Chapter 169: 168. SCREW THAT!

MrProper

You can't do this!

[...Your reaction is...typical...]

This "game" was supposed to be fair! Any interposition beyond Raymond Parker's initial inception wasn't supposed to be acknowledged!

[...We have kept our end of the bargain. There has been no interference from our end since his journey began...]

You expect me to believe such a blatant lie?! Then how do you explain-?!

[..."Ripples" will take care of themselves. Have you forgotten about the "Lingering Will" that governs this domain?...]

?!

[...This event was not our doing. But we did foresee it...and we acknowledge its arrival...]

Son of a...!

[...The "rules" have not been broken. Claiming we did simply because events have moved in our favor is juvenile...]

Cheh! Oh! That's right, he can still use that!

[...We know what you're contemplating, and we advise against it. This event is meant to repair a Ripple. Extending it by saving an insignificant entity is-...]

"Insignificant entity?" Is that what you thought when you took everything from me?

[...Raymond will not save her...]

You don't know shit. About me, Raymond, or humanity as a whole. Raymond...you think he's like you, but you're wrong

[...The "resonance" begs to differ...]

Neither of "you" understand why he ended up in his current situation. How he came here

[...Hubris brought him to our attention...]

Wrong. Something you could never comprehend brought him here

[...Any further debate is a non-starter. As neither can interfere, the final decision remains in Raymond's hands. Not letting nature take its course will have disastrous consequences...]

F**k off...

[...You've been warned...]

Hmph! This isn't over yet! He'll never choose you over me!

♦♦♦

"SUZU!"

I never saw it coming...

"Hey! Hey! Stay awake! Don't you dare go to sleep!"

"..."

"Come on...!"

This amount of blood...she's lost so much. Too much for this amount, was an organ hit? Artery? Shit! Despite what I know, Tai's the medic of our squad, how the hell am I supposed to-?!

No.

No. No. No.

That won't do at all, I can't panic now

Okay. Stop shaking. Breathe. Focus! 

"You're going to be okay. If you can hear me, do whatever you can to stay awake!"

The wound went straight from her back, right through her lower abdomen. What did it hit?

The Liver? Intestines? Stomach? Spleen? Pancreas? Maybe her bladder? Ah shit! Idiot! I'm putting the cart before the horse! First thing's first, have to keep the pressure on to prevent any more blood loss...

POOF! WRAP!

So glad I decided to rip off Sasuke with these summoning wristbands. This cloth should slow down the bleeding, wish I had more to offer. If only there wasn't a limit to its storage

With Isshiki's Daikokuten1Great Black Heavenpower, I'd have my own private dimension to host an infinite amount of materials

"The medical supplies I have on hand are insufficient, they'll only prolong her life a little. Shit, I should've invested more in pharmaceuticals than machines"

Seriously, this could've been me. Can't believe I let my guard down like that!

It was just so fast...what the hell?! I still don't know what hit her, I couldn't even see it. Aren't I supposed to be fast?! I completely failed to react! Where the hell did it come from anyway?!

RUMBLE!

"Who-?! No...how?!"

My mind was still coping with Suzu's current condition, so I was not ready for what happened next

"Uuuuuhhhh..."

Kyō had emerged from the rubble, his entire body looked like charcoal, hair missing

Now I understand, most of the blood here isn't Suzu's, it's from him. He must've sent a concentrated blast at us...like a bullet from a sniper rifle

But how is he even standing in that state? It's like watching a zombie rise from the grave

GURGLE!

"What...the f**k?"

That "blood" of his was entering his body, his skin started bubbling. My god...he's actually regenerating!

"AAAAAARERRGGHGHG!!!!"

"He's still alive?!"

"GAAAAHHH!!!"

That blood...

Is he a vampire or something?! No, don't be ridiculous Raymond. He controls blood, or rather, iron enriched matter. He could be forcing his body to undergo rapid mitosis. Stimulating his white blood cells to replicate at a rapid pace

It's insane, but this is an insane world. When I think about, doesn't the future 5th Hokage Tsunade have a similar power? Yeah, not just her, Saiseijutsu2Regeneration Techniquesgets popular with a lot people down the line

"Uhack!"

"Suzu!"

Damn it, now's not the time to think about that! I have to get her out of here, someplace where she can get treated. But where? This entire area is covered with human traps, and the only clear path is too far from here...

Plus, I doubt I could outrun Kyō while carrying Suzu

[Quite the pickle you're in]

"Notitia?!"

[Look, I don't want to tell you this, but my "other" is advising you retreat. You can't win, nor can you save her. Furthermore, saving her could spell trouble down the line]

"Ah?! Screw that! If that's all you've come to say, beat it!"

[That was, but I'm curious. Since when did her life mean so much?]

"Huh? What are you-?"

[You were in a similar position back on Summoning Island. You and your team was almost killed, and you had a chance to flee, to save yourself...but you chose to stay with them]

Really? This again?

"There was still leeway for the three of us to survive. I told you, my team is an investment, one that will help me down the line"

[This situation is entirely different. You know no one's coming to save you like Mabui did last time]

You think I don't know that?

"You're distracting me, hurry up and say what you have to say Notitia!"

[I just want to know why this bothers you now. Remember, these individuals are just characters in a book, and not just that. In your eyes, they're not even "Canon". Just fodder in the background no one would ever notice]

"..."

[So why? Why do you risk your life for them now? You'd never have done so when you first arrived. Have you forgotten your primary objective? This life you live now is literally a "second chance" most would kill to get]

"..."

[This question isn't from the "other", it's from me, the one you know as "Notitia". Your guide, and as your guide, the current course is ill-advised]

"...Can I give you an answer later?" 

