The other ninja started mocking them.
"Our leader's so kind, isn't he? He even considered your feelings, you little pet!"
"More like livestock than a pet!"
Karen Kagura turned red with anger but couldn't help asking, "So you're done playing nice?"
"No need for that anymore. We've found a better target," the leading ninja smiled toward Xianglin in his arms.
"Not a chance in hell!" Karen Kagura tightly hugged Xianglin.
"That's not your decision to make," the ninja leader said with a smile. "Of course, I'm a very kind person. Just give birth to twenty more... no, fifteen more children, and I'll grant your daughter freedom!"
Karen Kagura trembled with rage. "You... you..."
The ninja leader ignored her and patted Yoshiyuki's shoulder. "I'll leave things to you from now on!"
Yoshiyuki sighed while holding his waist. "Sigh, Boss, you'd better bring back more tonics for me later."
The other ninja erupted in laughter once more.
"Brother Yoshiyuki, do you think you can handle it?"
"If you can't, we're happy to help out too!"
As they spewed vulgar words, a soul pressure suddenly descended. It felt like time had stopped—everyone remained conscious, yet their bodies refused to obey.
The rogue ninja stared wide-eyed, unable to comprehend what had happened.
Karen Kagura looked on in confusion. Why had these vermin suddenly frozen in place?
They stood there mid-laugh, as if time itself had stopped.
At that moment, a pair of light but purposeful footsteps approached.
Before Karen Kagura's astonished eyes, a graceful older man materialized.
"Would you like to awaken true Strength?"
Karen Kagura stared at the man, only regaining her senses after a while. "Did... did you do this to them?"
The man didn't answer. He simply smiled and repeated, "Would you like to awaken true Strength?"
He didn't seem like a bad guy, and honestly, how much worse could things get? So Karen Kagura nodded firmly.
"Honored One, please lend me your Strength!"
"As you wish."
The man extended his index finger and lightly touched her forehead. Immediately, a warm current spread throughout her body.
Even her once-depleted body was revitalized by this warm current.
"Is this... Strength?" Karen Kagura murmured to herself, then noticed the group of vermin had regained movement.
"Strange, it felt like time stopped for a few seconds."
"Eh! You guys had that illusion too?"
"My Lord, you..."
Hearing Karen Kagura's voice, the rogue ninja looked toward her in confusion. "What 'Lord'?"
When they seemed not to see the man in front of her, Karen Kagura couldn't help but ask again, "You really don't see the Honored One right there?"
A group of rogue ninjas looked at each other, then burst into laughter.
"What nonsense are you babbling about here, woman?"
"You're not just making up some tall tales to scare us off, are you?"
"Wow, Karen Kagura, you sure have an imagination!"
"So this is the power of this Esteemed One," Karen Kagura thought, astonished, while feeling full confidence in the borrowed strength.
"Alright, you've played around long enough. Come back with us!"
When the leading ninja lunged toward her, Karen Kagura instinctively raised her hand to block.
At that moment, a surge of [Chakra] burst from her palm, forming into [Chakra Chains] that directly pierced through the chests of these rogue ninja leaders.
"No, this can't be..." The leader numbly looked down at his chest, then collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
"Chief! Chief!" Several ninjas rushed to their leader, checking his breath. "He's dead?"
"Ugh..." Hearing this answer, everyone present gulped nervously and looked at Karen Kagura with terrified eyes.
Since when had this woman become so strong?
"Is this how it's used?" Karen Kagura murmured, raising her hand and pushing forward.
Again, several [Chakra Chains] formed and killed the few ninjas who had been crouching over their leader.
This time, absolute panic overwhelmed everyone, and they fled for their lives.
As for these trashy bastards who wanted to turn her daughter into livestock, Karen Kagura naturally wouldn't let a single one escape.
She manipulated the [Chakra Chains] with increasing skill, thrusting them forward, piercing through each chest with agility.
"Ahhhh!" Screams echoed nonstop.
Yoshiyuki cried out alongside the others, only realizing after a moment that he appeared to be unharmed.
Touching his chest, he turned gratefully toward Karen Kagura, "Karen Kagura, you still care about me—"
Before he could finish, she sent him flying with another chain strike.
"I just want to keep you for last!"
Hearing this menacing voice, Yoshiyuki panicked and ignored the pain in his chest, "No, no way! I'm still Xianglin's father after all! Do you want the child to grow up fatherless?"
Karen Kagura's chains paused, as if persuaded.
Yoshiyuki had just relaxed, preparing to speak again, when he heard Karen Kagura say, "But a scumbag father like you would still be better off gone!"
"Wai—"
The chain pierced through his chest. Yoshiyuki stared at her in disbelief, whispering, "Wh-why...?"
The final body fell to the ground, and the only sound left was the infant's wailing cry.
Karen Kagura took a deep breath and turned to the man still standing quietly nearby, her gaze full of gratitude. "Esteemed one, thank you for allowing me to take revenge. I..."
Noticing her hesitation, Aizen chuckled softly. "You seem to be worried I'll treat you the same way as they did?"
Karen Kagura shook her head hard. "I'm willing to do anything for you! But Xianglin..."
"I will save you because, naturally, you possess value for me to exploit—that's something I won't deny," Aizen smirked. "However, unlike those fools, my intention isn't to harm you—it's to nurture you into a force I can truly rely on!"
"But... but I'm just an ordinary person who can't do anything special!" Karen Kagura hesitated.
"Ordinary person?" Aizen chuckled. "Come on, do you even know whose power just killed those people?"
Karen Kagura asked in confusion, "Wasn't it your power?"
"No, that was your power!" Aizen smiled. "I merely guided that power a little!"
Karen Kagura lowered her head in shock, looking at her own hands. "My power?"
"How does it feel? Want to become my right hand?"
Looking into his gentle eyes, Karen Kagura felt like a ray of sunshine had finally reached the cold, lonely corners of her heart.
Other than being used as a living blood source, this was the first time she ever felt truly seen and valued.
"Yes, I will become your most loyal weapon!"
"Sosuke Aizen," he whispered with a smile. "From now on, carry this name with you as you move forward!"
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Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!