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Filthy Gamer in Narutoverse: 145
🕑 Added 2022-11-08 15:58:30 +0000 UTCTitle: Cursed Seal (4)
Tsume silently sits on the cushion with a rarely seen ponderous expression while Kuromaru sat next to her quietly. Kuromaru, in the end, happens to be a trained Ninken and adopts a similarly silent state as his master. Kai and Orochimaru sit quietly, too.
Kai had explained everything from Cerberus to the fact that they found a way to replicate its ability and its danger. Of course, trying to replicate Cerberus' ability on a human is not only dangerous but stupid. Even with their method, the recipient of such power would lose his mind eventually and enter a streak of self-destructive tendencies. Shinobi are not Gods. They cannot achieve everything they desire...
Just yet.
At least, that's where Orochimaru's and Kai's ambitions meet and intersect.
"It really sounds like the clan's beast-man combo and if we succeed, Kuromaru would be better," Tsume holds her chin and looks conflicted. On one hand, the threat that this method poses is very real to her partner. But on the other hand, Tsume and many other Shinobi and Kunoichi innately pursue strength. Of course, Kai kept it to himself that he had perfected this technique by using the grind but such an 'easy' way shouldn't be handed out. Never.
It's not easy for Kai to put Tsume in such a situation, too, but he does do that in the end. Tsume has always been good to him but never took him for granted and was never an easy person. So, just handing the best way to help her... it didn't sit right with Kai. He would respect her decision even if it meant her losing out on a major advantage.
Suddenly, Tsume slaps her cheeks at once as if trying to wake up and takes a deep breath, "It's not like me to feel bad. Kuromaru wants to get strong. I want to get strong. I won't become the next matriarch just by jumping around with my team. Even in the rank of Jonins, mum is weaker compared to other clans. I and Kuromaru want strength!"
But then Tsume pauses again, hesitating. Just words can never ease her heart. After all, a Ninken forms a bond greater than other familial connections. A partner a shinobi can trust even with closed eyes! It's not just loyalty that grows between a Shinobi and their ninken but trust, affection, and even camaraderie.
Seeing her fall silent once more, Orochimaru is about to speak to lure the confused darling but as if sensing her intent already, Kai gestures for her to remain quiet. The silence itself feels stifling to Tsume. She could take time to decide. But again, the options were simple— Yes and no. The more she thinks, the more she believes she should not change her values and let go of this opportunity. But conversely, she also believes that power shouldn't be the sole reason to risk Kuromaru's life. She loves him, after all.
Indeed.
Love is a weakness, of that Tsume has no doubt. This weakness is felt even more now than ever before. Her love for Kuromaru is greater than her infatuation for Kai but that's not something Kai feels annoyed about.
Just like how everyone is a part of his life and can never replace his aims and goals, he, too, is a part of their life and not the central pillar of their life.
Tsume's breathing slowly shifts to rough pants. Her emotions are quick to agitate in such situations. Despite her declaration, it's hard to squeeze out the words that should be spoken by someone like her.
*Woof*
Kuromaru barked while nudging his snout against Tsume's shoulder. This only made her lower her head while biting her bottom lip. She could 'talk' with Kuromaru through intentions similar to how Kai would converse with Cinnamon using intentions alone. Kuromaru's answer seemed rather clear but in the end, it's Tsume who must speak those words that could possibly seal the fate of her Ninken.
Although Tsume is ready for the possibility of Kuromaru's death in a battle... the sight of it cannot be easy to take. Every Kunoichi and Shinobi is expected to be a tool and a weapon... but not even all the elites of the village can say that they are weapons.
Clenching her fist, Tsume nods quietly.
But Kai isn't happy with just a nod. He furrows his brows and remarks calmly, "Say it: You answer."
She looks up and stares at Kai. There's a moment of reluctance and anger toward the alpha in the beta's eyes but seeing him stare in return, she thins her lips and whispers, "I... want strength. Kuromaru wants strength... he is prepared for the consequences."
"Are you?" He raises an eyebrow. The petite beastmaster shudders for a moment and nods.
"Say it," He narrows his eyes and seemed intent on making this as difficult as possible for Tsume but this time, after the initial agreement, she feels 'lighter.'
Instead of feeling indignant towards Kai, she simply realizes she has the option to deny it but chooses not to. If she's denying the easy option... she cannot expect to half-ass her way into the harder choice.
"I am prepared for the consequences," her tone turns sharper, "Kuromaru may die, but that's a risk we both are willing to take."
It may sound humorous but Tsume instantly felt a wave of hesitation once more.
Maybe she shouldn't have done this.
Maybe she can still back out?
Maybe she can wait for other Inuzuka members to try it out and until this method is perfected, she can wait it out.
But all these are just thoughts of coping with the eventual regret she may feel burdened with if Kuromaru dies. And with that burden or regret... the eventual guilt could just crush her.
Yet, if this method succeeds and other members of the clan grow stronger quicker, she may never get the chance to reach the top of her clan.
