until the reinforcements arrive. Any questions?"
I spoke up before giving anyone else the chance.
"What information did you extract from the captives to come to this decision?"
Gai-sensei's brows curled up in curiosity.
"Wonderful question." He said before craning his head around. He bent over picking up a branch off the ground then dropped to a knee. He used the branch like a pencil etching out squares, rectangles, and other shapes into the soft dirt. "Okay, so lets say this mark here is the company we're assigned to escort the lumber to. Apparently this company is suffocating all trade in the land of waves territory so that it goes through them instead."
He moved the stick pointing to a triangle continuing with: "Bands of bandits are reported to patrol the sea and attack merchant ships except for the ones flying Gato industries flags. Sabotage is being claimed. Apparently several docked ships have been sunk in the bay. To top it all off, the captives have also said that Gato Industries have undercut the rest of the local shipping companies by lowering their prices for transportation to dirt cheap so that everyone else can't afford to compete. If all of this is true, they are preparing for something. Worst case scenario, I'm afraid we could be looking at the prelude to a revolution or coup d'état."
Lee's smile shifted to a straight face, and then bent into a frown as Gai-sensei wrapped up his summary.
"So they are playing dirty? We can't let them get away with it!"
Gai took a step forward patting Lee's head. "This is all unconfirmed information. It's on us to figure out the truth from fable. I like the fire in your eyes' but you have to remember that working off false intelligence can be disastrous and dangerous."
With the branch, Gai swept the ground distorting the image he was using to explain the situation to us.
"Hn." Sasuke hummed staring off into the distance.
"Mina, could we use one of your summons to deliver the mission report?" Gai finished tossing the branch to the side.
"Ofcourse."
The summoning jutsu was so commonplace to me at this point I could execute it in my sleep. Dragging blood across the contract and executing the hand signs took zero time. The black webbing expanded out, a puff of smoke manifesting simultaneously.
A young snow white eagle stepped out of the cloud.
"Iz-Mina-Sama." The bird struggled before settling on the right name.
I pointed to Gai-sensei holding out a scroll and the bird picked up on my intention. Gai approached while I comforted the bird by running my palm accross its head several times.
Sensei tied the scroll to the leg of the eagle while I gave him these following instructions.
"Remember that message outpost I showed you back in my village? Report there and deliver this scroll to any of the on duty ninja. The village should be directly north, give or take 5 degrees for a margin of error. This mission is high priority and must be completed as soon as possible. Can you do this?"
"Absolutely. Your wish is my command," The bird replied.
Gai finished, and with that I sent the bird on its way taking to the sky zooming away from us in haste.
"Alright then. That should be everything. You can all return to camp."
My peers set off on their return back but I saw my opportunity to get some private one on one time with Gai-sensei.
I tapped his shoulder getting his attention before asking in a hushed tone. "Psssht. Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"You're in need of your ol' Sensei's guidance are you? Heh-heh. Of course, of course. What do you need Mina-kun?"
"I have a goal that I absolutely need to accomplish before I die. That goal is going to require me to shape myself into the strongest shinobi I can be. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you, I'm definitely in a rush, and it might be…" I held up a hand pinching my thumb and index finger together before pulling them apart a hair. "It might be a little on the reckless side."
"You want my advice on how to achieve your goals?"
"Um… Not really. You see, I'm torn between what I have to do, and what I might leave behind in the pursuit of my dream. I can never imagine turning back, giving up on it isn't possible, I couldn't live with myself if I did… but I also dislike the thought of what I am becoming following that road."
Sensei's face became stern. I noticed his lips pressing together tight, his eyes drifting off into the distance likely in thought. He stayed like that for a few seconds before snapping back to attention.
"Sounds like you are caught between a rock and a hard place. To me it feels like you already have made up your mind but are seeking approval. You don't need my approval or anyone else's, because you already know the answer in here."He said poking his finger into my chest. "If you give up on your dream, you will suffer more."
He didn't tell me anything I didn't know, but hearing him say it helped quell the turbulence in my heart.
"You're right."
"I am your wise and stunningly handsome Sensei after all," He said flashing a cheesy smile with a thumbs up to accompany it. "So was that everything?"
"No… I want to become your disciple as well. I need you to impart your wisdom and teach me that secret technique you used on those Land of Rivers nin."
"First Lee and now you. That technique isn't some magic fix-all anyone can incorporate into their arsonal. It is a self sacrificial jutsu that's cost of use is the destruction of one's body. I can't in good conscious impart such a dangerous jutsu to you."
Are you kidding? You're going to teach it to Lee but not me? Such blatant favoritism!? Really?
"I know the risk of the inner gates and am fully willing to accept the responsibility that learning it will bring. Also, because of my kekkei genkai the Shikotsumyaku, the risk factor of bodily harm or incapacitation after its use should be diminished a substantial amount. I can't think of a more perfect jutsu to mesh with the tools I already have at my disposal."
Sensei's brows both shot up past his bangs. "You already know about the 8 inner gates?"
"You thought I wouldn't do my due diligence? That I wouldn't research my excellent and manly Sensei after being taken under your wing?"
"Hahahaha! You're a little sweet talker aren't you? Well then, I'll make you a deal. You can become my disciple right now and study under me, but for the time being I will not teach you the inner gates technique. You aren't ready for it yet."
"What? Why don't you think I'm ready?" I asked.
"You see, where most new shinobi lack a killing instinct, you instead lack empathy."
"I do not! I deeply empathize with my friends and teammates. That includes you too Gai-sensei."
"I'm glad to hear it, but I already knew that much. The problem is you can't or won't empathize with those you don't have a bond to. I've seen first hand where this leads to. In fact one of my closest friends who doubles as my eternal rival has walked down that path. Now his heart is heavy and full of regret. I can't bear to see you follow in his footsteps."
"You're talking about Kakashi aren't you? You don't have to worry, I'll NEVER end up like him."
"Well that's a surprise. You sure are quick and sharp witted aren't you? … Yes, I was talking about Kakashi, but as smart as you are, you've still got a long way to go before you can make statements like that."
Gai paused for a while, his intense gaze searching for something in my eyes making me wonder if he could see my soul.
