RUMBLE!
"W-Who are-?!"
"It's okay. You're safe now"
At another one of Kumogakure's districts, several civilians were in the midst of being rescued, many of whom were pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings
"Please watch your step as you join the others"
"R-Right. Thank you"
Rei and Suzu, now separated from Tai, had reached their newly assigned district to aid in record ti. Beginning rescue efforts the mont they arrived
The location was far more damaged than either of them anticipated, without a doubt, the worst area they've been to since the start of the siege
"I did another sweep, but I think that's everyone. What do your senses have to say?"
"I also can't sense any stragglers, I believe we've rescued all that we could. We still have one more spot to cover, but it's quite a ways from here. There are too many people to leave behind now"
"Right, you should begin escorting them now. Do you have enough chakra?"
"No worries Suzu. Even without Tai , I'm pretty sure I can manage" {Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu1Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu}
One Rei confird with his senses there were no more bystanders to be rescued, he perford the forbidden form of the Shadow Clone Jutsu once again. Suzu held doubts as to whether or not he should use it with their dical-nin absent, as Tai would normally restore their stamina with his Ninjutsu
Using a technique notorious for depleting chakra to the point the user's life could be in danger was a risky move. Nevertheless, the Genin couldn't afford to dawdle
POOF! POOF! POOF!
"Eh?! What's happening?!"
The anxious crowd of civilians beca restless with the sudden burst of smoke surrounding them. Once Rei's clones erged, they addressed the crowd, asking for their cooperation in order to hasten the journey to the nearest evac center
After a minute had passed, the clones escorted the group away as the original Rei departed with Suzu. This process was their most efficient ans of securing the area
ZWSH! ZWSH!
They dashed along rooftops as Suzu reexamined their orders
"What's next?"
"We've got two more areas to survey before we can declare this district's evacuation has been completed. Still, these order seem a bit strange"
"How so?"
"It feels as if they've given us the wrong district as this location has too many spots for a squad of two to handle. Then again, many are aware of your skill with clones. I'm probably just overthinking it"
"What do you think we'll be assigned to next once this task is completed? I know Genin aren't being sent to the front, but I don't like the idea of sitting around and doing nothing while the adults fight"
"What do you expect Rei? We're Genin. Legally, we're considered adults the mont we get a headband, but our elders still consider us to be children"
"Mmmm...I don't like it" {I hate variables}
Being treated as a child was sothing he could cope with, Rei had learned to ignore such things after his first year in this world
No, what he didn't like was leaving things to chance. This entire event is an unknown to him, being an engineer, he was naturally molded to expect the unpredictable...but that never implied it got under his skin
Especially now that his life depended on everything he said and did, Rei wanted to wrap things up as quickly as possible. Everything that's occurred recently gave him bad vibes he couldn't shake off
Foreboding feelings which only increased during his tenure in this area. As if soone was holding a blade to his throat...
TING!
"Hm? Suzu, 2 o'clock...I can feel a chakra signature about 17 ters from our position"
"Enemy or civilian?"
"It's pretty weak, but given the creepy feeling...it's probably the enemy suppressing their chakra"
"Alright, let's find an alternate route"
"Too late for that. Whoever it is, they're already aware of our presence and heading in our direction. They'll probably be here soon"
"Tsk! We're only authorized to engage when there's no other option. Let's retreat and report to the nearest Chunin or-!"
ZWIP!
"Smart move. Funny to see a militaristic nation like this care so much about its soldiers. Ti changes much now doesn't it?"
Out of nowhere, a black-haired man with red eyes stood right behind them. Completely dressed in white, arms folded, his deanor was calm and casual
"?!"
TAK! TAK!
Rattled by his sudden appearance, the duo jumped away instantly
{The hell?! I barely noticed him!} a startled Rei thought
{This guy...he's different than the last one we fought}
"I'd say it's a pleasure, but to be honest, I'm never happy to et Kumo-nin. My na is Kyō, leader of the Chinoike"
"...!"
"Not good...!"
"With the introductions out of the way, please show
what Genin of the cloud are capable of"
??????
