Ota Shoichi pressed his ear against the door, trying to catch any sounds from inside. The action made him look rather odd, but he had no other choice.
The soundproofing is so good that he couldn't hear a thing. Straightening his security uniform, he knocked on the door.
No response. He then waved at the keypad lock.
Just as he was beginning to feel that the wait was too long, the door clicked open, revealing the resident inside.
"Ah, Kishimoto-san, my apologies for disturbing you so late... But I received a call from one of your neighbors, saying they heard some loud noises..." Shoichi said with a polite smile.
"I see. Sorry, but there's nothing going on." The other party replied stiffly.
'He doesn't seem too happy. You think I want to be here?' Ota Shoichi glanced past the entryway, but of course he couldn't see anything, 'Tsk, what was that loud noise about then…?
"If there's nothing else…" The words came as a direct dismissal.
"Nothing, nothing at all. Enjoy your evening."
"Appreciate it."
Bang, the door shut firmly.
"..."
…
"Sigh." After dealing with the apartment security, Logan returned to the entranceway and dispelled his Transformation Technique.
He stretched his limbs before glancing down the hallway at the unconscious Kishimoto, looking a little embarrassed.
'I couldn't control my strength.' Logan thought to himself. He pulled the other party up and slapped him twice on the face rudely, but there was no response, "He fainted?"
Shaking his head in disappointment, he thought back to the moment he had sensed the attack coming from behind. His reflexes had kicked in, leading to the current situation.
Logan thought about whether to wake the other party up. After all, the problem was not completely clear yet.
'Wake him up and listen to his pointless rambling.'
Logan thought helplessly. Judging from Kishimoto's series of reactions just now, as Naruto's Manga Author, he had no knowledge of Logan's transmigration.
He didn't have the presence of some mastermind, nor did he respond 'logically' when Logan revealed his identity. The only thing he showed was resistance toward his supposed 'character' and a sense of helplessness.
"Forget it." After thinking for a while, Logan stood up straight. He knew that from the way Kishimoto had been acting, even if he was tortured, he probably wouldn't provide any useful information.
Rubbing his temples, Logan turned to the tablet on the workstation. Under the light, its white surface looked utterly ordinary.
"Masashi Kishimoto undoubtedly played some role in the connection between the two worlds, but he doesn't seem to be in control of it. If I rule that out, then the key factor must be this tablet."
Entering the studio again, Logan carefully observed it, sensing the details covering the small rectangular device.
A faint wave like a wisp of smoke came from the tablet. Logan controlled his emotions, 'It was subtle, but undeniably present. It was the same sensation I felt when I first touched it. That enormous suction force earlier wasn't an illusion, either.'
Logan carefully compared it with his memory. The fluctuations on the drawing tablet weren't just within the detectable range, they also felt eerily familiar, a property he could never forget.
After a long time, Logan exhaled with relief, "No doubt about it… This is a Space-Time fluctuation."
"So, you're the real culprit, huh?"
Logan stared at the drawing tablet, a look of hesitation flashed across his face before he finally extended his hand. He wanted to test what would happen upon contact once more, even though the memory of that overwhelming suction still sent a chill down his spine.
He even has a hunch that his shadow clone had vanished the moment it touched the tablet. Since its Chakra was completely drained, it was wiped out so thoroughly that not even its memories had returned to him.
He had no idea how much Chakra the drawing tablet could absorb before stopping. Maybe just a little more than a shadow clone's worth, or maybe there was no upper limit, and it would continue to devour Chakra until the source itself perished.
Logan understood the risk, but since he had managed to resist it once, there was no reason he couldn't do it again, especially now that he was more prepared.
Bit by bit, he moved closer... His fingers trembled slightly as they once again made contact with the tablet's icy surface.
Whoosh…
The massive suction force erupted once more. Logan steeled his mind, watching the drawing tablet closely. His Chakra surged forth as if it had encountered a gaping drain, but this time, he was faster, sealing the leak right before his Chakra could be pulled away.
In an instant, the suction vanished.
"Phew." Yu Logan exhaled, relaxing slightly.
He felt like he was facing a formidable enemy just now. Perhaps he had simply lacked experience with such an unusual phenomenon before, but this time, resisting had been easier than expected.
After spending a lot of time getting used to it, Logan picked up the tablet and examined it closely. He flipped it over and over… externally, it had all the expected electronic components, but nothing about it looked modified.
When he had first touched it, the drawing tablet hadn't visibly changed. Taking a deep breath, Logan decided to take the next step. Carefully, he gathered a tiny amount of Chakra and actively fed it into the drawing tablet.
It was a delicate maneuver, as he had to prevent another loss of control. Splitting his attention like this was difficult, but thanks to his earlier observations, he managed.
The moment his Chakra entered, it felt like plunging into an abyss, it was swallowed instantly, leaving no trace or connection behind...
The sensation was somewhat unsettling. Before Logan could fully process it, the previously calm drawing tablet began to react.
Intricate, nearly transparent patterns surfaced on the back of the drawing tablet, glowing faintly as they merged seamlessly with its electronic components. At the same time, Logan sensed a slight increase in the tablet's faint Space-Time fluctuations.
Then, just as quickly, the activation subsided.
"So that's how it works…" Logan looked at the drawing tablet in deep thought, 'The pattern on the back looked like some kind of Sealing Technique.'
His mind then instinctively turned back to his shadow clone, "This thing absorbs all the Chakra from my shadow clone, and then was activated… That's why I was transported when the clone dispersed."
"But why me?" Logan raised his head and looked at Kishimoto lying on the ground outside the door, "He doesn't even have Chakra..."
Leaning back into the swivel chair, Logan became lost in thought. The rhythmic ticking of the clock filled the quiet space.
It was obvious that he wouldn't be able to unravel everything just sitting here. He had already spent a considerable amount of time investigating, and he had made progress. Outside, Olivia was still waiting. If he kept her waiting too long… well, that could lead to its own set of problems. Reaching for his backpack, Logan stuffed the drawing tablet inside.
There was no way he could leave this with Kishimoto. He needed to take it back for further study… at least for now.
Glancing at the still-unconscious man, Logan acknowledged that, for a modern Manga Author, a drawing tablet was an essential tool. He had not only knocked the guy out but also taken his livelihood. He gave his conscience a quick check and reassured himself, 'Well, it was necessary.'
'Who knows? Maybe I'd even return it a few days later.'
'It's not a big deal.'
Surveying the slightly messy room, Logan sighed.
What follows is a troublesome but familiar cleanup process.