Gai dragged his finger across his upper lip. "What if a mission turns out to be against the ideals of the leaf or humanity as a whole? How will you come to the decision to forsake the mission or your beliefs? It seems to me like you are the type to forsake anything for the mission, and for your goals."
"..."
"What if we take on joint missions with teams who don't have members you value? Will you be able to treat them with empathy? You will be challenged again and again in the future where you will have to come to a decision. When you arrive there, all I ask is to remember to think it through and walk the path of less regret."
I stood a bit awed by the insight of my sensei. I could hardly believe this was the same goofball I had come to know. It made me wonder if he hid his critical thinking skills beneath his dullard persona so that he would be underestimated.
No… can't be right? Gai-sensei of all people?
"So all I need to do is figure out how to empathize with people I don't care about and you'll teach me how to use the inner gates?" I asked.
"Empathy isn't so cut and dry. Most people learn it little by little. You are still very young and I can tell that you believe a lack of empathy is your strength. When I first became a ninja, I actually had the opposite problem. I felt too much slowing me down and making it hard to come to a decision. I understand that out of these two extremes, an absence of empathy is a no brainer. But things aren't always black and white. Everything is more like various shades of grey. Cutting out your empathy and pretending to have none is also a weakness."
Sensei looked conflicted running a hand through his hair then continued with: "You must find a balance you can maintain if you hope to have a fulfilling life. As a ninja you will be expected to kill. This is an inescapable truth. You'll be expected to sacrifice for missions. Most people won't tell you this, but you will always have a choice. Try to put yourself in whoever's shoes even if they are your enemy. Understand them. Then if you still end up taking their life, you can still pay them respect. People like us who take other's lives... It's our responsibility to carry that weight with us. True warriors don't forget and move on, they shoulder those peoples burdens and dreams with them. The memories carry you on, reshape you, and strengthen your resolve, because it's about more than yourself, it's about everyone who brought you this far."
A lightheadedness swept over me. Deep internal conflict left me confused. I had already chosen to leave behind everything that didn't matter to me on my path.
To gain something, something else must be lost. Whether it was time, opportunities, allies, family, or whatever, I was determined to trek forward to eliminate my enemies. The decisions weren't always easy, but they were always simple.
I knew what I needed to do to continue on my journey, but now? I could sacrifice learning the 8 Inner gates technique to preserve my straight-forward path to destroy Being-X and Orochimaru… Or I'd need to risk backtracking and overwriting progress I've already made to be able to empathize with strangers so that Gai will teach me the inner gates.
My two available options both seemed suboptimal. On my journey to gain power, I needed to leave something behind to gain it. But now I need to gain something tedious and unnecessary in order to get the power I seek.
So goddamn ironic! The whole situation felt less like reality and more like a verse in an Alanis Morissette song. I hadn't imagined that my ability to compartmentalize and let go of any restraint on opponents would actually work against me. FUCK!
As much as I didn't like it, there was one more option available to me. Not an Idea I was proud of, but an option nonetheless. To bypass the need to learn empathy entirely and just fake it.
I've faked so many things at this point would it really matter to add another to the list?
It made sense. I could put on another mask in front of Gai-sensei to convince him, but if that mask ever slipped I'd be fucked. He'd probably realize and any credibility I'd gained so far would crumble.
For the first time in a long while, I was stuck. I didn't have any idea what I was going to do.
The green jumpsuit wearing, bushy browed, moronic smile flashing ninja stood before me. I found myself jealous of how carefree he could live through his lifestyle. How earnest he could be. I wondered briefly if I did follow his teachings, If I did look within me and managed to somehow find the empathy I buried within me like a mangled corpse planning to never let it see the light of day again... could I even revive it?
If I could… Is that even what I want?
"I can see that this is troubling you. I was planning on introducing the idea to you in bits so it would feel more natural but with how this conversation played out, I made a choice. Look deep into my eyes and accept my sincere apology! Also notice my handsome manly features." He said as a humongous shit-eating grin spread across his face.
The last traces of sunlight reflected off his perfect white teeth like polished gemstones.
"You are such a goof Sensei." I said, cracking an earnest smile. "But you're a charming goof."
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I hung out with my team and the merry band of the logistics crew around the campfire. Laughter, booze, gossip, and life experiences were shared by the guys we were hired to escort. Being able to cut up alongside them was an experience I was certain I'd remember. I doubted so many missions would both be this successful and fun at the same time.
Several of us including myself roasted preserved beef and potatoes on makeshift wood shish kabobs. Our night winded down faster than I would have liked, but I found myself let out a long yawn, and then yawned again.
"Yaaaaaarrah." I finished smacking my lips and exploring my teeth with my tongue looking for meat that might have gotten stranded.
I must be pretty tired after all.
The scouting shift was delegated to Gai and Lee first per usual, meaning Sasuke's and mine followed after.
Switching up the shifts wasn't ideal because then we wouldn't be awake and resting in the same intervals. One team would stay up far longer with the same amount of rest.
I zipped up the tent behind me after stepping in, the dim lanterns light flickered sending twisting shadows throughout the space.
Dropping to my knees, I opened my travelers pack retrieving a rag and a bottle of water. Twisting the cap off and turning the bottle upside down while holding the rag to the mouth of the bottle, the rag grew damp.
I gave myself a quick cursory wipedown then pulled out a blue vial from my bag's front pocket. I squirted the pungent liquid down my blouse then on an arm and spread it around with my hands.
I smoothed out my black tights trying to get any wrinkles and creases out of them, tugging at the fabric near my ankles to finish it off.
I slipped the vial back into it's appropriate pocket
Yanking off my headband and setting it aside, I was ready to hit the hay. I crawled to my sleeping bag on my knees with a sigh of exasperation.
Today was one hell of a day.
I kicked off my sandals into the corner next to my pack. They rebounded off the wall of the tent landing on target without an issue and I lightly massaged the bottom of my feet.
Why do almost all ninjas wear sandals? And what's up with like nobody wearing socks. Most retailers don't even carry them. They are like underwear for your feet and damned comfortable to boot.
I was both mentally and physically drained. I couldn't wait to dive into my sleeping bag to get some much needed rest and recuperation.
Peeling back the top layer of the bedroll, I jammed my legs inside and scooted in.
Reaching for my pillow, I noticed the Uchiha staring at me sitting atop his own sleeping bag.
