'This is turning out to be quite an advanced case study in fuinjutsu . . .'
'The quality too . . . Feels like Uzumaki make but . . . With Uzushio still standing, the shared knowledge should not be enough to make something like this.'
With that epiphany, all kinds of alarm bells began ringing within Shiki's mind.
For the time being however, the boy filed those thoughts away and focused on his present task.
Once the iron maiden like metal sarcophagus was opened, a small body, pale and thin, malnourished even, came into view.
Bolted metal restraints secured the girl and bandages filled with sealing script wrapped up her entire body like a cocoon, leaving only her head exposed.
Or not, because the top of said head was covered with a large sheet of sealing paper with a much more heavy duty seal formula inscribed in it.
Small containers affixed to the inside of the metal sarcophagus seemed to pump a cocktail of drugs and nutrients into the prisoner via tubes, some connecting to needles inserted into her arms while a big one seemed to go down her throat.
That last one seemed to pump some kind of nutrient sludge directly into her stomach while simultaneously preventing the girl from such acts like biting her tongue.
Using his well mastered healing jutsu to assist, the boy went about removing the various needles and stomach tube from the girl's body, as painlessly as possible while supplementing stimulating her cells and muscles to counteract the atrophy from long term immobilization.
*cough* *cough*
Two light coughs were expelled from the girl's mouth after he pulled the tube out from her throat.
"Almost there." The boy commented in a warm, almost comforting tone.
It only took a few more minutes to undo all remaining seals and peel away the head sheet and bandages from the girl's body . . .
. . . Revealing her fully naked form underneath.
Honestly, there was nothing to look at.
Prolonged immobilization, continuous involuntary drug use and subsisting solely on that nutrient sludge had taken their toll.
Onikuma Maiko had been reduced to an unhealthily pale gray colored sack of skin and bones.
Her dark black eyes were unfocused and without light or emotion.
Unreasonably long, frizzy dark hair was wrapped around her head in a haphazard manner, clearly without any thought beyond getting it out of the way.
At first the hair was short enough not to matter but later, as the girl got more powerful, no one dared to remove the seal on her head to allow for shaving so the hair grew unchecked.
Shiki pulled out a blanket from a storage scroll containing survival supplies and wrapped up the girl inside, carrying the bundle gently cradled in his arms.
While the boy was quite developed and well built for his age, he was still a child, yet the girl in his arms, despite being a year older, according to records at least, was so small he could easily envelop her with his arms while carrying her.
With Maiko secured, Shiki left the sealing room and looked towards the still bound Dr. Kumogami, just lying in the corner, shivering in terror, his horrified eyes pinned to the bundle in Shiki's arms.
"I left him for you-" The boy had no time to say anything else.
He wasn't even sure the girl was properly understanding the situation before but . . . he was sure now.
In an instant, the effects of exactly one hundred types of torture manifested on the head researcher's body, immediately ending his life.
"That was quick . . ." Shiki commented with a whisper.
'Not in his mind it wasn't.'
'Not in his mind it wasn't.'
Two dissonant voices, one utterly devoid of emotion and one filled with way too much of it, sounded out within the boy's mind.
'Yin Release based communication method. And from your words, I suppose your payback involved altering that waste's perception to time to prolong his suffering then.' Shiki mentally communicated.
No words came in reply but a signal easily interpreted as affirmation did arrive.
'So ready to leave this place behind?' The boy mentally questioned the girl.
Another ping of affirmation.
"Let's go then." He said out loud.
Shiki's chakra enveloped the bundle in his arms like a protective film as he used Flicker Phantom to vanish from the facility and imperceptible speed.
*
All four targets of Operation Uprooting were successfully hit and everyone, each with their own mood, was returning to home base.
That said, it was far from over.
The physical strike of the Root facilities was just the beginning with the inevitable political game that would follow being where the matter was going to be settled.
All four groups rendezvoused at the Uzumaki mansion.
As previously agreed upon, Mito would be the one to spearhead the political talks.
But a representative from the Senju and one from the Uchiha had to be present and, to keep the regained youth of Senju Toka and Uchiha Naori under wraps, they could not be the ones to go.
There was no problem on the Uchiha side, the Clan Head Fukutsu had participated in the operation himself and could serve as a strong representative.
It was the Senju side that had problems.
Toka had major control over the clan with a smaller but still significant opposing faction, that said, she had no one besides herself that could feasibly serve as a representative that would be taken seriously by all the higher ups.
"Well . . . Although some fools that ought to be dead and buried along with their past glories do not like it, I've spoken for the Senju many a time before." Mito spoke.
"It's high time Tsunade starts to take these matters seriously so I'll take her as a token Senju representative just to observe." The Uzumaki matriarch suggested in a manner more akin to a command.
It was, however, an order Senju Toka had no issues obeying and thus, the Senju side was settled.
"What about that boy?" Uchiha Fukutsu suddenly inquired.
He was quite interested in this teammate of his daughter.
The Uchiha clan head had seen Shiki before of course, such as the times he picked Mei up near her home, but surprisingly they had never actually spoken besides polite greetings.
"Shiki has already provided me with all the information he and his partner that hit the Record Keeping Facility recovered. He will not be participating in this next part." Mito replied.
"After this, our alliance will become public knowledge and there will be plenty of chances to interact." She added.
"No sense in involving the child with politics, even if he is capable he should be spared from it." Senju Toka spoke.
"Oh no. It has nothing to do with that." Mito responded.
"Shiki has been involved with the political side of things for quite a while and much of the planning for the work ahead of us has his hand in it." The Uzumaki matriarch continued.
"Then?" Toka voiced the question in everyone's mind.
"There are other matters that require his attention. That's all." The redhead concluded, her tone and expression conveying that the topic was closed.
The next step was to call Tsunade over and explain the basics of the situation before heading to the Hokage's Office and calling the Third to come running if he was not already there.
A few minutes later, a clearly frazzled Tsunade, barely woken up from her beauty sleep, stumbled into the meeting room where Mito and the others were discussing.
"What is it, this early obaa-sama?" The Senju princess yawned, freezing as soon as she actually took in the room.
+++++
Hey, Author here!
To promote the novel I will be releasing BONUS CHAPTERS on SUNDAYS based on the previous week's power stone count.
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
500 Power Stones = 2 Bonus Chapters
1000 Power Stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
Every earned BONUS CHAPTER on Webnovel will also be posted on Scribble.
Just a reminder that you can read up to a FULL MONTH ahead of this site on pa-treon.
I'm trying to become a full time Author now and I'm not going to be starting any new novels just so I can make sure this one is properly completed.
Find those sweet advanced chapters on pa-treon.com/lusoba without the -