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Chapter 41 — Recruiting Honoka
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!
The lava began to bubble violently, as though something beneath the molten surface was trying to surge upward.
In the next instant, five enormous tentacles—wreathed in flame—burst out of the magma, anchoring themselves onto the inner walls of the volcanic crater.
They clung tightly, preventing the main body from sinking any farther.
Then more fiery tentacles shot upward like coiled springs, stretching toward the edge of the crater.
"Not good! It's trying to pull itself out and devour more summoning beasts to heal!" Honoka's face drained of color. She clenched her fists and shouted, "Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
But as soon as the golden chains flickered to life behind her, they fizzled and vanished.
"D*mn it… I don't have a drop of chakra left…"
For someone barely above chūnin level, she'd already held out far longer than anyone could expect.
Konan shot her a sidelong glance, her own hands already moving faster than thought.
She had anticipated something like this might happen.
Dozens of massive paper shuriken formed in midair and shot forward, slicing through every reaching tentacle.
Slash!
Blood sprayed, steam hissing as burning limbs were severed.
All the tentacles that had emerged from the lava were shredded instantly by the spinning blades of white paper.
Those clinging to the crater wall lost their grip, and the monster sank faster toward the depths of the magma pool.
It howled, thrashing, sending up more tentacles—but each one that surfaced was severed before it could latch onto anything. Konan gave it no chance to escape or feed.
"Rrrraaaaghhhh—!"
The final roar from below faded into a gurgling hiss. The surface of the magma soon calmed, its violent boiling subsiding into slow, steady ripples.
No more tentacles emerged. The Ultimate Summoning Beast was dead.
Honoka floated weakly in the air, exhaustion turning her expression faint but relieved.
"It's… finally over." She let out a shaky breath, forcing a smile. "That monster is dead…"
But the relief quickly turned bittersweet. Countless lives had been lost to the creature she helped create. The guilt weighed heavy on her chest.
Now the island lay silent—its people gone, the monster destroyed. And she… had nowhere left to go.
From the moment she could remember, her entire life had been confined to this island.
Now that it was gone, she didn't know what her life meant anymore.
Konan landed beside her and helped her down to solid ground.
She looked at the dazed girl kneeling in the dirt and asked quietly, "What do you plan to do now?"
Honoka blinked, lost. "I don't know… I have nowhere to go…"
"Then come with me," Konan said simply.
"Go… with you?" Honoka repeated softly, as if unsure she'd heard right.
Konan nodded. "Yes. Leave the Land of the Sea behind. Start a new life."
If she and Alex were going to reshape the shinobi world, they would need capable people—a foundation for the future.
And an Uzumaki with awakened Adamantine Sealing Chains was a remarkable addition.
"…All right," Honoka finally said, meeting Konan's gaze. "But I won't hurt anyone again."
Too many had died because of her work. She couldn't bear to let it happen again.
Konan's expression softened. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to."
"Good." Honoka exhaled quietly and stepped closer, standing at Konan's side.
Konan gestured toward a paper-wrapped figure floating nearby. "He's yours to deal with."
Honoka stared at the mummy—Inoue. After a pause, she sighed. "Let him go. He's just a junior researcher. The ones who brought me here are already dead—eaten by that thing."
Konan nodded and flicked her hand. The paper bindings loosened, and Inoue's body drifted down, landing gently beneath a large tree.
He'd be free once they left. Whether he lived or died after that was no concern of hers.
Konan spread her paper wings and pointed toward the ruins of the research facility. "Is there anything you want to take with you?"
Honoka's eyes lingered on the collapsed building. She'd spent nearly her entire life inside those walls.
And yet, as she looked at it now, there was nothing worth taking—no memories she wanted to keep.
After a long silence, she shook her head firmly. "No. Let's go."
Konan formed another pair of wings behind Honoka and lifted them both into the air, soaring upward.
"Where are we going?" Honoka asked, watching the island grow smaller and smaller below. Excitement tinged her voice; it was her first time ever leaving the island—and her first time flying.
She peered out toward the endless sea. "I don't see any ships. How are we leaving the Land of the Sea? Even if you can fly, we can't reach the mainland in one go, can we?"
"There's no need for ships," Konan said with a faint smile, pointing skyward. "Our base is up there."
Honoka blinked. "Up… there?"
As she looked up, she saw only rolling clouds and a bright expanse of blue sky.
Alex, floating near Konan's shoulder, watched Honoka's bewildered face with amused anticipation.
Whether in his past life or this one, the Air Ninja Fortress was something truly monumental—a miracle of engineering and chakra. It never failed to leave newcomers stunned.
And to think, this fortress now belonged to him—and had been claimed by the beautiful Konan herself. The thought alone made Alex's paper body hum with satisfaction.
And now, with Honoka joining them, they'd gained a powerful new ally—a promising step toward their dream of reshaping the world.
With two swift gusts, whoosh, whoosh! Konan and Honoka broke through the clouds and landed atop the vast deck of the floating fortress.
"Wha—what is this…?" Honoka gasped, eyes wide and jaw dropped so far she could've swallowed a banana whole.
"This… this can't be real!"
"Lord Commander," a black-clad Air Ninja hurried forward, bowing deeply. He'd been waiting ever since she'd left, ready to greet her the instant she returned.
He stole a glance at Honoka, then puffed up with pride. Heh, you see that? This is the might of our Air Ninja!
The Air Fortress—built by their hands!
Konan's cool voice broke his thoughts. "Everything normal?"
"Yes, ma'am!" he said quickly. "During your absence, everything remained stable. No incidents occurred."
He bent lower, speaking with obsequious care. "You must be tired, my lady. I've kept green bean soup chilled in the pavilion—please, have some to refresh yourself. It's nearly evening; I'll have dinner prepared right away."
Konan nodded lightly. "Good. This is our new member—Uzumaki Honoka of the Uzumaki clan. Arrange a room for her and show her around the fortress."
"Yes, my lady!" The black-clad ninja straightened proudly, chest out, almost glowing with enthusiasm.
Finally… finally, the commander had said it—"our" new member.
His endless flattery these past days had paid off after all. With a leader stronger than the old Shinnō, his future in this new world was bright indeed.