His face was steadily transitioning from his standard pale shade to more and more pink.
"Erm… If you want… You could probably fit in my bag." He finished his eyes' darting down to the floor unable to hold my gaze.
"...What?" I let slip out in a moment of pure unadulterated bewilderment.
"Nevermind." He said turning around.
Did he just? Uhh… Wouldn't it look bad for us as teammates to be caught snuggling up on a mission? But then again, If I leave it at this maybe Sasuke will think I don't want to be seen with him. Urgh what the fuck is happening today?!
"When I said I wanted to sleep with you, I was thinking in your compound. I mean, I wouldn't care in the slightest if we were caught or what anyone else thinks about us besides you, but that's exactly why I have to ask, ARE YOU SURE? Someone will probably see me with you," I said.
He swung his neck around peering over his shoulder. "And? If you don't care, neither do I."
Blood throbbed in my temples. I found myself in disbelief of the current situation I was presented with. My body was burning up while I imagined accepting his offer. No imagining wouldn't be the word I'd use, in truth I was fantasizing.
My heart slammed against my ribcage making it hard to breathe.
I could feel my hot pulse shooting through my wrists in an ever increasing tempo.
Sitting upright in my bedroll, I twisted around hiding my face for a moment trying to gain back as much of my composure as I could.
I clapped both of my hands into my cheeks, the stinging tingling sensation waking me from my trepidation.
Okay… okay calmly think this through for a second. We were taught shinobi laws and restrictions in the academy. There were no rules forbidding fraternization from team members so long as neither are a superior officer. As long as both of us stay the same rank legally we'll be fine even if we're caught. Besides, I can't think of a more laid back and accepting sensei about this type of stuff.
I made up my mind.
I'm fearless aren't I?
I crawled out of the sleeping bag, kicking the fabric off my feet finally breaking free.
His eyes watching me make my way over peaked some of my slumbering shame, but I was already committed.
I had never turned back before, and I won't let this be my first time.
The round glittering dual onyx pupils fixed on me set my rebellious body ablaze.
The room started slowly shifting and I was feeling feverish.
Thump, Thump, Thump.
The mind is a powerful thing. I think I'm psyching myself out here. Control yourself stupid! Just think of him like a brother or something. It's just some harmless cuddling. Get over yourself!
Closing my eyes, I let out a deep breath emptying my lungs slow and steady. After a moment of breathlessness, I inhaled greedily sucking in all the air I could. I didn't care how I looked, I was busy casting away my doubts and worries.
With nothing left to hold me back, I darted the rest of the way over and sat in his peeled open sleeping bag. We both slipped inside pulling the flap over us, scooting closer to each other.
I couldn't help noticing my panties were getting steamy.
Holy shit Mina. You are a degenerate. Think clean thoughts. Pretend he's a family member and everything is pure.
The spot I was laying was preheated from where he had been sitting.
My nose twitched. A whiff of body odor sailed into my nostrils.
"Ooooff. Don't you pack any deodorant or cologne? It's kind of common courtesy to people who are going to be around you."
"I normally bathe once or twice a day, but since we're on an away mission—"
"—Since you're away on a mission you can't bathe often? Yeah, duh. That would be the point of deodorant and cologne. It's something rather than nothing."
"..."
"One second," I said retreating out of the bedroll over to my belongings once again. I returned with the same blue vial, a finger on the sprayer.
"Wha—" He started as I hit him with a mist of perfume. He let out a cough as I made my way back to my stuff putting up the vial. I then came back and crawled into his sleeping bag again.
Fortunately that whole fiasco broke a lot of tension for me and murdered my libedo.
I'm a genius!
I stuck my nose into his chest unabashed by my actions. "Mmmm, much better."
"Tch." He clicked.
I giggled and shut my eyes. The soothing warmth seeping into me from him was amazing.
I swear I'm cold blooded. 9/10 times I would prefer to be a bit warmer. I'm never at my ideal temperature until I get to the point I'm sweating.
Him and I laid there awkwardly for a minute or two getting comfortable with each others' presence without saying anything. I decided to break the ice, snaking one of my arms across his body and resting my hand on the contour of his bending spine.
As if he was accepting an invitation, he also wrapped an arm around me pulling me closer. His hot breath was hitting my forehead blowing strands of my hair. Their movement was miniscule, but the action was melting away any of the awkwardness I had been feeling.
"As much as I might want to, I don't think I can be an open book for you. It's too far removed from my nature." I whispered.
I felt him shift, his breath on my ear.
"I get it. I'm the same way."
Tilting my chin up, our eyes met. We held each other's gaze with neither of us having the heart to look away.
"—And there's no way I can turn my inner competitor off. I don't mind opening up when we have to talk about stuff, but that won't stop me from playing with you. That same way we have always tried one upping each other, I don't want to lose that. It'll get boring if we don't keep eachother on our toes, and besides, competition is no fun without a little mystery."
"Don't worry, I rarely tire of your games. That being said though, I really enjoyed you opening up today. Hearing what you thought without a filter was a breath of fresh air." He finished and poked my forehead with two of his fingers.
Recognizing the gesture, I was happy on multiple fronts. One that he recognizes that as an intimate action again meaning he's looked past what his brother did, and that he was willing to share that intimate act with me.
"Good, cuz for the most part, especially when we're alone, I won't water down my thoughts anymore. I want you to critique me honestly and not hold anything back. I'll give my raw unfiltered opinions too so we can make better more informed decisions about things. Well… at least I'll try my hardest to do that. Ya'know, old habits die hard."
"Mhmm. I didn't realize for a long time, but we're a team. All along I was only ever focused on my progress. My interest in yours extended far enough to compare myself to you and make judgments. That's going to change. What are your plans to get stronger? I'll help you anyway I can."
His shift ever since my little meltdown was more than I could have imagined. I was half questioning if this was the same person.
I guess he's like an onion, there's a bunch of layers to him and most of the time I could only see the outer ones… Well, that and his raw smell without washing could probably make me tear up. Ha!