[...]

"..."

[Fine]

"Thanks, now how about you focus on helping me now"

[About that, you better move your ass. I stick with what I said, there only two options. You either leave Suzu behind and live...or stay and take your chances with Kyō and his friends]

"We can still...wait. His friends?"

[Can't you sense them? Wow, you really are out of it. Look. You're in even deeper shit than you realized]

"?!"

TAK! TAK! TAK!

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SHIT! Reinforcements from Kyō's clan, now I have even more to deal with!!

♦♦♦

"Kyō-sama, are you alright?!"

"Huff...huff...hah...I will be. When I kill those two"

{Those two gave him that much trouble?}

"Why are you three here? None of us were meant to meet out in the open like this until the mission was over"

"There's been a development. We've confirmed sightings of the Two-tails Jinchūriki on the battlefield"

"Wha-?!"

"It's safe to assume the team sent to the island..."

No! With them gone, and the losses we've taken here...that's almost half our entire clan! F**K! If I knew this would happen, I'd never have worked with "them"...!

"Rrrrggg. HMPH!"

STOMP! CRACK!

"?!"

"Kyō-sama!" {He stomped his foot once, and the ground cracked like an egg!}

"Hm? The Genin are gone...that Taijutsu kid must've fled with the girl just now. They won't get far..."

If those two report what they saw here to their allies, things will only get more difficult for the rest

"Sir, please leave this area to us"

"Excuse me?"

"We need you at the front...to end this. Before we lose anymore of our clan"

"..."

"We all knew what we signed up for, please don't let our brethren's sacrifices be for nothing"

It's unfair when you put it like that, but they're right. This conflict has gone on long enough. Fortunately, I still have the Lift, there's also the other users, plenty of them have died...and let's not forget this land has been "soaked" well

Truth be told, I should've left for the front over an hour ago

"Fine. But make sure they die, and don't underestimate them. They're stronger than they look, they'll become troublesome foes if allowed to grow"

"Of course. For the clan..."

"And only the clan..."

♦♦♦

Goddamn it! Think! I'm supposed to be a genius! Why can't I figure this out? I've stopped the bleeding and stitched up the wound!

[It's most likely Kyō's chakra]

"His chakra--ah! Duh! He used blood to attack, and it went right through her"

Chakra from the attack infected her. Even now, it's moving within Suzu's body like a virus

[Once it's strong enough, the chakra puts the victim under control of the user via Genjutsu. Since Kyō has set his to automatically turn anyone it infects into a "exploding human"...]

Damn. Now I get what the problem is...

"Suzu's chakra is trying to fight it off, but it's a losing battle. The physical wound isn't the issue, the weapon used to do this is the source of her declining state"

[Correct]

If it's something like that, then there really is nothing I can do...chakra affecting others on the cellular level is beyond what I can handle with the supplies I have on hand

Every move I take is simply a delaying tactic. Sigh, her fever is getting worse, and her pulse is completely erratic

At this rate...

TING!

"Crap! The enemy chakra, they're on the move, it won't be long before they find us! Notitia!"

[I know. But, isn't it strange? Normally, the process should've completed by now, the only reason I can guess as to why it hasn't is due to her considerable chakra]

Wait, what?

"Her chakra is that strong?"

[Compared to a modified alien-human hybrid like you, not really. But they're pretty strong for a human, abnormally so. In fact, she's not lagging much behind you]

"..."

[Her abnormal chakra reserves are fighting off Kyō's, but she won't last forever]

It must be due to her heritage...Kinkaku and Ginkaku, they're related to the Sage of Six Paths. Right...the Nine-tails swallowed them whole in their misguided attempt to capture it

They fed off his flesh to stay alive and became pseudo-jinchūriki once it regurgitated them, gaining incredible chakra in the process...

Tailed Beast flesh...Bloodline...Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki...

Powerful chakra...

[Your logic of protecting her on the premise she'd be a powerful ally for the future is sound. Still, not enough to risk your life to such-]

THAT'S IT!!!

"I've got it!"

[I advise you refrain from yelling as to not alert the enemy. And got what? Why are you digging through your belongings?]

"I'm looking for it"

[For what?]

RUSTLE!

Come on, my belongings got jumbled up in the chaos, please still be here--GOT IT!

"This!"

[That's...oh...oh man. Seriously?! That's your plan?!]

Damn straight

"If I can't save her, maybe this thing can..."

[You do remember what the report from HQ said right? The side effects, how they all went berserk?]

It's a sound argument, but I'm out of options. I'm exhausted, the enemy is on their way...and I can't save her as I am now

"You got any better ideas?"

[...]

"This is the only option"

[Door number 3 is it?]

"Yup"

[Ignoring the low odds of success, have you considered she'll turn on you for this? She's spent so much time trying to free herself from the sins of her ancestors...and now you're going to make her just like them]

"If she lives to complain about it, she still lives"

[Very well. I'll leave you to it, the choice and consequences are yours...but here's some advice. On the off chance this does work, go to your lab. Not just for the "Third Lock", but I'm pretty sure your little "Pet Project" is done]

"!"

[Good luck]

"...Thanks"

That was some good advice considering...

Hmm...maybe it isn't Notitia I have to worry about. But that "other" side, the one behind its creation...this entire ordeal is forcing me to give up even more of my humanity

Seems all too convenient when you look at this entire ordeal...

"..."

Agh! Can't think about that now! Have to clear my mind, focus...my chakra has to be settled in order for this to work

"..."

That's it...don't think about the battle...

The Chinoike...

The "LIFT"...

My human DNA...

Suzu...

None of it matters now...

Be empty...

"Haaaaa..."

Kisshōten3Auspicious Heavens...

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