"W-What is this?!"
"Welco Tai-kun, Moroi-dono. This...is our golden parachute"
Back at headquarters...
Dodai had taken both Tai, and the "Kumo Barrier Team" captain Moroi, into his personal lab. Once inside, they were t with the sight of a strange machine
"This is...!"
"Takes your breath away, doesn't it"
Words like complex, sophisticated, and abstract ca to mind upon gazing at the eye-catching device
"Dodai...what the hell is this?" Moroi asked
CLANK!
Just as he did, two figures entered the room
"The culmination of hard work, dedication, a lot of bullshit...and a brand new company"
"This is the Network"
"Huh? Tango-sensei?! And that person next to you...Tetsuo-san?!" Tai shouted in surprise
"Hey Tai, this isn't how I pictured our next eting would be, but we're out of ti..." Tango awkwardly said
"I've done what I can Dodai! The nodes around the village have been finalized and all preliminary systems have been checked. Soon as you give the go ahead, Tango plugs in again, and the device starts charging" Tetsuo stated
"Before we begin, I must inform you two of a new developnt"
Dodai shared the intricate details of Tai's plan to rout out the Chinoike causing chaos within the village. How coordination between him and Moroi's teams were crucial. Reiterating there was no room for error, and the "Network" being a critical elent to ensure success
He also brought up concerns about potential interference from the drug-enhanced inmates outside the village. The abnormal fractioning of chakra between them was a complete unknown...
{The hell? A pill that splits chakra like that...this kind of technology is just like-!} Tetsuo kept his thoughts to himself
"Just when things couldn't get any weirder...now what Dodai? Should I plug in now?"
"Not yet Tango. Tai-kun here needs to finish synthesizing his drug to oust the Chinoike. How long will it take?"
"J-Just a few minutes. I've already gathered most of the ingredients from my greenhouse. But there's still the matter of dispersal, we need help..." Tai stressed the gravity of this problem
"There are several mbers of my squad skilled in Fūton2Wind Style, they'll be able to help. But Dodai, this needs to be done simultaneously. How does this...machine help us coordinate such a massive undertaking?"
Dodai smirked before standing in front of the machine
"Tango, why don't we show them?"
"Yes sir. I'll-"
BANG!
A subordinate of Dodai's burst in the room, saluting everyone before speaking aloud
"Dodai-sama, there's been a developnt!"
"Ah shit. What's happened now?!"
"We just received a ssage from Team Mabui. The Chinoike infiltrated Genbu Island!"
"It can't be!" {The barrier is supposed to keep it hidden! How'd they know where to look?! Was there a mole?!} Dangerous thoughts blood in Moroi's mind
"What of the Team?! Is Yugito alright?!" Dodai anxiously asked
"Haha! Not to worry, all hostiles have been eliminated!"
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the news their comrades and Jinchūriki are well
"That's great. Rei can rest easy knowing his cousin is alright. I can assu they're on their way here?" Tango asked
"Even better, they're already on the battlefield. As we speak, Team Mabui has begun coordinating with other squads on the front. One our vulnerable supply chains has already been cleared of enemies"
"What about Genbu?"
"Ganjō-sama has defeated Nobuyuki Fūma in combat and secured the southern coastline. Team Mabui set Genbu at the shore there, Ganjō-sama's team are remaining on guard"
"As expected of my old man I guess..." Tai said dejectedly
"Excellent! Finally, so good news! We've been long overdue!"
Dodai smiled for the first ti since this incident began. Things had consistently gone from bad to worse as the conflict dragged on. With renewed vigor, he resolved himself not to be left behind
"Alright you guys, we have to finish off the intruders within before clearing up the riff raff outside! Here's what we're going to do!"
Issuing new orders to the present company, everyone moved to their assigned tasks. After years of secrecy and heartache, it was finally ti to use the Network
??????
Elsewhere...
BOOM!
"Keh!"
"You alright?!"
"I'm fine, just don't look at his eyes!"
Rei and Suzu were on defensive. Despite their exceptional abilities, they struggled against the Chinoike leader, Kyō
THK! THK! THK!