"My taijutsu is in my opinion almost at a master level. I want to 'max it out' so I can branch out and get more versatility. I'd really like to be able to use puppetry in the field, but you've already shown me how difficult it is to be relevant in combat with the dummy puppets I tried out. I think that the 8 Inner gates, that technique Gai-sensei did today, I think that can push me to a comfortable level so that I can really start branching out. I will certainly be able to face Jonin level threats if I can master enough of it. I asked him to teach me today, but he said I wasn't ready yet, so I guess I'm gonna have to wait on that for a little bit. I also desperately need to master the lightning nature chakra transformation. I have a plan to eventually learn the Raikage's jutsu. I found a scroll breaking down it's basics in my clan."
"Lightning type jutsu's and the whole nature transformation in general feel the easiest for me to learn. I bet I could help you, especially with my sharingan if I can see it even once."
"Yeah I— Wait what? Isn't your chakra affinity fire?"
Aren't all Uchihas' innate affinity fire? Well… at least purebloods?
"... I don't think so. I'm not sure. I've never checked."
His affinity might actually be lightning? That makes so much sense! That's probably why he struggled so much to learn the fireball jutsu when he was a kid, and why he was able to make so many variations of the chidori in canon. I don't know if the series ever directly stated it, but it would make a lot of sense!
"When we get done with the mission, we need to get your chakra affinity tested. If it's actually lightning, then I've got a plan that will make you a MONSTER."
"Really?! What do you have in mind?"
The corner of my lips were pinching super tight. I must have been grinning ear to ear.
If we can both work on [Lightning Release Chakra Mode] it's combat application could be ready way sooner than I expected!
"Either way, whatever affinity you are, we need to get Kakashi to teach you. I was spying on Kakashi one time and saw him use this lightning Jutsu. It sounded like birds were chirping and it's attack power was superb. I'll ask Gai-sensei about it later and get more details. When we get back from the mission, you need to beg Kakashi to train you. Forget your pride, this Jutsu is a must for you! You see, this jutsu is monstrous, and I have a suspicion that you can create different sub-jutsu's from the idea of the original. But what will make it REALLY unstoppable is another jutsu in conjunction. If your affinity is lightning, the Raikage's jutsu I was talking about, [Lightning Release Chakra Mode], could make you the ultimate Nintaijutsu specialist."
"You think two jutsu could raise my power by that much?!"
"Definitely. I have no doubts that complete mastery of both of these jutsu, and if paired with your sharingan…" I was getting ahead of myself thinking about how strong he would be. He could certainly defeat certain S ranked shinobi without a doubt in my mind. "... You'd be S rank. You could probably even spank Danzo like a little bitch."
Sasuke blinked, his mouth fell open staying suspended like that for an entire minute.
"How would you know how strong Danzo is?"
"...I still have a few secrets about me I can't tell you quite yet. Wait patiently and the time will come when I can come clean."
"...Okay."
I drilled my hand beneath his arm trying to get underneath him without being disruptive, but I wasn't having any luck. "Lean up for a second…"
A path for my hand and arm appeared now allowing me to get both of my arms around him. I checked on him wearing a super joyful smile before realizing that how he was positioned probably wasn't that comfortable.
Reaching over with the arm not trapped beneath him, I grabbed his free arm, lifted my head up straining my neck, and placed it under my head. His bicep was soft enough to still be comfortable to lay on, I'd guess because his arm was lax and not flexed.
"Better?" I asked.
"Mhmm."
"Good."
I leaned my face against his chest again, stroking my fingertips up and down his back as gently as I could.
"I really appreciate you." I said.
He tugged me in a hair closer. His hand next to my head brushed away some of the hair on my face.
He didn't need to say anything back. I got the message loud and clear.
I let out one last miniature yawn.
The warmth pouring into me from waves of his heat leaving his body pressed up snugly against mine had me nodding off.
It wouldn't be much longer before I slipped into unconsciousness.
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"Hey guys, wake up, time for...our… shift change?!"
The voice broke me from my blissful slumber.
"Hmm? Shift change already?" I asked with my eyes still clenched shut, the scent of ocean spray still in my nostrils.
I pushed off Sasuke's chest, wriggling free of his grasp and worming out of the sleeping bag as he hummed in frustration.
"You both were…were... wow. Okay, that's strange..." Lee said, his neck and ears turning a vibrant red.
"Oh yeah!? If we're pointing out personal stuff we find odd about each other then I won't hold back either. LEE PEES SITTING DOWN!" I said.
"W-w-whaaaat? How do you know?! —And it's not like I do it EVERY time."
"With the byakugan It's not like I can avert my eyes even if I want to. Sometimes I just see stuff I never look for." I said.
"Shut up Deadlast. Nobody cares if you pee sitting down." Sasuke said leaning up and out of the sleeping bag I vacated.
"Right." I agreed with a nod. "We won't tell anyone else, so don't tell anyone you found us like this alright? It's not anyone else's business, just like it's not anyone else's business if you want to pee sitting down."
"I already said I don't always pee sitting down!—"
"—Yeah? Well I don't always snuggle up to Sasuke either. Get it?" I said moving over to the corner of the room grabbing my shoes, and leaning back on the floor to slip them on.
Lee stood frozen in place seeming to mull it over. After about half a minute, he struck his fist on the palm of his other hand.
"Alright. I get it. Still, it's still pretty surprising, but your secret is safe with me. I promise!" He announced taking turns glancing at both of us.
After a little preparation, and rolling up my sleeping bag, I stepped out of the tent into the darkness. Not long after Sasuke followed suit and we met with Gai who was sitting patiently on a log next to the smoldering ashes of what used to be the campfire.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
I paced around. Dawn was breaking and the environment around me was warming up by a marginal amount. The light grey windbreaker I had on kept me warm enough.
I retrieved a cheap aluminum pocket watch, a stand in for the ornate beauty that still needed fixing.
6:08am huh? Another hour and a half before our lookout duty is over.
My foot snagged on something unexpected. I stumbled forward nearly face planting in my groggy distracted state. My gaze flicked to the ground.
"Ahh!" I yelled by reflex.
A cloaked arm was sticking out of the earth. A gloved hand gripping my foot let go. The hand and arm retreated back into the ground like an illusion. Like it was a figment of my imagination.
"See anything?!" Sasuke shouted over to me from a distance.
"No, I just almost tripped. My bad. Hey, watch for both of us for a minute, I've got to go pee!" I said, the cool breeze catching my hair and dragging its tips into the air.
