Karina nodded, her face flushed, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. "Yes, I suspect that there's a concealed space, where all the biomass you've converted into your own, is stored," she explained.
"My dear, I remember you mentioning during our… activities… how you wondered where all the biomass we collected went, but we didn't ponder too much regarding this abnormality during our intense exchange."
"After the recent fluctuations during our research of the summoning and Flying Thunder God techniques, I recalled your words. Where did all the biomass go? Naturally, it only makes sense that there would be a designated area or points within the system to house such a significant resource. It's a possibility we overlooked until now and had taken for granted."
Shino's eyes sparkled with anticipation, a glimmer of hope rising within him. Could this be the legendary system spatial storage he had dreamed of? Is he finally opening the route of a kingdom of god? Is he-
"But…" As the soft cadence of Karina's voice reached the depths of his ears, a curious stillness descended upon him, the final spurts of his exhilaration over the discovery dispersing, released into the realms of the unknown.
Sigh. Here comes the but, followed by a pregnant pause that enveloped the scene, each passing moment punctuated solely by the breathless gasps that escaped Karina's lips, building suspense that foretold the impending revelation.
"Ha… it's full of… my dear, full of… things that need to be verified. I must emphasize that the system space is mere unverified speculation. I will continue my investigations and inform you once I gather more concrete clues."
Sighing, Shino tempered his excitement, reminding himself that nothing was confirmed yet, and even if it turned out to be true, unlocking the secrets of this space would likely prove to be a challenging endeavor.
"It seems there is still long ways to go before we dig out all the secret functions of the system."
In a realm of contemplation, Shino's profound gaze fixated upon Karina, who was meticulously summoning forth the slumbering beast, whose dormant powers slowly stirred with anticipation under her diligent care, setting the stage for an enthralling spectacle yet to unfold.
Aware of Karina's enthrallment with her immediate task, rendering her unable to engage in direct conversation with her primary form, Shino made a calculated choice to transition into his alternate consciousness, where their clones awaited, ready to communicate regarding another issue.
Far away from their main base, beneath the surface of the ravaged Kurosawa village, lays another underground biosphere, a place of darkness and mystery, a hidden realm where secrets and experiments thrived, veiled in shadows and bioluminescent glows.
Shino and Karina, two clones bound by their own peculiarities, stood before the pulsating larvae, a symbol of transformation and rebirth. Its faintly translucent shell revealed the slumbering beauty within, her delicate curves and healing wounds concealed by the squirming biomass that encased her figure.
Shino, ever the cautious one, broke the silence. "Karina, how is she holding up?" he inquired, concern lacing his voice. He couldn't help but worry for her well-being… after all, the performance was truly too 'real'.
Karina turned to him, a reassuring smile gracing her lips. "Don't worry, Shino. I made sure to install life-sustaining contraptions in her body during the initial assimilation process, a prevention to avoid accidental deaths, resulting in a waste of my dear's essence. As long as her brain remains intact, her life can be sustained and recovered with prompt treatment."
"Now, her vitals are all normal. Her life-threatening wounds have been repaired, and even the traces of scars are fading over time." Karina replied confidently. "And after acquiring sufficient biomass from the sacrifices in the village above, I am now letting her go through the initial zerg lifeform transformation she didn't receive before due to lack of time and biomass."
Shino nodded, his worry subsiding. He knew Karina was resourceful and had taken precautions to ensure her survival. He trusted her abilities implicitly.
However, he couldn't help but wonder about the duration of her current state. "How long will the upgrade take?" he inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Karina's eyes sparkled with mischief as she glanced at Shino. "Shino, the estimated time is inaccurate, because we are integrating her with new genes. Incorporating research from the old lady Furofuki, we have integrated Jofuku flower genes into her body. No risk to her life has been detected, but it's hard to say exactly how long the upgrade would take, but it shouldn't take as long as my own birth. Still, it will be a while."
After her explanation, a playful smile tugged at Karina's lips. "That urgency, tell me, Shino-sama, are you eagerly anticipating tasting the forbidden fruit?"
Shino met her gaze with calm determination, unaffected by her playful demeanor. "I'm simply looking forward to our genjutsu researcher being put to work soon," he responded. "Neither of us possesses a natural talent for genjutsu, but with her combined efforts, we can make up for that deficiency."
Shino had long yearned to incorporate genjutsu into his arsenal of bugs and zergs. Alas, the cruel twist of fate had left him bereft of any natural talent for genjutsu. His lack of talent had hindered his progress. It was a bitter pill to swallow, for he learned that possessing the technique alone did not grant him the mastery he sought.
Genjutsu wasn't a skill easily acquired; it required imagination, a vast repertoire of techniques, meticulous calculations, and attention to even the smallest details. His system, with Karina's assistance, could handle many of these aspects, but they lacked the extensive database of techniques necessary for true mastery, in addition to the talent in using and creating genjutsu.