But she can only think of these things. It's hard to be stone-cold resolute when the life of one's own friend is at risk. A hypocrisy in the world of killers but Kai felt it all too well. He is the same. But to him, it's better to be a self-aware hypocrite than an ignorant, righteous one.
He leans forward to pet the top of Kuromaru's head while speaking calmly, "It isn't easy. But what if it fails?"
She takes a deep breath and stares at Kai indignantly. Now he's just being mean but seeing the silent somberness in his gaze, she holds back her tongue and shakes her head, "I don't know then..." her tone shifts to a more annoyed one, "Just do things carefully... I've never seen you make a mistake. I'm sure you won't fail..."
"Obviously you haven't seen the mistakes we committed during the research," Orochimaru smiles at this point but her words spook the petite Tsume quite a bit and she glares at the reptilian cunt. Yet, at this point, Kai smiles, "Wait here. I'll try my best."
With that, he and Kuromaru disappeared.
---
Within a discreet patch of clearing in Shikkotsu Forest, Kai crouched in front of an unconscious Kuromaru. Seeing the hound sleeping peacefully, Kai takes out a fistful of brown fur from his pocket and a vial of blood. Sitting down cross-legged to be more comfortable, he soon pours the viscous blood on the top of Kuromaru's head and as the blood flows down in a small stream, he sets the fur on his head, too.
Had Orochimaru been here, she would have screamed and clawed Kai's hair out for such a casual way to start a dangerous 'experiment.'
But it wasn't an experiment, was it?
Despite having similarities, Kai and Orochimaru are essentially different. Orochimaru, for the name of progress, would work ON even her closed ones if she doesn't have any other option. Kai... wonders if he would have been the same without his trait, but these thoughts still cannot keep him awake at night. He's simply built differently to not fear the consequences of hypothetical situations.
He wouldn't experiment on Kuromaru or play with Tsume's emotions.
He didn't need to.
[Chimera Cursed Seal (10/10): Allows the user to add another ability onto the senjutsu cursed seal and let the target wield a genetic ability not belonging to it. Reduce Chakra Consumption by 5% at every level. Increase the speed of formation of this seal by 5% at every level. Current Chakra Consumption: 4800.]
Kai weaves his senjutsu chakra to slowly form this seal but in reality, it merely takes him a few seconds.
This seal is even beyond the scope of the seal Orochimaru used to grant Kai the Sage Transformation and a Kekkei Genkai, but the foundation is the same.
For basic cursed seals, the 'ability' to graft onto the target is the enzyme and the medium of Orochimaru's senjutsu chakra which gives others reptilian and snake-like features most of the time. Of course, the Sage Transformation, in the end, will be different for everyone but Kai simply adapted to the snake origin more than Orochimaru even and turned into a dragon. This is a way of creating Kekkei Genkai, but limited to one Kekkei Genkai alone. And if the user has low mental fortitude, the senjutsu chakra will corrode their minds.
[Chimera Cursed Seal] on the other hand, is a temporary use. It doesn't permanently add a genetic gift but gives a 'form' to the target. Like Sage Transformation, but without added raw enhancement to the base body. While Orochimaru is still in the initial stages of this seal and thought that this seal will not only allow them to mimic Fukushu but also other Kekkei Genkais to a certain extent, Kai knew better.
This seal is only for true genetic gifts. For instance, Senju's Kekkei Genkai is their body and not Mokuton. Mokuton, according to Tsunade, is awakened with nature energy, most likely. The fact that Hashirama Senju used Mokuton even at an early age just spoke a lot more about his affinity with nature energy than anything else.
So, using ordinary Senju genes will not grant Mokuton. Only Hashirama's and Tsunade's will. But...
This seal has other problems.
How to identify what genetic gifts to graft onto the target and what not?
If they are reckless, Kuromaru will turn out like Cerberus, or worse. Kumo already knows the weakness of the beast and that is to screw with the eight limiting tenketsu of the beast and its genetic gifts would become its worst nightmare.
So, this cannot be added casually on Kuromaru. So, even when Kai completes the seal on Kuromaru's forehead, he continues to add supplementary seals to isolate the effect of this skill. Then there is also the problem that Senjutsu Chakra may cause Kuromaru to go berserk so he needed to take care of that, too.
***
Alternate Title: Guilty Strength
***
A/N: I wanted our favorite Beta to have a real moment of internal conflict because that's the truly scary conflict.
Meanwhile, the canon heaven and earth cursed seals are incomplete variants of what Kai has because this time, Orochimaru herself mastered perfect Sage Mode. But the Chimera Cursed Seal is similar to the beast-cursed seal that Mizuki has but it just doesn't work for granting beast-like abilities to the humans. It also has a chance to grant kekkei genkai to other humans to an extent. As stated, however, it's hard to just isolate the effect of a single skill that a user wants to graft onto oneself or others...
Good thing that Kai already has a way to isolate it using one particular seal *wink* *wink*. We're making progress in terms of skills boys!