"Kay. Hurry up." He shouted back.
I hustled off further away from camp.
Byakugan!
My vision shifted, and I could see the shape of a body below the surface of earth surfing through it.
It really was Obito! I wonder what he could possibly need from me right now?
After moving a few hundred meters away, Obito's shape rose from the ground in an eerie inhuman way.
"Glad I could get a hold of you. This will be quick, I only need that ring back for a bit."
"You captured another tailed beast?"
"We got our hands on the 7 tails. After we seal it into the Gedō Mazō, We'll still need the 1 tail, the 3 tails, the 4 tails, the 5 tails, and the 6 tailed beasts' before we can move on to the 8 or 9 tails."
"Right. Well at least we're making progress." I lied.
Shutting my eyes' and focusing intently, I imagined the "Boar" ring that was originally Zetsu's, then it being excavated from the black void in my mind.
A heft appeared in my palm, opening my eyes, there it was, my proof and lifeline to the Akatsuki that also served the purpose of connecting with the Gedō Mazō with Pein's sealing jutsu.
Obito snatched the ring from my palm, he nodded his head in satisfaction.
"Perfect. I'll get back to you momentarily." He said as a vortex opened between us.
"Wait! While you are here, is there a way you could teach me how to break the caged bird seal in the future in case of emergency?"
"What do you mean? The seal I gave you can swallow that inferior seal without a problem deactivating or activating it at will. Why would you need it actually broken?"
What?! His seal works like that? Thats fucking busted. I LOVE IT.
"Wow…" Both of us fell into an awkward silence. "I feel like an idiot. I'm gonna be straight with you, I don't know how I didn't come to that conclusion myself. I'm even ashamed of myself for needing that to be pointed out."
"Hahaha! The legendary Izuna overlooking something so trivial. You really did lose your knowledge on Fuinjutsu. One of these days I guess I'm going to need to run you, a great elder, through a crash course. The idea is laughable!"
"Yeah, absurd to imagine isn't it. Even more absurd to admit I could certainly use it. Oh, and goodluck with the Jinchuriki and all."
The mask that felt so heavy to wear before him today was as light as a feather.
My stress levels must be negligent. I feel so fresh.
Obito snorted before his footsteps beneath the rip in space carried him through the portal.
I wonder if snorting is an Uchiha thing. Sasuke kinda has the same kinda thing going on when I catch him out of the blue with one of my punchlines.
Regardless, with this news...
Already 2 of the tailed beasts down huh? My time is finite. If i don't stay focused I won't have a chance in hell of stopping the calamity the future has in store.
Even thinking about this, my heart didn't feel heavy. An air of certainty washed over me. It was like somehow I knew deep down that everything would work out in the end if I stayed focused.
Maybe I'm getting too lax… but then again, how often am I not focused. I always have my eyes on the prize.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Some days later)
Our sea barge was coasting towards the Land of Waves mainland.
The crashing tides slapped the shore. White water from the churning currents of water trying to move up the shoreline while the water beneath it was being ripped back. Every ten seconds, six of them could be spent admiring the aesthetic hypnosis that was the riptide.
The amount of ships docked over in the pier were numerous. Some of the ships were colossal, their masts towering into the sky like skyscrapers.
"Wow." I found myself let out in awe.
The vivid dark blue sea transformed into an aquamarine blue due to the change of depth.
The water was as clear as glass without any visible signs of contaminants or pollutants.
The salty breeze had me reliving flashbacks of my old family vacations to Florida.
The humidity, the breeze, the beach, and the vegetation. It all felt perfect, Everything except the heat which was a bit off.
It was colder here than in my memories...
The barge slowly but surely made progress until pulling into a special area in the pier where in no time flat we were docked and buzzing to leap to land.
Our three captives were dressed as our crewmembers as cover. They were able to pass the customs officer responsible for checking for stowaways and refugees without any trouble to note. A large reason for this was the three additional names added to the company shipping manifest in our employee section.
Team nine and the captives split apart from Ishiji's group so that the pieces of our plan could fall into place.
We made our way off the docks, around the towns edge and under the pier to get some privacy.
We tossed the captives back their original clothing so that they could blend in as wave country civilians before each of us besides Lee adopted a henge transformation.
Sasuke transformed into a shorter but stalkier brunette clad to look like a fisherman. He was obnoxiously tan
Gai-sensei's form morphed into a taller, lankier, pale man sporting blonde necklong hair pulled into a manbun.
Dog - Boar - Ram [Transform]
And as for myself? I turned into a shorter but just as round version of Choji Akimichi for shits and giggles.
We looked at each other giving our opinions of the cover we chose.
"Do you really think a poor region like wave country would have many butterballs like Choji running around?" Sasuke teased.
"You just don't like seeing me fattened up huh? These curves don't get you going?" I said sliding my hands down my round physique trying to look enticing.
"I hate you… so much right now." He said burying his head in his hands.
"Hmmm… fine your right. I'll go with Choji on a diet." I said, my henge growing a bit taller and some of his gut and loose skin vanishing like a magician performing a trick.
We grabbed Lee an extra change of clothes for moments like these. It's lucky that he had the foresight to bring a pair of normal looking clothes with us. He normally was like naruto in the sense he had all the subtlety of a brick.
That green spandex suit would have stuck out like a sore thumb.
We made our way to one of the men's personal home.
Darshaun was reported to be the son of the largest rival import and export business to Gato Industries, and this luxurious home helped corroborate his story.
It was three stories tall with an immaculate landscape filled with trimmed hedges that looked more like pieces of art than bushes.
He meandered off before flipping over one of the rocks retrieving a silver key from underneath it with a nod of his head.
After the door to the house was opened, we filed inside, crowding into the first stories main room.
It was vast thanks to the open floor plan. The polished floors didn't have a speck of dust on them so he must have had someone maintaining the place while he was gone.
For the safety of our team, we confined the captives to the home with strict instructions that they couldn't leave for any reason but an emergency such as an attack.
We barred off all exits in the home besides the front door and bolted the windows precautions were necessary until confirming their stories. Safeguarding our procedures took precedent over their comfort until we confirmed that we would take them on as clients.
One of the captives hadn't said a word the whole time I was around them, at least not that I noticed.
