NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 357: Chapter 357
"Who's there!"
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The blaring of alarm bells echoed throughout Victor's underground base. Though Sai managed to eliminate the guard who had discovered him, the guard had still pressed the alarm button before dying.
"This is bad. I can't collect more intel now," Sai thought, quickly assessing the situation. Snapping a few pictures of the artificial God Tree, he made a swift decision to escape.
The base was heavily guarded. Victor, already on high alert after Sai's previous close pursuit, had recruited additional forces. As the alarm sounded, every available guard rushed to Sai's location.
Sai found himself overwhelmed, forced into skirmishes with Victor's guards while trying to escape. Though his skill was far superior, the sheer number of enemies, some of whom were surprisingly strong, drained his chakra rapidly.
After a grueling fight, Sai finally reached the surface.
"Finally…"
"Escaping, are we?"
Sai froze at the mocking voice behind him, quickly tossing a kunai laced with explosive tags toward the source. As the explosion rang out, he leaped forward, his heart racing.
"Who are you?" Sai demanded, his voice tense. Someone capable of sneaking up on him unnoticed wasn't an ordinary ninja.
"I'm the one who handles pests like you," the man said, emerging unscathed from the smoke.
It was Deepa, a member of the Kara organization's inner circle. Lured by Victor's ambition to create a God Tree and strengthen himself, Deepa had lent his support. His unique ability to condense carbon into ultra-dense forms made him a formidable opponent, rivaling even Kekkei Genkai users.
"What are you doing here? Some errand boy for this operation?" Sai retorted, attempting to gauge his opponent's strength while considering whether to signal for backup.
"You don't need to know. All you need to understand is that you won't leave here alive," Deepa sneered, his voice filled with cruel delight as he raised a hand to attack.
Meanwhile, in Konoha
It was nighttime, and the village was quiet except for the soft glow of streetlights and occasional advertisements. Despite the looming threat of otherworldly beasts, the higher-ups had kept this information from the public to avoid panic.
"Finally, the pills are complete. I wonder how effective they'll be for shinobi. I'll need to find someone to test them on," Yoichi muttered, stepping out of the Kamui dimension. Time had passed quickly; high-tier pill refinement was a time-intensive process.
Thanks to his mastery of the Flame-Flame Fruit, Yoichi could perfectly control the Golden Emperor Burning Flame, drastically shortening the extraction process and achieving an unparalleled success rate.
This time, Yoichi had crafted a modified version of the Great Power Pill, which he referred to as the Elite Ninja Pill. Altering its formula with chakra-specific ingredients and his own blood, the resulting six-tier pill could grant an ordinary person the chakra reserves of an elite jōnin. For existing jōnin, the increase would elevate them to Kage-level chakra reserves—permanently.
"Such a valuable pill can't be given to just anyone," he mused, storing the pill. The night was young, and his mind was restless.
"Maybe I should visit Ino. It's been a while since we met in reality," he thought with a smirk. With his decision made, Yoichi left for the Yamanaka residence.
The Yamanaka clan's home was quiet, nestled behind the family flower shop. After a long day, Ino had bathed and was preparing for bed. Recently, she had been plagued by vivid dreams where she and Yoichi were married, traveling across the shinobi world together. Despite waking to damp sheets in the mornings, she found the dreams oddly comforting.
What if I'd married Yoichi instead? she often wondered.
Tap, tap.
A sound at her window startled her. Approaching cautiously, she spotted Yoichi standing outside in the courtyard. Shock and delight warred within her as she opened the window.
"Yoichi! What are you doing here? This is my home! What if someone sees you?" she whispered urgently, helping him climb in.
"I couldn't stay away, Ino. I've missed you," he said, feigning a look of longing. His words struck her heart like an arrow, leaving her flustered and blushing.
"You can't just come here! What if someone catches you?" she hissed, half-angry, half-concerned.
"Don't worry, Ino. I used an invisibility talisman. No one can see me. It's a special onmyōji technique," he reassured her, gently taking her hand.
"Ino… have you missed me?"
"I… I have," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
His smile deepened as he pulled her closer. "I've thought of nothing but you, Ino. Every moment without you feels like an eternity."
His honeyed words left her breathless. Her protests faltered as he embraced her, his hands slipping to her waist.
"No… not here," she whispered urgently. "Yoichi, this is my room. Sai… and my son…"
"Shh, Ino. No one will know. Let me have this moment with you," he murmured, silencing her protests.
The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated her perfect form as Yoichi guided her to the bed.
The Next Morning
"Is Mom still sleeping? Did I wake up too early?" Inojin Yamanaka muttered, noticing the empty kitchen. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was earlier than usual.
"She's been so busy lately. I'll let her rest," he decided, refraining from knocking on her door.
Knock, knock.
A knock at the front door broke the silence. Inojin answered, finding a Konoha shinobi standing there.
"Is Yamanaka-san home?" the shinobi asked.
"Mom's still asleep. She's been really tired lately. Can I take a message?" Inojin offered.
The shinobi hesitated before replying, "Sai has returned. He's at the hospital. The Seventh Hokage asked me to notify Yamanaka-san."
"Dad? Is he okay?" Inojin's face paled as he ran toward his parents' room, shouting, "Mom! Wake up! Dad might be in trouble!"
(End of Chapter)
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