"Even if the barrier of entry isn't high, we still lack the necessary genjutsu techniques," Shino continued. "During my training, despite teaching our team how to deal with genjutsu, Kurenai never shared her full repository of offensive genjutsu with me, no matter how many times I asked. After my first couple of failed attempts, she believed I had no talent for it. She said I shouldn't waste time on genjutsu and focus on abilities I had proficiency with, such as developing my bugs."
"I can't blame her because she was simply doing her duty as a good teacher, but this left a gaping hole in our genjutsu knowledge compared to our other abilities. But with Kurenai assimilated, this gap was patched because she was a treasure trove of genjutsu knowledge."
Karina listened intently, her gaze locked on Shino. She understood the importance of their mission and the challenges they faced. "Indeed, with Kurenai's assimilation, we had gain access to a wealth of genjutsu knowledge," she mused. "Unfortunately, even the integration of preexisting genjutsu techniques was fairly difficult, but they can be optimized with time and relentless effort through the system's computation power."
Needless to say, the 'but' part kicked in, "However, the signature flower and tree genjutsus of Kurenai may not be suitable for our usage, especially for our bug clones who has even more restrictions imposed."
"Naturally, creating new techniques and blending genjutsu with your insect clones will pose an even greater challenge. It requires not only a vast database but also a boundless imagination and talent in genjutsu in order to apply them in combat on entities such as bugs and zergs. Naturally, this could eventually be completed through grinding, but the necessary investment of time and computation resources isn't something we have available…"
As if the task at hand wasn't daunting enough, Shino's thoughts drifted to the formidable genjutsu masters ominously looming on their path, all which they needed to defend against - the relentless onslaught of Itachi's haunting torture world, Tsukuyomi, the insidious brainwashing of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, the forbidden destiny-deciding powers of the Sharingan's Izanami, and the ultimate dream-trap Infinite Tsukuyomi.
"And we must also fortify our system against powerful genjutsu, which requires even more investments..." Shino uttered in a stressed tone.
Karina nodded in agreement, her expression growing more serious. "You're right, Shino. Defenses against powerful genjutsu are paramount. We need safeguards to ensure our system can withstand such assaults and protect us from their devastating effects. Even if we can't counter them, we at least need to be able to escape from them, but this had been a difficult issue for us."
Yet, amid this intricate web of challenges, one truth shone like a guiding star. The answers they sought, the resolution to their plight, rested in the hands of a genjutsu genius. Kurenai, with her unparalleled expertise, held the key to unlock the road blocks that obstructed their ambitions. Only through her guidance and wisdom could they hope to navigate the labyrinthine complexities of genjutsu, potentially unraveling the mysteries that lay ahead.
Shino's gaze sharpened as he contemplated the magnitude of their task. "Indeed. It's a daunting challenge, but one we must overcome unless we want to hide like turtles for the rest of our lives… which would certainly cause the piqued interest of many to diminish. No one wants to live through a poisonous tale where the characters hide and do nothing but talk," he replied, his voice steady with determination.
"So to spice things up, we need genjutsu and fast. That way, we can give an illusion to others that our life is still interesting. And in solving these issues, a genjutsu genius like Kurenai could prove to be invaluable. This was one of the reasons I wanted to assimilate her. Naturally, Itachi would be a better option, but I'm afraid we could only make do with Kurenai in our situation."
"Uh huh, she is the only choice you had, Shino-sama." she said, her eyes rolling playfully.
"With Kurenai leading the research and the system's computation power, we have a high probability of developing successfully in the genjutsu field, allowing Shino-sama to develop forbidden methods of play styles," Karina's eyes gleamed with playfulness.
"Be serious, Karina." Shino rapped her playfully on the head, "Or I'll have to punish you."
"Okay, okay. Karina understands and will be very, very serious. But I'm sure Shino-sama definitely hasn't enough because our conversation seems to be another fill'er chapter…" Karina's voice resonated with a captivating undertone, her eyes playfully rolling with a hint of mischief, leaving an air of tantalizing implications hanging in the air.
As Shino exerted control over his other body to tighten his grip like a vice, his eyes narrowed with an ominous intensity, "It seems someone needs to be punished."
"Shino's punishment..." Karina, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, teasingly extended her tongue, caressing her lips with an alluring seductiveness that left a lingering sense of intrigue, "Hmm… Karina welcomes it anytime, my dear."
Just as they delved into their in-depth speculations, losing themselves in exploring the mysteries of life, Karina's voice suddenly cut through the air, alerting Shino to an immediate development. "Shino, the target is on the move once again," she reported, a tinge of excitement seeping into her tone. "But this time, he had finally strayed into our encirclement! The clone transports have closed in on him from all sides, slowly tightening the net. All that remains is to seal off the gap behind him, and he will eventually be trapped. Next will be a confrontation of hard combat power."
Shino's gaze snapped to the screen, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. The moment he had been waiting for was finally within reach. His voice rang out with authority, commanding his team, "This is a rare chance. Don't let him slip away. Catch him alive if possible, I'm sure he will bring a lot of surprises to me… if he is who I believe him to be."