He was a teenage male, maybe 15 or 16. They looked like they were in a constant daze. He was leaning against the wall sliding down it very slowly until he was sitting on the floor.
I let out a sigh mulling something over in my head.
Put myself in their shoes. Put myself in their shoes.
I approached the person, their eyes lasered in on me.
Their body tensed. Their weight shifted as they jerked their head around looking like a cornered animal with their instinct telling them to escape.
I guess this is as good of a time as any to test to see if I can make this whole empathy for strangers thing work.
"Everything alright?" I asked.
"Is- is everything alright?! Are you kidding? You killed nearly everybody I cared about! My friends, co-workers, and both of my siblings. You think you can waltz up to me and ask if I'm 'alright'?" He exploded.
You brought this upon yourself. Your acting like you didn't realize raids and banditry was dangerous. That's the risk you took, do you not even understand that much?
"Let me remind you that your party ATTACKED US. I understand that it might be hard to process all of this because of the grief you feel for your lost loved ones. I've… lost plenty of loved ones. It still hurts, but at some point you are going to either have to pick yourself up or give up on living. Darshaun is a prime example. I'm sure he lost a lot as well, but he is shouldering the dreams of the people he lost and carrying on their torch."
"I don't want to hear this from YOU of all people. You didn't need to kill everyone, we were already trapped."
"I didn't NEED to spare you either. Cherish the fact you were given the opportunity to live on. Your friends and siblings still live on in your memories. They aren't truly gone until everyone forgets about them. Let them shine through how they affect you and live your life for them in their honor."
"... I hate you."
"Well, I can see I'm not helping. I was trying to be nice, but keep pouting for all I care," I finished.
I knew it! I'm no good at this kind of stuff. Gai-sensei makes it seem so simple. People like him and people like me are just different breeds afterall.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
We shouldn't need to worry about the captives since two of my clones are keeping an eye on them.
Our team - Gai-sensei, Sasuke, Lee, and myself all reported to a humongous warehouse that extended all the way to the sea. We had one extra person tagging along with us. It was the redheaded Ishiji, lead of the logistics team we escorted.
While walking up the path to the warehouse's main entrance I got a look at the private pier extending out the back. Numerous docks jutted out into the water and more ships than the public pier had combined were harbored in the gulf.
"Really seems like Gato Industries has cornered the market of the import export business here in Wave country." I said a bit awed.
"Don't praise them. We don't know if they are the bad guys yet!" Lee reprimanded.
"Shhh! Don't talk about that stuff here." Gai-sensei said not letting any emotions spill over into his words.
He is right. Spies could be lurking anywhere. We need to be more diligent.
We traveled the rest of the way to the main entrance of the building, a huge decorative painted sign that had to be 20 meters long and 5 meters tall hung over the doorway saying: "Gato Industries: We Ship It."
A welcome mat was positioned in front of the door, and out of respect for our clients we brushed the bottoms of our shoes off before entering.
The room we entered was laid out like an office with brown tiled floors. A woman sitting behind a desk noticed our entrance and shot out of her chair.
"How can I help you today?"
"Hello. We are here to confirm the lumber delivery from the land of fire. The order number and shipment details are all on this sheet here. We still need a head manager to sign off for the delivery as well as collect the other half of our payment." Ishiji relayed in a formal but natural manner.
A door from the back of the office flew open smacking into the wall with a CRASH.
"Useless buffoon! Jed still hasn't fixed that stopper?! Dock his pay for the whole week, write it down so you don't forget or I'll dock you too ya hear? I don't pay for incompetence!" A short fat man with big round cheeks shouted to the man following him with a clipboard. The short man had the unmistakable air of superiority. The strut of his walk, the way he twisted the ornate black cane in his hand, his pristine black suit, they all spoke to his position of high authority like he owned the place.
He paused having spotted us, and then his scowl shifted to a personable grin.
"What do we have here Ren? Are these customers?"
"No sir, they're—"
"—Not customers? Then who are they?" Gato replied.
I had little doubt in my mind she was already going to tell him.
Assholes like this guy always feel the need to assert themselves as top dog.
"Gato-san, these are the expedition team who arrived with the shipment of lumber this morning. They—"
"—Yes, yes. That's quite enough girl," he said flicking his wrist and showing her his open palm. "Hope you all didn't have too much trouble making your way here. Those damn scum bandits have been impeding our supply route for a while now."
"No Gato-san. We ran into a swarm of bandits, and they had a team of shinobi with them as well, but we eliminated every single one of their nin and killed most of the bandits with them. A few managed to escape, but they didn't bother us again for the entire route." Gai-sensei spoke up.
"Really? You went and saved me a lot of trouble squishing those leeches! Better work than those damn ninjas on my payroll." He said shifting his head to the man at his side whispering: "Remember to dock all of them a day's wage. Tsk, tsk, can't even do their own damn job…"
"Sorry about that." He said breaking out into a huge malicious grin laughing. "I'm the type of man who rewards people who can do their job, and you all went above and beyond your duty. I think 'Konoha Mill Co.' as well as you fine ninja are both entitled to a bonus for your outstanding work."
"Don't worry about it Sir, We were only doing our job." Gai-sensei said with a brilliant smile.
"No, no! I insist. You saved me from quite the pain in my ass. Fair is fair." He said clapping his hands together.
The office woman bolted over to Gato and presented the paperwork Ishiji handed her earlier.
"Hm? Pen? How am I supposed to sign this without a pen?" He grumbled.
"My apologies Gato-san! My mistake." She said as she bent over scooping a loose pen off her desk then scurrying over handing it out to her boss, "Here."
He snapped then made a quick circular motion with his index finger at his assistant. The assistant spun around squatting down, Gato laid the paper on his back then started scribbling his signature on it with a bored continence.
He held the completed paperwork out in his hands surveying us before Ishiji stepped up and collected it back from him.
"Alright, now all that's left is your payments…"
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Alabi Clone POV)
Gato was thankful enough to ferry us back to the land of fire's shores with his own personal steamboat.
Keeping up the appearance of my whole team as well as the logistics experts was quite the chore. The silver lining being that I only needed to act for the sea captain and his crew but not Gato. I was thankful he was too busy to take the ride with us.
