ALL NOVEL Chapter 113: Success?
"Yes, Shino. We have achieved initial success with the Flying Thunder God technique..."
A surge of pride welled up within Shino's chest, intertwining with a profound sense of gratitude for Karina's guidance. They had toiled together, pushing their limits and defying the boundaries of their own abilities. Now their talent has finally shown-
"But…"
Alas, the but had to come, cooling down Shino's euphoria, "But what, Karina?"
"The true answer is yes and no."
Turning over, Karina gasped for air, her strained voice uttering between breaths, "Similar to the experiences gathered by my shadow clones, I sensed the spatial coordinate of the technique formula and successfully executed the Flying Thunder God, but I must admit, I did not reach the intended target..."
"The target location was across the room but here I am, only transferring a couple steps forward, a far cry from my intended destination. Also, this success was purely a lucky accident due to yet to be known environmental variables. I fear replicating it will require extensive data collection through countless trials."
Oh, bummer. Alas, Shino could only accept the reality of their situation.
He didn't have those overpowered one-click golden fingers, so as expected, success wasn't going to come so easily.
But as the saying goes: the first time is the hardest.
Now, the first success had given them a taste of what was possible, it was their duty to seize that opportunity, to press onward with unyielding resolve.
Shino stared at the sweaty Karina, who is laying on the ground, still recovering from the exertion. Can she still work?
Karina met his gaze, and giving him a "I won't give up" look, her hand reached down to focus Shino's attention on the working technique formula.
"My dear, we have tasted success, and we must not waste it, my dear. Hah... let's continue practicing..."
The fragrant beauty enticingly licked her lips, clearly inviting him to invest more effort into quenching their mutual thirst for knowledge...
Shino's eyes raked over the enchanting form bared before his eyes, an unspoken fascination intertwining with the subtle undercurrent of hypocrisy that tainted his words.
"Karina, we're not aiming to learn a Thunder God technique which could only be used in... certain situations…"
"Hmm?" Karina's delicate fingers went to work, unfurling the deeper intricacies of the technique formula lurking just beyond the veil of secrecy, "Does my dear really not want to learn more?"
Her words and actions couldn't be more clear. Shino could see: Karina's goal aligned with his.
Thus, Shino drew closer to her, exerting his authority with a playful smile, "Then, let's delve deeper into the inner workings of the technique formula. Oh, Karina, make sure to not waste our... efforts."
Already dedicating herself to extracting every ounce of progress from their training session, Karina's lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"Rest assured, my dear. You can practice as hard as you want, and Karina will ensure that everything is thoroughly cleaned after, disposing of any dangerous fuinjutsu and collecting all important... data."
Shino grinned, appreciating Karina's attention to detail even amidst the intensity of their training.
Knowing no traces of their efforts will be wasted in their quest for mastery, Shino decisively dug deeper into the wonderful realm of technique formula and hand seals...
After omitting a whopping 10,000 words thesis on formulaic techniques, an unexpected interruption pierced the air.
"Ha… Ha… S-Shino, there's something interesting g-going on…"
"Oh?" Karina's alert caught Shino's attention, his focus shifting to the holographic display she summoned.
In the video feed, their Tobey clone was strolling along a dirt road winding through a dense forest of the Land of Fire. At first glance, he was very much alone, but...
The accompanying mini-map showed the detected red dots quickly closing in on the location of their clone.
"Interesting. Looks like they came sooner than I thought."
On the other side...
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of the forest, casting flickering shadows on the path beneath Tobey's feet.
The forest's serene tranquility hung heavy in the air, broken only by the rustling of leaves, the occasional chirping of birds, and the creepy crawlies making the nearby foliage their homes.
Yet, despite the lacking signs of danger on the surface, countless dangers probably lurked in the dark. The meandering forests of any land in the ninja world was one of the frequent places for banditry and feral hunters.
Thus, for the weak, every sound and even the tremble of a leaf could turn them into either an alert deer or a jumping rabbit. Most would hire an escort for this reason.
However, for the strong, it was just a walk in the park. This was in a sense what Tobey was feeling.
In fact, Tobey even felt a sense of freedom in this secluded place, away from the prying eyes of the world, away from his daily grind.
Thus, with each step, Tobey freed the beast in his heart, letting his body sway and twirl, moving in sync with the rhythm of the music in his mind.
But the world didn't let Tobey enjoy his antics forever. What must come will come...
Out of nowhere, a tingling sensation washed over Tobey, rippling through his body like an electric shock. His 'spider senses' had alerted him to the uninvited presences nearby!
Tobey halted in his tracks, his eyes darting around the surroundings, searching for the source of this disturbance.
Moments later, three figures entered Tobey's radar, making their way towards Tobey from the depths of the forest.
There were two in his line of sights. They wore black ornate red cloud robes, a symbol that sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest shinobi… if they weren't ignorant of the meaning behind this iconic outfit.
Well, even if the characters in the play was left out of the loop, the audience of the show was clearly aware of what was going to happen...
The time has finally come for villains to cross path! Tobey x Akatsuki! How will this infamous first encounter turn out?
Find out next time on Tobey Ball Z!