"Here cos another wave! Don't let them touch you!" Suzu warned
"Damn it, there's almost no room to dodge!"
Spears of blood flew in the air, clearly intent on impaling the Genin. They spared no effort to avoid them at all cost
THK!
"Whoa!"
"Too close...keep moving!"
The scariest aspect of a Chinoike's Ketsuryūgan3Blood Dragon Eyewasn't the ability to control liquids with high concentrations of iron...but to infect the victim with user's chakra
This power not only made it easier to influence another with Genjutsu, but to control the very blood within a person's body. Transforming one's body at will, or turning them into an "exploding human"
Kyō's blood blades were completely doused in his chakra, all it took was a single cut on the skin, and the chances of survival were slim at best
Moreover...
"Huff...this guy, he's on a whole other level than the last Chinoike we fought...!" a weary Suzu stressed
"We've fought shinobi stronger than us before"
"Yes but...this...he's...it's not the sa Rei!"
"...ugh!" {She's right. This isn't...}
Team Tango had fought their fair share of difficult battles, the kind most would never expect them to co out on top. Elder Genin and Chunin, or the fla wielding swordsman leading the "Oni Garrison" from nearly five years ago who edged towards the rank of Jonin...but Kyō was far worse than the rest
"Hah...haaah...!"
"..."
"Is that all you two can do? You can't even make
get serious"
A truly powerful shinobi stood before them, well versed in the art of war. And while Rei and Suzu were as skilled as ever...it was only compared to those nearing their age
{Damn it...I'm racking my brain, but I can't see any way of winning!} Rei grew frustrated
Kyō was superior to them in nearly every way. Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, even his Taijutsu prowess surpassed Rei's, he could easily deal with latter's infamous speed. This was the first ti in his life he faced an enemy at the level of a high-ranked Jonin
Sure, he's certainly sparred with them on occasion, but practice and the real thing were entirely different
"Suzu, back
up. We'll stick to long range attacks as we retreat" Rei whispered
"Ready whenever you are"
WEAVE!
"Going on offense? About ti" Kyō mocked
{Fūton: Toppa4Wind Style: Breakthrough!}
{Katon: Endan5Fire Style: Fla Bullet!}
VWOOSH! BOFF!
Taking advantage of their elental properties, Rei unleashed a blast of fire as Suzu amplified it with her wind style attack. Unleashing a powerful torrent of flas, propelling directly towards Kyō
"Oh please. HAAAH!"
SWISH!
With the swipe of his hand, Kyō manipulated his "blood" with chakra to act a shield, fending off the attack. Erging from the flas unscathed, he noticed the Genin were no longer present
{The flas were just a smokescreen to obscure my vision while they retreat. Smart...but not smart enough}
DASH!
Several ters away, Rei and Suzu desperately ran to the nearest location they were aware of hosting elder shinobi. mbers of the Moroi's barrier team were stationed in various locations throughout the village
Kyō was too much of an opponent to deal with by themselves
"Suzu! Over there! I can still sense their chakra!"
"I see them! HEY!"
TAK! TAK!
The team touched down behind of two adults in shinobi attire before sharing their findings
"Excuse us, but we must report! We've confird the presence of a powerful Chinoike mber located several klicks east from our current position"
"He's very powerful, you might want to inform HQ and have them send a squad to deal with him"
"..."
Oddly enough, the shinobi did not respond. The quiet only unsettled the two, Suzu asked Rei for confirmation with her eyes, but he affird they were indeed Kumo-nin
"Sirs, did you not hear what we said?"
"We've located an enemy..."
Still no response, Rei cautiously approached the back of one. Grabbing his shoulder, he turned the man around only for them to discover he was in a daze
"Rreeenn...o-o...v-v-v..aaatttt...iioo...nnnnn!" the man stuttered
"SUZU!" Rei scread
"OKAY!" {Doton6Earth Style...!}
"Yōton7Lava Style!"
The Genin imdiately understood what was going on the mont they saw the faces of the shinobi. They'd long been turned into an "exploding humans
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