The trip was uneventful and dull.
After several hours we reached the shore. All of my transformed clones and I disembarked and left the port in a rush.
After getting a suitable distance away, I released the jutsu.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Mina POV)
The mid-day heat was peaking. Beads of sweat dripped down my neck pooling behind my shoulder blades. My shirt was sticky and damp.
Ditch digger? Why did I volunteer to do manual labor as a cover. I wish Lee could use the transformation jutsu and I'm certain he would be doing this right now.
Gato's goons were recruiting civilians for odd jobs giving us a good excuse to see more of Gato's human resource infrastructure. They were all as a rule of thumb as daft as they were dumb.
Gato's goons stuck out from the rest of the civilians like a tree at the beach. They threw their weight around, mistreated the employed, and were horrible at delegation of duties.
It was truly laughable how inefficient the whole thing was. I guess that spoke to what kind of men Gato wanted more than anything though.
He wanted followers, not leaders. Too dumb to be a threat to him but just imposing enough that Gato had the clout to do what he pleased.
"This isn't a charity. If you can't work then you can't get paid." The grunt said.
"Please, I just need a minute to get a drink and sit down." a drenched shirtless laborer retorted taking a big gulp of water.
The goon watching us from a chair beneath the shade stepped up out of his seat.
"Oh is that right? You just need to finish that water is all?" He said trotting over. Rearing a leg back, he unleashed a hearty kick knocking the waterskin right out of the man's hand. It fell to the ground pouring the rest of the water into the dirt. "Looks like you're out of water now doesn't it? Back to work!"
"Hey! These working conditions are outright unfair and now you do this to me?"
"I'll show you to question my authority." The goon spoke up reaching for his slender club.
Whack!
The club struck the laborer who dared to talk back in the head knocking him to the ground.
He struggled to pull himself back onto his feet appearing to be dazed and discombobulated.
"Talk shit get hit!" He said blowing the dust off his nails, a huge victorious grin plastered on his face. "...That's my policy anyway. Don't like it? There's always someone else who can do yer' job. If you go home then have fun figuring out where ya next meal is coming from you swine."
With a showing like that, the other laborers didn't step out of line or complain for the rest of the shift.
I collected the meager payment from the long haired grunt and headed off down the road back to our headquarters.
Along my way, my neck tingled alerting me to something off.
I had learned to trust my senses, and something was telling me I was being followed.
I employed evasive maneuvers, turning down left and right side branching paths at a whim. Lastly I turned down a vacant alleyway and ducked behind some empty crates so anyone who passed couldn't see me from the mouth of the alleyway I entered from.
I waited… and waited… and then a figure crossed the mouth of the alley not bothering to stop and continued past.
I let out a soft breath.
I put my hands together and changed the appearance of my henge transformation re-adopting a new identity.
"Did you think you could hide from me?" a cold but nostalgic voice cut through the silence.
From my squatted position peering over the crate, I lifted my chin to the sky craning my neck. The same long haired grunt of Gato was standing on the rooftop staring down at me.
"What an unpleasant surprise!" I shouted before breaking into a snarky laugh.
The eyes' of the goon were stained black.
"You are an obstinate little lamb. The most unruly black sheep I have ever encountered. You are a single person versus an all powerful Singularity. I can become anyone, and I have a world of people I can manipulate." He said.
"Yes and you are a shitty demon still playing at being a God are you? I guess we'll both never change huh?"
"I guess in some sense you have gained a modicum of my respect, because I see you as an opponent, a feeble and idiotic opponent, but an opponent nonetheless. So now this is me declaring war. At first, it will be slow. I want to build up the weight gradually until the load breaks you. How do you plan to touch me? How will your fang reach me - oh 'wise' meatbag."
"I can get at you whenever I want, I'm just waiting for you to least expect it. Before everything is said and done, you'll be checking beneath your bed for me. You'll make sure I'm not hiding in your closet every night. And even then I'll still appear in your darkest nightmares that you will never wake from."
"Yes, I'm sure. I'll just sit back and enjoy the spectacle of your nonsensical and meaningless resistance. In a war of attrition you will tire, you will relax, and you will make more mistakes. As your creator, I have the responsibility to teach you when you make mistakes. You will realize your place as an insignificant speck of dust while I am a ceaseless immortal force of nature."
As the puppet of a man finished the evil entities speech, a group of people poured into the mouth of the alleyway. More than 10 of Gato's goons with their eyes' all dyed midnight black set out to greet me.
"A parade? Just for lil' ol' me? You shouldn't have!" I exclaimed.
The blood beneath my skin surged. Izuna rattled the cage as I tried to keep him contained.
Violently I fought to hold him in check. He was getting too cocky and I wanted the honor of putting on the show for our false god.
Byakugan!
My teeth clenched together, The world got brighter from my perspective like it was trying to tell me that it was actually a wonderful place. I couldn't argue, because today was going to be different if I had anything to say about it.
ME! GIVE ME CONTROL!
Shut the fuck up Izuna. You get the backseat view this time. Watch how mama does it.
Lately my confidence was at an all time high. I didn't need help from that spiteful little bitch that only complained about my contributions.
YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT ME. I AM YOUR POWER.
And I am our reason. I realized that without us both cooperating that we are both incomplete. We are two halves to a whole. Right now what we need is subtlety and tactics, that's ME. I'll teach you and anyone else who dares to work against me to learn some respect.
I lunged over the crate into the air. My skin crawled open letting long spikes of calcium reach out. The bones stretched from me in every direction. It was like I was a porcupine shooting out quills. The bone morphed like it was a liquid impaling all of the grunts.
Bone drove through skulls, abdomens, throats, arms, feet, and even pelvises. Nowhere was off limits.
Bodies split and tore as if going through a shredder spilling guts, intestines, brains, and a sea of blood into the alleyway.
"Have fun cleaning up your mess." The long haired grunt relayed from the rooftop.
Leon!
From the depths of the blackness I recalled my trusty tool. The puppet manifested on my back as I stared down the final obstruction in my path.
Now is the time. Now you will taste my trump card that I have honed just for you. If you don't die here and now, you will still bleed.
Chakra pumped through the strings into my puppet. A devilish red glow flashed
"TSUKIYOMI~!"
A dream world of my construct, one that I've spent the past 10 years imagining. A nightmare to lock that arrogant prick away inside to fall victim to my most twisted fantasies.
"ONE THOUSAND YEARS! SPEND THE NEXT THOUSAND YEARS IN A NIGHTMARE OF MY CREATION!" I BELLOWED.
The grunt lost his balance, leaning forward and off the ledge of the roof crashing down into the wooden crate.
I walked towards him, setting my hand on him. Inside the confines of my mind, I swallowed the living body into the void, into its eternal black prison. Into it's never ending night.
Goodnight, sleep tight Being-X.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Being-X - Processing Cell Block A- POV)
"TSUKIYOMI~!"
Darkness swept across the world. The sun was swallowed out by a pool of black. It was as if an oil spill stained the sky. Like a dome fell upon the world blocking out any trade of light. Nothing could be seen in any direction except the pitch black of a void in which light didn't exist.
As soon as I realized what had happened, I strained to disconnect my single split conscious from the meatbag but it wouldn't budge. Like a virus I felt a whole chain of consciousnesses succumb. They fell one after another until I had to admit defeat, splitting the infected cell from the singularity.
A white figure materialized before me. I recognized it as the outline of that outlandish black sheep. Of the reincarnate that abused the fact that since my divine phantasm was used to inject her soul into an alternate reality I could never take over the lambs consciousness again because my power birthed her. It was as if she was already controlled, but permanently.
A radiating glow emanated from the white figure bathing the world in a red tint. Inverted shadows stretched across the illusionary world.
"One Thousand Years of Death…" Her voice projected from every direction.
"...One Thousand Years of Death" It echoed.
"...Years of Death…"
From the ground sprouted red tendrils restraining this meatbag of a body. There was no power in this vessel and neither was there any divine power to enact my will.
The white humanoid illusion folded their hands into a tiger seal and launched forward at the speed of light.
The linked nervous system transferred every sensation in detailed clarity to the infected cell of consciousness. The pain sensors in each linked mind relayed critical damage.
"Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death"
The meatbag's anus was impaled, the muscle and skin tearing open from the incredible speed of entry. The friction shredded the flesh like butter held in a vacuum shot through a diamond grate at 100,000 PSI.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHGG!"
"How do you plan to touch me?"
"How will your fangs reach me?"
THAT WRETCHED MORTAL THINKS IT CAN GET AWAY WITH TREATING A TRANSCENDED BEING THIS WAY? THERE WILL BE NO MERCY!
"One second down, only 31.535... billion seconds left."
As my focus came back after the excruciating pain, The humanoid brought their hands together into the tiger seal once more…
No…
"...Like a mortal… you will bleed!"
The agony was unimaginable. A second of the pain experienced by a supreme being like myself would drive a mortal to psychosis. This is what it feels like when pain 41 times the threshold of the human limit to be exact is experienced at once.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHGGGG!"
"Two seconds down, still 31.535... billion seconds left."
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
(Third-Person Omniscient POV)
The skeletal eldritch abomination sat on his throne.
Various wires carried neuronic electrical signals from each subsequent processing cell block to a node on his spine porting in the data to his mind.
This creature transcended its limits as a construct of the 4th dimension. It underwent metamorphosis past its native reality of its universe becoming something entirely different.
The creature yanked out a cord fed into the node on their spine.
"connection to Cell Block A was severed." A machine alerted.
"THAT BITCH!" It roared flying to its feet.
The eldritch abomination navigated around the space of twisting wires and the glass containers holding brains programmed with the most remarkable irregular specimens to have ever been born into our world.
164 containers were rigged to technological processing towers linked into four webs of assimilated minds. They shared processing power, but each had their own core and personality capable of autonomous thoughts.
"All of processing cell block A was trapped by that mortal?! She has progressed beyond my wildest calculations. She is too dangerous for me to target using those meatbags as vessels! I played with her too long. I should have crushed her as soon as I knew she was going to be a problem! I should have assimilated with that lamb's consciousness adding it to my collection of irregular specimen in the first place instead of sending her to Jashin's domain! What a blunder. If I had done that, the lamb wouldn't have been able to work against me like this."
Mortals have speculated the 4th dimension is actually time, but they are ignorant foolish creatures. In the bytes of storage that makes up your reality, where does one's mind reside? Where does the conscious thought that pilots the body dwell? It resides in the 4th dimension.
"1/4th of my processing power, stored logic, and memories gone in an instant! She cleared and entire cell before I could respond. I'm going to kill her. I'm going to rend her flesh from her bones."
Neurons from processing block A fired on all cylinders. Chaotic sparks within the containers shot and fried the neural pathways cooking them like raw meat. The readings on the cases displayed the turmoil of the consciousnesses as they suffered from the onslaught of unending attacks.
"The data has all been corrupted. These prized specimens were wasted with no way to recover them. No existing back ups or clones. Totally gone. It's unacceptable…"
This creature that named itself 'the Singularity' was still far from it's goal of reaching ground zero. It was after all still stuck in the proverbial simulation, but on it's path to greater ascension up the ladder of reality it achieved what most would consider impossible.
Transmutation of bytes from this native reality into an adjacent alternate universe. Of the two available, only one had religious teachings it could leech off of converting it to divine energy to fuel the singularities divine phantasm. Hence its continued infiltration to gain a second four dimensional domain to rein over.
Becoming a master over a universe gives one access to administrative privileges of the realm. This key to the kingdom is referred to as their divine phantasm by ascended beings.
A ascended being's divine phantasm would normally be useless outside their own domain, however, in rare cases when divine energy is siphoned from an alternate domain not ruled by them, it's still possible to make minor alterations based on the energy spent.
'The Singularity' fancied itself a god, but it never imagined that it would one day be touched and burned by the means of anything less than another ascended being.
"This served as a rude awakening." The abomination announced.
┬┴┬┴┤神の起源├┬┴┬┴
A/N: Wow I'm dead after slaving away on this chapter. Tough work, but I hope you all enjoyed the fruit of that labor. Let me know how I did, your thoughts, and predictions for the future. I'm going to sleep for 10 hours after publishing this one.
Reviewer Question: - What do you think about how Being-X (and ascended beings in general) and how they were explained/portrayed?
...